Charles Darwin™ English shrub rose ( Rosa 'Auspeet') is a selection of the David Austin English shrub roses which grows to 4 feet in height and features rich, yellow flowers opening to produce a shallow cup of lemon-scented heaven. This cultivar produces some of the largest of the roses in the David Austin series. It is best grown in full sun with room to grow to its full height, and space …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
Rhododendron 'Weston's Diamond Pink' was in full bloom underneath the pines on the second Japanese Island. A stunning sight, this is the best bloom staff can recall in years (2012). At the tip of each branch a truss of flower buds open to display double pink flowers with a silvery center a week or so before the PJM cultivar. In the fall most leaves color up orange to red and drop but those …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
Tor Gold birchleaf spirea typically grows into a dense, compact, rounded mound (3’ X 3’) with golden foliage. Tiny white flowers that are attractive to butterflies grow in small, flattened clusters in late spring on new wood. The foliage turns shades of orange, red, and purple in the fall. Birchleaf spirea is named for the shape of its leaves, which resemble those of the birch genus. More than …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
PINK-A-LICIOUS™ spirea features flat-topped clusters of pink flowers in June. Fall foliage is a colorful mix of yellow, pink, chartreuse and orange -- all on the same plant at the same time. This shrub is a Chicagoland Grows® selection. Chicagoland Grows® is a plant introduction partnership of the Chicago Botanic Garden, the Morton Arboretum and the Ornamental Growers Association of Northern …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
Start with the Basics A common and sometimes costly expense for many homeowners is lawn care. No matter whether you maintain your lawn yourself or hire a service, this is a good time to examine the best practices for growing healthy turfgrass. Don't invest more money than is necessary to have an attractive lawn that is also healthy and less likely to have problems with weeds, pests, or disease. …
Type: Plant Info
Known to most shade gardeners as coleus, Solenostemon scutellarioides brings tropical colors and waves of texture to garden beds and baskets. Grown for its vibrant flashes of foliage, 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 the current rage center on …
Type: Plant Info
Q. I would like to use some of the flowering shrubs on my property and cut branches to force indoors for late-winter color. What is the best way to do this? A. Branches from most flowering trees or shrubs can be successfully forced after six weeks of cold winter weather. Choose branches with interesting shapes, curves and textures as well as those with plump flower buds. Even branches with …
Type: Plant Info
Light pruning of deciduous trees and shrubs can be done this month. Heavy pruning is best done in late winter or very early spring before buds break. Immediately prune back any branches damaged by snow and ice. During periods of thaw, continue to water trees and shrubs, especially newly planted trees and all evergreens. Take advantage of thaw to water plants or garden areas that receive salt …
Type: Plant Info
Growing to only 12 inches tall, dwarf lily-of-the-Nile, or Peter Pan agapanthus ( Agapanthus 'Peter Pan'), is a beautiful mini version of traditional agapanthus. From early summer through fall, this cultivar displays delicate blue flowers borne in rounded umbels at the end of inflorescences to 18 inches tall, held above clumps of strap-shaped, deep green leaves. It is native to the South African …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
This is a tall, dramatic plant that grows to 3 feet or more with large spherical umbels best grown in clumps. Sterile flowers have a long bloom time because they are not pollinated. Its leaves are long and strap-like. It may be possible to get blooms on plants in the shade of deciduous trees if the leaf canopy is not complete when flowers open. This has been observed in habitat of the parent …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
