As Advertised, a Ramble Thru the Garden-Next-Door...

 ...on a typical mature suburban lot, a pristine little 60-year old "half-cape" style, updated and maintained (and no, this is not for sale). Gardener and Family's been here since @1980--that's how long they've worked and re-worked this garden. Currently, about a dozen distinct "micro-climate" gardens within the whole....

 ...for example, this section out front has some strong hot sun and cool dry shade all in one; there's a big tree just off camera to the right. (Gardener's Guideline: big trees have big roots that take much moisture from the area, watering needed if it doesn't rain regularly....

 ...the brilliant asclepias are in vibrant bloom. We do native prairie plants around here, since Chicagoland is on the edge of the prairies, the plants are meant to grow here, so why fight it? Coneflowers, various yarrows, daisies, bee balm, etc are in abundance....

 ...another sunny areas. Perennials don't all bloom at the same time. Another Gardener's Guideline is to select plants so these's various things in bloom thru out the growing season....later in the summer other flowers, like goldenrod, etc. will contribute...

...living in the Garden in the temperate seasons. One doesn't do all this work to sit inside and watch TV; the other evening, there were 4 Little Boys 4 conducting a scavenger-hunt and running wild, and she didn't bat an eye! But they were nice little guys left only the echos of their laughter behind....

 ...dramatic contrast between sun and shade areas blending together. The little terre-cotta was modeled by the Son of the house, when he was a toddler...lots of other subtle ornaments around the yard, too....

 ...this Sun garden portion was built on the space that once held a huge old diseased pine tree 2 or 3 years ago. Looks like it's been there the whole time...Garden Guideline: you want to pack the plants in fairly close together--they help hold one another up and they crowd out weeds....

...a preview of the future entry when we tour the new, improved and expanded Faery Garden  ..aka the solution to what to do with that "dead space" near the air conditioner unit....kids love Faery Gardens....

Oh, Good Grief! Hamster Engineering....

...as you may recall, we have FlowerGirl's hamster visiting for the week. To provide him with the security of a finite universe outside his cage, yet allow for light and air circulation, we draped his cage in a thin filmy cloth that Hubs' uses in gardening. I went in the morning to check on him; I was greeted by this construction project!! Did the little rascal get Stimulus $$'s for this mess? He pulled his drapery thru the cage openings on his 3rd level and dragged it all the way down to his mezzanine and nested in it. He was passed out exhausted from the all-night labor. Laughter slowed my progress in getting the camera!

So, for the people in MO, CO and DE--Let's Review....

 ...the project started after the Famed MeatFest 2010, Inwhich Many Meats were Consumed by MEN! and some girlz and a baby or four.....The Equipment came and Deck was ripped off and a big Hole was dug and ...

...concrete was poured and the kids really liked the concrete mixer and the process..... and it was red.

...and the days came when they built the neat room--I've been to several dinners there and it's much better than it looks in this picture. It's a great dining room!....

...and the resourceful Gardener kept her balance and sense of humor and purpose thru the whole thing and even made lovely arrangements of things around the yard for autumn....

...and then we had the worst winter I can remember (which made me fear Winter) and then the Spring came and the room was done...and the Gardener and her Hubs' started in on the formation of the Rain Garden. Here's the Hubs' doing the heavy planting while Gardener kept the Granddaughters busy and I took photos...

...and here is the Garden Gnome you probably all recognize...and see? he's surrounded by green leaves in the shade garden.... in future days we will Take a Walk Thru the Garden in July!

I Have a Question...(aka Bloggsy's 2-Cents)

...personally, I'm Not emotionally invested in the Casey Anthony proceedings, but I am aware that  many thousands of people are.  I wonder: how much phone, email and fb time was consumed? how much tv-time was consumed? and how many millions of gallons of strong coffee or chardonnay or vodka was consumed by all the people sitting there, hanging on every word in the trial? Perhaps, for some, it was a mini-boon to their economic prospects---but is this part of the "new normal"??  (Added later) I'd be interested to hear the reasons the jury had for the acquittal on the first three charges; the jurors aren't speaking out publically (understandable for now). I wish I didn't have the uncomfortable feeling that some may sell their stories to the media.   And I promise, that's all I plan to say about this sordid story.  Remember, in the case of OJ Simpson: somehow, the "Real Killer(s)" haven't emerged; while in Illinois, a "cold case" murder of a child 53 years ago was recently solved--a suspect is under arrest.

HerVhey: Working Hard at Keepin' the Ham in Hamster....

 ...as advertised, he sleeps all day, nettled in cozy beds of shredded office documents and brown paper packing materials. It's a bit like having a brand new baby in the house: I keep checking his room to make sure he's still breathing. Tomorrow, I will clean up a bit in his cage. My brother warned me that the hamster kicks or throws nasty little pellets of hammie-poop out of the cage. I swept those up today.

...he went wild on his exercise wheel this evening; that was fun to watch tho not as easy to capture. Last night during his active phase, he moved his bedding up to his mezzanine-level and slept today next to his wheel. Time for Critter Cam

Serendipity in the Garden....

....her first few hours of a month-long student exchange visit to the US, Julia gets to start out with the Independence Day Celebration! She's from Spain. Hubs' and I were so glad to be included in the late afternoon dinner party, it was charming...

....Julia speaks English very well, and her host-families daughters speak Spanish. I see from the FB that they have already visited the Sears (ok, Williss) Tower.

Inwhich Princess FlowerGirl Says "Yes!" to Michigan....

...her trusty entourage of attendants (aka Parents) shall thus convey her to the other side of the lake. The royal progress will include a week or so of exploring, maybe swimming, finding Princess-worthy attractions and sampling Bed&Breakfast food, maybe see a lighthouse or two.

...we get a chance to bond with HerVhey, the little hampster she got for her birthday. He is a sterling example of a rodent, I must say. Along with his usual food, he will be treated to garden fresh lettuce (he already gobbled a piece) and possibly snap peas. Just now, he is in his own room, secure from the cats (tho I know he can smell them) washing his little pink hands and feet with his little pink tongue. Cute.