… The pale pink blooms of the Hiawatha lilac appear one to two weeks after the common lilac. It is one of the Preston lilacs. Preston or Canadian Lilacs were first hybridized for their cold … Lilacs begin to set buds for the following year shortly after they finish blooming; if pruning is desired, it should be done immediately after flowering to maintain flower production the next …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… in 1928. Its purple-lilac blooms appear a week or more after the common lilac. Isabella is one of the Preston lilacs. Preston or Canadian Lilacs were first hybridized for their cold … Lilacs begin to set buds for the following year shortly after they finish blooming; if pruning is desired, it should be done immediately after flowering to maintain flower production the next …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… buds of Miss Canada lilac open to rosy pink blooms a week or two after the common lilac. It is one of the Preston lilacs. Preston or Canadian Lilacs were first hybridized for their cold … Lilacs begin to set buds for the following year shortly after they finish blooming; if pruning is desired, it should be done immediately after flowering to maintain flower production the next …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Michael Dodge linden viburnum is somewhat smaller than the species at 6' x 6' but differs more importantly in its bright yellow … viburnums derive their name from the leaves, which resemble those of the linden tree. It is an upright deciduous shrub that grows to 8 – 10 feet tall and to 6 – 8 feet wide. Creamy white …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… damage entire landscapes. Introduced as a food source, garlic mustard ( Alliaria petiolata ) is now invasive in woodlands in the Chicago area and beyond. Most of the plants and animals … Action at the Chicago Botanic Garden. “It’s easy to assume the sea of green you’re looking at is beneficial, but buckthorn and other invasive plants can change soils, cause the loss of many … cargo ship ballasts and as an ornamental plant, purple loosestrife ( Lythrum salicaria ) is invasive in wetlands. Photo by Jim Jabcon. Right: Introduced as an ornamental plant and …
Type: Blog
… compound called capsaicin. The body often reacts to capsaicin by sweating, which some suggest is one reason hot peppers are popular in hot climates. In northern climates, peppers tend to be bred for mildness and eaten green—perhaps partly because the growing season is too short and cool to get them really ripe. Recently, though, a vogue for hot peppers has led … kind of summer that is pretty much guaranteed in Bolivia, but not in Chicago. You'll need a site in full sun and well-drained, fertile soil, amended with plenty of compost or other organic …
Type: Plant Info
… if you’re looking for inexpensive, unusual containers to hold your plants. The only caveat is that if the container has no drainage holes, it’s best to keep the plant in its original … lighted kitchen cabinets where they take up very little space. During winter, the sunlight is weaker than in summer, but it’s also at a different angle—lower in the sky—and comes more … tins that have a few drainage holes in the bottom, courtesy of a hammer and nail. If one mini is good, a grouping of them is even better. Here is a sample of space-conscious plants for your …
Type: Plant Info
… plant—this time, a sad collard green—from its pot into the trash. The mess, and the funeral, is for a good cause though. Today, I bravely enter new territory: My neighborhood garden center, … came from, its parentage, care preferences, and age. An Excel spreadsheet, you guys. This man is not messing around. For the likes of me, Wheatley recommends a more forgiving collection of … remain above freezing, which means they can survive year-round in our warm homes. My apartment is hardly freezing (the overactive radiators make sure of that) and I have two windowsills—an …
Type: Blog
… A favorite destination for gardeners and nature lovers alike is the woods. The Chicago Botanic Garden's McDonald Woods was once a part of a large oak … the natural habitats that surrounded it. Fortunately, through careful management, the Garden is restoring this beautiful woodland. Gardeners often wonder if it's possible, in suburban or … of woodland of their own. Jim Steffen, ecologist at the Chicago Botanic Garden, says yes, it is possible, but your focus must be less on individual plants and more on the whole plant …
Type: Plant Info
… view part 2 Worm Composting View part 3 Why compost? Reducing the volume of your garbage is good by itself. Removing food from the waste stream is especially beneficial because food buried in a landfill causes production of methane gas and … IMPORTANT: only use red wiggler or red worms—see message about worms below A spray bottle is helpful Prepare your materials Fill a bucket with water and leave it out for three to four …
Type: Blog
