… The European beech is a stately addition to any large landscape and in time becomes an imposing shade tree. The simple foliage is dark green and somewhat shiny. The beech nuts it produces in the fall are attractive to wildlife. Autumn foliage is golden bronze; in winter the handsome gray bark is prominent. A … of the European beech have been developed, many of which are eye-catching show stoppers for their shape (weeping, columnar or rounded) or foliage color (green, variegated, purple or …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… the loose bark of dead trees. Upon reaching a small stand of dead American elm trees, I began to lift the loose remaining bark away from one of the trees to see if any spiders were present. … are fairly common mammals in our area, since they are almost totally nocturnal, we don’t get to see them all that often—especially at close range, in order to admire their delicate form … This summer, one of those houses contained half a dozen bats—probably little browns. It is best to place bat houses in full sunlight, since the bats have high body metabolisms and prefer …
Type: Blog
… (members of the aster family that have composite inflorescences composed of multiple flowers) to come into flower. The eight bright yellow, sterile, ray flowers (petals) surround many fertile yellow disc flowers (small and typically not showy) to create a flower. A perennial native to Illinois and much of the central United States, it typically reaches 1 foot to 3 feet tall and blooms for two to three weeks in early summer. A number of native insects and mammals feed upon the …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… on gardens, arts and culture, and conservation, I took advantage of the great opportunity to publicize some Brazilian orchids that have been among my favorites all the years I have grown … as the number of species and their habitats, but where they naturally occur provides clues for how to grow them in cultivation. Luckily, the vast orchid literature available often includes … Sophronitis . While all the species are delightful in their own right, C. coccinea is the best known. It has long been grown, line-bred (crossed within the species) to improve it, …
Type: Blog
… is known as blue aconite in India. In fact, the blue of its bloom is so rich that it's said to have turned the Indian god Shiva blue. As a high altitude mountain flower, it's one aconite … monks. They attract a variety of butterflies and moths, and are the primary food source for Old World bees. Another common name, wolfbane, refers to the poison made from this plant's roots, which was used to tip hunting arrows. Medicinal (and …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… and can reach 60 feet in height, with a narrow pyramidal form. Noble firs, which can live to 300 years or longer, are evergreen trees native to a small area from northern California to Oregon, in the Cascade Mountains and coastal ranges. … ultimately reaching over 200 feet in height. They do not do well in this area, due to the need for loose, rich soil and cool summers. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… conservatories. It requires full sun and moderate soil fertility—use acid fertilizers, similar to what is used for rhododendrons—and needs to be kept moist. The very large, silvery, felted leaves on a rounded shrub up to 7 feet make …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Large-leaf or Bigleaf dogwood is native to Asia and relatively uncommon in the U.S. Its white flowers and purple-black fruit are somewhat similar to the popular pagoda dogwood. Members of the genus Cornus , commonly known as dogwoods, are welcome in the home garden for their multi-season interest -- be it flowers, fruit, foliage, and/or bark -- and their range …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Bluejoint grass is a clump-forming upright ornamental grass native to northern North America, especially the marshes, swamps, and river margins. It is very fast … grass with bright green leaves, and its reddish-brown flowers are visible in late spring to early summer. Bluejoint grass is tolerant of a wide range of conditions but prefers moist, … form and shimmering flower heads can create a beautiful vista. The plant is usually retained for winter interest and cut back in late winter and can also be divided at this time if …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… If you want to grow hardy kiwi vine for the fruit as well as the flowers, you need both a male and a female. Hardy kiwi vine 'Andrey' … of lily of the valley in May and June. 'Andrey' comes from Vladivostok in Russia. It's hardy to -35, so you can be confidnet Chicago winters won't faze it. It's not fussy about soil. And …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
