By Jennifer Smith Plant diversity in the landscape means different things to different people, or perhaps I should say, to different gardeners. The Piet Oudolf Garden in Detroit has more than 100 different species of plants. The pollinator garden I designed and manage on behalf of Wimberg Landscaping at Wasson and Paxton has at least... Continue Reading →
By Jennifer Smith As I write this, the drizzle continues to come down as it has for weeks, or at least it feels like weeks. It was a cool and wet spring, and summer is starting out rainy as well. This year reminds me, and every other gardener in the area, that we are not... Continue Reading →
By Jennifer Smith Like many, I’m inspired by the work of master garden designer Piet Oudolf. The gardens I’ve had the privilege to view in person have never disappointed. I find his use of plant material sophisticated and beguiling. Equally impressive are his books which never disappoint. They are pure joy to read and very... Continue Reading →
By Jennifer Smith I recently listened to The Insect Crisis, a book described as, "A devastating examination of how collapsing insect populations worldwide threaten everything from wild birds to the food on our plate." As I was on the treadmill, hearing about the grim state of the insect population made what’s more a test of... Continue Reading →
By Jennifer Smith When it comes to plants and books about plants, I have little willpower to resist. And for that, I am thankful. If I had any self-control, I wouldn’t be thumbing through Dream Plants for the Natural Garden which features 1,200 beautiful and reliable plants for the natural garden by Piet Oudolf and... Continue Reading →
By Jennifer Smith I’m sure I’m not the only gardener who delights at the sight of loosely amended soil. I see the promise of new flowering plants to attract butterflies, seedheads to attract birds in the fall and grasses to carry my garden through winter. An expanse of loose soil is a gardener’s blank slate,... Continue Reading →
By Jennifer Smith When the excitement and flurry of the holidays starts to fade, many of us are left with a gray time in the calendar when it’s too soon to break back our pollinator garden or add new plants. If it’s a garden planted for nature that you care for, it’s best not to... Continue Reading →
By Peter Wimberg One million, four million, eight million. That’s the number of visitors, respectively, that the Chicago Botanical Gardens, the Lurie Garden in Chicago and the High Line in New York City receive each year. The newly created Piet Oudolf Garden on Detroit’s Bell Island is also a popular garden destination. While it doesn’t... Continue Reading →
By Peter Wimberg It’s not often that acting out of fear, or being driven by fear, is advisable. Before you say, what if you’re in physical danger, or a massive storm is coming? Remember, this is a garden column. But, I do believe that fear (see what I did there?) is creeping into the world... Continue Reading →
By Peter Wimberg If only I had known. I’ve had those moments with gardening. When many of us start gardening we tend to buy one or two or everything. There are so many intriguing plants that limiting ourselves to a curated palette is not easy. Do I wish I had not collected such an array... Continue Reading →
