Millions of birds will pass through the Chicago area during the season. Given good weather, tens of thousands of these spring migrants may fly over in one night alone. You might not see them right away, but at dawn and dusk, they put on a great performance with myriad melodies and courtship calls. Invite them in You can encourage migrating as well as year-round birds into your garden by …
Type: Plant Info
… brought the pots indoors. But if you didn’t, there are plenty of stores that sell fresh herbs. Buy them in small pots and place them on a sunny window, or on a kitchen counter near …
Type: Plant Info
Nature Activities For a Break Storms make trees take deeper roots. — Dolly Parton Relaxing with nature can be restorative and stress reducing. Accessing nature locally might include walking around your neighborhood or gardening. Indoors, you may sit by a live plant, a window with a view of green space or visualize nature images. Here are a few exercises you can do inside and out, with resources …
Type: Page
Raising a Rooftop Garden They conserve water, reduce noise, stem stormwater runoff, minimize urban heat island effect, and provide necessary habitat for native birds and insects. Green roofs are growing in popularity. The 16,000-square-foot Green Roof Garden atop the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center is open to the public — it's one of just a few rooftop gardens you can …
Type: Plant Info
… during the spring and summer months, a condition favored by the species. Since plants will die to the ground when frost arrives, they should be cut to the ground at this time. Revered …
Type: Plant Info
Q. I have noticed frost cracking on my sycamore. What, if anything, should I do about it? A. Frost cracking occurs when winter temperatures fluctuate widely. The longitudinal cracks occur from the expansion and contraction of the bark that is warmed by the sun and then rapidly cooled by cloud cover or nightfall. The resulting crack may be accompanied by a loud noise. Frost cracks may be quite …
Type: Plant Info
Q. How can I tell when the tomatoes in my garden are ripe? 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 for the home gardener, are color and touch. First, know the ripe color of the …
Type: Plant Info
Q. When is the best time to harvest sweet corn and how do I do it? A. Sweet corn ears should be picked during the milk stage, which occurs when the kernels are fully formed but not fully mature. This stage typically occurs about 20 days after the first silk strands appear and lasts less than a week. Examine the ears closely. The kernels should be plump and smooth, and when they are punctured, the …
Type: Plant Info
CRESCENDO™ is a sugar maple cultivar selected for its excellent drought tolerance, durable dark green foliage, and outstanding orange-red fall color. Its five-lobed leaves grow densely on an upright oval tree that can reach a height of 45 feet and a width of 35 feet when mature. The sugar maple is an excellent shade tree for lawns and parks. Tiny yellowish-green flowers appear in spring …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
Nantucket serviceberry is a low growing shrub that will form dense colonies over time. It is native to the coastal plains of northeastern North America and is relatively rare in cultivation. Its white flowers, blue-black berries and showy fall foliage color are typical of the Amelanchier genus. Members of the genus Amelanchier offer four seasons of interest -- small white flowers (occasionally …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
