… Douglas-fir, a native evergreen tree, has short needles and in the wild it has a strong pyramidal growth habit with pendulous lower branches that give it a very graceful appearance. This selection has a narrow form with mostly ascending branches and it can grow to 40 feet tall by 15 feet wide. The cones on the species are interesting – they hang downward and each cone scale has a three-pointed bract. Douglas fir is native to the Rocky Mountains and along the Pacific Coast; in the Pacific coastal regions, it …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… It’s a great chance for photographers of all abilities to practice shooting after dark. And with a little time and effort, you’ll get some cool pictures of holiday lights—one of my very … to see what you come up with. Post your photos, #Lightscape, and tag us: @chicagobotanic. Blur is good If you manually focus closer to your lens, distant points of light grow into luminous orbs. Use your widest aperture and watch them grow as you …
Type: Blog
… The long pointed leaves of Awakening Angel are blue green and form a large mound. Hostas are shade tolerant, easy-to-grow, and long-lived. Although they produce flowers held high above the foliage on long stalks called … They all prefer moist, loamy soil enriched with organic matter. Some leaf damage by slugs is to be expected. Deer find hosta delicious. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… shrub rose ( Rosa 'Wekbepmey'), a disease-resistant grandiflora (hybrid between a hybrid tea and a floribunda parent). Strike It Rich has a spicy fragrance and is noted for its long, elegant, pointed buds. The deep green, disease-resistant leaves are …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… cordate (heart shaped) leaves cover stems that can grow to 10 feet in height in USDA zones 7 and warmer if given partial to full shade and moderate moisture conditions. Flowering rarely occurs, and then only on stems that have grown vertically a minimum of 8 feet at which point the juvenile …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Coral aloe ( Aloe striata ) is a succulent native to South Africa. Succulents originated in climates where rain is not regular or predictable, and many are therefore drought tolerant—their leaves and stems can store water to tide them over during dry spells. Coral aloe's smooth, fleshy leaves …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… mallows, are prized for their use as structure in a perennial border. Everything about them is large, from their rich green, three-lobed lobed leaves to their immense flowers. ‘Airbrush Effect’ has bright pink flowers brushed with white and a carmine eye on flowers measuring 8 inches across. The blossoms have conspicuous bottlebrush … seed capsules that remain on the plant through winter. Use them as accent plants, focal points for distant viewing, a backdrop for other perennials in the border, and along the water’s …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
Silvery white spines cover this species ( Mammillaria geminispina ), a mounding cactus from Mexico, throughout the year. Brilliant hot pink flowers are produced in a ring around the apical meristem (growing point) from late spring through fall, attracting various pollinating insects, while the spines deter predation by herbivores. The small pinkish red fruit are often present at the same time as …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… New! Learn to animate and enliven your watercolor painting by incorporating human or animal figures into the landscape. The figures will provide a focal point that adds interest, storytelling, scale, and perspective to your paintings. Learn techniques to simplify the figure and gesture in your artwork. Prerequisite: Previous watercolor coursework or experience …
Type: Item Detail
… Coal Miner colocasia is a showy member of the arum family originating in southern Asia. Although cultivated for millenia for their edible corms, these days the plants are equally prized for their beauty and variety. Coal Miner has large dusty purplish-green heart-shaped leaves with pale green ribs. … a shield, so their full beauty can be appreciated. It grows to four or five feet in height and about three feet in width and requires partial shade to enhance its coloring and consistent …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
