… As summer rolls along, we often have periods of hot weather and little rain. Without adequate water, plants can suffer from drought stress and stressed plants are an invitation to insects. Spider mites, flea beetles, Japanese beetles, … predators tends to increase along with the “bad” bug population—predation is an important (and free) control for your garden, too. Chomp, Chomp Spider mites are a common pest this time of …
Type: Plant Info
… if you want the plants to produce fruit. That’s because those plants produce separate male and female flowers. For example, the first flowers that appear on cucumber plants are typically … flowers have long stems, while female flowers have a short stem. Bees must go to both male and female flowers on the plant so that the pollen from the male reaches the female flower’s … to reach the nectar and pollen. Sunflowers are a particular favorite (unless they are “pollen-free” varieties). And you can save and roast the seeds if the birds don’t get them first. …
Type: Plant Info
… fragrant gardens, fern gardens, carpet beds with annuals planted in intricate patterns, and many other styles. They were smitten by flower beds that focused on using only one color, … hobby, whether it’s cooking or attracting butterflies. They can help children discover nature. And…creating a theme garden is just plain fun. Here’s a look at some popular planting themes. … Garden Mix your own adult beverages by adding herbs or fruit from your garden. For an alcohol-free beverage, substitute fruit juice. You can find many garden edibles—mint, rosemary, lemon …
Type: Plant Info
… growing through the "green" roof. Considered a warm-season crop because plants need warm soil and frost-free nights, tomatoes are best planted outdoors after mid-May in the Chicago area. Even then you … bushier plants that typically don’t need staking. Indeterminate plants continue to grow and produce new flowers and fruits, with vines up to 20 feet long that need some kind of support …
Type: Plant Info
… The autumn garden is full of late-season color: bold dahlias and asters, pastel Japanese anemones, dusky chrysanthemums, and sunny goldenrods. But there is another group of plants flowering at this time, although the … reed grass ( Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster') 'Karl Foerster' is a trouble-free, 4- to 5-foot upright grass that is stunning when massed or singled out as a vertical …
Type: Plant Info
… select one with firm needles that don’t drop off when the tree is raised up a few inches and dropped to the ground. The bottom of the stump should be moist with some sap present. Trees … after being brought indoors. The trees that retain their needles the longest are the balsam and white firs; red, white and Scots pines; and Douglas fir. Once the tree is at home, cut … plant regularly or swish upside down in a bucket of tepid water to keep the foliage clean and free of mites. As new growth emerges, train tendrils to desired form. Take the plant outside …
Type: Plant Info
… Here’s one cure for cabin fever— grow some cool indoor plants and stage them like they’re pieces of art. Potted plants can sit on the floor, a bookcase, a … violet with a cluster of vibrant flowers. Some, like jasmine, add fragrance to a room. Ivy and pothos can send their glossy foliage trailing from the top of a bookshelf. And, you don’t … a few inches off the ends, place the cuttings in a jar of water where they’ll root—you’ll have free plants to give away to friends. Tillandsia Looking for a plant that requires little …
Type: Plant Info
… Chicago Botanic Garden during Pride Month in June. With late spring flowers, such as peonies and phlox, overlapping with the early summer blooms such as echinacea and milkweed, there is an overabundance of blooms, making it a joyful month to visit our gardens. It would be easy to draw parallels between the rainbow of summer colors and pride, but maybe that’s too obvious. And besides, as a botanist, I feel compelled to point …
Type: Blog
… Allen Lacy, the astilbe is one of these prized garden plants. Multidimensional, versatile and adaptable to a variety of settings, it is one of the "steeples and spikes" in a panoramic garden. At the Chicago Botanic Garden, these lovely perennials are … from the high-volume Waterfall Garden to the serene pond plantings of the Landscape Gardens, and along vast stretches of the Lakeside Gardens. The roar of tumbling water serves as a dramatic …
Type: Plant Info
… with an idea that smart gardeners can appreciate: do-it-yourself wreaths made from dried and everlasting plant materials. The Garden’s own “Martha,” program horticulturist Nancy Clifton, made several of the wreaths in Krehbiel Gallery and offers up three basic ideas for a single-subject wreath. Forage collection Forage in your yard and neighborhood all year long. You’ll be surprised by the diversity of pine cones, dried grasses …
Type: Plant Info
