… relished the time being in parks and found it captivating when I’d get the rare opportunity to visit our local forest preserves. These short trips outside city limits spurred my interest in …
Type: Staff bio
… prevailing idea is that mulch is a definitive weed barrier. I hate to be the bearer of sad news, but the answer to that one is, well…have you noticed that weeds will grow quite well from … break down or compost into smaller, organically beneficial material. But its primary benefit for trees and shrubs is threefold: To protect and optimize the root zone To protect the trunk, … leaves collected are from a virtually identical range of plants, with the same, cumulative pH. Buying bags of cypress mulch at the gas station and piling it up under your beech tree just won’t …
Type: Blog
… development, and home building all take their toll on the quality of urban soil. Tips for Restoring the Soil What can gardeners do to restore their soil? Avoid working in the garden … in warm weather, not as often in cold weather. Dark, earthy, crumbling compost will be ready for your garden in four to six months. It's so easy, and it's the best thing you can do for your soil—and your plants. …
Type: Plant Info
… In both ginkgoes and hollies, the male and female flowers, although small, look different. For Illinois rose, the male and female flowers look alike. It is very difficult to know if you … Male plants will not have any rose hips. Interestingly, the bees that pollinate Illinois roses visit the stamens of both female and male flowers to collect pollen but linger longer on male flowers with viable pollen and visit female flowers briefly—just enough time to brush pollen against the flower’s stigma to …
Type: Blog
… a windbreak, but a row of evergreens, like arborvitaes, can provide privacy and a nesting site for songbirds. A blanket of snow on their boughs adds winter enchantment in our garden. Eastern … to 8 feet tall and 5 to 6 feet wide. Serviceberry ( Amelanchier —pronounced Am-uh-lank-ee-ur) For smaller gardens, breeders are developing narrow, upright shrubs, such as ‘Standing Ovation™ … full sun to part shade. Dogwood ( Cornus —pronounced Cor-nuss) Many shrubby dogwoods are grown for their winter color—striking bright red, yellow or gold stems. White spring flowers, green to …
Type: Plant Info
… day to celebrate all U.S. presidents past and present. It also seems to be just the right day for me to share the highlights of my visit to the White House with you. Smack dab in the middle of last fall’s Cubs playoff series … for the White House, I was…well, I was there in that hardworking garden. I’d been invited to visit the vegetable garden at the White House and tour the grounds. I repeat, I was at the White …
Type: Blog
… look at your own yard. Is it time to plant a tree or shrub? If so, what kind might be right for your yard, and what fall color would be a smart addition for your home, your yard, and your neighborhood? Often, the talk turns to red. But a visit to the Garden during October reveals the diversity of colors in nature's crayon box—yellow, …
Type: Plant Info
… to learn more . Meanwhile, here are a few ways to get started: White Pine-Infused Honey For sore throats or pick-me-ups, clinical herbalist Dawn Petter makes a simple remedy of honey … winter wellness,” says Petter, owner of Petalune Herbals in New York. Tip: It takes six weeks for this recipe to be ready, so think about preparing it ahead of time, before the cold-and-flu … dry air can wreak havoc on your skin. Petter likes to make an oil with marshmallow root to use for winter hydration (see recipe, right). “Marshmallow root is soothing, moisturizing, and …
Type: Blog
… water animals cross trails, roads, and waterways to seek food or habitats that are necessary for their survival, and the seeds of plants can travel by wind or other means to establish in new … neighborhood or at one of the Forest Preserves of Cook County. These green pathways are vital for plants and wildlife, and the Garden and the Forest Preserves work to protect those habitats … can take you a full 22 miles south through the Forest Preserves. For a shorter excursion, visit the Garden’s McDonald Woods . These woods have always been here, but species such as …
Type: Blog
… can play anywhere in the world—and the Garden is one of the locations with many features for those using the game. Nearly 50 PokéStops dot the Garden grounds, typically tied to … bloom, and the East Road offers a lovely vista of the Elizabeth Hubert Malott Japanese Garden. Visit the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center Green Roof Gardens (where … on your Pokémon hunt and as a way to mark what you’d want to experience further on a future visit, either on another virtual adventure or for an unplugged trek. We have found that Meowth is …
Type: Blog
