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  • … There is much cheer to be found in the dainty flutterings of a cyclamen. Such springlike blossoms … splotched bicolors. Petals are frilled, folded, crested, doubled, and often fragrant. Foliage is an attractive mound, often with silver tracery on top and burgundy beneath. To grow a cyclamen …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … 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 … advantage of the soil’s heat before it chills at night. Cold Frames A useful season-extender is the cold frame, which you can see in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden. Cold frames are … plants will be damaged sooner than plants that are in protected spots.   Nina Koziol is a garden writer and horticulturist who lives and gardens in Palos Park, Illinois. Photos by …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … on the bottom 1 foot of the plants. It was much more devastating than we thought.” Tiddens is anticipating a lot of disease this year because of the peculiar conditions. “We’ve had … conditions and cultural practices possible. When buying new plants, match the plant to the site . If you have a spot in sun with heavy clay soil, a shade-loving plant like a hosta will suffer. A plant that is well adapted to your site will perform better and have fewer problems. During the growing …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … that looks like a dahlia, the response would be "the many-flowered sunflower." Sunflower power is blooming in gardens everywhere. Sunflower Varieties Helianthus annuus , the annual sunflower, is the mammoth-headed flower associated with the farmlands of the Great Plains—a plant cherished … vie for valuable pollen. As surprised visitors discover in September and October, the prairie is a very noisy place. Perennial gardeners, in search of back-of-the-border plants, favor the …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … sun. Fertilize every 10 to 14 days with a liquid 10-10-10 or 15-15-15 mix. The fertilizer is necessary to replenish the bulb for a new season’s flower display. In fall, before the Chicago … the nighttime temperature remains above 60 degrees. Place the pot in a sunny spot where it is protected from strong, afternoon summer sun. Water and fertilize regularly. When night … placed back in a sunny window but must be returned to the closet at 5 p.m. This dark treatment is necessary for the plant to set its flower buds. Provide normal water and monthly fertilizer …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … altar honoring the dead. My dad was so skillful with paper. He was an accountant, so this is where I would see his artistic side. But to be completely honest, it was a festivity that I … in Mexican history and dates back to the days before Spanish conquest. According to UNESCO, it is an ancestral celebration recognized on the Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Pre-Columbian … with harvest time and the Catholic observances of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. Mexico is multiethnic and multicultural, and this richness has allowed diverse expressions of the …
    Type: Blog
  • … Lapis Trio is an acoustic group featuring the compositions of Chicago-based jazz guitarist Casey Nielsen. …
    Type: Event for Calendar
  • … dividing your daylilies if they appear too densely crowded, if their flower production is less than normal or if they haven’t been divided in 10 years. By digging the clumps in late …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … Q: Last year my mums grew tall and spindly. Is there something I can do to prevent this from happening again this year? A:  Hardy …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … Be sure to water the plant during this process. As long as the foliage remains green, it is continuing to manufacture food for the bulb. If you remove it prematurely, you run the risk of …
    Type: Plant Info