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  • … Pink to lavender 2-inch daisies cover this large, nonhardy perennial from South Africa from spring through early summer. Plant this large (up to 5 feet high) beauty toward the back of the flower beds after the danger of frost has passed, and enjoy the display. This perennial flowers best in full sun, moderate soil, and average water. In mild climates (USDA Zones 9-10), the …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … of yellow. Over the years in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden, we've seen the way people have reacted to the autumn harvest. Lately, the lovely fall colors at the Chicago Botanic Garden have reminded … the great pumpkins—ooohs and ahhhhs and squeals of delight, as folks of all ages decided how best to connect with the fruit: Is it real? Should I touch it? Should I sit on it? Hug it? …
    Type: Blog
  • … of bell-shaped flowers in the axils of the branches. These Asian shrubs are very adaptable to poor soils and varying moisture, but the flower buds may be tender on older cultivars. Pruning is best done immediately after flowering, giving new growth time to form flower buds. Never shear … are graceful enough. Forsythia suspensa , weeping forsythia, is a native of China and is grown for its long, cascading branches, which will root at the nodes. The form usually sold is the …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … of the founders of the Royal Horticultural Society in the 18th century, forsythias are medium to large shrubs that produce four- petaled clusters of bell-shaped flowers in the axils of the … only a scattering of flowers may appear below where the snow line was. Although not noted for fall color, in good seasons the shrubs will have an interesting mix of yellow, red and purple leaves. They are very adaptable to poor soils and varying moisture. Pruning is best done immediately after flowering, giving new growth time to form flower buds. Never shear …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … (American sycamore, eastern sycamore, buttonwood or buttonball tree) is generally regarded to be the most massive tree indigenous to eastern North America. It is a deciduous, usually … in April. Male flowers are yellowish and female flowers are reddish. Female flowers give way to fuzzy, long-stalked, spherical fruiting balls (to 1 3/8 inch diameter) that ripen to brown … dispursing their seeds, often in downy tufts, with the wind. Wood has been commercially used for a variety of products including furniture, cabinets, barrels, crates and butcher blocks. …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Following the illuminated trail, perhaps you stood to admire the distant and beautiful Elizabeth Hubert Malott Japanese Garden. You likely saw a … in the lake, and if you looked closely, you might have noticed that there’s actually no way to get to that island. Did you wonder why that is? Horaijima, or the Island of Everlasting …
    Type: Blog
  • … pleasure of teaching families with young children at the Chicago Botanic Garden. It is a gift to work in a garden with children because there is so much about gardening that we can use to … you’ve ever spent time with a toddler, you know that young children are active learners. The best teaching occurs when we join that child in hands-on, developmentally appropriate play. A … the joys of working the soil and the pride that comes with growing something. Along the way, we cultivate patience, perseverance, and a sense wonder. Young children have an innate …
    Type: Blog
  • … 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
  • … is grown as a multi-stemmed shrub. Small white flowers bloom in late spring followed by white to pale blue drupes that appear in mid-summer and are beloved by birds. While it can attain a … gardeners prune in early spring by removing older stems, because the younger stems provide the best color. Members of the genus Cornus , commonly known as dogwoods, are welcome in the home garden for their multi-season interest -- be it flowers, fruit, foliage, and/or bark -- and their range …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … May on record at Chicago O’Hare (9.51 inches) and Midway (7.65 inches) airport stations. For three consecutive years now, the O’Hare station has broken total precipitation records for … somewhere. Impermeable surfaces such as roofs, sheds, patios, sidewalks, and streets shed rain to surrounding earth and sewers. Although a lawn would seem like a good permeable surface to … reduces surface runoff (and pollutants) that would otherwise end up in streams and rivers. One way to capture excess water on your property is to plant a rain garden. Rain gardens are …
    Type: Plant Info