… A senior horticulturist shares his colorful secrets Smart gardeners are always on the lookout for great container plans. Senior horticulturist Tom Soulsby put together a sunny, happy mix that … a porch pot or deck display. Why did he choose these particular plants? Soulsby shares tips on plant selection and working within a container’s constraints. Tip 1: Work with the proportions …
Type: Plant Info
… cutting back perennials, and pulling out the last of the vegetables. But fall is the season for addition as well as subtraction. In fact, for smart gardeners, fall is the best time of the … and manure. As this United Nations International Year of Soils draws to a close, we hone in on preparing your soil in fall for next spring. “Feed the soil, not the plants.” We kicked off … vegetables, or flowers without good soil. Try these five steps this fall to build and improve on your soil for spring. 1. Test your soil The first step toward better soil is to know what …
Type: Plant Info
… temps, you might wonder how any plants can survive a Chicago winter—and even hold on to a welcome splash of color. As curator of plant collections at the Chicago Botanic Garden , … Carex. While they are grass-like, they differ in having triangular stems. One popular species for gardens and containers is Carex oshimensis . Most varieties of Japanese sedge have variegated … self-seeding may occur. Scope out lenten roses in the Shida Evaluation Garden on your next visit. Liriope muscari ‘Big Blue’ is green all summer—and winter—long Big blue lilyturf ( …
Type: Blog
… the Chicago Botanic Garden and throughout the Midwest, spring arrives with a flush of flowers on hardy, small-in-stature trees that can wake up a home landscape. Almost all trees, with a few … play an important role in small landscapes, especially in urban sites where this is no room for a large tree. The individual flowers may be exceptionally small —like those of the delightful … the fragrant white blossoms. The flowers are followed by blue-black drupes (stone fruit) borne on pink-red stalks. The fruits won’t last long since birds find them tasty. Fall color is a …
Type: Plant Info
… from frigid temperatures. When planted in a container, the roots are now above ground, exposed on all sides to temperatures than can drop well below zero. Plants are not "hardened" below … Temperatures colder than that will freeze tissue and kill the roots. There are several methods for overwintering small, hardy woody plants. If you have an unheated garage, stairwell or … enough leaves to completely cover the small trees. Make sure the containers are not resting on cement or stone since those surfaces will quickly conduct cold to the plants. As the weather …
Type: Plant Info
… Q. I have a small aquatic garden in my yard. How do I get it up and operating for summer? A. Performing basic maintenance on your water feature as part of spring startup will enable it to be a source of enjoyment … clean any water lines to the waterfall or fountain. Do not remove or damage the slime algae on the sides of the pond. • Rinse the bottom, leaving the area of hard waste. • Refill the pond …
Type: Plant Info
… beautiful Phalaenopsis hybrids. Phalaenopsis 'Mount Lip' has thick leaves that are dark green on top. It is an epiphytic (growing on tree branches and trunks) plant that grows in moderate to high light and will thrive in an … or westerly exposure. Individual Phalaenopsis flowers bloom successively and can last for weeks, providing a stunning display in the home. The orchid family consists of a large number …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… (age 3) Love Joy Growth Sarees are a distinctive attire that Hindu women have been wearing for centuries. Some of my family's favorite designs are celestial orbs or metallic butta, bold … to represent joy, and green to project growth. An Indian bride changes sarees multiple times on her wedding day and during pre-wedding festivities to signify the auspicious union between a … of Maharashtra, with its beautiful border of peacocks and geometric patterns inlaid with gold on brocade fabric. Photo of an actress portraying Rani Lakshmibai, an Indian warrior, courtesy …
Type: Blog
… racemes of tiny, bell-shaped, fully double pink flowers cover the shrub in late spring for about two weeks. It blooms later than most other deutzias. Ovate dull green leaves are hairy on both sides, hence its common name. Mature branches display exfoliating orange-brown bark. The … arching habit. The clusters of small flowers that appear in spring or early summer are white on most species, but may be pinkish in a few species and cultivars. Deutzias are best used …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… a native of China, this sterile triploid produces no viable seeds. It saves all of its energy for the production of flowers and additional bulbs. This is one of the indicator species that help archaeologists identify old farmsteads. Depending on how spicy your grandmothers or great aunts were, you may know it by the common names of … stalk from the soil, apparently overnight. Rabbits, deer, and other wildlife avoid munching on the leaves of this member of the amaryllis family, since they contain crystalline calcium …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
