Our Magical Garden, Author at Our Magical Garden

Summer Gardening in the Shade: Ivy, Pond Life and Winning the Battle Against Weeds

Leave a Comment / Seasonal, Summer / Our Magical Garden

Summer Gardening in the Shade: Ivy, Pond Life and Winning the Battle Against Weeds One of the realities of gardening in summer is that there are days when the heat and humidity make it difficult to tackle major projects. While spring often feels full of energy and excitement, midsummer requires a slightly different approach. Instead […]

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Peony Problems

Leave a Comment / Peony, Problem / Our Magical Garden

Are your peonies wilting or failing to bloom? Learn how to identify and treat common peony problems like powdery mildew and botrytis blight with our simple garden solutions.

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Peonies

Leave a Comment / Peony, Plants / Our Magical Garden

Dreaming of a peony-filled garden? Discover everything you need to know about growing peonies, from choosing between tree and herbaceous types to expert planting and care tips.

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Pond Questions Answered

Leave a Comment / Ponds / Our Magical Garden

The Complete Story of Our Koi Pond (13 Years in a Chicago Garden) Every week, people stop outside our fence and ask the same question—especially in winter: “You have fish in there?” Yes. We do. And after more than 13 years of keeping koi alive through Chicago winters, we’ve heard just about every question you

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Creating A Perfectly Balanced Garden Pond Ecosystem

Leave a Comment / Ponds / Our Magical Garden

Creating a Perfectly Balanced Garden Pond Ecosystem A healthy pond is more than just a feature in the garden—it’s a living, breathing ecosystem. When your pond is in balance with its surroundings, it becomes a sanctuary: a place that draws you in, relaxes the mind, and engages all the senses. The gentle movement of water,

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August Gardening

Leave a Comment / Seasonal / Our Magical Garden

August Gardening Deadheading, Dividing & Keeping the Garden Balanced It’s August—and after weeks of intense heat, a slightly cooler day (even if that still means 86°) feels like an invitation to get back out into the garden. This time of year isn’t about big transformations. It’s about maintenance, balance, and making small adjustments that keep

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February Gardening

Leave a Comment / February, Seasonal / Our Magical Garden

February Gardening in Zone 5b: Patience, Preparation & the First Signs of Spring There’s something irresistible about the first mild day in February. After months indoors, the garden starts calling again—and even if it’s too early for most tasks, just being outside feels like progress. If you garden in Zone 5b, February isn’t about action—it’s

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Irises

Leave a Comment / Plants / Our Magical Garden

Irises: The Flower of History, Resilience, and Effortless Beauty There are certain plants that feel like they’ve always belonged in a garden—and irises are one of them. Long before they found their way into our borders and beds, irises were already woven into human history. Their story stretches back over 4,000 years, rooted in the

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Garden Fundamentals intro

Leave a Comment / Guide, maintenance / Our Magical Garden

Garden Fundamentals: Where the Magic Actually Begins If there’s one thing I’ve learned over time, it’s this: good gardening isn’t complicated—but it does require attention to the right things. Strip everything back, and what you’re really working with is a kind of “Golden Trio”: sunlight, soil, and water. Get those three working in harmony with

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Our Garden Transformation

Leave a Comment / Garden Design, Garden Transformation / Our Magical Garden

From Weeds to Wonder: A 25-Year Journey to a Suburban English Cottage Garden Twenty-five years ago, we stood in the kitchen of our 1925 corner house in Western Springs, looking out at a snowy rectangle of grass. When the thaw finally came, it revealed a landscape of creeping charlie, orange ditch lilies, and buckthorn. There

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