… or gold); they are often featured as specimen trees where space permits. The smooth gray bark is an attractive feature of the species. The genus Fagus includes 10-13 species of the beech … regions of Asia, Europe and North America. Only Fagus grandifolia , the American beech, is native to the U.S. and Illinois. A single species, Fagus sylvatica or the European beech, … oaks, beech trees are long-lived and slow growing hardwood trees. The fruit produced annually is commonly called a beech nut and is beloved by wildlife. Beech trees are majestic shade trees …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… branches. Forsythia × intermedia ‘Courdijau’, marketed as Golden Peep™ Forsythia, is a newer cultivar from France that is very low-growing, at about 2 feet tall and spreading to 3 feet or more. It has better flowering than ‘Arnold Dwarf’. In France, it is marketed as Casque D’or. Forsythias are very adaptable to poor soil and varying moisture, but …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Atkinsii snowdrop ( Galanthus nivalis 'Atkinsii') is a very showy, large-flowered snowdrop, among the first bulbs to bloom in early spring. The … by Carl Linnaeus in 1735. Native to large areas of Europe, from Spain to the Ukraine, the name is derived from the Greek gala (milk) and anthos (flower). The epithet "nivalis" means "of the … as "second to none in size, form, quality, and freedom of growth." The 'Atkinsii' cultivar is a vigorous, tall variety that grows to 9 inches. This dwarf, bulbous perennial has linear or …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Description: The Canada goose is often present on Garden lakes and lawns. …
Type: Birding
… Description: This hawk is a rare winter sight flying over, or in, trees. …
Type: Birding
… Description: This Great Plains migrant is a rare sighting in the Dixon Prairie. …
Type: Birding
… Description: This is an unusual sight on the lakes or flying overhead. …
Type: Birding
… garden, and kitchen waste? Make your own compost—it can do magic for your garden. Compost is simply a mixture of soil and pieces of plants that have decomposed to the point of being unrecognizable. Dark brown and crumbly, it is an attractive addition to any garden. And the things it does for the garden are nothing short … lawn waste out of landfills, it also creates a rich soil amendment for the garden. Compost is the ultimate soil conditioner, since it improves both texture and structure, giving soil that …
Type: Plant Info
… For many of us, part of the joy of spring is heading out to the forest preserves and seeing the wildflowers in bloom. But for Susanne Masi, … information will help to maintain their numbers and ensure their survival in the wild. She is assisted by more than 100 volunteers in a monitoring program called Plants of Concern, a joint … Midwest," she said, "and yet we have 17 genera here in the Chicago area alone. The difference is that orchids are mainly arboreal in the tropics, but here they’re terrestrial. What makes …
Type: Plant Info
… In Northern and Midwestern gardens, much emphasis is placed on four-season gardens, with great praise showered on those plants that provide interest when it is least expected. Think of the shrubs that flower not in spring but in late summer, bulbs that … gardens structure and quiet beauty every day of the year — the conifers. Among the conifers is a strong spruce, the Serbian spruce, Picea omorika . This is a versatile tree, able to stand …
Type: Plant Info
