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  • … at the Chicago Botanic Garden     Chicago Botanic Garden photographer Jeff Carrion set out to capture our version of Chicagohenge—a view of the sun perfectly slotted between natural … as photographer in August, and from my very first day, I was interested in finding what I like to call Gardenhenge. The idea comes from Chicagohenge, something I photographed many times while … itself naturally, the way skyscrapers do downtown. Without that kind of framing, a sunrise is just a sunrise, something that happens every day.
 One morning, I climbed an overlook near the …
    Type: Blog
  • … Description & Symptoms Hawthorns, Apples, Crabapples, Quince (deciduous, broadleaf host) Rust is a two-host fungal disease that moves between evergreen cedars or junipers and deciduous … apples, or quince. Orange, rusty-colored spots appear on the upper surface of leaves in mid- to early July in the Chicago area. Short orange tendrils emerge from the infected spot on the … & Life Cycle During wet spring weather, spores are released from orange tendrils that appear to drip from galls on junipers. These spores are blown to hawthorns, apples, or quince where they …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … Cow parsnip is a very conspicuous native plant abundant in McDonald Woods. It is the largest native member of the carrot family in the Chicago area. The plant grows four feet tall or more with foot-long divided leaves along a stout stalk and is topped by a flat white flowerhead that can measure 8 inches across. The scientific name aptly …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … The cooler temperatures have put an end to tender annuals, herbs, and most perennials. If you haven’t brought in your houseplants from their summer vacation, do it now. “It’s definitely time to bring them in,” said  Tom Tiddens , the Garden’s plant healthcare supervisor. If you’ve left … window so they can recover in a few weeks. A common concern when bringing plants indoors is how to deal with insects. “You want to be proactive,” Tiddens said. “If you don’t do anything, …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … The Blue Grosbeak is a richly-colored blue bird with rusty wing bars and a large, wedge-shaped beak. About the size of a cowbird, it is a southern species that is expanding its range. …
    Type: Birding
  • … Stake tall perennials before they reach 6 inches. Begin to regularly pinch back fall-blooming perennials such as chrysanthemums, asters and tall sedums. Pinch once a week until the middle of July. This promotes stocky growth. Continue to direct the growth of perennial vines on their supports. Climbing roses should be encouraged to … Let spring bulb foliage yellow and wither before removing it. The leaves manufacture food that is stored in the bulb for next year’s growth. Even braiding the foliage of daffodils can reduce …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … indigo features 18" long flower spikes that open lilac purple with a touch of yellow and fade to dusty lavender purple. This cultivar is an introduction from the hybridizing program of Walters Gardens. Members of the genus Baptisia are commonly known as wild or false indigo due to their use by early Americans as a blue dye. Although "indigo" is in the common name, the …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … Vernal or Ozark witch hazels, although native to the Ozark Plateau, are a welcome harbinger of spring. ‘Kohankie Red’ is a medium-sized shrub or small tree with an oval habit. Oblong leaves are initially light green changing to a dark green then to yellow with red hues in the fall. The flowers are small, fragrant …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … Vernal or Ozark witch hazels, although native to the Ozark Plateau, are a welcome harbinger of spring. ‘Lombart’s Weeping’ is a medium-sized shrub or small tree with an oval habit. Oblong leaves are initially light green changing to a dark green then to golden yellow in the fall. The flowers are small, fragrant thread-like …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … 'Mini Pearl' daylily has blush pink flowers with lemon green throats in early to mid season. The petals have ruffled edges. The blooms are only 3 inches wide. They stay open for 16 hours or more and are attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies. Although each flower lasts only one day, there are multiple buds … in series, so a single plant will continue to bloom for 2 weeks or more. It may rebloom. It is easy to grow and does well in full sun to part shade. In 2001, 'Mini Pearl' was awarded an …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant