Does aluminum mix with cherry wood?

You don't expect to find furniture by a contemporary sculptor in a showroom known for its antiques.

But these days mixing and eclecticism is important in design. So BilHenry Walker's aluminum chairs are in Mike Bell Antiques & Reproductions at the Merchandise Mart.

Arm chairs like this - sturdy waxed aluminum and vinyl - are more comfy than you would think. And any scratches can be rubbed out. The retail price is $14,000, but you will need to work with a designer or architect to purchase.

Walker, who lives in Wisconsin and is an alumnus of Wheaton College, also creates other furniture, including dining room chairs.

Fence your roses and spare that rabbit

If you are tempted to get a blunderbuss and shoot rabbits as the only way to save your roses and other favorite plants, two Naperville entrepreneurs have a suggestion.

Jackie Aven and Sadna Mohan have invented Bunny Fences.

These come in panels so you can build your own fence with three to five of them around each clematis or poppy. Tapered tops come with the panels so if the little darlings get their paws on top they still can't reach the flowers.

The metal panels come in different designs and a few colors. They are priced at $9 each, but there are quantity discounts.

The idea is these are much prettier than wire mesh you might stake around your plants. And you only use a few to protect special flowers and bushes. Fencing a large area wouldn't work anyway because rabbits could jump into the salad.

So most of your plants have to be ones like daylilies, columbine and astilbe that rabbits eschew. But you can have a few showy ones in your garden or yard.

Get the whole scoop at bunnyfence.com.

Natives like our quirky weather

Native plants are featured in the current issue of Chicagoland Gardening.

Milkweed is one example. It's not really a weed, and it provides shelter and food for butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.

Easy-to-find natives include:

Butterfly weed, with its midsummer orange flowers, which likes sandier soils.

Common milkweed, which grows pink flowers in early to midsummer and is aggressive.

Swamp milkweed, which likes it wet but will grow in good garden soil and produces rosy red flowers.

Also native but more rare:

Purple milkweed is named for the color of its blooms and likes dry soil and partial sun.

Green milkweed blooms in light green or yellow to purple and is a good choice for dry areas with poor soil in full sun.

- Deborah Donovan