Smart Gardener

The Smart Gardener is published monthly as part of the Chicago Botanic Garden's eNewsletter. Find previous articles below, or sign up for our eNewsletter today to receive The Smart Gardener in your inbox!

Title Month
Spring Houseplant Care
March
Honey, I Shrunk the Houseplants
February indoor store plant_
Denizens of the Dark: Indoor Plants for Low-Light Spaces
January
How to Water Wisely This Summer
July Watering
Fresh All Winter: Grow Herbs Indoors
December Basil
Garden-centric Gift Ideas
December
Handmade Wreaths by Ever-Creative Staff
December
Keep evergreens ever safe and happy
December Macedonian Pine (pinus-peuce)
O, Tannenbaum: Cone-Shaped Conifers for Your Front Yard
December Picea glauca 'Spruce Lane'
Photographing the Garden in Winter
December
Savor the Flavor
December Savory Herbs
Tempting Topiaries
December Topiary circle garden
The Garden in Winter
December
Tracks in the Snow
December
All About Mulch
November
Bring your garden to the celebration!
November Red wreath
Cold Weather
November Cold Weather
Feeding the Birds: Seeds, Shrubs, Berries
November
Feeling Grateful for Gardens
November Oak Tree
Five Reasons to Raise a Hoophouse
November
Fresh Flowers and Foliage Set the Scene for Celebration
November
Good Form: Holiday Crafts from the Garden
November Wreath: lotuspod
Parsing Parsnips
November Parsnip
Plant Now, Applause Later
November Daffodils
Redbor Kale
November  brassica-oleracea-redbor-kale
Building Your Soil, Part 2
October
Fall Lawn Care
October
Fall's deepest, darkest secret: purple foliage
October Smoke tree
Flying Jewels: Gardening for Hummingbirds
October
Shrubs with Great Fall Color
October
Spooky Plants
October
Striking Gold
October Ginkgo tree leaves
The Big Orange (and White and Blue)
October Pumpkins
The Color Red
October Full Moon maple (Acer Japonicum)
Trick or Treat
October Gourds
Anemones, Fall-blooming
September Anemone vitifolia 'Robustissima'
Curating the Aging Garden
September Landscape-bench
Drop by Drop: How Honey Happens
September
Fall Garden Chores
September
Native Asters Shine in the Garden
September Aster
Ornamental grasses for fall—and throughout the year
September
Perennials and Shrubs for Tough Spots
September
The Secret to a Successful Garden Next Year? Document It This Year!
September English Oak Meadow_1400x787
Thinking Ahead to Spring: Early Risers
September
Time to Plant Garlic
September
Toad Lilies
September Toad lily
After 'Annabelle'
August
Color in the Garden
August
Handling the Harvest
August Heirloom Tomatoes
Peppers are Hot
August
Picture-Perfect Waterlilies
August Waterlilies
Rain Gardens
August Butterfly
Summer Color
August
The Peak of the Prairie: Plants to Know and Grow
August
Zinnias: The Hardest-Working Flower in the Summer Garden
August Zinnia
Comeback Kids
July Blanket flower, a perennial flower
Extending the Harvest: Get Ready to Sow Cool-Season Crops
July
Gardening for Butterflies
July Gardening for butterflies
Insect Pests: Is something bugging your garden?
July
Phlox Cultivars
July Phlox
Tall, Dark, and Handsome...in the Garden
July
Terrific Tomatoes
July Totatoes
Terrific Trios
July Containers
Weather Woes
July
Your Garden Can "Bee" Attractive to Pollinators
July
Companion Plants
June
Flowers for the Vegetable Garden
June Sunflowers in a vegetable garden
Grow a Living Fence
June
Peppers
June Peppers
Pruning Mature Roses?
June
Roses: Visiting the Queen of Flowers
June
Ten Weeds to Pull Now
June Common Weed Identification
The Language of Weeds
June Violets
The Zen Garden
June Japanese Island
Underused Shrubs
June Shrub: Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)
A Tomato of a Different Color
May Heirloom Tomatoes
Attracting Birds to Your Garden
May
Building Your Soil, Part 1
May
Growing Potatoes: This Spud’s for You!
May
Plant a Pollinator Strip
May Pollinator: Bee
The Elements of Design
May Garden design
The Value of Native Plants
May Shooting-star
Top 5 Reasons to GYO (Grow Your Own) Fruit Trees
May Quince in bloom
Viburnums
May Korean spice viburnum (Viburnum carlesii )
Warm-Season Veggies: Five Faves to Know and Grow
May
Daffodils: Plan Now, Plant Later
April Daffodils
Fritillaria
April Crown imperial fritillary
I'm Afraid to Grow Vegetables
April
In Praise of Mini-Daffodils
April Miniature Daffodils
Indoor Plants are Waking Up
April Panda Plant
Perennials: Time to Divide and Multiply
April
Spring-Flowering Ornamental Trees
April magnolia
Wildlife in the Garden: Protecting your Plants
April
Your Garden as a Sanctuary
April Seating
12 Plants for a More Fragrant Garden
March
Create Your Own Garden Art
March Mosaic art
Early Spring Crops
March Pea
Plan Now for a Gorgeous Fall Garden
March
Rethink your first salad of the year
March Lettuce variety
Sow Your Spaghetti Sauce Now
March Tomato Sauce
Spring Greens: Success with Cool-Season Edibles
March
Successful Seed Starting: When, Why, How
March Seeds sprouting
Theme Gardens
March Fairy Garden
Woodland Wonders
March
An Orchid FAQ: How to Repot
February Potted orchid
Getting Started with Starting Seeds
February Seed starting
Good Reads for Gardeners
February
Herbal Tea
February
Ready, Set, Seed Germination Test!
February
Ten Herbs to Start Growing
February Rosemary
The Moonlight Garden: A Composition in White
February
Vanilla: Sweet—and Savory
February Vanilla
Which witch hazel should be in your yard?
February Witch hazel
50 New Year's Resolutions for Gardeners
January Edible container gardening
Better Than Googling
January Seed catalogue
Brighten the Winter with Houseplants
January
Holiday Plants...That Keep on Giving
January Kalanchoe blossfeldiana
Irresistible Houseplants
January House plant
Orchids in Your Living Room?
January Orchid show
Smart Learning
January Education gardening
Sowing Seeds Indoors
January
Use Them or Lose Them: The Plants in your Spice Cabinet
January
Winter Photography
January
Growing Bulbs Indoors
January
Bringing Houseplants Indoors
November
Growing Potatoes: This Spud’s for You!
May
Vertical Gardening