… A. Determining when tomatoes are ripe can be tricky, especially when we are anxiously waiting to sample the first tomatoes of the season. As a practical matter, the best guides to tomato ripeness, particularly for the heirloom varieties and those hybrids bred … gardener, are color and touch. First, know the ripe color of the specific tomato variety. This is especially important with non-red tomatoes and some heirloom varieties. The former may not …
Type: Plant Info
… premier kindie bands. Mary and her Impastas have an interactive music show guaranteed to bring dancing, singalongs, instruments, and even a little magic for the kids to enjoy. Mary … connect and engage children with their music and mayhem. Mary was recently voted Chicago’s Best Clown by ChicagoKids.com. In the show, kids get to help Mary Macaroni with magic tricks, shakers, and dancing along to …
Type: Event for Calendar
… winter. It’s not because they are sick or diseased; it’s simply what they do. Larches belong to a special group of plants called deciduous conifers. Like maples and oaks, they produce fall … with their horizontal main branches and gracefully drooping branchlets. Their overall texture is very soft due to the small, slender needles that emerge bright green in spring, turn to a … somewhat, turn yellowish brown and are slightly fuzzy. Because of their size, larches are best used on large properties, parks, or golf courses. They can be used singly as specimens or …
Type: Plant Info
… New! Looking to grow your best garden yet? Join William Moss for an exciting and informative workshop covering … gardening in the Chicago area. Topics will cover tasks, techniques, and tips from winter to fall as well as basic botany, soil preparation, crop selection, rotation and planning, pest …
Type: Item Detail
… produces abundant white blooms along its upright branches. The genus Spiraea consists of small to medium sized flowering shrubs with a fine-textured twiggy mounding habit. The small simple leaves are generally lance-shaped and held close to the branch. Spring to early summer abundant blooms tend to be in white or pink tones, … are quite small, they occur in clusters of inflorescence that can be very showy. Spireas are best used in groupings in a shrub or mixed border, where they are valued as tough, reliable and …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… needs soils amended with peat moss and/or treatment of the soil with powdered sulfur to survive long term in our heavy alkaline clay soils. Best grown in light shade and despite the need to keep the root constantly moist, the plant does not tolerate planting in low-lying sites where …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Q. When is the best time to harvest sweet corn and how do I do it? A. Sweet corn ears should be picked … and corn kernels that are full at the tips. As harvest time nears, check the corn frequently to ensure you do not miss the milk stage. When the ears are ready, snap them off by hand with a …
Type: Plant Info
… glossy leaves are attractive throughout the growing season. This herbaceous perennial flowers best when planted in moisture retentive soils in full sun and dislikes transplanting. Free of … nectar which ants, bees, wasps and other pollinating insects find an irresistible prelude to the main event (when the flowers open). …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Known to most shade gardeners as coleus, Solenostemon scutellarioides brings tropical colors and … which span the color spectrum from yellow and chartreuse to burgundy and purple, coleus is enjoying a revival from its earlier years as a popular Victorian houseplant. The reasons for … Only some are smooth; some are puckered or quilted, inviting a touch. Most coleus performs best in shaded or semi-shaded gardens; the sun-loving varieties should be marked as such. Even …
Type: Plant Info
… in mid-August and by the taller spikes with distinct finger-like projections. It thrives best in light shade. In bright sun, it will require more moisture in the soil to prevent leaf scorch. When well-sited in the garden, it will grow to 5 feet tall and up to 2 feet wide. Some authorities have suggested this variety should be …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
