By Carol Cichorski, on December 15th, 2012 My gosh, yesterday was December 14th and I was outside taking pictures without a jacket and it was painless. Painless until I saw this. Disclaimer: A very graphic and disturbing photograph follows. Please do not share this with overly sensitive gardeners. I take no responsibility for their nightmares at a time when sugarplums should be dancing in their heads.
I warned you. Are you sure you want to see this?
Last chance.
No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Make it no be true (as Maria would say in West Side Story). Continue reading Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – Planting Bulbs In December
By Carol Cichorski, on December 5th, 2012 Today we celebrate creativity. At least I do. In particular, I celebrate that I’ll be speaking about ‘Creativity in the Garden’ at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show on March 12th. The topic has intrigued me for a long time, and now it will be time for me to do something about it. Something creative. I’ve already got a folder on my computer named ‘Creativity in God’s Garden’. It’s been there for years, sort of a dumping ground for thoughts on creativity.
I’ve also got pictures and I’ll be looking for more (hint hint). Pictures that show creativity in all sizes. Like these kitty-approved table baskets we put together for my wedding many years ago.
And this really big hippo in the Butler’s garden in Indianapolis.
What else will I do for inspiration on the topic of creativity? Why, what I always do, of course – look around the blogosphere for help. I started today and found Allan Becker, Garden Guru. He has recommended two books on creativity that just made my Christmas list. Maybe they should be on yours too.
 From Art to Landscape 
What does Allan have to say about the books? You’ll just have to go to his site to find out. Because that is what I do the fifth of every month; I send you off to read another blogger.
By Carol Cichorski, on December 1st, 2012  Magnificent-Mile-Chicago, from USATravelWithUs.com  Max and Snookems have been gallivanting. They’ve been taking it easy since their appearance at the Chicagoland Flower and Garden Show last spring. It was time to get out for a Christmas shopping trip on Michigan Avenue. Neither of them drive. Of course not, they’re mannequins. So they reserved a Hummer limousine complete with driver, which gave them plenty of room to spread out for only $125 an hour.
Driving would have been much kinder to their credit card, as evening parking at the lot at Grand and State would have been $9 for 3 hours. Yes, they would have had to spend $10 at Nordstrom’s or one of the North Bridge shops to qualify, but that would have been easy for Snookems. She was so surprised to find that sox were $5.00 a pair at Nordstrom’s. She bought some for the maid.
 Jason Wu gown as pictured on the Neiman Marcus website Afterwards, they visited Neiman Marcus. Snookems is ready for New Year’s Eve. The colors of this Jason Wu Long-Sleeve Embroidered Lace Gown compliment her pale skin beautifully. The price of $8590.00 did not deter her.
Neiman Marcus’ Broadway Beckons package for $30,000 appealed as well. It included a walk-on role in Annie on Broadway, dinner with a producer, six show tickets, and all equity-related costs. She and Max had a serious discussion about this one, finally agreeing that a walk-on role could be a problem; her legs are a bit stiff these days. Her heart would have been broken, if she had one.
The $895.00 a night executive suite at the Drake was oh so Max and Snookems, and the Cape Cod Room was a lovely dining experience. Certainly, the hot entree and soup bar at Foodease in Water Tower Place would have been more reasonable. Fast, friendly, and healthy with a total bill of about $25.00 for two.
Had it been a Friday night from 6 – 7 PM, they could have enjoyed Caroling at Cloud Gate (The Bean). But then again, maybe not, as it was free.
Businesses in The Magnificent Mile district were spreading holiday cheer with holiday offers, but that was against their principles as well. Full-priced simply must be better.
Or not.
By Carol Cichorski, on November 26th, 2012  It’s all Chris Wagner’s fault. I went to Berthold’s Garden Center yesterday for a free demonstration of winter outdoor arrangements. I came home inspired. Till now, I’d been happy to enjoy every minute of autumn. I’d put off thinking about Christmas and the requisite decorating. You might argue that Christmas decorating is not requisite. I disagree. Once my brain gets wrapped around the opportunity to be creative, it’s relentless. Ergo, requisite.
