… frost has put the brakes on annuals, blackening their leaves or simply causing entire plants to wilt. Not to worry—there are things we can do to protect trees and shrubs and extend the last harvest as we … Frost or Freeze? The typical average date for the first fall frost in the greater Chicago area is October 15. In some years, the first frost happens in September or as late as November. Frost …
Type: Plant Info
… Aquilegia Songbird Bluebird Free-flowering, medium-compact plants have eye-catching, 1.5 to 3.5-in./4 to 9-cm pale blue and white blooms in true, nonfading colors in late Spring and early Summer. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… This evergreen perennial grows to a height of 3 feet with full sun to partial shade and moderate moisture conditions. Year-round it has coral, apricot, and orange …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Q: Should I cut back my perennials to prepare them for winter? If so, when? A: Cutting back perennials in the fall can be confusing because there are different reasons to cut plants back or leave them standing. Perennials such as prickly pear cactus ( Opuntia … The seedheads and foliage of most ornamental grasses are attractive left uncut. Sometimes it is beneficial to leave perennials such as Chrysanthemum and Stachys uncut throughout the winter …
Type: Plant Info
… Description: The male is bright pink! Seeing a pink bird in an evergreen in winter is quite a sight. The crossbill also has white wing bars and a slightly crossed bill, which enables it to extract seeds from cones. Wherever there are stands of spruces and other conifers, a flock of crossbills may be feasting. They always seem to be on the fly, so finding them at the Garden is more difficult than finding siskins and …
Type: Birding
… has unusual foliage texture that looks like the scales of a crocodile. This epiphytic fern is a native of the equatorial rainforests of south-east Asia and Polynesia where it enjoys … conditions with only filtered light. The leaves of this fern are long and strappy and can grow to 4 feet long in the wild, although 2 feet is more typical in most houseplants. Since the crocodile fern is epiphytic, care should be taken to ensure that the growing medium is light and freely draining. This fern requires temperatures …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… clusters of flowers with dark red petals and a bright yellow corona from late spring through to the first frost of fall. The flowers attract nectar feeding pollinators while the leaves are food for monarch butterfly larvae. Plant in full sun, moderately fertile soil and water to get the root system established. Unfortunately this native of southern Mexico and Central America is not root hardy in the Chicago area. Milky sap can cause contact dermatitis and is poisonous if …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Hampshire. It has a very narrow pyramidal form, with rich, teal blue-green needles. Balsam fir is native to the colder regions of Canada and the northeastern United States. The slow growth rate makes it … it is prized as a Christmas tree because of its fragrance and symmetry. It grows in full sun to partial shade, in a slightly acidic, well-drained soil. It is not tolerant of heat and needs …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Beautiful five-to-nine-lobed leaves emerge early. The plant grows 10 feet in height with a similar spread, and it is highly admired for its semi-weeping branches. Use the Japanese maple as a specimen plant. May … rich red. Foliage is red and turns a brighter red in the fall. This lovely small tree, native to the Far East, can be grown only in very protected areas if you live in Zone 5. It is an …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Beautiful five-to-nine-lobed leaves emerge early. The plant grows 18 feet in height with a narrower spread. Use … The samaras, or winged fruits, mature in fall and turn a rich red. Its purplish red foliage is outstanding and does not fade in heat. Fall color is a brilliant clear red. This lovely small tree, native to the Far East, can be grown only in very protected areas if you live in Zone 5. It is an …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
