… With spring’s arrival, one can’t help but daydream about greener pastures, or in my case, lawns. Now is the time for spring lawn maintenance. The main purpose of spring lawn … are a number of things you can do to ensure that your lawn gets off to a good start in the spring. Listed below are some things to do in April and May. Spring Lawn Tips 1. Rake Rake … are some very important features to consider when you travel to your local garden center to buy your fertilizer. Knowing the square footage of lawn that you have on your property will …
Type: Blog
… Asters are a highlight of the autumn landscape. There are about 250 species native to North America, Europe, and Asia. Illinois native perennial asters grow along roadsides, in woodlands, prairies and other natural areas. As summer wanes, they put on a stellar show of flowers in blue, purple, pink, violet, or white that attract butterflies and other pollinators. Although …
Type: Plant Info
… Celebrating the Garden in Autumn "Wild is the music of the autumnal winds amongst the faded woods." – William Wordsworth (1770 – 1850) This is the time of year when we can stand in our gardens, take a step back, slowly inhale the spicy fall air, and muse about how our … and especially for the insects, birds, and other creatures that rely on and support the 250 species of native plants there. It’s November, but our gardens are not going to sleep. They …
Type: Plant Info
… are filled with an abundance of foliage, plants, and animal life unlike any other ecosystem in the Chicago Wilderness region. Among other benefits, they help to filter rainwater. Rare … remnant woodlands, and fish are a part of this shadowed world that has long been entrenched in mystery for local residents and scientists alike. As urbanization, erosion, increasingly … way for people to better understand the ravines,” explained Goad. She and her volunteers will test the protocol this summer, as they meander through the ravines with their notebooks, cameras, …
Type: Blog
… summertime favorites, like tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, and cucumbers. They plant them in May and by Labor Day, they’ve finished harvesting. But if you only grow warm-season crops, you’re missing out on cool-season edibles that can be grown in the spring and again in summer for an enjoyable fall harvest. Cool-season crops include … for Thanksgiving,” Hilgenberg says. Whether you sow cool-season crops from seeds, or buy transplants from your local garden center, they should be placed in fertile, evenly moist …
Type: Plant Info
… to some plants this year. (You may recall that the Garden was closed for two consecutive days in late January due to extreme weather conditions.) Japanese maples and boxwood were hard hit across northeastern Illinois. Two sycamore trees in the Sensory Garden developed dramatic frost cracks. In the Crescent Garden, the boxwoods that gave shape to the curving beds all died this winter and …
Type: Plant Info
… You type seeds into your search engine—only to get 257,000,000 results. Next you type in seed catalog . Hmm, down to 19,100,000. You need an editor. That's where we come in. An Exclusive Database Found only at our Lenhardt Library, the Nursery Catalog Database—and … since 1932." noursefarms.com Ball Horticultural Company. Although home gardeners can't buy directly from this local (based in West Chicago) resource, the website has a helpful "Plant …
Type: Plant Info
… on managing bees for optimal pollination, she's trying some new planting combinations "in the field." Using Lisa's techniques, you can increase your garden's yield and improve the … health of your neighborhood bee population, too. A sweat bee ( Halictus ligatus ) covered in Rudbeckia pollen, which the bee gathers to feed to her larvae. Photo by Alex Wild Not all … attracts honeybees, deters cabbage worms, and has an edible flower," said Hilgenberg. In a test bed on the north side of the garden, find the yellow-green heads of pest-deterring zinnias ( …
Type: Plant Info
… At the Chicago Botanic Garden, our staff community is working on being intentional in the way we do our work. In September 2022, we introduced a new set of values: growth, understanding, resilience, and … we identified growth, defined as the willingness to take risks, collaborate, and test new ideas as a value where we excel. Our organization also defines growth as “perseverance …
Type: Blog
… them well into fall and beyond. Find the Perfect Moment for Picking The most important step in drying hydrangeas is knowing when to cut them. “The best time to cut white flowering … and color better once you bring them indoors for drying. For hydrangea varieties that bloom in colors, such as pink, blue, purple, red, green-blushed, or multicolored, the timing is … already wilted, it’s too late.” Look for the oldest, most mature blooms on the plant. A good test? Gently feel the petals—they should be slightly crisp, almost like tissue paper. Two Easy …
Type: Blog
