Elegant Amethyst .. Tricyrtis lasiocarpa

Statuesque Tricyrtis lasiocarpa...

[Photo © Alice Joyce]

has spread widely to fill a large bed with its delightful display, a show that goes on and on for many weeks. Looking ever so much like orchid flowers, this 'toad lily' has taken over much of the space where another variety, Tricyrtis hirta 'Variegata' had been growing and thriving. Clearly T. lasiocarpa is proving to be the more vigorous species.

Growing in Alice's Garden...

Lurie Garden Lyrical

Piet Oudolf plantings: September at Chicago's Lurie Garden - Millennium Park

Echinacea seedheads cosseted by grasses.

It's official: I've transitioned to the new Blogger interface and can attest to the enhanced features.

Like any change, it simply takes some getting used to, but I'd say it's definitely a step up from the old.

Late-Summer Gardens .. Chicago River Cruise

It seems I'm always looking forward to visiting my home town.

 Chicago is vibrant in its approach to arts and culture, a dream destination for anyone who appreciates historic and contemporary architecture. The brilliant river cruise I took last week was a high point! 


Visit  ... www.architecture.org to get the full details on the city's most informative architecture cruise:

 Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise aboard Chicago’s First Lady Cruises 

  Leaving from the Riverside Gardens Dock – look for the blue awnings – on the lower level of the Michigan Avenue bridge at Wacker Drive.

Garden lovers must be sure to take a stroll down north Michigan Avenue toward Water Tower to see what's been planted. Lush, eye-catching displays are enlarged upon each year by temporary installations.

As the sign indicates, a new, upcoming event - Chicago Ideas Week will be held from October 10-16, to feature a host of speakers and innovative workshops taking place all around town. The event exemplifies the kind of energetic approach Chicago is known for.

A Most Beautiful Blue: Interlude at the Lurie Garden

Arrived home tired but enthused after from my annual pilgrimage to the Lurie Garden in Chicago's Millennium Park.

 My visits often coincide with the bloom of Bottle Gentian / Gentiana andrewsii 

[Photo © Alice Joyce]

Would anyone care to provide an I.D. for the tiny white sparkly blooms in the background? 

Gardening in the Blogosphere

Summer Bouquet: Zinnia 'Berry Basket' - a cultivar from Renee's Seeds that deserves high praise!

The zinnia plants have been blooming non-stop at T's community garden, where there has been no problem at all with mildew. T brings home big bunches that I take delight in. I'm lucky that he gardens in a plot in full sun, as Alice's Garden receives decreasing sunlight with each passing year; certainly not enough to grow vigorous annuals such as this.

I've spent some time this morning connecting with new bloggers via the Blotanical web site. It's a great place to discover gardening blogs of every kind, foodies to exotic gardens filled with tropicals. I find it to be a great place to find blogs from countries as diverse as the gardening realm itself.