… growing season than Chicago—are best given a head start inside where it's warm, beginning in late February or March for some plants. Expert greenhouse growers carefully fine-tune … can start with a dozen plants on a windowsill. Seeds are so cheap that there's no great risk in at least trying the experiment. Start small, with just a few containers and a couple of kinds … to find their way between its particles. Potting mix is generally too dense; it's better to buy a sterile seed-starting mix. The mix must be sterile because cleanliness is crucial: New …
Type: Plant Info
… Sow seeds in March and April for a fast, flavorful harvest. It will be a few months before we can safely … soil reaches about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. (This is when an inexpensive soil thermometer comes in handy. Look for one at your local garden center or online.) Swiss chard Leaf lettuce Spinach … leaves that may have been harvested and shipped weeks earlier. But, that same amount will buy a hefty seed pack that will produce many plants and many meals. Cultivate Unlike tomatoes and …
Type: Plant Info
… the bounty, and eating the delicious, nutritious final product is a priceless education in itself. Gardening and the subsequent cooking activities transcend generations and cultures, and can include every member of the extended family. If you're tempted to dig in this spring, keep it simple, small, and have fun! Select the Space Before picking up a shovel or rushing out to buy seeds and plants, choose your garden space. Locate a small section of your yard that receives …
Type: Plant Info
… loss of key "hardscape" elements: the shrubs that are the backbone of many a yard and garden. In this month's Smart Gardener , we look at shrubs that are worthy replacements for those that you may have lost this year. Unfamiliar with some of these? All are valuable in midwestern gardens, and well worth seeking out or requesting at local nurseries. Northen bayberry shrubs ( Myrica pensylvanica ) look best when planted in groups. Northern Bayberry ( Myrica pensylvanica ) Bayberry could be the "foundation plant" …
Type: Plant Info
… whether donating clothing or recycling plastic, prevents them from piling into a landfill. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that food scraps and yard waste currently make up more than 30 percent of what we throw away! In landfills, these throwaways take up space and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas. … soil that is dark and crumbly, which is why compost is often called black gold. DIY You can buy bagged compost, but making your own is easy and saves money. Composting can be as simple as …
Type: Plant Info
… to think about conifers. Norway spruce ( Picea abies 'Acrocona') provides year-round interest in the garden. With leaves long gone from deciduous trees and perennials sticklike and bare, … or cone-shaped conifers are iconic this time of year, and they can anchor the winter garden in a way that other shapes can't. Might a pyramidal conifer give the overall structure of your … throws at them. New cultivars are constantly being introduced, with breathtaking variations in texture, form, and color. First things first for your yard Think about the conditions that …
Type: Plant Info
… In 2015, the world celebrated soil: the United Nations proclaimed it the International Year of … of gardening. And yet soil is, next to water, the most precious resource that a gardener has. In this edition of Smart Gardener, we'll talk about soil in general. To begin, here's a helpful … can only find cow and horse manure through retail sources. Consider the source before you buy! Search out an organic, hormone-free source or farming operation if you'd like to add manure …
Type: Plant Info
… disease-resistant, but still have great flowers, smell great—the holy grail of what you want in a rose,” Soulsby says. It began with the Knock Out ® rose, introduced in 2000 by plant breeder William Radler (who, by the way, is the Garden’s consulting rosarian). … winner so far.” Canadian roses Canadian roses are gorgeous and tough—but not well-known in the U.S. market. Two varieties that Soulsby and his team have been working with are Canadian Shield ® …
Type: Blog
… that day, we’ll experience the shortest amount of daylight and longest night of the year here in the Northern Hemisphere. Have you noticed that the sunlight is weak and the skies are often … your face. Place dried or fresh herbs (1 tablespoon of lavender, rosemary, mint or chamomile) in a large heat-proof bowl and slowly pour one pint of boiling water to cover the leaves. Create … sachets. This traditional craft makes an attractive gift as fresheners for dresser drawers. Buy the small decorative cloth bags to fill and tie with a pretty ribbon; or if you’re crafty, …
Type: Plant Info
… plant to another. This mutually beneficial relationship has co-evolved over millions of years. In a colony, every bee has a specific job. The job of finding nectar falls to adults called … yield, and has about an 80/20 ratio of water to sugar (mostly sucrose). Bees load up while out in the field, typically gathering their body weight in nectar. Having stopped at many flowers (the “busy bee” movement from flower to flower on a …
Type: Plant Info
