… this the year to try bigleaf hydrangea, tea olive, or another plant that you think only grows in a warmer place? The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released a revised Plant … the state of Illinois, has shifted to a slightly warmer zone. Most of the Chicago area is now in zone 6a, including the Chicago Botanic Garden, which previously was in 5b. (Zone 1a is the … Gardeners use it as a general guide, for instance, to decide which perennials to buy that might survive the winter. The map also may help you decide when to bring in tropical …
Type: Blog
… growing season than Chicago—are best given a head start inside where it's warm, beginning in late February or March for some plants. Expert greenhouse growers carefully fine-tune … can start with a dozen plants on a windowsill. Seeds are so cheap that there's no great risk in at least trying the experiment. Start small, with just a few containers and a couple of kinds … to find their way between its particles. Potting mix is generally too dense; it's better to buy a sterile seed-starting mix. The mix must be sterile because cleanliness is crucial: New …
Type: Plant Info
… Sow seeds in March and April for a fast, flavorful harvest. It will be a few months before we can safely … soil reaches about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. (This is when an inexpensive soil thermometer comes in handy. Look for one at your local garden center or online.) Swiss chard Leaf lettuce Spinach … leaves that may have been harvested and shipped weeks earlier. But, that same amount will buy a hefty seed pack that will produce many plants and many meals. Cultivate Unlike tomatoes and …
Type: Plant Info
… the bounty, and eating the delicious, nutritious final product is a priceless education in itself. Gardening and the subsequent cooking activities transcend generations and cultures, and can include every member of the extended family. If you're tempted to dig in this spring, keep it simple, small, and have fun! Select the Space Before picking up a shovel or rushing out to buy seeds and plants, choose your garden space. Locate a small section of your yard that receives …
Type: Plant Info
… that food scraps and yard waste currently make up more than 30 percent of what we throw away! In landfills, these throwaways take up space and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas. … soil that is dark and crumbly, which is why compost is often called black gold. DIY You can buy bagged compost, but making your own is easy and saves money. Composting can be as simple as … creating a pile of vegetable and fruit scraps, yard waste, paper, and twigs. The pile can be in sun or shade. The larger the pile, the faster the materials will decompose. Water the pile …
Type: Plant Info
… say that I’ve burnt dinner many times.” — Nina Koziol, Smart Gardener author Making mistakes in the garden is inevitable. But, as an educator, I chalk them up as life-long learning … fertilizer would really make my containers pop. Those boxes and bottles of blue granules were in the garage. I’d bought them on sale years ago and they were still good. Why not use them up, I … pots, window boxes and borders. That should help tamp down the overwhelming feeling of what to buy and where to put it. And, it should help your budget. ( Helpful hint: Never show your credit …
Type: Plant Info
… In 2015, the world celebrated soil: the United Nations proclaimed it the International Year of … of gardening. And yet soil is, next to water, the most precious resource that a gardener has. In this edition of Smart Gardener, we'll talk about soil in general. To begin, here's a helpful … can only find cow and horse manure through retail sources. Consider the source before you buy! Search out an organic, hormone-free source or farming operation if you'd like to add manure …
Type: Plant Info
… disease-resistant, but still have great flowers, smell great—the holy grail of what you want in a rose,” Soulsby says. It began with the Knock Out ® rose, introduced in 2000 by plant breeder William Radler (who, by the way, is the Garden’s consulting rosarian). “It transformed the market in terms of disease-resistance and winter hardiness,” Soulsby said. In fact, roses were acquiring …
Type: Blog
… that day, we’ll experience the shortest amount of daylight and longest night of the year here in the Northern Hemisphere. Have you noticed that the sunlight is weak and the skies are often … your face. Place dried or fresh herbs (1 tablespoon of lavender, rosemary, mint or chamomile) in a large heat-proof bowl and slowly pour one pint of boiling water to cover the leaves. Create … sachets. This traditional craft makes an attractive gift as fresheners for dresser drawers. Buy the small decorative cloth bags to fill and tie with a pretty ribbon; or if you’re crafty, …
Type: Plant Info
… Although September ushers in autumn, with its shorter days and cooler nighttime temperatures, it may be the busiest of … crops and planting cool-season vegetables. Cool-season annuals can replace summer varieties in containers. Lawn tasks, including seeding and fertilizing, can begin in earnest. September also is a good month to plant many varieties of trees and shrubs. Garden …
Type: Plant Info
