Description: Look in open areas like the Dixon Prairie, or elsewhere around the Garden, for this warbler that is common at the Garden during its long migration stopover. One of the most ubiquitous warblers throughout northern Illinois and at the Garden during spring migration is an active, thin-billed bird called the yellow-rumped warbler. It's one of up to 36 warbler species seen in the area …
Type: Birding
When the rosarian William Radler was a teenager, he resolved to breed a hardy rose that was beautiful, bloomed all season, was disease resistant, and maintained an attractive shrublike habit. He remains committed to breeding the "high-maintenance" issues out of his roses. He succeeded with his first introduction, Knock Out ™ , the award-winning shrub rose that mail-order catalogs call "perhaps …
Type: Plant Info
Know These Pollinating Wonders Did you know there are more than 20,000 species of bees worldwide? That’s more than all the mammals, amphibians, and reptiles combined! You may be familiar with bumblebees and honeybees, but Illinois boasts 500 species of native bees—metallic green and blue bees that look nothing like the fuzzy yellow and black icon. Bees are critically important in pollinating …
Type: Plant Info
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 later into pies and cobblers, apples are enjoyed by more adults and 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 …
Type: Plant Info
Susceptible Plants Although some plants are more deer-resistant than others, deer will eat almost any plant if they are hungry enough, especially during winters with large amounts of snowfall and high populations of deer. Plants favored by deer include arborvitae ( Thuja ), yew ( Taxus ), rhododendron and azalea ( Rhododendron ), crabapple ( Malus ), hosta ( Hosta ), tulip ( Tulipa ), and many …
Type: Plant Info
For some gardeners, a winter landscape is a blur of neutral colors highlighted with the dark green of conifers and sometimes the blue of the sky. But imagine another winter scene — with golds, yellows, and spring greens. All conifers are not green, and with some careful plant selection your winter garden can be a very colorful place indeed. In winter, almost any color is welcome, but remember …
Type: Plant Info
What could be more useful than a cutting garden that includes flowers, colorful or variegated leaves, and interesting plant parts to bring indoors and display throughout the year — even during those nasty Chicago winters! The best cutting gardens are well integrated into existing landscapes and designed to bring enjoyment for all seasons. First things first To establish a cutting garden, first …
Type: Plant Info
February is such an exciting month for gardeners—time for the first seeds to get started indoors, and time for our Seed Swap! As you pull out your collection of seed packs, envelopes, and labeled jars, you’ll undoubtedly make some unexpected discoveries: the last of the lettuce seeds you collected but left in the garage by mistake over the winter…those unknown flower seeds that the neighbor gave …
Type: Plant Info
Types of Mulch Garden centers and big-box stores offer mulch made from a variety of materials. Shredded bark from cypress, pine, and cedar, wood chips, cocoa hulls, recycled wood, and mushroom compost are some of the products sold by the bag. Many garden centers also sell and deliver mulch by the cubic yard. Beware of colored mulch in shades of red, black, and brown that contains chemicals that …
Type: Plant Info
The cultivar 'Sir John Thouron' is valued for its showy, pale yellow flowers that form a ball-shaped umbrella well above its dark-green leaves. The flowers are small versions of amaryllis blossoms, clustered atop a thick, fleshy stalk. It was only eight years ago that White Flower Farms offered 36 plants for $950 each; all were sold out to a movie star, a fashion designer, and several collectors. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
