… Here, Garden experts offer some suggestions for the small garden, whether an urban backyard or a rooftop, a border around a townhouse patio, or … balcony or deck. Urban Gardens Small outdoor spaces can be dramatic or charming or meditative. In small urban gardens, your goal may be to block a less desirable view or soften the building next door. In that case, according to Tim …
Type: Plant Info
… Alice oakleaf hydrangea, selected from parents native to the southeast United States, is a deciduous shrub with lobed leaves that resemble oak leaves. … and turn to purplish-pink in fall. The glossy, deep-green leaves in spring and summer give way to burgundy-red fall color. The oakleaf hydrangea is a shrub with four seasons of interest, …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… beneath a tuft of leaves; visually, their inflorescence resembles a pineapple. This is one of the best cultivars among all of the Fritillaria imperialis offerings for naturalizing in the Chicago … through early summer and then dry throughout the rest of the year. The bulbs, and the foliage to some extant, smell like skunk spray and are great for planting among tulips, crocuses, and …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… These perennials grow to a height of 8 inches with full sun to partia shade and dry soil conditions. Blooms from May … white, green, purple, or a mixture of these. A low-growing perennial succulent, hen-and-chicks get their common name from their tendency to start new “chicks” in a circular pattern around the mother “hen”. The botanic name sempervivum comes from the Latin semper, meaning “always” and …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Golden Glory is a multi-stemmed upright form of Cornelian cherry that was introduced by the Synnesvedt Nursery Company of Illinois. A particularly hardy plant, it is more vigorous than … and thus suitable for the northern Midwest. The plant is a multi-stemmed, low-branching, round to oval, deciduous shrub or small tree that typically grows 15 – 20 feet tall. It features tiny, … before the foliage and deep green, oval leaves turn to a purple tinge in autumn. Flowers give way to tiny red berries that mature in the summer. The attractive grayish-brown bark exfoliates …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Q. I have discovered whiteflies on a few of my indoor plants. What’s the best remedy for controlling this pest? A. An advanced infestation of whitefly is very difficult to control. When bringing a new plant into your house in the future, inspect it carefully for any …
Type: Plant Info
… grow densely on an upright oval tree that can reach a height of 30 feet with a similar spread. The sugar maple is an excellent shade tree for lawns and parks. Tiny yellowish-green flowers appear in spring before the leaves emerge. The tree's winged fruit, or samaras, matures in the fall. Autumn color starts early and is a bright red. One of the best known trees of eastern North America, sugar maple is as prized for its ornamental value as …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Ligularia dentata ‘Othello’ graces the shade with sprays of golden-yellow daisy flowers held well above the bold, broad, green … and petioles of this cultivar are known for their deep burgundy color. This species performs best in shade and moist soils with a nice mulch of composted leaves in fall to take it through the winter. In the Chicago region it is insect and disease free. During very …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Welcome warm weather with a focus on spring herbs in a variety of fresh and flavorful dishes. Learn how to use parsley and mint in fattoush with fried halloumi, prepare Vietnamese summer rolls … mint, and make Peruvian chicken with a cilantro-based green sauce. Take home an herb plant to get your spring garden started. Emily Paster, cookbook author and blogger ITW Kitchen 3, Learning …
Type: Item Detail
… Fellow Lepidoptera enthusiasts, the Chicago Botanic Garden's Butterflies & Blooms exhibition features a huge variety of live … atreus are clearly visible. Photo by Stuart Seeger via Wikimedia Commons This blue beauty is in the genus known as the owl butterflies ( Caligo ). They’re called owl butterflies because the … (You will typically see the eyespots when the butterflies’ wings are closed.) This is thought to help them ward off predators. Caligo translates to “darkness,” which corresponds to the fact …
Type: Blog
