… They’ll also take meals from other creatures. Our garden has a large wheelbarrow that I plant with annuals. One summer I watched as a hummingbird darted back and forth to a spiderweb hanging … may visit your garden next spring. Hummingbird Feeders Glass or plastic hummingbird feeders with a perch allow the birds to rest while feeding and will give you a chance to observe them up close. Make hummingbird feeder “food” with a mixture of sugar and water. The ratio is 4 parts water to 1 part sugar, so for every cup …
Type: Plant Info
… of prairie and woodlands, along the North Branch of the Chicago River. I share the trail with runners, dog walkers, deer, mice, rabbits, and for a while, cicadas. Because I ride early, though, sometimes it’s just me zipping through the woods, with only the sound of singing birds and crunching leaves under my wheels. It’s an easy ride on mostly flat, paved surfaces, and a few road crossings, with picnic areas, benches, and restrooms along the well-marked trail. If you don’t go all the …
Type: Blog
… summer annuals to include in your containers. Select dark-leaved heuchera and sedum to pair with pansies and asters. Bronze colored sedges and purple annual grasses look great planted with kale, cabbage, or mums. …
Type: Plant Info
… Turf grass can go dormant. It will turn yellow, but the crown of the plants will remain alive with just ½ inch of water over several weeks. Grass will green up as soon as normal rainfall … trees and shrubs to keep valuable moisture from evaporating. Mulch perennial or mixed borders with finely shredded material or compost that retains moisture and improves soil texture. Water …
Type: Plant Info
… trinity flower, or large-flowered trillium, it is easily recognizable by its waxy white flower with three petals and three sepals, blooming atop a single stalk arising from a whorl of three … all the greenery from the root stalk, effectively killing the plant, since the rhizome is left with no means to produce food/energy for future growth. Gardeners interested in establishing …
Type: Plant Info
… 2 feet, there are micro-minis no taller than 6 inches and climbing minis that grow to 10 feet, with each plant a dwarf version of the full-sized variety. Culture for miniature roses is the … beds or containers in a full-sun location. Water to keep the soil evenly moist and fertilize with a dilute, balanced product. Deadhead spent blossoms or cut the tiny flowers to display …
Type: Plant Info
… it typically grows as a single-trunk tree to 75-100 feet (less frequently to 120 feet) tall with horizontal branching and a rounded habit. Trunk diameter typically ranges from 3-8 feet. The … balls gradually disintegrate as fall progresses, dispursing their seeds, often in downy tufts, with the wind. Also listed as Platanus hybrida and Platanus x hispanica. London planetree was …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… fades, a delicate charmer beams from the Garden's shadows. Small, orchidlike flowers, speckled with white and shades of purple, sparkle above tall stems of glossy green foliage. Most other … down an arched stem. 'Lightning Strike' also has its green leaves intriguingly streaked with gold. Tips Toad lilies need soil that is rich in organic matter, part- to full shade and … and blues, golden waving grasses, purple callicarpa berries, the first tree foliage tinted with yellow and red. But toad lilies are the stars of the shade. They are particularly engaging …
Type: Plant Info
… tuberosa ) in spring, and Coneflower ( Echinacea ) or goldenrod ( Solidago ) for late summer, with asters in the fall. Get rid of the rows and mix it up! It has long been known that planting marigolds with tomatoes repels a host of pests, but what about planting to attract bees as well? "We … to the garden, Teddy Bear sunflowers ( Helianthus annuus 'Teddy Bear') are interplanted with Honey Bear acorn squash ( Cucurbita pepo 'Honey Bear'). Start a trend in your neighborhood …
Type: Plant Info
… of four-season gardens. They provide structure in winter, lush greenery in the growing season (with perhaps an added bonus of fall color) and flowers in — not just June anymore. In Midwest … 2-foot upright stems in July and August. Tolerant of partial shade, it prefers even moisture with plenty of room to naturalize into a thick screening. Buddleja davidii (butterfly bush) Known … shrub that blooms even in shade and prefers moist soil. It blooms in mid- to late summer with highly fragrant white or pink flowers. Its suckering habit makes it a good candidate for …
Type: Plant Info
