… called Beacon Silver because of the silver markings on its leaves, which can be quite bright in shady spots, like a silver beacon. Beacon Silver dead nettle is a low-growing perennial groundcover that thrives in shady areas. It typically reaches a height of about 6 to 12 inches and a spread of about 2 feet. In the early summer it bears small pinkish-mauve flowers above the foliage. Although it prefers …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… into bloom from mid-summer up to the first hard frost. Finely dissected leaves are fern-like in appearance and tolerate humid conditions better than other species of lavender. When leaves … is closer to oregano than the traditional lavender. This plant is unfortunately not hardy in Chicago-area gardens unless grown in a container and brought indoors for the winter. Full sun, well-drained soils, and good air …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… petioles of this cultivar are known for their deep burgundy color. This species performs best in shade and moist soils with a nice mulch of composted leaves in fall to take it through the winter. In the Chicago region it is insect and disease free. During very hot periods, particularly when …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… problems. Plant this lily where it will receive full to partial sun for most of the day; "head in the sun with roots in the shade" are ideal conditions. It's prone to damage from rabbits and deer. Stake it only if it's in shaded, windy conditions. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… wide, the flowers increase the height to 24 inches. It is a prolific bloomer, flowers appear in late spring and summer. It will perform well in sun to part shade, less sun to more shade in areas with scorching summers. It will attract hummingbirds, bees and is resistant to deer. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… inches across. Luna Red hardy hibiscus is a compact perennial that bears large red flowers in the summer months. It reaches a height of only about two to three feet with a width of about … As a form of the swamp rose mallow it prefers moist, and even wet, soils but can manage in average garden soils with regular deep watering in hot dry conditions. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… the crested group of irises that produces short spikes of white flowers above fan-like foliage in mid spring. This is one of the few iris species that actually can thrive in slightly shaded conditions. Well drained soils are a must, leading gardeners in early China and Japan to grow it along the rooflines of their homes or on top of their masonry …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… the green leaves turn shades of bronze, maroon, and purple. The bark on older branches peels; in winter, the cinnamon inner layers are attractive. This plant needs well-drained, consistently moist soil and thrives in partially shaded locations. Unfortunately, this native shrub is on top of the dinner menu for rabbits and deer that find the stems particularly tasty in winter. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… inula is an easy to grow, clump-forming perennial that prefers moist, well-drained soil in full sun. It is grown for its large, daisy-like, yellow flowers composed of numerous, narrow, ray florets. Good drainage is essential, and the plants do best in cold climates. Orientalis is hardy to USDA Zone 3 and grows to 2½ feet tall, featuring long leaves and large orange-yellow flowers that bloom from May through August. Grow in beds or borders where they will attract birds and butterflies while being resistant to deer. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Iris ‘Guise’ is a Standard Dwarf Bearded Iris which stands 12 in high. The standards are cream colored blending to violet. The falls are lavender with yellow … edges and bronze beards. The flowers are less than 4 inches wide. Guise blooms very early in the season after the Miniature Dwarf Bearded Irises but before the Intermediate Bearded Irises. It may rebloom later in the season. Iris is the name of the Greek goddess of the rainbow. The classic ‘Fleur de Lys’ …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
