… Green lawns can also be "green" (as in ecofriendly) lawns. In fact, some of the best tips for lawn care actually reduce our carbon footprint. For example, watering and mowing less often generally is more beneficial for grass. Tom Tiddens, plant health care supervisor at the Chicago Botanic … green grass will return. If you choose to water your lawn, do so infrequently, but deeply. This strengthens grass by forcing roots to reach deep for water. The best time of day to water is …
Type: Plant Info
… pendulously beneath a tuft of leaves; visually, their inflorescence resembles a pineapple. This is the best cultivar among all of the Fritillaria imperialis offerings for naturalizing in the Chicago area. The plant prefers well-drained soils that are moist during …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… upright oval tree that can reach a height of 50 feet with a spread of 35 feet. The sugar maple is an excellent shade tree for lawns and parks. Tiny yellowish-green flowers appear in spring before the leaves emerge. The … of Canada, and a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States and Canada. Archived Copy: This content was captured before February 2022, and is no longer being updated. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Smooth sumac is very much like staghorn sumac, with large attractive compound leaves and an irregular growth … clusters of greenish-white flowers appear. These are followed by red berries with small hairs. This large native shrub in the cashew family spreads by rhizomes and forms colonies. It is best for a naturalistic setting. Archived Copy: This content was captured before February 2022, and is …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… provide you with texture, form, and long-lasting colors in both flowers and foliage. I love the combination of purple or blue asters (Symphyotrichum) with ornamental kale as the colors play off each other nicely for a long-lasting fall container. Using other lesser-known plants, such as some of the … the spring or summer. As the days begin to get shorter and the nights get cooler, plant growth is slowing down or ceasing. By planting a fuller container, you will see immediate results that …
Type: Blog
… 'Husker Red' is one of the most popular Penstemon varieties because of its bronze-red emerging foliage. The … fade to bronze-green in partial shade. Either way, the mounded foliage is a dramatic backdrop for the tall stems of clear white tubular flowers in the early summer garden. If the seeds are … the plant will self-sow. However, seedlings may not come true with the maroon leaf color. Use this plant that attracts hummingbirds at the edge of a border or as an accent plant because of …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… ‘Vallya’ produces a profusion of light pink flowers on an upright semi-deciduous plant. Bred for hardiness and disease resistance, it nevertheless needs soils amended with peat moss and/or … plant does not tolerate planting in low-lying sites where water stands for any length of time. This cultivar was developed by the Mezitt family who have owned the Weston nursery for three … and very floriferous. Archived Copy: This content was captured before February 2022, and is no longer being updated. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Q: I really want to start my own tomato plants this year. Am I too late? A: No, you are not too late. In the Chicago area, we do not recommend … your plants will be in the ground or in containers, and the amount of space you have available for tomatoes (be realistic!). You can then purchase seeds from a garden center, or from one of … water that drains from them (baking pans or rimmed baking sheets will suffice). If this is more effort than you can spare, you can purchase many different tomato varieties, including …
Type: Plant Info
… Q. When is the best time to prune a cherry tree? A. The best time to prune a cherry tree or to remove dead wood is in the summer. Pruning in summer reduces the risk of introducing disease through a fresh cut. …
Type: Plant Info
… Oeschberg Amaranthus Deep red to maroon flower/seed spikes top off the burgundy leaves and stems on this annual that thrives in the heat and humidity of summer. Song birds (and people) find the … provide a pop of color in the landscape throughout the growing season. Plant in flower beds for best results or stake plants in containers with loose soil mixes to keep the plants upright. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
