… Ivory tower wisteria is a climbing vine that grows to a maximum of 30 feet under full sun with moderate moisture conditions. In spring it produces white flowers, giving way to brown fruit …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… We admit to a weakness for daffodils here—last time we counted, we came up with quite a grand total: more than half a million daffodils are planted at the Chicago Botanic … in a smaller package. Think of your favorite standard daffodil. There's probably a miniature with a similar look. There are mini-trumpet daffodils (traditionally Division 1), as well as … in nicely beneath shrubs, lighting up those lifeless spots found in every yard. Timed to bloom with a flowering shrub, like azaleas, mini-daffs can be thrilling. Try miniatures in clumps …
Type: Plant Info
… that's perfect for growing vegetables and flowers. There is also evidence that plants mulched with compost have a degree of disease resistance that they might not normally have. Mulching with compost moderates the soil temperature, retains moisture, and provides nutrients for plants. … diseases and pests. How to make compost The most efficient compost pile is arranged in layers with fairly uniform distribution of organic material. Since few home gardeners have all the …
Type: Plant Info
… If you use harsh chemicals on your garden, you risk killing the beneficial insects along with the destructive ones. Beneficial insects, like bees, pollinate plants and help them … which most gardeners have seen: one native and the other Asian. Both are small orange beetles with black spots—almost indistinguishable from one another. In late fall, many homes are invaded … to all that wonderful food. As an example, a Garden staffer recalled an okra patch so infested with aphids that repeated sprayings with insecticidal soap didn't work. The area around the okra …
Type: Plant Info
… for generations of woodpeckers, chickadees, and other birds. Oaks are long-lived native trees with stately stature. The Garden's collection contains more than 60 oak varieties (20 species are … bark, which serves to insulate the tree from freezing temperatures and fire. “In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir, American naturalist Then there’s another group—the conifers—cone-bearing plants, with their green, blue, silver, or gold-green needles. Drooping, weeping, upright, dwarf, narrow, …
Type: Plant Info
… serving. Culture and Care Basil plants require full sun and very well-drained, rich soil with even moisture. Their requirements are quite similar to those of the tomato, and the two … Plant seeds either in a large seed tray or plant several seeds per 2-inch pot. Cover the seeds with 1/4 inch of potting mix. Moisten the potting mix by watering from below, and cover the seeds with plastic wrap to retain moisture. Keep the tray warm, and supply bottom heat if temperatures …
Type: Plant Info
… One morning in early July, while conducting routine pollinator assessments with my Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) student Jenny, we noticed something unusual: a bumblebee with a bright orange patch on its backside. Could it be? At the Chicago Botanic Garden? The … the next several weeks, Jenny and I searched for Bombus affinis across the Garden’s campus with great success locating more than ten different individuals. The discovery of the rusty …
Type: Blog
… apart, rather than lined up in rows. All were planted in full sun in rich garden soil amended with compost. Plants were kept well watered during dry spells, and loose straw was used as a … back, tied to a trellis and grown like a tomato. Tomatillos can be green or purple inside with a papery husk outside. When the husks have been split open for several days, they're ready … Bush cucumbers are another warm-season vegetable grown for salads as well as salsa. As with all warm-season vegetables, cucumber seedlings cannot be set out until all danger of frost …
Type: Plant Info
… our gardens aren’t really sleeping. Look closely and you’ll discover that they’re often alive with many types of birds. Cardinals, chickadees, woodpeckers, titmice, blue jays, and others … hide from predators. Gardens can offer seeds, berries, water, and shelter from snow and ice. With a little planning, your garden can provide these necessities and you can benefit from the … chokecherry, arrowwood viburnum, sumac, white pine, white oak, and dogwood provide birds with nourishment during the coldest months. Red fruits of native winterberry holly (Ilex …
Type: Plant Info
… gold standard at the Garden, where it's our signature tree. Large and graceful, they shimmer with golden leaves in fall, especially when there's wind in those willows. Just past the Visitor Center bridge, the Crescent Garden is lined with weeping willows by the water, which is where willows like to be. Katsura trees ( … need a shrub rather than a full-sized tree, native witch hazels put a twist on fall color, with yellow flowers that bloom amid the yellow leaves. 'Harvest Moon' drops its leaves early, the …
Type: Plant Info
