Rose pink, lavender or lilac thin twisted petal surround the darker lip sporting a dark yellow splotch with colored nectar guides. This species produces dozens of long lasting fragrant flowers at the tip of a three foot flowering spike. Native to higher elevations in Central America and southern Mexico it grows best in cool conditions, bright sunlight and high humidity in very well drained orchid …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
LITTLE LUCKY™ Peach Glow Lantana This mounding, non-hardy perennial is a butterfly and hummingbird magnate whose foliage is not grazed by deer, rabbits, etc. Lemon-yellow newly opened flowers mature to pink with a yellow throat. Plant in full sun in the hottest location in your garden for the best flower displays. Shrugs off heat, high humidity, and drought. Pest and disease resistant in the …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
Compact self branching plants feature lime green foliage and, during late summer, morning glory style flowers in white with a purple eye. Plant in well drained moisture retentive soils in full sun for best foliage color and growth. Dig tubers in fall after first frost has knocked the foliage off and enjoy home grown sweet potatoes at the end of the season. Deer love the …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
Fireworks sundrops ( Oenothera fruticosa ‘Fireworks’) explode with color in the Home Landscape Gardens during summer. Flowering best in full sun, drought-tolerant sundrops must have well-drained soil. This winter-hardy, summer-blooming perennial has exceptionally cheery, 3- to 4-inch flowers, and a loose, sprawling habit that softens edges of walkways and paths. Fireworks is selected for its …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
This is a dwarf (8’ X 8’) version of the species. It has the same dark green needles with white bands on the underside. It also has the same tolerances for heat, humidity and air pollution as the species ( Picea omorika ), which makes it a good shrub for this area. It will do best in a sunny location with well-drained soil, but will tolerate some …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
This Norway spruce is a dwarf conifer with a pyramidal shape, reaching no more than 4-5 feet tall and wide. It has much shorter, denser branching than the species. Like other spruces, it is extremely cold-hardy. It will do best in a sunny location with well-drained soil. Norway spruces are easy to grow and tolerant of difficult growing conditions. They have stiff, sharp pointed needles 1/2-1 …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
Deep violet-purple flowers spring from almost black bracts atop friendship sage ( Salvia 'Amistad'). This large, nonhardy perennial comes into flower in midsummer and continues blooming up to frost. It is best used as an annual in Chicago-area gardens. Plant this salvia in sunny locations that will accommodate its 4-foot size. Discovered at a plant sale in Buenos Aires, Argentina, this sage …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
This variety of glory-of-the snow ( Chionodoxa luciliae ‘Gigantea’) is one of the largest-flowering and has 1-inch-wide, pale blue flowers. A perennial bulb that blooms in early spring, it grows from 3 to 11 inches in height. The bulbs should be planted 3 inches deep in well-drained soil. It is best used in the front of the border or where it can be …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
Large, hairy, cream-colored flowers are marked with burgundy splotches. A fetid smell and increased temperature are also effective in attracting flies that pollinate the flowers as they lay their eggs in what appears to be a dead animal. This native of southern Africa is not hardy outdoors in the Chicago region and grows best in full sun and relatively dry soils. The odor can be overpowering …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… did this one photo go from being taken in the spring of 2008 to being highlighted on the NSF’s website? How does a research project evolve and grow over time? Ask any scientist what they are …
Type: Blog
