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Roasted Orange Tomato and Thai Basil Soup
[lt_recipe name=”Roasted Orange Tomato and Thai Basil Soup” servings=”8 cups” prep_time=”45M” cook_time=”45M” total_time=”1H30M” difficulty=”Easy ” summary=”The bulk of your work will be slicing your tomatoes for roasting. The rest is basic prep work for assembling... Read More
5th Feb, 2018
Mid-Winter Garden Check
Wide temperature changes cause problems for garden. Nature walks inspire garden design Read More
16th Oct, 2017
A How-To and Why-To Guide to Planting Your Spring Bulbs
Planting bulbs in the fall for the first flowers of Spring is easier than you think. Read More
9th Oct, 2017
Brilliant Fall Colors are Not Just in the Trees
How to Add Fall Color in your Perennial Garden Read More
3rd Aug, 2017
Design inspiration in a Mid-Summer Night’s Shakespeare Garden
Source: Design inspiration in a Mid-Summer Night’s Shakespeare Garden Read More
3rd Jul, 2017
The Easy days of Summer in the Garden
Source: The Easy days of Summer in the Garden Read More
The Easy days of Summer in the Garden
This time of year in the garden is a sort of chill time. All the hard work and planning is done. You’ve already harvested some of your veggies and berries. Your greens are looking for... Read More
13th Jun, 2017
At Long Last Summer
The last month here has been busy busy busy! All our seedlings have been given new homes either in our own garden, or adopted out to good homes. From humble beginnings . . . Come... Read More
7th May, 2017
The Pretty Pansy is no Shrinking Violet
I planted my pansies in the beginning of April. They’ve powered through 3 freezes, a nasty weird freaky hail storm and all around general neglect. They’ve got super model looks and Captain America strength. While... Read More
21st Apr, 2017
Here Comes the Sun
The colors of spring have burst through the grey skies. Over the past week the Daffodils, Tulips, Hyacinth and all the spring perennials have woken up and beat back the grey skies. This is the... Read More
13th Apr, 2017
APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS
At least that’s what I was told when I was little. As a consolation for a rainy day in April, we would have bright blooms in May. This week in Chicagoland we had warm sun... Read More
5th Apr, 2017
Ladies and Gentlemen, start your seedlings.
Source: Ladies and Gentlemen, start your seedlings. Read More
4th Apr, 2017
Ladies and Gentlemen, start your seedlings.
Well I’ve been off the blog this last month because I caught a nasty virus that kept me in bed for a week and really boogery for two more weeks after that. But, with... Read More
24th Feb, 2017
Who Ordered Spring?
Wide temperature changes cause problems for garden. Nature walks inspire garden design Read More
12th Feb, 2017
Winter Gardens in France
I have missed the last two week’s design post because my family had a little reunion in France. My sister works outside the states more often than not. We can go many months without seeing her. This... Read More
4th Jan, 2017
What to Do in Your Garden in January?Nothing! It’s too cold. Instead, Think Brownies.
