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  • … activities. Acquire solid gardening skills, learn a variety of techniques, and determine best management practices in the field of horticulture. Gain applicable skills in plant selection, spring assessment and …
    Type: Item Detail
  • … Isanti is a compact cultivar of the native red osier dogwood that is denser and more compact than the species. Like the species, … Many gardeners remove the oldest stems in early spring, because the younger ones provide the best color. Members of the genus Cornus , commonly known as dogwoods, are welcome in the home … -- be it flowers, fruit, foliage, and/or bark -- and their range of forms from small trees to suckering shrubs. The dominant display, however, varies among the species. Dogwoods are native …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • The Bosnian pine will slowly grow to a height of 40’ and a width of 10’. Cones are a unique purple-blue. It does best in full sun and prefers moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. It is more tolerant of …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … time for lawn renovation, fall is even better. Summer’s heat and drought have ended and the cooler temperatures and warm sun and soil help grass seed germinate quickly. This is a good time to assess your carpet of green.   Common Lawn Problems Brown patches and ring spots are due to … lawns to develop a healthy root system before going dormant in late fall. The healthiest lawns get enough water at one time to moisten the top 6 inches or so of soil. Generally, an inch of …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … This tree peony produces masses of showy red and gold flowers in May, virtually covering the entire surface of the plant. Tree peonies are not really trees but woody shrubs that can reach up to 6 feet. They thrive in full sun to partial shade and moderate moisture conditions. Free of most insect and diseases, it flowers best in full-sun conditions. …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … Building campfires? Baking bread? In these disorienting times, there’s a growing movement to embrace such pursuits as a way to get centered, to lead a more simple, slower life. It has been called #cottagecore, but … a rustic aesthetic. That could mean thrifting, DIY, or repurposing gently used items. Here at the Chicago Botanic Garden, we’re all about fuss-free pursuits—plants, nature crafts, plant-based …
    Type: Blog
  • … Fall color is upon us, in all its heartbreakingly beautiful glory. All the key factors need to be in place for spectacular hues to emerge: abundant summer moisture, sunny fall days, and … of the English Walled and Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Gardens. A wall of purple is a splendid way to set off chartreuse foliage or late-season pink or white flowers.   Deep and dramatic …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … William's Pride apple has an aromatic flavor and is considered a good apple to eat fresh. This cultivar is one of many developed by PRI, a disease resistant apple breeding program, which is a cooperative among Purdue University, Rutgers University and the University of Illinois. The difference between apples and crabapples is the size of the … tree for the home garden that is smaller than its commercial counterpart. Apple trees produce best fruiting when they are between 10 and 30 years of age. …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … January ushers in the deep winter when arctic winds howl and the temperatures plummet. Any day could bring a thick … dream of spring. Perusing seed catalogs in print or online provides inspiration—it's hard to resist photos of juicy red tomatoes, giant colorful zinnias, or a rainbow of Swiss chard leaves. Growing plants from seed is fun and saves money—where else can you get dozens of plants for a few dollars? Many plants can be grown from seed indoors while others, …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … When you walk along the natural areas of the Chicago Botanic Garden, you’ll notice hundreds of species of plants. But … look, you’ll notice signs of wildlife all around you, too. Their connection makes for the best kind of codependency. Killdeer, a shorebird that commonly nests at the Garden. Plants and … and other perennial seeds. Crabapple and dogwood trees set fruit that many birds like to feed on in late fall and winter. In addition to plants providing food to all kinds of wildlife …
    Type: Blog