… at hardware stores and large garden centers. Proper soil pH is particularly important to plants such as birch trees and hydrangea shrubs. Often, plants exhibit nutritional deficiencies that can be addressed by a pH adjustment. The symbol pH is used to express a level of acidity or alkalinity. A pH reading of 7.0 is considered neutral, readings … above 7.0 are alkaline. Most garden plants grow satisfactorily in soils with a pH level of 6.0 to 6.5. It is important to determine the pH of a soil prior to adding an amendment such as sulfur …
Type: Plant Info
… Here are a few great ideas to get your taste buds going: Add a bit of mint to a basil pesto Grow thyme in unexpected flavors: … ¼ cup stevia leaves 2 cups water 1½ cups fresh herb leaves (mint or lemon verbena taste best, but feel free to experiment!) For concentrate: Rinse and drain herbs. Add all ingredients …
Type: Blog
… was raised in plantsman Arthur Simmonds' garden in Surrey, England, in 1933, and belongs to that group of plants known as dieback shrubs. These are soft-wooded shrubs or subshrubs that … above-ground growth tends to die back, anywhere from a few inches from their tips all the way down to the base of the plant. But the roots remain hardy; and when pruned hard in early … low-mounding shrub, 2 to 4 feet tall, whose frosty green, aromatic foliage is a lovely foil for virtually all other plants of the true Chicago mixed border — perennials, grasses, dwarf …
Type: Plant Info
… The native Allegheny serviceberry will attain heights of 15 to 25 feet in the Illinois garden. White flowers cover this small tree/large shrub in mid-spring. … attractive foliage color in fall and interesting bark/branch structure in winter. Common names for amelanchier include juneberry and serviceberry and refer to the blueberry-like fruit edible … 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
… Dolchica spirea is notable for its cut-leafed foliage, which emerges purple-red and becomes more green as the season … progresses. The Spiraea japonica species includes the greatest range of cultivars available to the home gardener within the Spiraea genus. They all have a compact mounding habit in sizes … are quite small, they occur in clusters of inflorescence that can be very showy. Spireas are best used in groupings in a shrub or mixed border, where they are valued as tough, reliable and …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Gold Rush spirea is notable for its golden foliage and low spreading habit. The Spiraea japonica species includes the greatest range of cultivars available to the home gardener within the Spiraea genus. They all have a compact mounding habit in sizes … are quite small, they occur in clusters of inflorescence that can be very showy. Spireas are best used in groupings in a shrub or mixed border, where they are valued as tough, reliable and …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… White Gold Japanese spirea is notable for its white flowers atop yellow foliage. The white blooms are highly unusual within the species. The Spiraea japonica species includes the greatest range of cultivars available to the home gardener within the Spiraea genus. They all have a compact mounding habit in sizes … are quite small, they occur in clusters of inflorescence that can be very showy. Spireas are best used in groupings in a shrub or mixed border, where they are valued as tough, reliable and …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… produces abundant white blooms along its upright branches. The genus Spiraea consists of small to medium sized flowering shrubs with a fine-textured twiggy mounding habit. The small simple leaves are generally lance-shaped and held close to the branch. Spring to early summer abundant blooms tend to be in white or pink tones, … are quite small, they occur in clusters of inflorescence that can be very showy. Spireas are best used in groupings in a shrub or mixed border, where they are valued as tough, reliable and …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Chris Baker has been studying and working on bonsai for more than 16 years. Like so many, he started out as an enthusiast with a true love of … the path of his life. He began volunteering in 2011 and did so on and off until 2014. Thanks to an introduction by Sustic, Baker spent six months in 2012 studying with bonsai master Torho … to natural-looking bonsai, North American species, and American potters. This led Baker to visit other bonsai curators, professionals, and ceramicists around the country to study this …
Type: Staff bio
… We gathered around a table at the Garden View Café the other day to taste something that only one of us had ever tasted before: powdered orchid roots. A … here courtesy of Ayse’s mother, Figen Ormancioglu, who kindly brought it with her on a recent visit. (The family surname translates as “son of the forester”—Ayse’s love of botany is in her … “Chai,” “junipers,” and “I’ll have another glass,” were three answers; the flavor is hard for American taste buds to define. Sweet and savory and spicy all at once, there’s a note of bark …
Type: Blog
