Q: We would like to give plants as gifts during the holidays but aren’t sure how to transport them. Do you have some tips for purchasing and transporting holiday plants? A: Flowering plants such as poinsettia, cyclamen, and amaryllis brighten long winter days and are welcome gifts. Select plants free from spots, bruising, wilting, or browned leaf margins. Most garden centers wrap plants to …
Type: Plant Info
Q. For the best spring flower display, when should I fertilize my tulip and daffodil bulbs? A. To produce the maximum number of top-quality spring flowers, tulips and daffodils require care first in fall, at planting time, and then again in spring. At both of these times, gardeners can enrich the soil by adding a couple of inches of organic compost as well as synthetic fertilizer. After planting …
Type: Plant Info
Q. For the best spring flower display, when should I fertilize my tulip and daffodil bulbs? A. To produce the maximum number of top-quality spring flowers, tulips and daffodils require care first in fall, at planting time, and then again in spring. At both of these times, gardeners can enrich the soil by adding a couple of inches of organic compost as well as synthetic fertilizer. After planting …
Type: Plant Info
Q. How do I select a good carving pumpkin for my family? A. There are four species of Curcurbita that are considered pumpkins; however, the intermediate and large Curcurbita pepo varieties are the ones used primarily for jack-o’-lanterns. Consider going to the pumpkin patch early. A well-chosen pumpkin will last at least until Halloween and, if you go early, you can have your choice of the best …
Type: Plant Info
Q. What is the difference between June-bearing and ever-bearing strawberries? A. Types of strawberries are named according to their harvest time. June-bearing strawberries are the most familiar type and produce the largest fruits as well as large yields. Ever-bearing plants produce two smaller crops, one in June and another in early fall. June-bearing varieties also produce larger numbers of …
Type: Plant Info
In very early spring, Abeliophyllum distichum ‘Rosea’ provides a pale pink alternative to the bright yellows and golds of the more commonly seen Forsythia shrubs that bloom at the same time. Not fussy as to soils (as long as they are not bone dry) or aspect (full sun to partial shade) and completely hardy in the Chicago area, this 4’ to 6’ sized fragrant deciduous shrub is a wonderful compliment …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
Caspian Blue false indigo features the long spikes of very blue pea-like blooms for which the genus is best known. Members of the genus Baptisia are commonly known as wild or false indigo due to their use by early Americans as a blue dye. Although "indigo" is in the common name, the blooms of native species may be blue, yellow or white and the blooms of newer hybrids may include lavenders and …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
Begonia 'Lana', a member of the Begoniaceae family, is referred to as an angel wing cane begonia and is considered a variegated wonder. This grand superba-type cane was developed by Paul Lee in 1973. A tender perennial grown for its colorful flowers and foliage, the plant's angel wing-like leaves appear even more delicate due to the grayish-green variegation that runs the whole width and breadth …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
Caryopteris × clandonensis ‘Arthur Simmonds’ bluebeard won the prize as the hardiest cultivar of Caryopteris in the Ornamental Plant Evaluation trials at the Chicago Botanic Garden. This low-growing, half-hardy shrub features dark green leaves with silver undersides and clumps of violet-blue flowers at each node. Plant this bluebeard in full sun and in sandy, well-drained soil for best …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
We know spring has arrived in northern climes when we see the cheery yellow blooms of the ubiquitous forsythias in April. Named after William Forsyth, one of the founders of the Royal Horticultural Society in the 18th century, forsythias are medium to large shrubs that produce four- petaled clusters of bell-shaped flowers in the axils of the stiff, rough branches. Forsythia x intermedia is a …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
