… you can shear your arborvitae, if necessary. Junipers can be tip-pruned instead of sheared in order to maximize their feathery qualities. Most dwarf conifers require very little, if any, pruning and definitely no shearing. Boxwood and yew hedges can be pruned in March unless they have suffered from winter dieback or winter burn. In that case, wait until the new growth comes in and then prune out all browned branches. They …
Type: Plant Info
… to change the soil or repot them first? A. Most plants do not appreciate being repotted in early fall. This chore is best done in spring right before a plant begins its new growth. If your patio plants are insect- and disease-free and have thrived in whatever pot and mix they are in, let them stay this way throughout winter. You can repot them …
Type: Plant Info
… has made a dozen field trips to Brazil to study the country’s sizable inventory of species in the Amaryllis family—his main taxonomic specialty. This talk explores the highlights of these … half of Brazil, with special emphasis on two amaryllid genera found only from Pernambuco state in the northeastern region to northern São Paulo state in the southeast—two of only three genera in the family that express blue flower color. We will …
Type: Event for Calendar
… Beautiful five-to-nine-lobed leaves emerge early. The plant grows 5 feet in 10 years. Use this Japanese maple as a specimen plant or train it as a bonsai. May and June bring small reddish-purple flowers. The samaras, or winged fruits, mature in fall and turn a rich red. Fall color is outstanding, ranging from yellow to red to purple. This lovely small tree, native to the Far East, can be grown only in very protected areas if you live in Zone 5. It is an exceptional small ornamental maple. The …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… or bugbane family is particularly prized for it remarkably dark purple, almost black foliage. In late summer, bugbanes develop tall flower spires with heavily scented flowers that are repellent (or a bane) to bugs. In fact, in earlier times, they were used to repel bed bugs. 'Hillside Black Beauty' is a shade-loving …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… which fade to a pale yellow as they mature. The flowers are small but clustered together in large, flat-topped flowerheads 2 to 4 inches across. The stems stand 18 to 24 inches high with lacy, fernlike foliage. It blooms from June to September in sun to part shade. This cultivar is a member of the Seduction™ Series developed in the Netherlands. It is attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds, and resistant to deer, …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… 'Lilac Beauty' has small rosy lilac flowers packed together in large flat topped flowerheads. With age, the color fades to a pink lilac. The stems stand 24 “tall with gray green fernlike foliage. It does best in full sun and blooms from early summer to early fall. It is attractive to buttterflies, bees … a favorite as a cut flower and is also excellent as a dried flower. The genus name Achillea is in reference to Achilles, hero of the Trojan Wars in Greek mythology, who used the plant …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… of densely packed, fluffy white flowers can reach 5-feet tall, making it a dramatic presence in the shade garden, particularly in late summer when not much else is in bloom there. 'White Pearl' may be slow to establish, but it's worth the wait. There are over …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Red baneberry is a tough Illinois native. In fact, it can survive temperatures to 30 below on the one hand, and wildfires on the other. And … great throughout the growing season. You get fluffy little white "bunny tails" of flowers in late spring; handsome foliage throughout summer; and clusters of red berries in the fall. There are over 35 different species of bugbane or Actaea , spanning Europe, Asia, …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Actaea , spanning Europe, Asia, and North America. They're generally woodland plants, happiest in dappled shade and cool, consistently moist soil. Most form mounds of toothed leaves and then in mid-summer send up tall spikes of tightly packed flowers, often followed by conspicuous … though there are pink varieties. Gardeners welcome those flowers as a tall vertical element in woodland gardens or shady border, especially because Actaeas bloom later in the season than …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
