2023 Garden Plans for Zone 5B

Chicago has seen almost a week straight of bright warm sun with temperatures in the upper 40’s and it has set my brain to garden mode. Mid-February seems like a great time to start dreaming about Spring and the garden, right?! I think having a plan before gardening centers open helps you stay on track and avoid impulse purchases. Not that I don’t condone impulse buying really cool new plants 🙂 Let’s talk about my 2023 garden plans for zone 5B and please feel free to share yours in the comments!

Front Yard Plans

As always, please excuse my photoshop skills. You may remember that I started the front yard project last year. The right side of the yard below the picture window is all planted. It is a mix of grasses, perennials, and a hydrangea shrub. I’d like to carry this look over to the left side of the house this year. We will pull out the two evergreens on either side of the juniper bushes and replace them with a dwarf birch tree and a Ruby Falls Redbud. I’d like to majorly cut back the junipers so you can see the brick line of the house again. I’ll plant grasses and shorter perennials in front of the junipers as well. Finally, I plan to remove the grass next to the walkway and plant a line of boxwood bushes. I already have 6, but will need more to fill it out.

Left Side Back Yard Plans

We made a lot of changes to the left side border of the backyard last year. The whole border used to be lined with ugly overgrown Japanese barberry bushes that had other trees, plants, and grasses growing inside them. We had the whole barberry hedge pulled out and started replanting in Spring 2021. The border is filling in nicely and I can’t wait to see what it looks like this year! I’ll likely tweak a few spots, but overall, it is looking good. The only big change to the left side that I plan to make this year is adding a little shade garden in the corner between the house and three seasons room. That area is a pain to mow because it butts up to the three seasons room and has a downspout in the middle. I’ll plant some perennials that like moist soil and utilize the water from the spout all summer!

Right Side Back Yard Plans

This side of the backyard got a big overhaul last year, so it will not be a huge part of my 2023 garden plans for zone 5B. We removed the grass between the vegetable garden and another berm, and added a mix of shrubs, grasses, perennials, and a lavender twist redbud tree. The plants help soften the neighbors fence line and add some much need texture and color to this area of the yard! This year I just need to move some plants around. I underestimated how much shade the area gets, so some of my perennials didn’t perform as well as I had hoped. This is an easy fix that I’ll be able to accomplish during the first few weeks of garden season.

Vegetable Garden Plans

If you’ve been following me for a while, you may know that I’m much more into perennials and shrubs than I am vegetables. I planted our first vegetable garden last year and it was pretty successful. The tomatoes and cucumbers went wild, while the rest of the vegetables and herbs did okay. Now that I’ve had a learning year, I’m ready to make better choices this year! For example, I will not be planting 4 cucumber plants ever again. This year we’re going to try 2 tomatoes, 1 pole bean, 1 cucumber, 1 jalapeno, 1 bush bean, 2 bell peppers, 4 lettuce varieties, 1 rosemary, 1 oregano, 2 basil, and strawberries. I’ll write an update in the spring about how these get spaced out!

And that concludes my 2023 garden plans for zone 5B…for now 😉 What are you planning to plant this spring? Monrovia just sent out a great planning guide if you need some inspiration. Just search the website for the “ultimate spring planning guide”. I would also suggest talking to your local nurseries about the new things they have in stock this year. They will often get them early and sell out quickly! For anything super special, it would be a good idea to order online now for delivery. Happy planning, friends!