Have you looked out your window and felt disgusted with this late winter, early spring icky phase? What does your garden/lawn look like? If you are looking for inspiration, there is still time to head to the Flower and Garden Show at Navy Pier. There, you will find many ideas including those in the green category.
Make sure to stop by the Chicago Botanic Garden's "Hope for a Healing Planet" display. The designer, Carrie Meade of Mariani Landscape, gave us some green gardening tips, "A big thing is the plants you pick. Locally grown plants are easier on the environment because you don't have transportation/fumes and all that."
Meade also suggests choosing perennials vs.. annuals to save money and carbon emissions (the transportation of the plants). Choose plants native to Chicago, take time to prepare the soil with compost, utilize herbicides/pesticides without petroleum, and most importantly, Meade urges us to have a plan, "I think the biggest mistake homeowners make is to go to the store and pick a mix that looks pretty at that time and they don't know what that plant will do in the long term or how it will mix with the other plants."
Greening your garden goes well beyond the plants. Rooftop gardens are a huge change that even you can add this spring said Kristie Webber, Director of Interpretive Programs, Chicago Botanic Gardens, "People are using them in urban settings, garages, rooftops...its really terrific that people are just really becoming aware these and seeking them out for their own gardens."
