… In Northern and Midwestern gardens, much emphasis is placed on four-season gardens, with great praise … of the shrubs that flower not in spring but in late summer, bulbs that sprout in February and perennials that bloom in October.But in our rush to make new garden friends, let’s not overlook old friends, those textural plants that give gardens structure and quiet beauty every day of the year — the conifers. Among the conifers is a strong spruce, the …
Type: Plant Info
… typically grows to 75-100 feet (less frequently to 150 feet) tall with horizontal branching and a rounded habit. Trunk diameter typically ranges from 3-8 feet, with some records up to 16 … Sycamore is native to lowland areas, typically reaching its largest size along streams, rivers and flood plains. The signature ornamental feature of this huge tree is its brown bark which … monoecious flowers appear in small rounded clusters in April. Male flowers are yellowish and female flowers are reddish. Female flowers give way to fuzzy, long-stalked, spherical …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… branch structure or less obvious traits like long-term consistent performance over many years and maintenance demands. Patrick holds a B.S. in Physics from Illinois Wesleyan University and a M.S in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois Chicago. His previous professional …
Type: Staff bio
… or is applied at the wrong time—such as right before it rains—most of it is washed away and ends up in the local waterways. This type of pollution is called nonpoint source pollution. … (a reduction of dissolved oxygen in water bodies caused by an increase of minerals and organic nutrients) of rivers and lakes. This reduced level of oxygen in water ends up suffocating fish. Several municipalities …
Type: Plant Info
… Description: This nomadic owl appears erratically and may be seen in conifer plantings or in the McDonald Woods. Long-eared owls are nomadic birds, found abundantly some years and difficult or impossible to find others. Choosing their locations based on prey abundance (small mammals, like mice and voles), they often form fairly large groups in winter roosts where a dozen or more birds can …
Type: Birding
… blooms are held well above its dense, fern-like foliage. The bloom period is from early June and into October. Easy to grow in a variety of well-drained soils ranging from clay to loam to sand, yarrow is the perfect plant for the suburban border garden. It is naturally deer and rabbit resistant and is tolerant of drought and salt. A butterfly attractant, it is lightly fragrant. Deadheading …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… which has long sword-shaped leaves with finely serrated edges. Foliage emerges olive green and becomes coppery red in strong light. Flowers spikes are a very showy pure red, including the … Aechmea are called vase plants or urn plants. The bases of their curved leaves collect water and can be home to aquatic insects and microorganisms. Plants take several years to flower and will usually decline after the …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… or Lenten roses are prized for their flowers which appear in late winter or early spring and are often the first flowers to appear in the Chicago garden. Pink Teacups Lenten rose grows into a low mound about eighteen inches high and 2 feet wide. The foliage is dark green and leathery with finger-like clusters of serrated leaflets that are evergreen throughout the …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… leaves emerge in the spring a bright yellow with red veins, mellow to a softer yellow-green, and then finally fade to tan over the winter. The contrasting red veins persist on the leaves … the entire seasonal shift of leaf colors, attractive in all the combinations. Adding interest and increasing the height to 12 inches, Electra Alumroot produces short plumes of cream flowers … an interesting spiky accent. At maturity Electra Alumroot will be a mounded form 8 inches tall and 14 inches wide. Suitable for full sun or part shade, in can be used massed in groups as a …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… warm greenhouses. The broad, elliptical foliage is medium green. At a height of 12 to18 inches and a spread of 12 to14 inches, it is a good midseason selection to perk up holiday displays. It attracts butterflies and is deer resistant. Although historically considered poisonous, poinsettias actually are not. … sap, however, can cause skin irritations, so they should be kept away from small children and animals; ingestion of the plant could cause mild discomfort. To preserve poinsettias …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
