Our Landscaped Front Walk And Fall Color At The Arboretum

We had our first hard freeze the other night, but I managed to snap a few pictures from my phone beforehand, and I was glad I did! My landscaped front walk before the frost was so pretty and welcoming. It’s a labor of love for me. I love taking a few minutes everyday to wander around the planting beds and see how they’ve matured. The one thing about Chicago that always makes me sad is that our plants and flowers are at their most glorious just before the weather kills everything and makes it looks completely blah and gross. I have been slowly buying $3 mums the last few year and planting them, and then carefully pinching them back until the 4th of July (per my mother the landscape designer.). Even though it’s been an exercise in patience, it’s completely addicting. A few of my mums have gotten huge and beautiful!

I almost couldn’t wait for them to bloom. The large chartreuse plant in back of it is a coleus! Who would’ve thought. It was another one I just kept pinching back every time it came close to flowering. Those two plants were the best $5 I’ve ever spent! Our front walk has come a long way (see the before here.)!

I don’t know why these pictures came out so small.These little pictures my phone took make me feel like I am blogging via 2008. I wish I had grabbed my big camera!

The colors on our remaining Ash tree are glorious! I miss our other one. The Arborist we had look at the trees when the other one had to come down said this variety is supposed to be more resistant to the Emerald Ash borer, and I hope they are right. I would hate to lose it! As it is without the other tree about 2 p.m. it’s like we live on the sun.

Our plan in the Spring is to replace the tree. My mom and I also took a walk around our local arboretum and I grabbed some pretty pictures there too. The trees haven’t quite turned yet, but they had some nice Fall decor out.

I love this sea of mums!

And they had wonderful displays of gourds and ornamental cabbage.

I grabbed this picture of this espaliered  Ginko tree. It looked amazing against the stone wall with the little Japanese maple under it.

It had beautiful colors.

And I decided I need to do this in my backyard. I could sit here for hours!I am excited to see how the Fall colors look in a week or so when they really come in! I don’t mind the cool temperatures, but I am not really ready for it to be cold yet!