Blooming Rails Receives 2013 ‘Best Of Houzz’ Award

Winter Planter

The team here at Blooming Rails is thrilled to receive the 'Best Of Houzz' award for 2013. We'd like to give a special thanks to all of the kind words from our clients. The garden projects we had in 2012 were very rewarding and we're very excited about our plans this year for creating many more sacred gardens. Read more about the award at http://www.bloomingrails.com/Best-Of-Houzz-2013.shtml or visit the Blooming Rails Garden Nanny page on houzz.

August Flowers - It's Still Time to Plant

Who says you only plant flowers in during Spring? We're one week into August and today the Garden Nanny crew is planting a wonderful assortment of flowers.

It pays to hire Blooming Rails for your flower garden installation. Not only do you receive fabulous layout and design work by our Chief Gardener, but you also get fantastic prices on the plants.

After installation the Garden Nanny crew can keep you garden looking spectacular with a maintenance program that fits the needs of your garden. This summer has been particularly "HOT" and the Japanese beetles have been out in force.  While others suffered, gardens maintained by the Garden Nanny, flourished.

Here you see the area that will be planted today. Earlier in the year this area was overgrown with weeds and needed some good ol' TLC.

Rather than rush into planting everything at the beginning of the season. Care was given to the gardens throughout the property, creating a healthy environment for additional plants.

Power Planter for Civil Air Patrol Raffle

Blooming Rails was happy to put together this beautiful "Power Planter" for the Civil Air Patrol.

On Father's Day each year, the Woodfield Composite Squadron holds a raffle at the EAA Chapter 153 pancake breakfast at Schaumburg Airport.

This year they asked Blooming Rails if we had something that could be added to the raffle to help support it's ongoing efforts in Cadet Programs, Aerospace Education, and Emergency Services. Intrigued by the idea, we could think of nothing better than a one of a kind power planter with an aviation theme. As you can see, the prize we created is rich with vibrant color. It is a living plant meant to be outside on the patio, balcony or deck to brighten your spirit. It stands 3 1/2 feet tall and is about 2 feet wide. Named the "Aviators Dream Planted Flower Container", we added four miniature die-cast airplanes to match the theme of the occasion.

It was a joy see the reaction when we delivered this planter to the winner, and to be able to support the Civil Air Patrol efforts. We encourage others to contact the Woodfield Composite Squadron to join in or become a corporate sponsor.

Real Estate Staging with Gardens

The words real estate staging have become popular buzz words for one good reason. It works! Staging is the act of arranging homes in such a way as to attract increased buyer interest.

First impressions make all the difference in the world when it comes to selling your home, and nothing makes a first impression like well-groomed landscape and a beautiful garden. Striking landscaping and an inspiring garden can make the difference in how quickly your home sells and can in some cases can command higher prices.

Read more real estate staging garden tips.

Gardens That Help Sell Your Home
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Advantages to Installing a Rain Garden

A rain garden is a planted depression that absorbs rainwater quickly. Typically they consist of plants native to your area that are naturally used to fluctuating conditions. In areas where sidewalks, driveways, streets, and concrete foundations are prevalent, water runoff and absorption become a problem. In such conditions, water during a rain storm can pick up many pollutants as well as add to erosion and flooding. This can be a damaging proposition to the environment, your yard, and even your basement, necessitating expensive repairs.

Creating a rain garden will help to prevent contaminated storm water from entering the water supply as well as creating a pleasant garden in your yard.

Read more about rain gardens

Deter Birds From Plundering Your Flowers and Plants

So you've got your pots planted, your flower baskets hanging, and your entry ways, sidewalks, and back porch decked out with beautiful flowers and plants. It's wonderful, now you can sit back and relax, enjoying the sights and smells in the morning with a cup of coffee and a good book...Ahhhh.

But wait a minute, looking closer at your newly planted gems. Why is it that some of your plants seem to be thinning. That nice tea plant for example has a couple leaves on the top, but is now mostly just a stick. And several flower blossoms are handing broken or missing all together.

Those dastardly birds have done it to you again.

Bird watching can be enjoyable, but it's not so much fun to watch them ruin your flowers, plants, and all your hard work making the container garden look nice. Your lush new garden is truly irresistible to birds of all kinds, as they look for a perfect nest or the material to make a nest. However, there are plenty of plants in the wild for them to choose from...elsewhere.


So now your garden becomes a battle ground. You find yourself chasing the birds off every time they swoop in for an attack, or you've armed your lawn chair with a handy new weapon called a garden hose and you're constantly on alert. This may work for the moment, but it's not very relaxing and you can be certain, those pillaging birds will be back.

There's an easier way to battle the birds, it's simple, inexpensive, and does all the work for you. Go out to the store and get yourself a few nice shinny pinwheels. Birds don't like the reflection and motion of these guardians of the garden and they work amazingly well. In no time, your garden hose will be back where it belongs, and you'll be back to the serenity of your garden with your coffee and book.

Unfortunately on the horizon there lurks new enemies of the garden. Pinwheels don't do anything to keep away aphids or Japanese beetles... but that's a story for another day.

Recent Garden Projects

Garden Nanny's have been playing in the dirt to keep our client's gardens looking beautiful. Here's a few projects we've been working on. View our gardening services to see how we can beautify your garden, then give us a call at 630-450-1251.

Project 1
Under tree shade garden - soil erosion and root control maintenance.

Project 2
Garden winter clean-up - invasive weed removal, general weeding and pruning of shrubs and spring bulbs.

Project 3
Established a pool perimeter garden and provided thinning and weeding maintenance on a perennial garden.

Project 4
Designed and installed a balcony container garden.