… flowers held high above the foliage on long stalks called scapes, they are grown primarily for their foliage and neat habit. Hostas are actively hybridized for leaf color, size, shape, and texture; natural mutations or “sports” are common, and new … Hosta cultivars range in size from several inches to several feet; it may take 3 to 8 years for hostas to reach their full size. They all prefer moist, loamy soil enriched with organic …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… measuring 12 inches tall are covered in dainty, bell-shaped flowers in April. They are good for mass planting and reliably hardy in the Chicago area. In its native habitat it is frequently … systems like oaks that permit the two species to live side by side without directly competing for soil nutrients. By the time the trees leaf out, the bulbs have completed their growth cycle for the year and have begun to go dormant. Some taxonomic authorities consider bluebells to be …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… suckers readily to form a large multi-stemmed clump. Use winterberry in the shrub border or for massing and screening. There are many cultivars from which to select. Winterberry bushes are dioecious, meaning they have separate sexes, so for fruiting, both male and female specimens must be in close proximity (one male pollinator is sufficient for four to six females). The flowers are small, white, and not ornamentally significant. Red …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… The Chinese cork oak is native to east Asia. It is notable for its thick, furrowed bark that can be harvested commercially for cork. The leaves display an unusual degree of variation -- hence the specific epithet … (biennial). Oaks are often imposing shade trees at maturity and provide habitat and food for a variety of wildlife. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Simmondsia chinensis , or jojoba, is native to the southwest desert and is best known for jojoba oil, a very long, straight chain wax that has more in common with whale oil than with more traditional vegetable oils. This wax is used in cosmetics and has potential for use as biodiesel fuel for automobiles as well as in a biodegradable lubricant. To reduce the harvest of sperm whales, …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… so you may see all three colors on the same bush, or even in a single flower cluster. It makes for a lovely and unexpected spring show, lasting a month or more.</p> <p>Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds love <em>Weigela</em>, and so do gardeners. For a plant that gives you so much to look at, they're very easy to care for. No particular disease or pest problems. No special soil requirements. Just give them good …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… the Ho-Chunk, Miami, Menominee, Sauk, and Meskwaki. The marsh once served as a portage for Native Americans crossing between Lake Michigan and the upper Des Plaines River. However, it caused problems for white settlers with peat and clay soils poor for European-style farming, which flooded regularly. Various methods for controlling the land …
Type: Blog
… Native to Europe and western Asia, Humulus lupulus is an attractive perennial vine suitable for Chicago-area gardens. During July, soft green conelike flowers known as strobiles emerge. … appeal. When the strobiles mature during mid- to late September, they can be collected for home brewing or other herbal uses. The vine is dioecious, meaning that male and female … 1/8- to 1/4-inch in size and not as bothersome as one would think, but gloves should be worn for pruning or handling the vines. With their smaller bristles, cultivated varieties of hop are …
Type: Plant Info
… and sometimes rosy pink on the breast. Redpolls are able to store seeds in their esophagus for later eating. In winter, look for small flocks of this little, vocal finch around alders and birches where they feed on the …
Type: Birding
… architecture. We are thrilled that a video from Magnified won a Chicago/Midwest Emmy Award for Outstanding Crafts Achievement for Lighting. Award winners are Red Clark, Robin Carlson, Johanna Hutchins, Wendy Griffiths, …
Type: Blog
