Day Tripper

Its not that I'm not grateful for bright pretty winter days, I am...but there is that other part of me that yearns for the damp gentle breezes of spring and signs that my garden is waking up to say hello. I start dreaming of going garden shopping -its kind of like grocery shopping or clothes shopping- its a necessity. Today we aren't even going very far, well if you live in the Chicago area I guess we aren't going very far. Today we journey to Sycamore Illinois- west (about 65 miles west) to one of my favoritest (yes, that is so a word) garden spots, Blumen Gardens.

Blumen Gardens is a hidden gem, if you live around here and you haven't been...get in your car and go! Well, wait until tomorrow, their winter hours are Thursday thru Sunday 10am-4pm. Look at these bright beaming orange beauties- ahhh, spring doesn't feel so far away with that kind of color!

Blumen is owned by Joan & Joel Barczak and has been around since 1989. It is 3500 square feet of gardening heaven. They make the sweetest outdoor/indoor vignettes. Just look....

I love their garden shed with its growing roof!

They not only have an amazing (and ever-expanding) selection of plants, but fantastic garden pieces as well.

Blumen has classes that you can take, a space you can rent out for get-togethers, staff that can answer almost every garden question, and on occasion some wine and hors d'oeuvres! Plants, liquor and food? You can't beat it!

Ah winter, you cannot stay with us forever. Right? Visit Blumen Gardens 403 Edward Street in Sycamore (where life offers more) Illinois 815.895.3737 even now, it will help wash your winter blues away.

Images courtesy of Flickr (c/o gruska, flying wombat and moonlight cocktail...thank you.)