Perennials

Q: My children and I want to plant a butterfly garden. Can you suggest flowers that will attract butterflies?

Q. What is the best way to care for clematis?

Q. What insect or disease would cause the flower stalks of my beautiful delphiniums to become twisted and their flower buds to curl and blacken?

Q. Why doesn't my evening primrose bloom?

Q: Please advise on the best time to prune hydrangeas.

Q. What variety of lavender is the best for planting in our area? I'm especially interested in an intensely fragrant variety.

Q: I would like to plant some peonies in my garden. Can I do it in the fall, and what tips can you offer?

Q. Every spring I become entranced with the different types of poppies, especially those in containers. Which are best for Chicago?

Q. What is a rain garden?

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?

Q.  What is the difference between aggressive and invasive plants?

A.  The Chicago Botanic Garden defines an invasive plant as “a species, usually nonnative, that is able to establish itself within existing native plant communities and is posing a threat to the integrity of the community.”

An aggressive plant is one that spreads faster than preferred, or into an area of your garden where it is unwanted. A plant may be aggressive in one area of a garden or neighborhood and well behaved in another.