… Handmade greeting cards make people feel loved. Here is a fun and festive way to show friends and relatives that you care about them. It’s a great project for kids who need … Don’t forget to sign your name! A card like this does not fit into an envelope easily and is best hand-delivered. If you must mail it, cover the front with a piece of paper to protect it. …
Type: Blog
… Dorstenia contrajerva is a species of herbs native to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America, growing to 12 inches tall. It is an unusual plant, bearing strange-looking receptacles containing the … in any soil they touch. The leaves are 8 inches long, deeply lobed, and rough to the touch. Best in partial to full shade in evenly moist soil. Hardy to Zones 9–11. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… features such as metallic markings by asking, “What sort of advantage would this feature give to the butterfly?” Every trait found in nature exists because it gave that individual more … of dew on a leaf in the morning or after a rain. Another theory is that the gold specs are a way of the pupae shouting, “I’m poisonous! Leave me alone or you’ll be sorry!” In the world of … structure of the outer chrysalis that gives it its metallic sheen. This is where things get a bit more complicated. Entomologists refer to the outer surface of metallic chrysalids as …
Type: Blog
… This is a mat-forming veronica that grows best in rock gardens, where it forms a series of plants with flowers that grow along the ends of …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Eremurus stenophyllus , or Bunge desert candle, sends up a spike to 3.5 feet tall with hundreds of yellow flowers from a rosette of foliage that resembles yucca … early summer. After flowering, the plants go dormant fairly rapidly, leaving the tall spike to mature the seed capsules. The seeds disperse in fall and sound like a rattle when hit by the … where snow melt provides moisture early in the year. It bursts into growth in a very dramatic way. The foliage seems to spring from the ground, followed by the tall spikes of flowers. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… this month, selectively prune branches from flowering trees and shrubs and bring them indoors for forced blooming. Most flowering plants can be successfully forced if they have had at least a … plenty of fat flower buds. Prune carefully, using proper pruning techniques, taking care not to interfere with the natural shape of the tree or shrub. Branches should be at least 1 foot … of deciduous trees and shrubs can be done this month, weather permitting. Heavy pruning is best done in late winter or early spring immediately before bud break. Another time to prune …
Type: Plant Info
… Light pruning of deciduous trees and shrubs can be done this month. Heavy pruning is best done in late winter or very early spring before buds break. Immediately prune back any branches damaged by snow and ice. During periods of thaw, continue to water trees and shrubs, especially newly planted trees and all evergreens. Take advantage of … The water will dilute the salt concentration absorbed by plant roots. Continue to monitor for rodent or animal damage if this has been a problem in the past. Problems to look for include …
Type: Plant Info
… Apple serviceberry has spreading branches and can reach a mature height of 15 to 25 feet. Pink buds that open as white, 5-petaled flowers cover the small tree in late April or … early May. They are quickly followed by edible berries beloved by birds. This is truly a plant for all seasons, with its beautiful spring flowers, handsome green leaves, striking orange-to-red … usually multi-stemmed. Found at woodland's edge in the their native habitats, amelanchiers are best used in a naturalistic setting in the home landscape. Amelanchiers are native to temperate …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… perennial with ovate dark green leaves that are 1½ inches long that smell like mint. It grows best in sun in well-drained moist soil. In summer, it produces 5 to 15 white-turning-to-light-lavender to blue flowers with the onset of cooler nighttime temperatures in fall. A …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… It’s finally starting to feel like spring in Chicago, which means it’s time to get those home gardens up and running. In the Horticultural Therapy Department, we’re in the … at the Chicago Botanic Garden to instruct you on fun and simple gardening basics; just come visit us and ask! Happy gardening! …
Type: Blog
