… Lithops are among the world’s most extraordinary plants. In their native conditions, they survive in desolate … exposing only the flattened tops of their leaves and displaying an extraordinary ability to camouflage themselves as stones. Native to South Africa, Lithops pseudotruncatella was one of … narrow-rayed flowers resembling umbrellas appear from July through October. This plant grows best in dry soil and bright conditions where it is hardy to zones 10-12. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Caryopteris × clandonensis ‘Arthur Simmonds’ bluebeard won the prize as the hardiest cultivar of Caryopteris in the Ornamental Plant Evaluation trials at … flowers at each node. Plant this bluebeard in full sun and in sandy, well-drained soil for best long-term survival in the Chicago region, where they don’t do well in heavy clay soil in … mid-summer through fall. Insect and disease resistant, the fragrant foliage is also a turn-off to rabbits and deer. This cultivar is a classic example of "what’s in a name." Arthur Simmonds …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… atop friendship sage ( Salvia 'Amistad'). This large, nonhardy perennial comes into flower in midsummer and continues blooming up to frost. It is best used as an annual in Chicago-area gardens. Plant this salvia in sunny locations that will …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… This fuzzy deutzia cultivar is a tall, dense, deciduous shrub with slender, broadly spreading to arching stems. It typically grows 6 to 10 feet tall with a spread of 4 to 8 feet. Upright, cylindrical 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 … are white on most species, but may be pinkish in a few species and cultivars. Deutzias are best used grouped in informal settings as a hedge or background to a border. These shrubs may …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… are beautiful, magical, and mysterious creatures. Sara Longwing ©Carol Freeman They have to among nature’s greatest achievements. Their transformation from caterpillar to chrysalis to … think about it. Seeing one is a joy. Seeing hundreds at one time is truly amazing! I had the pleasure of photographing butterflies at Butterflies & Blooms in the summer. I had a … to the wings to keep your plane of focus aligned with entire length of the butterfly. That way you can get more of the wing details in focus without having to increase your depth of field …
Type: Blog
… This 4½-foot tall beauty produces long-stemmed dark purple flowers from midsummer through the first hard frost. Unique to this cultivar are the slightly pointed tips of the flower petals. Introduced in 2010 by Swan Island Dahlias, it flowers best in full sun and well-drained, moisture-retentive soil. This dahlia is insect and disease …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Conservation Conservation = Re-Creating the Prairie Visitors strolling through the main gardens can approach the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center from the West Road that leads to Dixon Prairie. Before you enter the prairie’s lovely paths, take a moment to look across the … seeds arrive from the rare remaining parcels of the Midwest’s tallgrass prairie regions, found in sixteen states. Once cleaned, sorted, counted, packed, and frozen, the seeds are available to …
Type: Walks
… The thick-stemmed wood fern is native to the forests of northern eastern asia where it thrives as an understory plant on the forest … the winter. The fronds can be cut back in spring to encourage new growth. This fern grows best in part shade with moist well-mulched soils and grows to about 3 feet high and wide. Deer …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… pollinates coneflower (Echinacea) , a hardy native plant selection for your garden. Just off the beaten path at the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden (out back beyond the nut grove), there's a "secret" bed with a big mission: it's a pollinator strip, meant to attract bees and other busy insects to the smorgasbord of food plants growing in the garden. Smart gardeners know that it's the presence of pollinators—the bees, butterflies, …
Type: Plant Info
… Buckthorn Bush Honeysuckle Garlic Mustard Would you be surprised to learn that ornamental plants in your yard may be causing natural areas to suffer? Some of the more aggressive plants common to backyard gardens are escaping to natural areas, where they …
Type: Plant Info
