… Advice from our horticulturist as the Rose Garden "Be brave." Tom Soulsby says it's the best advice he has for rose gardeners. As the senior horticulturist at the Rose Garden, Tom knows how to deal with roses at every stage of their lives: young and old, tended and in need of pruning, … want to be open at ground level—the better to get a good dose of sunshine. An overgrown rose is thick and congested at ground level, which results in lots of fuzzy tip growth instead of …
Type: Plant Info
… Everyone can use a little privacy in their garden from time to time. After all, a garden is a place to retreat from the outside world, a place to sit and sip coffee, read a book, do some … fast-growing evergreen that can be sheared to keep it in bounds if necessary. These shrubs are best grown in moist, fertile, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. To create a screen, …
Type: Plant Info
… were puzzled by the sudden decline and loss of hundreds of ash trees, which they attributed to a nonnative, highly destructive beetle, Agrilus planipennis , commonly called the emerald ash … entered the United States in packing materials such as wooden crates made out of ash. It is now believed that the emerald ash borer has been in the United States since 1990 or 1991. The … sawyers, and woodworkers can be found on the Illinois Emerald Ash Borer Wood Utilization Team website . The Garden's Response The Garden is taking several measures to protect ashes, which …
Type: Plant Info
… are tiny, mouselike rodents with stocky bodies and short legs and tails. They weigh only 1 to 2 ounces. Voles eat mainly the leaves and stems of grassy plants although they will eat other … a tree or shrub. Treatment & Solutions Removing the habitat voles seek for nesting and feeding is the best control. Weeds, dense ground cover, brush, low spreading evergreens or even thick mulch can …
Type: Plant Info
… world celebrated soil: the United Nations proclaimed it the International Year of Soils. Soil is perhaps the least understood—and therefore least considered—part of gardening. And yet soil is, next to water, the most precious resource that a gardener has. In this edition of Smart Gardener, … can only find cow and horse manure through retail sources. Consider the source before you buy! Search out an organic, hormone-free source or farming operation if you'd like to add manure …
Type: Plant Info
… With the Kentucky Derby—and mint julep season—approaching, it's time to consider mint, a fast-growing, almost wonderfully invasive plant. Mint survives Chicago … crack clay pots.) Mint needs at least four hours of sunlight per day, so pick a sunny spot. It is tolerant of most soils and weather conditions—just be sure it gets some water every week to … your flavor There are more than 600 types of mint on the market. Here are a few that work best in the kitchen: Kentucky Colonel spearmint (Mentha spicata ‘Kentucky Colonel’) got its …
Type: Blog
… When farmers’ markets wind down, many of us want to preserve the bounty of this year for the next. Why not save save seeds from your last tomatoes … the “parent plant.” 2. Selecting Choose a ripe, disease-free tomato; one past being edible is best. 3. Removing Cut the tomato ‘around the equator’ and squeeze out the seeds and ‘goo’ in …
Type: Blog
… Tom Soulsby is the senior horticulturist for the Rose Garden, Heritage Garden, and Linden Allée. He is … his passion for horticulture excellence. As a lifelong gardener, some of Soulsby's best horticulture education has come from practical hands-on gardening that included working as a child alongside his dad. His love of gardening carries over to his own home. Before pursuing his passion for public horticulture, Soulsby was a director at …
Type: Staff bio
… Ask most families what their favorite fruit is and the answer is unanimous — the apple! Whether picked fresh on a crisp autumn day or baked … children than any other fruit. The good news for gardeners is that you don't need an orchard to grow apples. There are several options available to both suburban and urban gardeners who have … should be no problem planting more than one variety, necessary for cross-pollination and the best fruit production. …
Type: Plant Info
… demographic, and pollination studies on a threatened thistle ( Cirsium pitcheri ) that is being negatively impacted by a biocontrol weevil. I am also interested in developing measures of success and best practices for ex situ plant conservation programs, from collecting genetically diverse seed accessions to minimizing genetic change during storage and increasing likelihood of success of restorations. …
Type: Staff bio
