Landscaping

Training clematis and akebia

Q. I am trying to train clematis and five-leaf akebia to climb trees. What are good supports to use that won't damage the vines?

Recommended Landscapers

Landscaping

Q. Can you recommend a good landscaper?

Plants for a Rooftop Garden

Q. What plants should I use in a rooftop garden?

Using Soaker Hoses

Q. I have recently installed a soaker hose system throughout my garden. How long do I let the water run in order to water adequately?

Landscape Designers

Q. Can you recommend a landscape designer?

A. While Plant Information Service does not recommend specific landscape designers, we maintain current lists of resources that provide various gardening services. Please contact Plant Information at (847) 835-0972 or plantinfo@chicagobotanic.org for an updated list of service providers in your area.

Snow removal from shrubs

Q. Should I remove snow from my shrubs?

Lack of flowers on lilacs

Q. Why doesn’t my lilac bloom in the spring?

A. There are several possible reasons why your lilac fails to bloom. The most common cause is lack of adequate sunlight. Lilacs (Syringa) need to be planted in a location that receives at least six hours of strong, direct sun per day. They are very tolerant of different moisture conditions as long as they are planted in well-drained soil.