… Q. Will my waterlilies overwinter outdoors? If not, is there anything that I can do to keep them over the winter? A. Your waterlilies' ability to survive the winter outdoors depends on whether the plants are hardy or tropical. Hardy waterlilies rated cold-hardy for Zone 5 will survive winter temperatures in the Chicago area for years, providing the rhizomes …
Type: Plant Info
… Stake tall perennials before they reach 6 inches. Begin to regularly pinch back fall-blooming perennials such as chrysanthemums, asters and tall sedums. Pinch once a week until the middle of July. This promotes stocky growth. Continue to direct the growth of perennial vines on their supports. Climbing roses should be encouraged to develop lateral, flower-bearing canes. Continue to check peonies for botrytis blight or other foliar fungal problems. Peonies that suffered from botrytis or bud …
Type: Plant Info
… The cultivar 'Firebird' grows 30 to 36 inches tall and 18 inches wide on sturdy stems and features downward sloping bright scarlet … red rays and large, mounded, dark orange-brown cones. Coneflowers bloom from late spring to late summer and the spent blooms make an attractive addition to the winter landscape as well as an excellent source of food for birds. Once classified merely as a common native plant, coneflower has taken on rock-star …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… arrowwood viburnum takes its name because Native Americans reportedly used its straight stems to make arrows. It is not the showiest member of the genus Viburnum , but it may be the most useful and durable; the arrowwood viburnum and its many cultivars are widely used for hedges and screening or at the back of borders. This viburnum will grow to a height of 6' to 8'. It suckers from the base and has a tendency to colonize. Cultivar …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Q. Can you suggest a remedy for African violets that don't bloom as often as they should? A. Many African violets will cut … and humid air with no drafts. If you have had these plants for some time, perhaps it is time to repot them. Although they do prefer to be slightly "potbound," all repotting should be done in spring using plastic rather …
Type: Plant Info
… Are you interested in learning more about how to work with youth in an urban agriculture or school garden setting? Would you like to know more about structuring a youth development program centered on sustainable agriculture … systems during the summer or school year? Please join the Windy City Harvest Youth Farm staff for our annual facilitator training. We will discuss incorporating standards for social and …
Type: Item Detail
… ‘Little Red Gem’ is a low-growing herbaceous peony suitable for use in rock gardens and as a border plant. Brilliant fuchsia-red, single flowers are held just above the finely dissected leaves on a mounded plant growing to 20 inches tall. Full sun and well-drained soil are essential to the health of these plants. Peonies are popular garden plants, known for their stunning …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Arrowwoods were favored by native Americans for their use in making arrows as the branches are very straight. This arrowwood is called … because it is a much smaller version of a larger arrowwood shrub. PAPOOSE™ grows to only about four feet tall and wide and has a rounded form, making it a truly compact and … flowers in June. These are followed by bunches of dark blue berries that are irresistible to birds. Viburnums are a versatile genus of multi-stemmed shrubs that are well suited to the …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… The common names for Heliconia stricta are “lobster claws” or “false bird of paradise” and you can see why when … shields the tiny true flower inside, so only hummingbirds and certain butterflies have access to the nectar. The good news is that while the true flowers only last a few days, the bracts can last months. At two to …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Narcissus ‘Hawera’ is in Division 5. It stands only 5 – 6 inches high and blooms in mid to late spring. Each stem bears 6 - 8 fragrant flowers. The petals are pale yellow and reflexed, … The cup is a paler yellow, broad and shallow. Hawera is hardy in zones 4 – 9. It was named for a town on the North Island of New Zealand. The bulbs are toxic and will not be eaten by deer or rabbits. The name Narcissus comes from the Greek word for narcotic and is tied to the myth of a young man known as Narcissus who fell in love with his own reflection. When he …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
