… Q. I have several old apple trees in serious need of pruning. When is a good time to do this? A. Apple trees can be pruned either right after you harvest your fruit crop or in early March before the buds begin to swell. Regular pruning of these trees will result in a better fruit crop with larger, healthier apples. In all cases, be sure to sterilize your …
Type: Plant Info
… Q. Last year, I planted beets from seeds and was very disappointed in the weak, spindly seedlings that emerged. Some of the beets never produced roots at all. I would like to try again. Any ideas? A. Beet seeds are actually clusters of seeds contained in very small dried fruits or berries. Because several seedlings can grow from each fruit, it is … apart when they are just a few inches tall. Don't discard these extras; they can be used in cooking or added to salads. Overcrowding seedlings and planting seeds too deeply are two …
Type: Plant Info
… that is known for its fine, stiff needles that curve downwards and are typically one inch in length. This variety, named after plant explorer Ernest Wilson, differs in minor characteristics, with needles straighter than the species, with a notch in the tips of the needles. The lavender-blue hue of the cones, which are set upright on one-year …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… produces brilliant golden clusters of flowers from the terminal (tip) and axillary (side) buds in late winter/early spring. Unlike most acacias, the leaves are solid, not divided, and are an attractive glaucous (bluish) cast. This acacia requires full sun and well-drained soil in a frost-free climate and dislikes transplanting, so young seedlings should be moved to their final location in the garden or in containers early. Like other members of the pea family, this species plays …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… height of 45 feet and a spread of 30 feet. The samaras, or winged seeds, turn bright red in early summer and then fade to brown and fall to the ground. Foliage starts as a bright green in spring, darkening to a glossy, dark green in summer and turning to bright red in the fall. This tree was bred to be a beautiful specimen …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Achillea 'Strawberry Seduction' has strawberry-red flowers with gold centers clustered together in large flat-topped flower heads 2 to 4 inches across. It blooms starting in early summer and continues into the fall. As the flowers age, they fade to buff yellow. This … is a favorite cut flower and is also excellent as a dried flower. The genus name Achillea is in reference to Achilles, hero of the Trojan Wars in Greek mythology, who used the plant …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… and a female. Hardy kiwi vine 'Andrey' is a male, capable of pollinating 5 female vines. In addition it offers clusters of greenish white flowers with a fragrance reminescent of lily of the valley in May and June. 'Andrey' comes from Vladivostok in Russia. It's hardy to -35, so you can be confidnet Chicago winters won't faze it. It's not …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… <p>At the beginning of March in Japan, 10,000 people come to the park where <em>Adonis</em> has naturalized. The sunny little yellow flowers may be just 1 1/2 inches in diameter, but there's a carpet of them...thousands and thousands. It's the first sign of … spreading by rhizomes or stolons; others are annual. While they're generally happiest in part shade, many are fine in full sun with enough moisture. However, as natives of rocky …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… This is the plant for which Chicago is named. In Illinois Indian language, its name was Chicagoua. This name probably was applied as a metaphor … it does not mean offensive odor, which would be matchi miaganoue. This information appears in 17th-century Jesuit linguistic manuscripts. The leaves emerge in April, and then the plant is edible; but when flowers emerge, the flavor turns very pungent, …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… location, Harla, Ethiopia. It is a stemless aloe that is usually found as solitary rosette or in groups formed by offshoots. The leaves are 20 inches long and a glossy dark green with pale markings and dark marginal teeth. The inflorescence appears in the summer and fall and is up to three feet tall with as many nine branches. The flowers are clustered toward the top of each branch in cone shaped clusters. The flowers are a dramatic deep red color. It is reported that this …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
