Gardening with Julia
Hi, I am Julia and welcome! I’ve been gardening and landscaping as a hobby (and professionally) for over 10 years now. Hope my how to guides and resources will help you to spice up your lawn to a whole new level!
Resources & Tips
Design
Discover and learn better designs for your gardening and landscaping.
Maintenance
It takes work maintaining what is beautiful. Learn to spend the least amount of time for the best yield.
Pruning
Pruning is the essential ingredient that makes your creation come to life and beauty.
Landscaping
The essentials for a great landscaping design and what you need to be mindful of.
My Work
Hope you enjoy some of my landscaping and gardening designs.
Recent Blogs
Drought-Tolerant Gardening in the Chicago Suburbs
People hear "drought-tolerant" and picture gravel and cactus, which always makes me laugh a little. Out here in the Chicago suburbs — DuPage County, the western collar, the spread from Naperville to Schaumburg — a low-water garden looks lush. It's deep green and...
A Chicago Spring Lawn Care Calendar (USDA Zone 5b–6a)
After more than ten years of fussing over my own patch of grass on the Northwest Side, I've learned that spring lawn care in Chicago is less about a calendar date and more about reading the ground in front of you. We sit in USDA Zone 5b–6a, which means our average...
The Best Native Plants for Chicago Clay Soil
If you garden anywhere in the Chicago area — city lot, Cook County bungalow, DuPage subdivision — you already know the soil's dirty little secret. Dig down a few inches and you hit clay. Heavy, gray, sticky-in-spring, brick-hard-in-August clay. I spent my first couple...
How to Choose a Native Landscape Company in Chicago
I've been gardening in and around Chicago for over ten years now, and the single question I get asked most often isn't about a plant at all. It's "Julia, how do I find someone good to actually install this stuff?" Folks see a neighbor's front yard buzzing with bees...
Fall Yard Cleanup in Chicago: Your Complete October Guide
Chicago's first frost typically arrives around October 15, with the first hard freeze at O'Hare averaging October 19—though it can sneak in anywhere from September 22 to November 24. That narrow window between comfortable working weather and winter's arrival makes...
How to Prepare for the Next Gardening Season in the Winter
In the Midwest's winter, under the serene blanket of snow, lies the perfect opportunity for gardeners in and around Chicago to plan and dream. This guide delves into how you can make the most of this time, preparing for a vibrant and flourishing garden as spring...
Lawn Care Tips
When I first started paying attention to my lawn, before I started working with clients, some of the recommended lawn care steps seemed mystical, to say the least. It was after a lot of study and some trial and error that I started to understand why lawn care can be...
Tree Maintenance
TREE CARE TIPS THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW Trees provide enormous benefits to the living environment. They act as windbreakers, prevent degradation of the soil, provide shade, and even add to the beauty to a compound. Additionally, most home evaluators will tell you that...
How To Prune Trees & Plants
Environmental conservation is vital for the sustainability of the ecosystem. One common method of conserving the environment is by providing proper care for the trees. There are several tree maintenance practices, and pruning is one of the commonly used and at times,...
Landscaping Designs
LANDSCAPE DESIGNS- MAJOR TYPES OF DESIGNS, HOW LANDSCAPING WORKS WITH HARDSCAPING Every homeowner dreams of having a beautiful compound to match the elegant house they have built. Landscaping allows you to make your home attractive on the outside, to passersbys and...
