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  • … that emerges in spring.   Tree and Shrub Care Pruning tips Weather permitting, late February is an ideal time to heavily prune large woody plants that are fully dormant. The absence of … amounts of water, such as elms, maples, and birches. Prune these trees only when the weather is consistently cold and the plants are fully dormant, if possible. As always, immediately prune … that is white and glossy before drying to a gray/brown color. The entire egg mass is about 1.5 inches long, and looks like a smudge of clay. Check out the Illinois Department of …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … in the yard as well, particularly if March’s weather proved too cold and/or wet. April also is a good month to help emerging plants for the growing season ahead. Garden To-Do List Continue … stems, buds and leaves, and discard any diseased material. Amend soil with compost Compost is a superb soil amendment, top dressing, and mulch for gardens, borders, and lawns. In April, … before planting. Plant perennials, hardy ornamental grasses, and roses.  Be aware of site conditions when planting in April, especially for plants that require six hours of direct …
    Type: Plant Info
  • …   Q. Help! I never got around to planting my tulip bulbs this fall. Is there anything I can do to save them? A. If the bulbs are still firm and show no signs of … latter cases, mulch well with 6 to 8 inches of straw, leaves, or plastic foam pellets, as it is important that the bulbs stay cold and dormant but don’t freeze. During this storage time, …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … packets or harvested straight from the garden. Often, the reason for germination failure is sowing dead seeds. To test the viability of larger seeds, add them to a jar filled with water. … The germination rate should be at least 60 percent for viable seeds. If the germination rate is below 60 percent, sow the seeds more thickly than you normally would to ensure that an …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … To most people, the word “pollinator” is synonymous with the word “bee,” but only a fraction of plants are pollinated by bees. In fact, … moth ( Hyles lineatawe ). Meet Some Moths In the state of Illinois alone there are more than 1,850 known species of moths—more than ten times the diversity of butterflies. Some are … Smith, Wikimedia Commons   Friendly Visitors at Butterflies & Blooms Butterflies & Blooms is the Garden's butterfly and moth exhibition, where visitors can immerse themselves in a habitat …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … Arkansas amsonia is native to Arkansas and Oklahoma and was identified and named in the wild in 1942 by Leslie … Its fine, soft texture and threadlike foliage has helped win its place in cultivation. It is perhaps best known for its golden and persistent fall color that appears to be almost a golden …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … Screamin' Yellow baptisia is notable for its abundant blooms of very bright yellow. Members of the genus Baptisia are … as wild or false indigo due to their use by early Americans as a blue dye. Although "indigo" is in the common name, the blooms of native species may be blue, yellow or white and the blooms …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … Though most magnolias claim our attention from the beauty of their flowers, bigleaf magnolia is an eye-catcher because of its enormous leaves. At up to 30" long, the leaves are the largest … color, the Magnolia palette also includes white, yellows and purples. Another dominant feature is a prominent fruiting body of small follicles forming a cone-like shape. The species range from …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … enough in the spring to avoid frost damage. Repeat flowering has been reported. This cultivar is named after Brooklyn community and environmental activist Hattie Carthan, who was instrumental … color, the Magnolia palette also includes white, yellows and purples. Another dominant feature is a prominent fruiting body of small follicles forming a cone-like shape. The species range from …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … Flowering Choice spirea is a miniature shrub with long lasting pink blooms. Fall foliage is purple-red. The Spiraea japonica species includes the greatest range of cultivars available to …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant