… Lebanon striped squill is classed as a minor bulb because of its size, but it is a major asset to a well-rounded bulb garden. Tucked between tulips and narcissus, it covers the ground with six-inch spikes of white flowers with a show that lasts for up to three weeks beginning in late March in the Chicago area. The bell-shaped flowers measure about …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… as a beacon of color on a cold, leafless winter day. Though this species has a bad reputation for robbing eggs from other birds' nests, squirrels and crows, in turn, raid the nests of jays. There's much to admire about the blue jay, which belongs to the Corvidae family, one of the most intelligent of bird families. The blue jay builds a bulky …
Type: Birding
… shrubs. Regardless of what kind of garden might be hidden in the backyard, the front was sure to contain at least one old-fashioned shrub: lilac, mock orange, spirea, weigela, or honeysuckle. … your year-round garden: Aesculus parviflora (bottlebrush buckeye) A dense, spreading, 8- to 10-foot shrub that produces pinky white, brushlike flowers on 1- to 2-foot upright stems in … with highly fragrant white or pink flowers. Its suckering habit makes it a good candidate for naturalistic sites. Heptacodium miconioides (seven-son-flower) The tallest of the group, it …
Type: Plant Info
… Q: How do I water my orchid? A. In order to determine how often you need to water your orchid, it is important to know what type of medium … to water it. Place the pot in a sink and allow the water to run through the planting medium for a few minutes and allow it to drain, then repeat. It is important to make sure that the orchid drains completely. Do not allow the plant to sit in water. The good news—it is almost impossible to overwater an orchid if it is potted correctly. …
Type: Plant Info
… Q. Are there advantages to routinely spraying my trees with oils? A. Routine spraying of any product on healthy trees … bud yet, and the weather should be calm with little wind. There are a few trees sensitive to dormant oil that should not be treated: maple, hickory, redbud, blue spruce, black walnut, beech, Douglas fir and several other evergreens. For these trees, a lighterweight version, sometimes called horticultural or summer oil, is …
Type: Plant Info
… 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 poisonous) uses of this plant date back to ancient times. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… pores that prevent water loss. Burgersfort Aloe, or Aloe burgersfortensis is very similar to two of its closer spotted aloe relatives and is only distinguished from the other similar … is on sandy soils in the open or the shade of trees. The tight rosettes can be 11 inches to 15 inches in height, the leaves are white spotted, brownish, with dry twisted tips. It has a … The spotted foliage is quite decorative and the flowers are said to be unusually attractive for this group of aloes. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Reed Grass is a clumping ornamental grass that is attractive year round. The clumps grow to about 4 feet high and 3 feet wide, but the vertical flower spikes can grow to 5 feet high. The dark green leaves have yellow stripes giving this cultivar its name. The … soils, but it struggles in hot humid summer climates. The flower spikes are usually retained for winter interest and the entire plant is cut back or divided in late winter to promote new …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… grasses because of its versatility and attractiveness in all seasons. The clumps grow to about 4 feet high and 3 feet wide, but the vertical flower spikes can grow to 6 feet high. The reddish-brown flowers appear in early summer and provide visual interest year … soils, but it struggles in hot humid summer climates. The flower spikes are usually retained for winter interest, and the entire plant is cut back in late winter to promote new growth. This …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… red tips -- by far its most distinguishing feature. It forms a dense, twiggy shrub and tends to sucker and colonize. Small white flowers in spring are followed by black fruit. 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 of forms from small trees to suckering shrubs. The dominant display, however, varies among the species. Dogwoods are native …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
