… reach a height of 60 feet with a 45 foot spread. The sugar maple is an excellent shade tree for lawns and parks. Tiny yellowish-green flowers appear in spring before the leaves emerge. The … outstanding. One of the best known trees of eastern North America, sugar maple is as prized for its ornamental value as for the syrup produced from its sap. It is a favorite maple for fall color. Unlike other sugar …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Bulletproof hosta is notable for its very thick blue green leaves. It is a sport of H . 'Halcyon.' Hostas are shade tolerant, … flowers held high above the foliage on long stalks called scapes, they are grown primarily for their foliage and neat habit. Hostas are actively hybridized for leaf color, size, shape, and texture; natural mutations or “sports” are also common; new …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Jim Dandy is a slow grower to about 6 feet high and 8 feet wide. It is the male cultivar for the female Berry Heavy and Berry Nice cultivars and must be planted within 50 feet of those plants for effective pollination. Prune in spring for shape. While best suited to moist sites with morning sun and afternoon shade, it grows well …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… rounded shape, and can attain heights of 35 to 50 feet. This tree is a great specimen plant for the home landscape. A member of the rose family, this small, flowering tree displays clusters … ash has interest in all four seasons: attractive flowers in spring, good clean green foliage for summer, handsome red fruit and great color in fall, and nice gray bark for winter interest. It's the best mountain ash for Illinois. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… most popular varieties of sour cherry, producing abundant crops of red juicy cherries favored for pies. It is self-fertile, so it doesn't require other trees for pollinating. This tree grows to a height of about 20 feet with full sun to partial shade and … by edible red fruit in late June to early July. Although it is an attractive tree just for its flowers, be prepared to harvest all the fruit. These cherries are too sour to eat fresh. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… in the season. Between 'Olympiade's' height (up to 8 feet) and <em>Weigela's</em> tolerance for heaving pruning, it's particularly well-suited for use as a hedge. </p> <p>Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds love <em>Weigelas.</em>, and so do gardeners. For a plant that gives you so much to look at, they're very easy to care for. No particular …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… This swallow is most often seen flying over the lakes, close to the bridges, looking for insects. Look for their bottle-shaped mud nests near the bridges. …
Type: Birding
… New! Score with these winning recipes and get ready for a football party or any sports occasion. Learn how to make a vinaigrette, practice hands-on vegetable dice cuts, and explore techniques for cooking by braising. Featured recipes include a spinach salad with warm beer dressing, bloody mary chili, and fan-favorite cookies. Take home a vegetable starter for chili and a batch of beer dressing. Mary Kay Gill, professional culinary instructor ITW …
Type: Item Detail
… testing lists the results of general soil fertility. Test results include essential nutrients for plants, pH, as well as suggestions for fertilization applications. Some soil testing labs also test for the presence of heavy metals. An up-to-date list of soil testing labs is provided by the …
Type: Plant Info
… a popular school garden theme that promotes conservation and provides multiple opportunities for NGSS connections. Plant a pollinator container garden and receive additional native plants and seeds for your school garden. Meet a horticulturist and a scientist to learn about native plant care, companion planting, and the ecology of native pollinators. Gain ideas for using phenomena found in a pollinator garden in your science curriculum. CPDUs: 6; Gateways: …
Type: Item Detail