So here we are 24.5 hours since I got home from Berthold’s and I need to wash my hands in mayonnaise. Yes, mayonnaise. Mayonnaise is the only ingredient you need to wash pine tar off of your hands. My hands are currently a tell-tale sign that I’ve been dealing with pine tar, in my case, pine tar from a fresh 25’ garland. I’ll be back in a minute when I’m done cleaning me up.
There, that’s better. The mayonnaise cleaned the pine tar, and then soap and water cleaned the mayonnaise. All is well in my world.
Step 1
I started by assembling my materials. Berthold’s Christmas tree seller may have garland, but he wasn’t fully set up yet, so we had to make a separate trip this morning to Costco. The pine cones came from my yard. Later, I scavenged a bit more and came up with bittersweet branches and hydrangeas. The ribbon doesn’t count. In the long run, I didn’t trust it for outside use.
Step 2
I used the sturdy electrical wire to tie the garland to the top of the garden gate, and I used the less visible floral wire for other places. Opt for the wire cutters over the garden shears. I quickly learned I had to.
Step 3
I wired the pine cones and bittersweet branches to the garland. I did the same with the hydrangeas. I don’t know how well the hydrangeas will survive our Chicago winter. That’s ok. I’ll consider that part a learning experiment.
Whola! Simple, natural, effective. Plus you get a twofer out of this. Notice the bottom of the garden gate. That netting is all it took to keep skunks out of our yard this year.
Do you need more inspiration? Check out your local garden center, or mine. Berthold’s, right here in my home town of Elk Grove Village, will have their Open House on December 8th. It will be complete with reindeer, hot apple cider, and more demos by Chris. While you’re there, you can even get your Christmas tree, decorations, gifts, a completed wreath or winter planter, and supplies to make your own winter arrangements.
By Carol Cichorski, on November 18th, 2012 I can do better than canned cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving. Don’t get me wrong, I like canned cranberry sauce, but I love Mom’s cranberry jello. I’m also including cranberry recipes from Heidee, Marjie, and Marian. Their recipes were in the Do-able Dahlia Dishes cookbook that was published by the Central States Dahlia Society.
Cranberry Jello Mold
Compliments of Ardie Cichorski
1 pkg fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 large package raspberry jello
1 medium orange
1/2 cup walnuts in small pieces
Wash and sort cranberries, removing white ones. Place cranberries in pot. Add 1 cup sugar. Add water till just covered. Heat over high, removing from heat when the cranberries start popping. Add 2 cups boiling water to jello and mix. Reserve juice from cranberries. Add cranberries to jello and place in the mold. Cut orange up into small pieces. Add it and walnuts. Add enough of the reserved juice (about 1 – 1/2 cups) to fill the mold.
Cranberry Banana Mini Loaves
By Heidee Manrose, as published in Do’able Dahlia Dishes
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 medium)
2 cups flour
1 t baking soda
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and mashed banana and mix well. Combine the flour and baking soda. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture. Fold in the nuts, chocolate chips, and cranberries or cherries.
Transfer the mixture into 4 greased 5 3/4 x 3 x 2 inch loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 32 – 37 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing the loaves from the bans to a wire rack.
Cranberry Pear Chutney
By Marjie Kaplan, as published in Do’able Dahlia Dishes
3 cups (1 package) fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
3 Bosc pears, peeled and cored
1 T lemon zest plus 1 T lemon juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup dried, pitted, dates – coarsely chopped
Combine the cranberries and the sugar in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the berries release their juices (approximately 8 minutes). Do not let the berries scorch.
Cut the pears into 1/2 inch diced pieces and transfer to a bowl. Toss the pear pieces with the lemon zest and lemon juice.
Add the orange juice, raisins, and dates to the cranberries. Stir occasionally and add the pears when the mixture begins to bubble. Cook, stirring until the mixture thickens and pears turn red and are cooked through (approximately 10 minutes). Transfer the chutney to a bowl. Let in cool. Refrigerate.
Cranberry Pumpkin Bread
By Marian Landerholm, as published in Do’able Dahlia Dishes
3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3 cups sugar
4 t pumpkin spice for pies
2 t baking soda
1 t salt
4 eggs
1 large can solid pack pumpkin (15 oz.)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (if frozen, thaw)
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.
