… you plan. When making purchases, be mindful of optimal planting times for seeds you want to start indoors, as well as summer/fall bulbs and live plants you’ll add later in the year. Use the … weather that may confuse and potentially harm plants. Monitor plants for signs of damage from animals, ice, snow, or wind. During winter thaws, try to avoid walking on your lawn and … which compresses soil and may affect its ability to absorb water. Retie vines that become torn from their supports. Keep small ponds free of ice by installing pumps or pouring warm water over …
Type: Plant Info
… baskets, or sprawling over a windowsill as a houseplant. There are many types of ivy, ranging from rampant climbers to tiny miniatures. Most of them are tolerant of extreme conditions and can … Chicago area. The rest can be planted as houseplants here. English ivy is found in the wild from Japan to the Azores and from Scandinavia to North Africa. Its preferred habitat is a shady … and cigarette smoke. Ivy is easily propagated by cuttings taken in the fall. Rooting is quick when the cuttings are planted in a peat and sand mixture or a ready-mixed potting compost. …
Type: Plant Info
… to check peonies for botrytis blight or other foliar fungal problems. Peonies that suffered from botrytis or bud blast last year should be sprayed regularly, starting when the plants are …
Type: Plant Info
… lights up the landscape. Marmo maple, Acer x freemanii 'Marmo', is a cultivated variety from the hybrid cross of red maple, Acer rubrum , with silver maple, Acer saccharinum . 'Marmo' was selected from The Morton Arboretum's collection and named for the lake on the grounds. Chicagoland Grows … combinations that vary with weather and site conditions are strong attributes. 'Marmo' is quick to establish itself, growing over 2 feet a year when young. Its foliage is ornamental not …
Type: Plant Info
… A "new" variety, individual 'Red Pearl' bulbs are selling for a little more than $10 each from the Dutch originator. Hippeastrum used to be included in the genus Amaryllis until the … scientifically, the taxonomists adopted a resolution assigning the name Amaryllis to plants from South Africa and used the name Hippeastrum for the species originating in South America. … well to settle the soil and moisturize the roots (important - do not remove the dried roots from the base of the bulb before planting) and hold in a dark coolish location until 10 to 12 …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… of water. We used four grocery store hydrangeas to test three methods: Hydrangeas we tested, from left to right: smashed stem, Quick Dip, plant food only, alum powder. Specimen 1 Dipped the stem in alum (a food additive used for pickling or canning) Specimen 2 Added Quick Dip powder to the water Specimen 3 Smashed the stem with a hammer All of them were given …
Type: Blog
… If you’re ready to start a new tradition (enough already with the pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin cookies), … fudge. The bourbon gives the fudge a bit of a kick (and who doesn’t need a little jump-start during the holidays?). The recipe is simple enough to get the whole family involved. Think …
Type: Blog
Q. What is the best way to take care of plants growing in containers? A. Plants growing in containers require a little more work than plants growing in garden beds. The amount of care that will need to be given to them depends on the type of plant, the location of the container, and the type and size of container. Many container plants, especially those located in full sun, will require more …
Type: Plant Info
… ensure you do not miss the milk stage. When the ears are ready, snap them off by hand with a quick and firm downward twist and pull. Store or eat the corn immediately after harvesting. One …
Type: Plant Info
… our roses have been under their warm blanket of composted horse manure. Compost protects roses from the harsh winter winds and freeze and thaw cycles that can be deadly to many cultivars. As the hours of sunlight increase and daytime temperatures get warmer, however, we need to start inspecting our roses for signs that it is time to remove the compost and prepare the roses … with limited risk of a killing frost, we use our hands to carefully remove the thawed compost from around a rose bush. We need to inspect several bushes because some areas of our Garden thaw …
Type: Blog
