… its distinctive horizontal branching habit appears to belong in a Japanese garden, though it is a native species. Its scientific name Cornus alternifolia indicates that its leaves alternate … most of the rest of the Cornus genus. Small yellowish-white flowers are borne in late May and early June and are followed by bluish-black fruit in July that is much beloved by birds. Fall foliage is …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Peonies are popular garden plants, known for their stunning flowers, their cold hardiness and the huge variety of their colors, forms and habits. They are divided into two main groups: herbaceous, which die to the ground in the … 1-2 weeks before those of the herbaceous peonies. Introduced in 1888, ‘Mons. Jules Elie,’ is an extremely popular herbaceous peony with a bomb style bloom. Rose guard petals surround a …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… ‘Circus Circus’ is an herbaceous peony with unusual semi-double blooms consisting of twisted petals, streaked with raspberry and surrounding yellow pistils. Flowers are fragrant. Peony bloom times are classified as early, mid, and late; ‘Circus Circus’ is an early bloomer. It takes on a shrubby appearance throughout the …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Nymphaea odorata , the fragrant or American white waterlily, is native throughout North America where it's found in shallow ponds. The typical species has large white flowers and perfectly circular leaves with a notch. There are also pink and red varieties. It is the basis for many hybrids. The northern variant was formerly classed as …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… time-lapse camera on the comet orchid ( Angraecum eburneum ) to capture the buds as they open and rotate over a period of several weeks. You can also see what a blooming comet orchid looks like in the Tropical Greenhouse at the Chicago Botanic Garden —but the rotation is so slow that you won’t be able to see the buds move in real time. We’ll have two comet orchids … The fancy petal known as the lip usually faces up. When the bloom rotates, the lip faces down and provides a landing platform for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. The rotation also …
Type: Blog
… it’s admiring the flowers lavishly blooming in the yard, or collecting the bounty of herbs and vegetables ready for harvesting. Maintenance tasks continue. With autumn on the horizon, August also is the month to begin planting cool-season vegetables. Garden To-Do List Water judiciously In … grass, or lay down sod. Some tips: When seeding lawns, use grass seed appropriate to your site. If seeding in a shaded area, purchase a shade-tolerant mix. Cultivate soil down to a few …
Type: Plant Info
… A. Preparing cut flowers properly will prolong the life of your bouquet. Make sure the vase is clean and free of any soap residue. Add a commercial preservative to the vase and immediately fill it with warm water in order to dissolve the granules thoroughly. It is …
Type: Plant Info
… dramatic banana plant ( Musa x paradisiaca ), a hybrid of Musa acuminata x Musa balbisiana , is a member of the Musaceae family often incorrectly referred to as a tree. It is actually a … perennial herb, with succulent, very juicy stems that arise from a fleshy rhizome or corm and reaches a height of 20 to 25 feet. The huge, smooth, paddle-shaped leaves can grow as large as 8 feet. They number from 4 to 15 and are arranged spirally around the stems. They unfurl upward and outward at the rate of one per …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… A smart gardener's secret ingredient at the holidays Vegetables fall in and out of favor over time. Fifty years ago, iceberg was often the only lettuce found at grocery stores, along with two "kinds" of peppers—red and green. Rediscovered today, heirloom lettuce varieties are avidly discussed by chefs and … smooth, hefty versions were bred and popularized. Parsnips from the past 'Hollow Crown' is a venerable variety, known before 1825, that's still available today. (Heirloom seed companies …
Type: Plant Info
… Magnolia 'Ann' is notable for its vibrant reddish-purple blossoms and relatively small stature. It is one of the … stunning beauty of their usually large flowers, which emerge prior to the foliage in spring, and are often fragrant. While shades of pink are the most common bloom color, the Magnolia …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