Beat the grey skies gloom with warm gooey gluten free brownies. Read More
12th Dec, 2016
A Happy Winter Garden
WINTER’S COMING Hello Friends I have had quite a few clients and friends, and clients who have become friends, ask me how to prepare their gardens for the winter. Now we’ve had real snow cover... Read More
23rd Nov, 2016
Spring Bulbs in November
A little birdie (my sis) has informed the director of R & J Landscape Design (me) that the The Charmed Garden director (me) needs to talk to IT (me) about the error the writer (me)... Read More
19th Oct, 2016
Update on the Potato Virgin Post
I have finally harvested my bags of Potatoes Potatoes are ready to harvest about two weeks after the greens, which you see in this photo hanging over the bags, have died back. That means they... Read More
1st Oct, 2016
Lentil soup with late season veggies and herbs
Here in Oak Lawn, which is just 15 min southwest of Chicago, so still zone 5, our growing season is still in play. We had strange tropical weather until just about a week and a... Read More
9th Sep, 2016
Easy Freezy Stewed Tomatoes
There is nothing like the smell and taste of a freshly picked tomato, still warm from the sun when you slice it open. If you are like me, you’d like that delicious taste in the... Read More
14th Aug, 2016
Late Summer Harvest and Garden Care
Here in Oak Lawn, the southwest suburbs of Chicago, it’s been hot enough long enough to finish off all our cool weather greens, i.e., kale, spinach, lettuce greens, and most of our broccoli. The tomatoes... Read More
13th Aug, 2016
For the love of Potatoes
Potato Virgin. I love potatoes. I love them in any form. You know that game, if you were stuck on a deserted Island and could only have three foods, what would they be? Mine – Potatoes,... Read More
22nd Jul, 2016
July’s Gems
Hello Everyone Well it’s finally time to enjoy the many fruits, and veggies, of your labor. This year my goal was quality over quantity. In my enthusiasm, and over abundance of seeds bought on discount... Read More
1st Jul, 2016
Shared Lily Photos
Hello Everyone A new friend to the website has shared a photo of her daylily beds in her backyard. Turns out she just loves daylilies and has collected just about every variety over the years.... Read More
21st Jun, 2016
More on Easy Going Perennials
Hello Everyone I just want to share a picture with you of the gloriously bright yellow “gas station” day lilies. I took this picture on a road trip through Ohio. As you can see this is... Read More
1st Jun, 2016
Easy Going Perennials
If you are looking for inexpensive low maintenance color in your garden, I’d like you to take a new look at an old favorite. These plants have been around for decades, so are easily over looked,... Read More
13th Apr, 2016
Soil Preparation Tips
Right about now most of us are gearing up to prep our gardens for planting. Whether its a veggie, herb, or perennial garden (or all three together in a beautiful design), you need to "make... Read More
23rd Mar, 2016
Spring is back! It’s time to get your gardens growing gardeners.
Its finally time to get up close and personal with your dirt. Yep, if you haven’t already started your seedlings indoors, it’s still not too late to it. Believe it or not, it’s not too... Read More
10th Jan, 2016
Hello Fellow Garden Geeks. Well the longest night of 2015 has passed and we have hopefully all made it through the glorious holiday season happier and healthier. Here the holidays begin with Halloween and end... Read More
19th Oct, 2015
The Charmed Kitchen
Coming soon to a kitchen near you! Hello Everyone! I’m happy to announce that this winter I will be opening a new section of The Charmed Garden! The Charmed Kitchen will offer creative everyday uses... Read More
2nd Sep, 2015
Time to plant your fall crop and spring bulbs
Hello Hearty Gardeners A friendly reminder that there’s still time to plant your greens for a fall harvest. Yep, get a 2nd crop of spinach, lettuce and kale. If you planted Chard its probably a... Read More
11th Aug, 2015
More Food in Pots photos
This is an eggplant surrounded by white petunias. The white flowers were chosen as bright contrasts to the pretty purple flowers that become eggplants. This is a Japanese Eggplant which produces long, dark purple eggplants... Read More
2nd Apr, 2015
SPRING CLEANING AND PLANTING
Hello everyone – You may not realize it but you don’t have to wait for mother nature to get serious about warming things up to begin planting. Some veggies like it cold. Kale, Chard, Spinach,... Read More
7th Oct, 2014
In The Fall Garden
Hello Everyone Fall is here, at least in the Midwest. Many of you want to know what to do now. The first thing to do is really just sit back and enjoy the beauty around... Read More
2nd Apr, 2014
It’s time for the Spring clean (finally)
Hi Everyone At long last Spring is here. The crocus have peaked out and found it friendly. It’s so refreshing to see something bright other than white. So it’s time to get our hands in... Read More
27th Jan, 2013
Include hardscape in your garden for seasonal interest.
Make your garden a reflection of your own unique style, not your neighbor’s. Don’t just put in a concrete walkway, go large! Put in a sweeping walkway of oversize flagstone which invites you to stop... Read More