… have a small garden pond with hardy waterlilies, some grasses and fish. How do I keep the pond from freezing this winter? A. Cover the pond with a sheet of plywood, and insulate it with an … layer of leaves or straw. A small commercial pond heater will also help keep the pond from freezing solid. If the water surface freezes, pour boiling water over the ice to create a …
Type: Plant Info
… Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden where pounds of fruit and vegetables are picked and nudged from the soil, then loaded into volunteers’ cars. Soon after, the boxes arrive at the Roberti Community House in nearby Waukegan. From grower to giver, this lifeline is set in motion each Wednesday to help feed the neediest … Maribeth Roberti, who founded the Roberti House 13 years ago. She knows that packaged goods from pantries serve an important purpose, but added, “being able to rely upon the high-quality …
Type: Blog
… Q. Should I remove snow from my shrubs? A. It is not necessary to remove light amounts of snow from trees and shrubs. However, heavy snowfalls threaten to break branches, especially on … snow and ice have melted, should eventually straighten themselves. To prevent injury from heavy snow and ice loads in the future, smaller trees and shrubs can be wrapped with a soft …
Type: Plant Info
… Q. Should I remove snow from my shrubs? A. It is not necessary to remove light amounts of snow from trees and shrubs. However, heavy snowfalls threaten to break branches, especially on … snow and ice have melted, should eventually straighten themselves. To prevent injury from heavy snow and ice loads in the future, smaller trees and shrubs can be wrapped with a soft …
Type: Plant Info
… Q. Last year, I planted beets from seeds and was very disappointed in the weak, spindly seedlings that emerged. Some of the … of seeds contained in very small dried fruits or berries. Because several seedlings can grow from each fruit, it is essential to thin the seedlings to 2 or 3 inches apart when they are just …
Type: Plant Info
… Q: How do I protect my spring blooming bulbs from wildlife? A: Squirrels, chipmunks, mice, and voles can wreak havoc on bulb beds. These … prefer crocus and tulip bulbs, but will often dig and discard others. To discourage wildlife from digging and eating bulbs, place chicken wire over the planting area. Wire can be laid an …
Type: Plant Info
… Learn how to process your honey, wax, and other products from the hive into usable products for you or others. In this class, we will cover honey, pollen, …
Type: Item Detail
… Q. How can I protect my trees and shrubs from animal damage in the winter? A. Rabbits, voles, and mice often chew on the bark of trees and … of inches beneath the surface of the soil and can be as high as 4 feet to prevent rabbits from causing damage during winters with deep snow cover. Larger-diameter plastic corrugated …
Type: Plant Info
… to keep them all,” Rocha said. In addition, the likelihood that these rare plants were taken from a country historically plundered by richer nations is ethically troubling, Rocha said. The … with the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, which maintains a batch of Ariocarpus fissuratus from the same seized shipment, and Autonomous University of Querétaro, Mexico, which will take … accepted by the Garden last April, which contained nine species suspected to have been poached from South Africa and Mexico. Eventually, Rocha envisions a broad international network of …
Type: Blog
… along busy roads; broad-leaved evergreens perform best when sited so that they are protected from the winter sun and wind. The later in the season an evergreen is planted, the more at risk … in some situations. Garden staff use tree wrap on a limited basis to protect certain plants from animal damage. Cut back herbaceous plants that are growing up around the base of trees and … with compost when possible, and install your new plants properly to get them off to a good start. Many trees and shrubs are planted too deep. Be sure to break up the circling roots of …
Type: Blog
