… " In the spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours. " — Mark Twain, … feels like a roller coaster. Hot, cold, rain, sun, snow, frost, freeze—all are possible in the greater Chicagoland area—sometimes in the same week. In the meantime, the lawns are … vegetable plants this month. They’ve been coddled in a warm greenhouse up until now. If you buy warm-season crops (like tomatoes, peppers, beans and squash) wait to plant them until after …
Type: Plant Info
… the Garden is restoring this beautiful woodland. Gardeners often wonder if it's possible, in suburban or even urban areas, to establish a little piece of woodland of their own. Jim … more on the whole plant community. He offers the following guidelines for gardeners interested in establishing — and then managing — a woodland community of plants: Woody plants are not all … to grow plants from seed (many ephemerals require five to seven years to flower from seed) or buy plants from nurseries that have propagated their own plants (see list below). Consider …
Type: Plant Info
… Why composting doesn’t have to be hard anymore If I spot a few weeds in the shade garden, I yank them before they flower and hide their remains under the hostas where … planet Earth. The amount of waste—including food waste—that we generate is mind-boggling. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), states, “most people don't realize how much food they … carbon and nitrogen, helping decomposition. The end result is similar to what you might buy in bags at a garden center. If you are worried about raccoons, possums, mice, and any other …
Type: Blog
… This semi-evergreen stays short, so there’s no need to mow. Plus, it’s just one of hundreds of U.S. native sedges finding their way into eco-friendly gardens. Transforming your yard can be as … scientist 2. Meadow mania
The “meadow” or “prairie” approach to landscaping is blossoming in popularity as gardeners embrace eco-conscious ways to design their spaces. By incorporating … by Rethinking Lawns 5. Milkweed for a butterfly bonanza Photo by Robin Carlson As the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service considers listing monarch butterflies as endangered, gardeners …
Type: Blog
… gardeners breathe a secret sigh of relief at the prospect of a few dormant months. Gardening in Chicago can be a frenzied few months with so many plants to grow and just not enough time to … not touching, the trees to buffer the winds. The burlap will protect plants but still allow in all essential light and moisture. Burlap screens can also reduce the burning effects of salt … the subsequent uncontrolled growth of algae can be real problems. Soil Amendments If a soil test reveals a high pH, incorporate granulated sulfur into the soil surrounding acid-loving …
Type: Plant Info
… The thunderstorms this past May are just a memory now, but they left many homes and streets in northeastern Illinois with standing water. The rainfall resulted in the wettest May on record at Chicago O’Hare (9.51 inches) and Midway (7.65 inches) airport … Rain gardens often require less care than other types of perennial beds. There is no need to buy bags of mulch, especially if the perennials are placed closer together when planting. As they …
Type: Plant Info
… golden grasses sparkling like jewels with touches of color, and the lake rippling marvelously in the wind. The black-eyed Susan and coneflower plants you spot here may seem sparse, lanky, and … unlike the neat clumps or broad sweeps that can be seen on Evening Island and, perhaps, in your garden. Over the last few decades, plants once native to midwestern prairies have been welcomed into gardens. But in our front yards, they often don't look much like they did in the prairie. When we grow prairie …
Type: Plant Info
… all easy to grow. If you have a spot that gets at least six to eight hours of direct sun in the summer, now’s the time to start planting. “We have grown 'Purple Peruvian' and 'French Fingerling',” says Lisa Hilgenberg, horticulturist in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden. “'Red Norland' is scab-resistant and productive. And … 40- to 50-pound harvest is the result of planting about 5 pounds of “seed” (small) potatoes in spring. In 2014, Hilgenberg planted 15 different varieties using different planting …
Type: Plant Info
… de Provence pumpkins are a rich terra cotta color with deep ribs, just like the magic ride in your childhood fairy book. In France, these pumpkins are sold by the wedge, like cheese, according to Lisa Hilgenberg, the … flesh is thick, dense, meaty and mildly sweet, begging to be roasted. This is just one variety in the bewildering tumble of what we call pumpkins . The very name "pumpkin" comes from a Greek …
Type: Plant Info
… to Pollock: How Rachael Kolby Transforms Pumpkins into Art. Night of 1,000 Jack-o’-Lanterns Buy Tickets Now Member Tickets Public Tickets Public Parking VIP All Access Passes President's Circle members only See Rachael’s masterpieces in person. From Baby Yoda to Pollock: How Rachael Kolby Transforms Pumpkins into Art. When it … What’s your first pumpkin memory? For me, pumpkins and Halloween have always gone hand in hand. Some of my earliest memories are of helping my family with the Halloween displays for …
Type: Blog
