… Which five will you pick? Happy New Year, everyone! While January is the month to plan and dream about your yard and garden, smart gardeners know that a wish list drawn up in winter can feel overwhelming by … year. Every season resolutions Use your Chicago Botanic Garden membership card for reciprocal free admission to tour other gardens for ideas. Give plants as gifts all year long. Follow our …
Type: Plant Info
… climate requires more than flowering herbaceous plants. Small shrubs offer a structure and size that most perennials cannot match in this region's short growing season. When the … of a perennial garden; summer bloomers that contribute to the sequence of blooming plants; and shrubs with variegated or colorful leaves. Shrubs that compliment, not dominate, a perennial … with the midseason bulbs. Its delicate leaves have an attractive white edge, and its arching, free-form habit makes it a good combination with perennials. It prefers partial shade. …
Type: Plant Info
… tomatoes. What are you to do with them all? Or with the rampant zucchini that grow to the size and texture of baseball bats if you don't catch them early? Or with armfuls of basil? The onslaught was hard to imagine last spring when you planned the garden and set out those spindly seedlings. But by August, you've brought tomatoes to the office so … coming with a paper bag. Your friends are announcing never-before-suspected tomato allergies and the neighbors are sneaking tomatoes onto your front porch. Never fear. There are many options …
Type: Plant Info
… perennial types. Herbaceous peonies assume a shrublike stature at 2 to 3 feet in height and width. Their leaves and stalks die to the ground after a killing autumn frost, but the rootstock remains very much … on the plant as possible. Plant peonies in the spring as potted plants or in the fall as bare tuberous roots. Cultivate the planting site thoroughly, add compost, and water well. In the …
Type: Plant Info
… berries, pine trees. Plants from your own landscape can bring an echo of last year's garden and a promise of next year's to your holiday decor. It's easy to embellish a purchased evergreen … at the Garden. The obvious place to start your decor collecting is with your evergreen trees and shrubs, such as spruce, fir, pine, arborvitae, and yew. Forage under evergreens and you may … in mind that many evergreens, such as arborvitae, won't resprout if you cut back as far as the bare, brown part of a branch. For a wreath that combines deep green with tones of golden brown, …
Type: Plant Info
… Spring is here and with it come wildflowers—trillium, mayapples, and spring beauties. Take a stroll or sit in your garden and you may see and hear some of the … you to create meaningful sight lines into outdoor spaces and perhaps to include new focal points—a flowering tree, a fountain, or a special seating area, for example. Determining sight …
Type: Plant Info
… In the calm and cold of the new year, it's tempting to hibernate and rest up for the tilling and planting to come. But January is prime time for another kind of … point out subtleties you might miss. It's most enjoyable if you're snugly dressed. Selinger points out that even indoor classes may include a walk outdoors, where you may see familiar …
Type: Plant Info
… of the border, this is the month when the shrub roses begin their season-long flower display. And for the hybrid tea aficionado, June most certainly is high season. Even though most hybrid … nothing can match the power of their June flowers. The allure of roses is a universal one — and certainly not restricted to gardeners alone! This queen of flowers has played a major role … in our area, due to their adaptability and winter hardiness. Exhibiting many of the good points of the old garden roses, today’s modern shrubs are much more resistant to black spot, …
Type: Plant Info
… The cream-colored blossoms of the beautiful and prized Vanda Jairak Classy orchid are marked with burgundy speckles, more densely on the … cut. Native to India, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, the Philippines, New Guinea, southern China, and northern Australia, the Vanda orchid is the national flower of Singapore. It is recognizable … roots. In the home, Vandas require warm growing conditions with bright light, high humidity, and good air movement. Because Vandas thrive in temperatures between 60 to 98 degrees Fahrenheit, …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… year-round woodpecker at the Garden is frequently spotted-especially in the McDonald Woods and Barbara Brown Nature Reserve. Even on the coldest day in winter, you might see or hear a … is built to get food left by other birds that leave town for the winter. Woodpeckers can go up and down trees to find insects and larvae spending the winters in the bark. (Have you ever seen an oriole go up and down a tree? …
Type: Birding