In another bowl, beat the eggs and then add the pumpkin and the oil. Stir into the dry ingredients just until everything is moistened. Fold in the cranberries and nuts.
Spoon the mixture into 2 greased 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 70 – 80 minutes or until the toothpick inserted into the center of the loaves comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing the loaves from the pans to a wire rack.
By Carol Cichorski, on November 15th, 2012  “Job well done”, or in my case, “job whale done”! Those are words that are written on the bottom of this cute little whale. I checked my notes to see when I did a 6 week contract training/help desk job for Baker & Daniels in Indianapolis. It was 9 years ago. Wow. And still I have this little token of appreciation from Eliza Purvlicis and crew. There is something about the human spirit that relishes the feeling of accomplishment, sharing the fruits of our labor, and receiving recognition for it.
Today, I share the award with my garden, complete with a hardy “Job whale done”. The gardening season is coming to an end, and my garden has earned a great big thank you.
My garden just keeps on giving. From the joy of anticipation to the creative arrangement of blooms, I enjoy my toils in the soil. I get dirty, really dirty. I get tired, really tired. I get sore, really sore. Still I love every minute of it, and there is always a reward.
I was continually bringing in and sharing cut flowers. This last group was from a few weeks ago, and though it will be spring before the vase is filled again, my garden gave and gave and gave.
Right now, my kale is still going strong, and looked lovely with a touch of frost this morning.
My spirea continues to show its colors…
October Daphne sedum is glowing in the November sun…
I’m sure you’ll agree with me that my garden deserves a great big thank you.
Do you want to know what else is blooming in the November garden? To see what other bloggers have blooming on the 15th of every month, visit May Dreams Gardens – Bloom Day for our Garden Bloggers’ Bloom day entries.
By Carol Cichorski, on November 10th, 2012  Have you ever lost a job? I did. Yesterday.
Have you ever planted a garden? I will. Today.
Yesterday was the last day for most of our Corporate Training Department, including me. Today, I am going to spend some much deserved time outside considering my options. I know there is no place I’d rather be, and the whole ‘gardening as a business’ option is up for consideration. It’s an option that I never took seriously enough to quit a job that I liked. A job that helped pay the bills nicely.
What words of wisdom have others imparted upon me in the last few weeks? I think the most thought-provoking has been this much quoted quote and its variations…
When God closes a door, He opens a window.
– or –
Sometimes it feels like God slams a door and pushes you out the window.
– or –
When God closes a door, and the window is not an option, crawl through the heating vent.
– or –
When God closes a door and a window, perhaps he has given you a chainsaw.
– or in my case –
When God closes a door, maybe he wants you to work in the garden.
I have a lot of thinking to do, because it’s true that I have many doors, windows, heating vents, a husband with a chain saw, and even a garden to consider when I look at the opportunities ahead.
Do I want another Corporate Trainer job? I’ve certainly enjoyed this one, and I have enjoyed helping so many people get the skills to succeed at their jobs. We have fun in class and they learn. This is good.
Do I want to do Contract Training and Course Development? I enjoyed that in the past, and loved giving 110% during an implementation, then having time between projects.
Do I consider this the shove from God to pursue garden writing, garden speaking, and working closely with garden centers to keep them viable in today’s marketplace? Of course, this is the one I want, but can I afford that? It’s a big risk. But if not now, when?
I’ll continue thinking about it today while I’m outside. Even there, opportunities come and go. I had planted many tulips and daffodils on the berm, but eventually they were choked out by the ivy. I’ve learned my lesson. Ivy wins. Now I’ll plant bulbs again, on a side of the berm that doesn’t have ivy.
Life is like that too. I’ll look at what I’ve learned and decide what to do next. Like the bulbs, it may take a while for me to bloom in my new location, but bloom I will.
The sun has come back out. I can take a hint. Yes, God, I’m going outside now. Let’s see what other hints you have for me while I’m planting your flowers.
By Carol Cichorski, on November 5th, 2012 
I told you in the title that my amaryllis looked sad. But you didn’t believe me, did you? I bet you do now. One look at this picture and you are probably wondering what the heck happened to it. Summer outside is what happened to it. So now here I am with one droopy gangly looking long leaved plant. What am I going to do about it?
