… How to relax in nature, even when you can’t get away? Daydream, according to the American Heart Association. Start a bucket list. Even just … be rejuvenating and take you away from the stresses of everyday life. We started a bucket list for you, focusing on some of the natural wonders in the plant world. We know, oh, just a few … are not your garden-variety plant lovers. These are people who gravitate to plants not just for their beauty or scent but for their resilience, their hunting prowess, their enchantment …
Type: Blog
… or the Landscape Gardens . They all feature individual garden rooms filled with gorgeous, best-for-the-Midwest plants, meandering paths, tidy brick-edged beds, fountains or pools, welcome … garden space. The grape arbor serves many purposes: it provides a sunny overhead support for American Concord Seedless grapes (perfect for jams, jellies, and fresh fruit), but cooling shade for you. It makes a grand architectural …
Type: Walks
… Flowering crabapples highlight the spirit of spring. Prized for their profuse display of flowers in April and May, these ornamental trees boast a variety of … spring flowers, the display is followed again in late summer with colorful fruits, providing for two seasons of outstanding interest. And, let’s not forget winter, when snow or ice sits on … are effective planted as a single specimen or in groups. There are smaller varieties suitable for urban sites as well as for foundation and border plantings. Species and Cultivars Crabapples …
Type: Plant Info
… dried blossoms offer winter interest in the landscape. Extreme winter cold can be a challenge for some hydrangeas. Panicle and smooth hydrangeas produce flowers on the current season’s growth. For example, in March and beyond, the plants form flower buds on new woody stems—they should … Panicle hydrangeas are considered the most cold hardy of the species. They are sought after for their cream-colored cone-shaped flowers that dazzle the garden in summer. Although some …
Type: Plant Info
… primarily in the pink and lavender shades. And it was Father John L. Fiala who was responsible for bringing 78 new cultivars to the public before his death in 1990, including many of the … leaves. A neutral, fairly alkaline soil composted with plenty of organic material is necessary for good growth. After their first few years of regular watering, lilacs become quite drought … The modern cultivars, including the dwarf introductions, generally require a light pruning for shape after the plant flowers. Old, overgrown lilacs, particularly the common lilac …
Type: Plant Info
… do feather-light grasses that cast almost imperceptible shadows on the snow. How glad we feel for the subtlety of this season, where small favors are so enjoyed. The threadlike wisps of … blooms, or the delicacy of azalea displays. They also plan winter walks in snow specifically for snow viewing and shadow watching — a happening where trees and shrubs create a second shadow … the strong trunk of the neighboring weeping maple, Acer saccharinum 'Beebe's Cutleaf Weeping'. For those with an eye to detail, look at the small, bluish white and yellow lichen patches pasted …
Type: Walks
… series of slats or latticework that provides partial shade. Like arbors, pergolas are suitable for growing climbing, twining, clinging, or trailing plants. They can also hold hanging baskets … set in a border, a trellis is a multi-purpose vertical element. Some gardeners want a trellis for growing vines or climbing roses, to screen views, or to delineate a space. There’s often an … of space in a narrow border. One or more large trellis panels can be used to create “walls” for an outdoor room, and provide privacy without creating a claustrophobic feeling. A trellis …
Type: Plant Info
… with a height between 8 and 18 inches with a compact, mounding form making it suitable for front of the border and containers. Zinnia haageana (Mexican Zinnia) Zinnia haageana offers … outdoors after the last spring frost or start them indoors in seed-starting mix in late April for transplanting. Dig some compost a few inches into the soil before sowing or planting. Adding … the plant and place them in a paper bag with the name on it and store in a cool, dry place for next spring. Come fall, you can pull the plants—roots and all—and place them in the compost …
Type: Plant Info
… They know the route— Bulb Garden , Regenstein Center, and Landscape Gardens . The birders look for early signs of spring in the McDonald Woods and on the shores of the Lakeside Gardens . First … hidden alongside last year’s dried leaves that still cling to the branches. Look carefully for them along the walkway to the Landscape Gardens. On sunny days, their petals should be open; … and encourages blooms from tender plants like Lenten rose or bear claw hellebore. Check for flowers in unusual tones of apple green or dusty rose. Little bulbs , planted by the …
Type: Walks
… holiday colors come from potted flowers, often presented as gifts. Here are some tips for keeping them healthy and blooming. AMARYLLIS Plant the bulb in a light soilless mixture. … cutting it down. Most amaryllis bulbs will produce leaves at this time to manufacture food for next year's growth. FLOWERING AZALEA A healthy azalea will bloom for almost two months in winter given a minimum of attention. Place the plant in a bright spot …
Type: Plant Info
