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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 … and allow normal rainfall to water the tuber. In the fall, repot the cyclamen in a pot only 1 inch larger. Bring the developing plant indoors to a bright (and cool) spot, and begin watering …
    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
  • … 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
  • … 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
  • … 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
  • … A. The amount of time a soaker hose should run depends on the length of the hose, whether it is buried or on the soil surface, what type of plants you are watering and whether or not it …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … the orchid not having been repotted in two to three years The best time to repot an orchid is when it has finished flowering. Choose a plastic pot (which does not dry out as quickly as …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … and self-unfruitful varieties. When selecting a tree to cross-pollinate with a pear tree, it is important that they both flower at the same time and are winter hardy to your area. It will …
    Type: Plant Info