For now, I’m going to make amaryllis the theme of ‘Zone 5 – Favorites on the 5th’. I post on the 5th of every month, redirecting visitors to a favorite posting relative to zone 5. As I meandered through blogger world looking for a way to resuscitate my amaryllis, I came across Amaryllis – Beauty In The Winter Garden at Gatsbys Gardens.
I’ve got to agree with Eileen that buying the biggest bulb you can find is the costly but rewarding way to go. This Samba bloom came from a Pesche’s bulb last winter. We’ll see if I find a way to bring it back to its former glory. In the meantime, I may just head over to Pesche’s tomorrow as I know the bulbs are in.
By Carol Cichorski, on November 2nd, 2012  Halloween is over and I still have scary news for you. No, it isn’t witches or goblins. No, it isn’t zombies like the classic Frasier Halloween show we watched a few nights ago. Still, plain old scary. Ready? The leaves are leaving. Not quite as in ‘poof’ they’ve blown away like they do in Camelot. More like leaves all over the ground shimmering in the sunlight. Not scary, you say. Well, think about what is coming next – that would be winter. That’s scary.
Was this, or was this not, an autumn of absolutely astonishing colors? I hear a resounding yes from those of you around Chicagoland, all the way up through Door County Wisconsin. We visited Door County in early October with other scary thoughts – that the early showing of color in Chicagoland would mean past prime color in Door County. God knew what he was doing, of course. He blessed us with beautiful color all the way up to Door County, with a continued explosion of color there.
We camped in Peninsula State Park and tried to make a daily stop at Eagle Tower. A trek to the top of the 75′ tower rewards the effort. 
Another daily trek, this one to the showers, rewards us with a fall color update according to the tree you see below. The showers are warm, but the weather can be cold this time of year. Yet the beauty of the park makes it worth it. There are winding roads for the car tour, bicycle paths galore, and days scheduled around being back for sunset.
This picture is my new screen saver, with the icons placed strikingly against the vibrant blue sky.
Back home a week later, we continued to watch the drama in our own backyard. Our Amur maple welcomed us.
The Amur maple is done now, as are most of the trees in our area.
Are we done camping for the year? My guess is yes, though the current setup of the camper in the backyard does give us one last opportunity. I think I’ll just enjoy the view, and the memories, from my back window.
By Carol Cichorski, on October 27th, 2012 Morton Arboretum is always a favorite fall destination for me. Our last fall visit to Morton was so idyllic that I named the subsequent posting Normal Rockwell Moments At Morton Arboretum. Cathy Hosek recently sent me these scarecrow pictures from their Scarecrow Trail, which reminded me to tell you about their Fall Color Festival. Activities are listed below.
Note that there is free wine tasting. I knew that would get your attention!
Scarecrow Trail
Admire more than 50 nature-themed scarecrows showcased around Meadow Lake.
Daily, Sept 30-Nov 4
7 a.m.-sunset
Meadow Lake
Theatre-Hikes®
Experience theatre without walls on nature’s stage. Tickets on sale now. October’s play is Werewolf’s Curse; Or Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
Weekends in October
Adults: $12 Member ($19 Non-member)
Children (2-17): $8 Member ($13 Non-member)
Fall Color Festival Fare
Enjoy taffy apples with your choice of toppings, brats, kettle corn, and more.
Weekends in October
11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Arbor Court
Complimentary Wine Tasting
Savor free wine samples from Wente Family Estates, featured wine of the Arboretum.
Weekends in October
Noon-4 p.m.
Visitor Center
Trick or Trees (My Favorite!)
Play games or do crafts. Pumpkin painting for a small fee. Costumes encouraged!
Weekends in October
11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Children’s Garden
Fall Family Hikes
Explore trees and their stories along our hike from the Visitor Center to the Tree House Tales exhibit.
Saturdays, Oct 20, Oct 27 and Nov 3
Times vary
Members $5/Non-members $6, plus Arboretum admission
Bird Walks
Watch the fall bird migration unfold.
Saturdays, Oct 20-Nov 3
8–10:30 a.m.
Member $8/Non-member $10
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