… on short stalks above the white, spotted foliage. 'Sissinghurst White' is an ideal plant for shaded locations with moist soil and cool summer temperatures. Trim back the foliage in late …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… the cooler weather of spring, fall and northern summers. The size makes this a good selection for containers or flower beds. Pollinators flock to the nectar and pollen rich flowers while …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… of the fruits they’ve eaten. Weed ruthlessly in spring and early summer, rather than waiting for weeds to grow—they’ll be easier to remove, less likely to have spread, and won’t use up the … any garden bed—or even farm field. Get familiar with bindweed’s arrow-shaped leaf and search for the first tendrils at ground level while weeding. If the weed is already established, pull … manager recommends this trick if you’ve spotted an established vine: set up wooden stakes for it to cling to (rather than other plants); then remove the plant stake. #2: Buckthorn ( …
Type: Plant Info
… Garden. This hardy, adaptable bird is built to get food left by other birds that leave town for the winter. Woodpeckers can go up and down trees to find insects and larvae spending the … spiny tail helps the woodpecker stay balanced while it climbs up and down the bark looking for morsels. The Downy, one of the most abundant woodpeckers in North America, also can get at … In spring, you might hear the noisy calls of young woodpeckers in the tree cavities hollering for their breakfast. Downy Woodpeckers are among the first northern Illinois species to nest in …
Type: Birding
… only visitors at the 385-acre Chicago Botanic Garden —watched the bats hunt on Evening Island for night-flying insects and a little honeysuckle nectar to wash them down. Another side of the Garden emerges after the front gates close for the night—one in which the natural world is less colorful but more dramatic. In the dark, … plants with silver or variegated leaves, including lamb’s ear and hosta. Plant them in drifts for an especially dramatic look. Popular choices include mums, daisies, and climbing hydrangea. A …
Type: Blog
… bloom sporadically during warm periods in late fall or early winter. Continue to cut branches for forcing indoors. Branches with interesting foliage as well as flowering branches can be … the branches in a vase and display them in a cool room out of direct sunlight. Good choices for forcing this month include serviceberry ( Amelanchier ), magnolia ( Magnolia ), flowering … like shovels to remove snow on trees risks cutting the tree bark and creating a point of entry for disease or insects. Check newly planted softwood trees for frost cracks or sunscald injury …
Type: Plant Info
… to grow where one can't reach her. – Elizabeth Gordon Nymphaea is the beautifully named genus for about half of all waterlily species. (The Nymphaeaceae family totals eight genera and about … along the Water's Edge Complete List of Waterlily Species Information From the Experts Fish for Backyard Pond Keeping Ponds from Freezing Overwintering Water Lilies Picture-Perfect … Tropical or Hardy Tropical waterlilies are often unique and colorful, but are too tender for our Zone 5 winters, while "hardy" refers to waterlilies that can survive our winters. …
Type: Plant Info
… native plants can play in home landscapes. But just because a plant has been growing somewhere for as long as anyone can remember doesn't mean it's a native plant! Important to the ecosystem … on ecosystems, causing native habitats to become fragmented, and making it harder for birds to migrate, bees to pollinate, and for wildlife to survive. Forward-thinking leaders are looking for ways to knit these fragments …
Type: Plant Info
… Just in Time for Halloween This is the month for ghosts, goblins, and witches, and for tricks and treats. Some plants, like fragrant roses, certainly provide our noses with a …
Type: Plant Info
… a little more direction? In the video below, we build a terrarium and give a few extra tips for success. video link Let's build the layers (from the bottom up): First, select a container … to complete the look you are trying to create. Create a miniature landscape or theme. Caring for your terrarium Watering : Water until moistened after planting, being careful not to let … terrarium uncovered until the foliage has dried. A closed terrarium may not need to be watered for 4 to 6 months — look for condensation to form on the inside of the container to check the …
Type: Plant Info
