… with each day bringing new discoveries, news oohs and aahs. What a magnificent season to walk the cultivated gardens and the natural areas, seeking both the brash and the modest — … The Formal Circle Garden In the more formal, full-sun Circle Garden , curving beds give way to geometric squares and rectangles. A living kaleidoscope of color, the Circle Garden offers … and wonder. Every display bed, hillside, native habitat, and hanging basket bloom with the best this season can offer. The Garden has more than two million plants in its collections. Don’t …
Type: Walks
… It may come as a surprise to many gardeners, but grapes can be grown in the Chicago area. Vitis labrusca , the American … how it is pruned, and is therefore a good choice for small spaces. It grows up and out of the way and can be trained on a fence, arbor or trellis, with plenty of room left to grow other … the purpose for the grapevine — fresh fruit, jam, or wine, choose a variety that grows best in your area. Chicago is the most northerly zone for grape growing and, although there are …
Type: Plant Info
… A. Determining when tomatoes are ripe can be tricky, especially when we are anxiously waiting to sample the first tomatoes of the season. As a practical matter, the best guides to tomato ripeness, particularly for the heirloom varieties and those hybrids bred … gardener, are color and touch. First, know the ripe color of the specific tomato variety. This is especially important with non-red tomatoes and some heirloom varieties. The former may not …
Type: Plant Info
… than other selections of the P.J.M. grex of rhododendrons. The leaves change from deep green to a mahogany color in late fall and, in a mild winter, will remain on the plants until spring. … commonly sold rhododendrons in the Chicago area. Like other rhododendrons, this cultivar grows best in moisture-retentive, acidic soils in climates with cool summers. Water it well the first couple of years after planting to ensure that the small, fibrous roots growing near the soil surface become well-established. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Dunnett, and James Hitchmough frequently incorporate a diverse array of species indigenous to North America, prompting the question: What do they see that we do not? Reexamine some of the best American native trees, shrubs, perennials, and spring ephemerals. Learn how to integrate these plants into gardens traditionally dominated by nonnative species, creating …
Type: Item Detail
… are a delight for any rose lover. But QUEEN OF SWEDEN™ has two additional characteristics to endear it to gardeners. The flowers are carried upright and the stems have few thorns, making … makes it a good choice for hedges and larger landscaping groups. Rose breeder David Austin is famous for bringing together the shapes and scents of old-fashioned roses with the repeat … good air circulation. Also, all roses, particularly repeat bloomers, are heavy feeders, so for best performance fertilize in spring and again in mid-summer. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Pink twin-leaf squill is one of the tiniest plants grown outdoors at the Chicago Botanic Garden. You will see clusters … species. The unopened buds at the top of the spike are deep pink, and as they open they fade to a soft rosy-pink, with carnation pink anthers. They are best planted in large groups because a single bulb could easily be over-looked. They are fully …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… with her daughter Keira, age 5, when another young child at the airport got upset and started to shout. Other travelers stared as the child became increasingly distraught; Keira asked her mom … “She had tools in her toolbox to be kind to other children.” For these preschoolers, the logic is simple: Different people need different things, and if you can help, you help. Nature … to think that as they grow, they’ll become inclusive adults.” Mother Nature leads the way Nature Preschool follows the seasons with activities like nature walks and birding, tree …
Type: Blog
… Q. When is the best time to harvest sweet corn and how do I do it? A. Sweet corn ears should be picked … and corn kernels that are full at the tips. As harvest time nears, check the corn frequently to ensure you do not miss the milk stage. When the ears are ready, snap them off by hand with a …
Type: Plant Info
… Growing to only 12 inches tall, dwarf lily-of-the-Nile, or Peter Pan agapanthus ( Agapanthus 'Peter Pan'), is a beautiful mini version of traditional agapanthus. From early summer through fall, this … plant, where keeping the plant slightly rootbound improves flowering. Agapanthus blooms best in a spot where it gets full sun and has moist, well-drained, acidic soil with a pH from 5.1 …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
