Return to Zita’s Garden

Revisiting a beautiful garden as it matures

Today we ’re in Evanston , Illinois ( just outside Chicago ) , confab with Zita Swindells .

A few years back I sent in moving picture of my postconstruction garden(Surviving Construction in the Garden)—nice castanets , but a bit bare . Since then I have retire , pass quite a lot of time in pandemic lockdown , and turn over to the garden as sanctuary . I have created a seam bordering thepatio , bring anotherseating area , squeezed in moreraised bedsfor vegetable ( even in the sunny alley parking spot next to my service department ) , and impart a rain garden filled with native in a low expanse of the yard that floods every twelvemonth ( deplorably , not this year — rut anddroughtseem to be becoming the average ) .

My lovely neighbour brought over her onetime wienerwurst kennel board and helped me put up the temporary fences you see below to protect at least some of my perennial from our plague ofrabbits . But along with the rabbits , chipmunk , and squirrels , who eat on my crop and perennials , are the butterflies , bees , razz , and all the otherpollinatorsproviding constant move and color in the garden . It is a grand tapis and has certainly been a oasis for me .

In the foreground isAmsoniahubrichtii(Zones 5–8 ) on the left , withCalaminthanepeta(Zones 5–9 ) . Behind them isAllium‘Millenium ’ ( zone 5–9 ) covered with blossom .

Bright yellowRudbeckialaciniata‘Herbstonne ’ ( Zones 3–9 ) pairs beautifully with darkBuddleia‘Miss Molly ’ ( Zones 5–9 ) andMonarda‘Raspberry Wine ’ ( zone 5–9 ) .

Knockout roses(Rosa‘Radrazz ’ , Zones 5–9 ) polish in front of a dwarf weeping ‘ Ruby Falls ’ redbud(Cerciscanadensis‘Ruby Falls ’ Zones 5–9 ) .

Red canna lilies(Cannaindica , zone 8–1o or as a tender bulb ) and Joe Pye weed(Eutrochium purpureum , Zones 4–9 ) in the rain garden .

Have photos to partake ? We ’d love to see your garden , a particular aggregation of plant life you love , or a wondrous garden you had the chance to visit !

To submit , send 5 - 10 photos to[email protected]along with some information about the industrial plant in the pictures and where you took the pic . We ’d bed to hear where you are located , how long you ’ve been garden , success you are lofty of , bankruptcy you learned from , hope for the future , favorite plants , or funny stories from your garden .

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