Today we’re visiting Kathleen Hooper’s garden.

I’m a Zone 5b (maybe 6) gardener in the Chicago area. I’ve gardened all my life and in different zones in Illinois, North Carolina, and Connecticut, and have faced many challenges (read that as deer in Connecticut, lean builder soil in North Carolina, and wild weather in Illinois!), but I am passionate and love to learn. I took horticulture classes at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign while I studied economics and accountancy. The pandemic made me reflect on what I love. Gardening and nature won, so I’m back in the classroom studying for a Master Gardener certificate at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

I decided to make a long strip of land along the side of my house useful, and these pictures show what I’ve done.

This woodland-style container is visible from the outside (back garden) and inside (dining room). The conifer is a weeping Canadian hemlock, (Tsuga canadensis ‘Pendula’, Zones 3–7). The glossy green leaves in the front of the container are from European ginger (Asarum europeaum, Zones 4–7).

A longer view shows how the whole side yard has been planted, with stepping stones leading through the plantings, and the lighter fence panel highlighting the beautiful weeping hemlock.

Here’s a closer look at the hemlock, flanked by ferns along with the European ginger.

A bird’s nest fern (Asplenium nidus, Zones 10–11) is growing next to the hemlock. This tropical fern won’t survive the winter outside here, but it is a lovely summer complement to the rest of the planting.

On the other side, a maiden hair fern (Adiantum sp.) grows. It is a plant that looks delicate but is actually quite tough and easy to grow.

For more of Kathleen’s garden, check out her instagram: @Kat.b.lou.garden

Have a garden you’d like to share?

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