Talk around the Garden is all about orchids this month, with the opening of our Orchid Show. Among the many interesting orchid conversations, there is one question that gets asked repeatedly by gardeners of all skill levels: "How do I repot my orchid?" Luckily, the answer for most orchids is, "It's easy." Orchids should be repotted when new; every year or two; or when crowded roots push up and …
Type: Plant Info
How often have you heard that the true lilies (Lilium) are either difficult to grow or are not well adapted to the Midwest? Fortunately, these are merely myths. Lilies are wonderfully diverse and can thrive here with some attention to their culture and selection. They give continuous bloom in your garden from late May into early September; range in height from a diminutive 4 inches to a towering …
Type: Plant Info
It may come as a surprise to many gardeners, but grapes can be grown in the Chicago area. Vitis labrusca , the American grape, also known as the fox grape due to its pungent, "foxy" flavor, grows extremely well; and even one of the French hybrids can survive the Midwest's cold winters. These little berries can be converted into juice, jellies, and jam. Some can be made into wine. A grape is a …
Type: Plant Info
The Well-Trained Tomato Tomato plants typically fall into one of two categories: indeterminate and determinate. Indeterminate (climbing) plants, such as Big Beef, Brandywine, and Cherokee Purple, continue growing throughout the summer. The plants can have flowers, immature fruit, and ripe fruit all at the same time. Determinate plants, such as Celebrity, Marglobe, and Better Bush, are more bushy …
Type: Plant Info
Espalier is a method of training and pruning a tree or shrub, forcing it to grow flat against a wall or a free-standing trellis. Although it originated in the Middle Ages as a way to grow fruit inside the safety of castle walls, many nonfruiting plants, including yews, cotoneaster, magnolias, and dogwood can be espaliered. Beautiful Yet Practical Espalier has a great deal of ornamental value — …
Type: Plant Info
Is there such a thing as a low-maintenance perennial garden? The answer is yes if careful consideration is first given to plant choice and plant location. Matching the requirements of a plant to the characteristics of the site takes some planning, but will save hours of work in the garden. Astilbe Clematis Gentianaceae Match the Plant to the Site If you garden in a shady but dry spot and plant …
Type: Plant Info
Korean spice viburnum ( Viburnum carlesii 'J. N. Select') shows off pale pink-white blooms in early spring. Korean spice viburnum ( Viburnum carlesii ) The distinctive scent of Korean spice viburnum can stop you in your tracks during an early May stroll: sweet, rich, and complex with a hint of cloves. You may encounter it in the Sensory Garden , in the English Walled Garden , or in other …
Type: Plant Info
The Greening Tradition The tradition of bringing greens into the house in December has its roots in paganism, not Puritanism. Long before European Christians incorporated swags, garlands, wreaths, and Christmas trees into their religious holiday, Egyptians were decorating with palm fronds, and early Romans were raucously celebrating Saturnalia with drink, gambling, general craziness, and …
Type: Plant Info
In May, it was just a harmless-looking sprout with a few ferny leaves. Now this sprawling monster, barely contained by its cage, is overwhelming you with tomatoes. What are you to do with them all? Or with the rampant zucchini that grow to the size and texture of baseball bats if you don't catch them early? Or with armfuls of basil? The onslaught was hard to imagine last spring when you planned …
Type: Plant Info
While tulips and daffodils are still pushing up green sprouts, many small bulbs are already joyously in bloom. They twinkle beside sidewalks, peek up from the leaf litter, and carpet the ground with much-needed color. Snowdrops are popular early-blooming favorites, but they are followed by crocus, scilla, chionodoxa, puschkinia, and grape hyacinths, many of which span the season from March to …
Type: Plant Info
