… New! Explore the dark side by learning how to capture images of the night sky such as fireworks, astrophotography (lunar phases, aurora … exposures of night scenes in urban settings. Learn effective techniques and camera settings for night photography through presentations, instructor feedback on your photos, and one night … which will be held in Highland Park or Wilmette depending on conditions. Class limited to DSLR or mirrorless cameras. A tripod is required. Dress for the weather. Prerequisites: …
Type: Item Detail
… Simmondsia chinensis , or jojoba, is native to the southwest desert and is best known for jojoba oil, a very long, straight chain wax that has more in common with whale oil than with … potential for use as biodiesel fuel for automobiles as well as in a biodegradable lubricant. To reduce the harvest of sperm whales, large plantations of jojoba have been planted in arid and …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Jolly sunflower, big and yellow, said, "I'm sure a lucky fellow." —Elizabeth Gordon Ask a child to name the biggest flower he ever saw and he would probably shout out "sunflower." Ask a prairie aficionado for a list of the top ten prairie plants blooming now, and a sunflower will surely be on that … centers of the flowers range from majestic dark seedheads filled with tasty sunflower seeds to centers completely concealed by hundreds of petals. Helianthus annuus 'Buttercream' Helianthus …
Type: Plant Info
… The Rantings & Ravings of a Pruning Freak “When’s the best time to prune?” “Anytime!” It doesn’t matter what season you’re in because there’s always something … that can be pruned. You just have to know the plant, its growth characteristics, its best time for pruning, and what your intentions are for that plant as it plays into the whole of your … with extra handles and nothing like those pictures in the gardening magazines. There is good news — you can have a shrub that looks like it came straight out of a gardening magazine by …
Type: Plant Info
… Marshalls Delight is a long-blooming beebalm that grows 2' to 3' tall and about 1' to 2' wide. As part of an evaluation of beebalms held at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Marshalls … Delight was found to have a good habit with 2-3 inch blossoms covering 60-80% of the plant for about 6 weeks. It had good mildew resistance and was resistant to winter injury. Overall it …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Compacta is a female cultivar of the native inkberry, growing to 4 feet high and 6 feet wide. While tolerant of a range of conditions, it prefers moist, acidic … morning sun and afternoon shade. Inkberries are dioecious, so a male pollinator is required to produce fruit. Birds love the black berries that mature in the fall and are held on the plant … pollinators are attracted to the inconspicuous, but nectar-rich flowers. Prune in early spring for shape and to encourage new growth. It is useful for a low evergreen hedge or screen. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… of the Allegheny mountains of the eastern United States. Allegheny spurge spreads by rhizome to form thick mats up to two feet high, but mostly about a foot high. In the early to mid-spring it bears fragrant … it will tolerate droughts. It will naturalize easily and is suitable as an understory plant for native or woodland gardens and for stabilizing slopes. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Deep violet to lavender flowers in the most fantastic, out-of-this-world shape are produced throughout the … or during the summer when used outdoors in Chicago-area landscapes. Sprawling and climbing to about 5 feet in height, this cultivar is small enough to grow in a container. In the tropics, the leaves of passion flowers are the preferred food plant for butterflies. Plant the passion flower in full sun and well-drained, moist soil, and provide a …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… The coral buds of Zumi Wooster crabapple open to white flowers. Crabapples are small flowering trees that provide a showy display in the spring landscape for 1 to 2 weeks. In addition to the eye-catching buds and flowers, their foliage, habit, and fruit …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… has large yellow blooms measuring 6½ inches in diameter. The flowers, which appear in early to mid-season, open in the late afternoon and stay open for 16 hours or more before closing the next morning. Hyperion Elite may re-bloom. Although each … and several stalks on each plant. The buds open in series, so a single plant will continue to bloom for 2 weeks or more. It is easy to grow and does well in full sun to part shade. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
