… takes its name because Native Americans reportedly used its straight stems to make arrows. It is not the showiest member of the genus Viburnum , but it may be the most useful and durable; the …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Meadowsweet spirea is an upright shrub that grows to a maximum height of 4 feet. It requires full sun to partial …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Lilacs begin to set buds for the following year shortly after they finish blooming; if pruning is desired, it should be done immediately after flowering to maintain flower production the next …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… turn up the heat and glow with the fire of early fall color. Our native goldenrod, Solidago , is one of the golden glories of the field, prairie, oak woodlands, and even seaside. There are … Garden, Landscape Gardens, and McDonald Woods. An end-of-summer visit to these various gardens is a perfect way to admire goldenrod's many forms, as well as note the companion plantings that … mid-October. Solidago 'Goldkind' (Golden Baby): Comparable in size to 'Baby Sun', 'Goldkind' is a good choice for high flower production, sturdy habit, and disease resistance. It blooms from …
Type: Plant Info
… cover beds or in perennial borders where emerging plants hide their yellowing foliage. It is crucial that the stems and leaves remain attached to the bulbs until they begin to lose their … to deer, rabbits, and other rodents due to a poisonous alkaloid in the bulb. This chemical is also responsible for the daffodil's inability to coexist with other cut flowers in a vase. …
Type: Plant Info
… 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
… Think fall color disappears in October? Nope. The first week of November is still prime time for leaf peeping at the Chicago Botanic Garden . As the Garden’s … curving paths, and I’ve been keeping my eye on them already. If the photo of larch trees above is any indication, late fall color will be stunning! …
Type: Blog
… 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
