… level. They play an important role in small landscapes, especially in urban sites where this is no room for a large tree. The individual flowers may be exceptionally small —like those of the … Eastern redbud—but so plentiful and eye-popping that you just can’t miss them when the tree is in full bloom. Magnolias are also spectacular, but they have large, primitive-looking … can be yellow, bright red, dark purple-red, maroon, or a brilliant orange. Crabapples often get a bad rap because some are very susceptible to disease, especially after a wet spring. The …
Type: Plant Info
… the Prairie Series Rosa setigera , or Illinois rose, grows in moist prairies and thickets, and is a typical wild rose in many ways: five pink petals, with lots of yellow stamens in the center … this country to serve as a living fence in pastures. Livestock found it just as miserable to get tangled up in its thorns, as do humans, and were content to stay within its boundaries. Also, … landscape are almost always male because females have fruits with a terrible odor. In order to get holly berries on your holly shrubs, you need to plant a few male shrubs to ensure the female …
Type: Blog
… English Oak Meadow To the east of the English Walled Garden is a gently rolling tapestry of blooming bulbs, vibrant flowers, and shrubs set amid several varieties of oak trees. This hillside meadow is awash with color from spring through fall. Arcs of flowers on both sides of the pathway create … of blooming, right up until frost, with seasonal delights perfectly orchestrated so there is always a show, no matter what the month. This floral carpet is found between the English …
Type: Page
… Specialist, Midwest Groundcovers, LLC, St. Charles, IL Panelist: Natives or Nonnatives: That is the Question Trish Beckjord is a registered landscape architect with a master of landscape architecture degree from the University of Michigan. She specializes in sustainable planting and site design. Beckjord focuses particularly on the integration of native species and native … Specialist, Midwest Groundcovers, LLC, St. Charles, IL Panelist: Natives or Nonnatives: That is the Question Trish Beckjord is a registered landscape architect with a master of landscape …
Type: Page
… a common ancestor with green algae, but there has been some debate as to what form of algae is the closest relative, and how some of the major groups of land plants are related to each … but feel encouraged by the wave of enthusiasm around the release of the publication. “When you get involved in these kinds of projects, it never seems as big as it is—you just get used to the scale. It’s been really great to get the public reaction and to see that people …
Type: Blog
… or just realizing that, “Hey! This stuff actually grows in the shade!” These elements get stored in your mind — adding up to what you would want your garden to look like or feel like. … within the parameters of that design, and after the initial design and build phases, pruning is the most important tool that will keep your garden spot-on with what you envisioned. Willows … shedding this (plant’s version of a hangnail), and as it unevenly sloughs off over time, the site becomes an entry point for rot, disease, and pests. You don’t want that. And by …
Type: Plant Info
… When it comes to controlling invasive plants, a little faith can’t hurt. This is particularly true for garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata). We have been struggling to get this highly invasive biennial plant under control at the Chicago Botanic Garden for more than … is having a significant negative effect on garlic mustard (see woodsandprairie.blogspot.com ). Observers have reported an almost complete absence of garlic mustard in areas that are …
Type: Blog
… Growing up in Chicago I relished the time being in parks and found it captivating when I’d get the rare opportunity to visit our local forest preserves. These short trips outside city … closer to people in urban settings by giving them a taste of what was once here and what is possible. …
Type: Staff bio
… Garden, Glencoe, IL Tour Leader: Plant Evaluation Gardens: A Climate Lens Richard Hawke is responsible for the comparative evaluation of more than 1,200 taxa of herbaceous and woody plants in the Plant Evaluation Program. The program is one of the largest and most diverse in the nation, and received the Award for Program … from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has managed the Garden’s trials since 1986. He is the author of Plant Evaluation Notes, a periodic publication reporting the results of the …
Type: Page
… start to germinate when the top inch of soil reaches about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. (This is when an inexpensive soil thermometer comes in handy. Look for one at your local garden center … leaf lettuce and spinach are ready to harvest in as little as 30 days and all you need to do is snip off enough leaves for a salad. Within a few days, the plants sprout more leaves and … Seeded Simpson’ leaf lettuce and spinach are easy to grow on a balcony where you might only get a few hours of sun. Any of the cool-season greens can be grown in a vegetable garden as soon …
Type: Plant Info
