Many gardens remind us of their counterparts indoors—a living room, dining room or kitchen. The garden typically has a floor, walls and a ceiling made with plants and hardscape elements—things like pavers, decks, arbors and fences. Ground covers, such as hostas and ferns or coneflowers and catmint, along with the lawn, serve as the garden’s […]
Read More… from Up and Away: Vertical Elements for the Garden
Fire pits are about as old as humankind – here at Hursthouse, we like to say that the first backyard fire pits were used to roast brontosaurus steak. People have always been drawn to fire for its beauty and warmth. And in the Chicago area, you can relax around an outdoor fire year-round. The same […]
Some gardens are more fascinating than others. They’re intriguing and inviting. The secret is often a well-designed path that leads to an interesting vista or focal point. “Paths are one of the most important elements in a garden,” says landscape architect Bob Hursthouse. Whether it’s made of brick, cut bluestone, slabs of limestone or grass, a […]
If there was a beauty contest for flowering shrubs, surely the hydrangea would come in first place. In recent years, many new hydrangeas have appeared in garden centers. Breeders have been busy developing and introducing new varieties, especially those of the “panicle” hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata). They are named for their upright cone-shaped flowers. Panicle hydrangeas make […]
A garden can have the best plants, the most pristine paths and a fabulous layout, but something may still be missing. Garden ornaments—from benches and fountains to sundials, mobiles and sculpture—are the elements that complete a setting and reflect the owner’s style. “Think of your outdoor spaces as garden rooms—places you move through just as […]
Liquid Assets Earth. Fire. Wind. Water. Our ancestors were fascinated by those elements and they continue to captivate us in gardens today. Water is often an overlooked feature for residential gardens, but the sound of trickling or cascading water can be very relaxing. It can also mask some of the street noise in urban areas. […]
Of all the creatures that visit gardens, butterflies are perhaps the most exotic and magical. On warm summer days they sail from one flower to another in search of nectar. In sunlight, the shimmering wings of the red-spotted purple appear iridescent. And, while the large, brightly colored swallowtails, monarchs and painted ladies tend to grab […]
Read More… from Butterfly Gardening: Here’s How to Attract Winged-Wonders to Your Landscape
Why do so many us of love working in the garden? Why do we give plants and flowers as gifts? There’s a pretty good reason! Plants have the power to bring smiles and a sense of well-being to those who interact with them – in fact, the positive effects of plants are so powerful that […]
Read More… from 4 Ways Gardening Helps Kids (And Grownups, Too)
Big surprises often come in small, special packages. “One year for Robbi’s birthday, my son Scott and I gave her a gift certificate for a class at The Morton Arboretum,” says landscape architect Bob Hursthouse of Hursthouse, Inc. It turned out to be a great adventure.“Scott was a preschooler and we went to the “Salamanders […]