… lance-shaped and held close to the branch. Spring to early summer abundant blooms tend to be in white or pink tones, depending on the species and/or cultivar. While individual flowers are quite small, they occur in clusters of inflorescence that can be very showy. Spireas are best used in groupings in a shrub or mixed border, where they are valued as tough, reliable and easy-care …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Feverfew ( Tanacetum parthenium ) produces white, daisy-like flowers from midsummer to late in the fall on perennial plants to 2 feet in height with nicely dissected green leaves. It grows best in full sun with moderate moisture and moderate fertilization. It is avoided by most herbivores …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Q: I’ve heard about using water-absorbing crystals in container plantings. What are they? A. This product is actually a polymer in a crystal-like form. It is added to the soil in containers, near the plant’s roots, where it absorbs water like a sponge. As the soil begins …
Type: Plant Info
… This is a ground cover that forms a tight mat 3 inches tall and 18 inches wide. It blooms in spring with spikes of blue flowers that rise above the green foliage. It can be grown in average soil with average moisture in full sun to partial shade and can even tolerate being planted under walnut trees. It can be …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… of the large purple ball-type ornamental onions to come into flower each year. Starting in May, 3 feet tall, sturdy flowering stalks support the purple star- shaped miniature flowers forming the large globe. Plant this allium in full sun, with moderate water conditions during growth and flowering, followed by a dry resting period ending in September. The flowers attract birds, bees, and butterflies, and are resistant to deer. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Allium tanguticum 'Summer Beauty', forms a clump 12 inches wide. It blooms in mid-summer with pale lavender pink, 2-inch globes that sit atop 24-inch stems. It prefers well-drained, loamy soil in full sun. Summer Beauty is a butterfly and honeybee magnet. Summer Beauty ornamental globe onion is sometimes referred to in the literature as Summer Beauty lavender globe lily—but it is not a lily at all. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… flowers on this old cultivar originally selected by famed horticulturist, Luther Burbank, in California. Young leaves can be cooked like greens and the seeds can be roasted, ground and eaten or left to feed the local songbirds. Plant in full sun in average soils and water only enough to establish the seedling root system. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… characterized by long, sweeping branches and weeping twigs, with sharp-pointed needles growing in whorls of 15 to 20. 'Gold Cascade', bred in Australia, has needles that emerge with a soft golden hue. It requires well-drained soil and prefers to be on the dry side, once established. Himalayan cedars are not hardy in the Chicago area. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… belongs to a group of hardy, single-flowered chrysanthemums sometimes called Korean mums. In the Midwest, this is an excellent selection if you want a hardy, long-blooming mum that will finish the bloom season in October, continuing until a hard freeze. In our trials, this one was the most attractive to monarch and red admiral butterflies. Honeybees …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Clematis ‘Constance’ is a deciduous vine, blooming in mid to late spring with 2- to 4-inch nodding reddish-purple flowers followed by attractive … cold-hardy, it was awarded the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society in 2002. It can be trained on a trellis or used in a container. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
