… he fell in love with “how resilient and amazing nature is.” Clarence Smith’s family has farmed for generations in Michigan and Mississippi; Windy City Harvest programs “brought him back to his roots,” and helped him discover that he has a knack for the business side of farming. Put these three Chicagoans together, and the Big Three—their nickname for themselves—fit together like “perfect puzzle pieces,” according to Coleman. Over the past few …
Type: Blog
… Sow seeds in March and April for a fast, flavorful harvest. It will be a few months before we can safely plant tomatoes, … greens, Swiss chard, and kale as soon as the soil thaws. Lettuce and Swiss chard seeds, for example, start to germinate when the top inch of soil reaches about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. (This is when an inexpensive soil thermometer comes in handy. Look for one at your local garden center or online.) Swiss chard Leaf lettuce Spinach Grow leafy …
Type: Plant Info
… it? A: The following process can be successful, but it is not guaranteed, and it is intended for adults with cordless drill competence. Materials/Tools: Ceramic plant pot Diamond-coated hole saw drill bit for ceramics (15mm) Cordless/battery-powered drill Safety goggles, dust mask, gloves, towel, … Tilt the drill bit at a 45-degree angle and cut a shallow c- shape into the pot to use a guide for the drill. Raise the drill bit to the vertical position and gently and slowly drill into the …
Type: Plant Info
… drinks like tequila and mezcal is at an all-time high in the United States. And that is bad news for agaves. As Hector Ortiz, Ph.D., plant conservation scientist at the Negaunee Institute , explains in this video, agaves have provided humans with food, fiber, and drinks for millennia. But the recent popularity of these drinks has fueled the expansion of agave …
Type: Blog
… and threadlike foliage has helped win its place in cultivation. It is perhaps best known for its golden and persistent fall color that appears to be almost a golden cloud. Arkansas … Plant of the Year in 2011. Members of the genus Amsonia are commonly known as bluestars for the abundant small blue flowers borne in clusters at the stem tips in late spring or early … and more than 3,5000 individual plants. A number of these varieties have been evaluated for their performance in our region; Plant Evaluation Notes can be found on the Garden's website. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… The Red Obelisk beech is notable for its reddish purple foliage and columnar growth habit. In a good year the fall color is a striking reddish brown. Its narrow shape makes it more suitable for a home landscape than many of its larger siblings. A wide range of cultivars of the European beech have been developed, many of which are eye-catching show stoppers for their shape (weeping, columnar or rounded) or foliage color (green, variegated, purple or …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… part of the tall grass prairie, providing an important food source and winter shelter for a range of insects, small mammals and birds, and even bison. Bad Hair Day switch grass is an … as in rain gardens or as stabilization of eroding banks. Since Bad Hair Day is mostly grown for its ornamental value, it is generally retained for its autumn and winter interest. Cut back the foliage to near ground level in late winter. In …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… porch, they encourage soft touches and occasional pinches as herbs and vegetables are checked for perfect picking. Containers satisfy the need to design complete gardens—but in small spaces, … mistakes are forgiven and quickly corrected. They provide uniquely controlled environments for plants with special needs. Garden borders can be revitalized in an instant by moving a … cotta is a popular, medium-priced material, available in all sizes and therefore a good choice for groupings. Its porous clay evaporates water faster than plastic—good for the plants but extra …
Type: Plant Info
… in August and September. Later-blooming perennials, annuals, and shrubs can provide color for weeks to come. And many of their blossoms offer nectar to migrating butterflies and ruby-throated hummingbirds. Here are a dozen good-looking, late-season wonders for your garden. Butterfly bush (Buddleja) Butterfly bush is a magnet for flower-feeding butterflies, bees, and other insects. This woody perennial ranges in size from …
Type: Plant Info
… your garden indoors to join a celebration can be as easy as cutting a few evergreen branches for a vase. But if you are a little bit more ambitious about your holiday decor, it's … your project to be fresh and fleeting or dried and long-lasting. "If you go dried, it can last for years if you store it properly," Clifton says. But for a very special occasion, nothing has the impact of a centerpiece tree or kissing ball made …
Type: Plant Info
