Hexagon stonecrop is a hardy evergreen perennial that forms a mat that is 4” tall and 8” wide. It blooms in summer with yellow, star-shaped flowers. It gets its name from the whorls of six tiny needle-like leaves that grown along its stems. It is not an evergreen groundcover, but will turn an attractive shade of red in the fall. It works well in a rock garden, where it will not be shaded by …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Their Bets As if on cue, tiny green leaves peek out from the dark soil each spring, reaching for the sun. But how do flowers know it’s spring? And can they detect real spring versus a warm … the warmest ever recorded in Chicago and as the highest global average temperature in history for that month. At the Garden, it was in the 60s one day and snowing the next. It’s no wonder … things up beyond the ‘reasonable conditions’ plants are used to such that they might start to get fooled.” And They’re Off These plants got a jump on spring Unseasonably warm days have …
Type: Blog
… watch or sleeping on a portable bed nearby. The image may appear bucolic, but more importantly for Rubinberg, it represents a crucial step on his path to recovery from post-traumatic stress … service dog, who helped him find his way. Training Cooper gave Rubinberg a goal, a reason to get out of the house, and the confidence to seek employment again. And once he landed a job at … alone. We’ve talked a lot about military and life experiences, and it benefits all of us…to get it out in the open in a way we can’t really do with [other people].” “I’m getting a sense of …
Type: Blog
… Take a moment for a bit of mental gardening. A simple layout of your vegetable garden, done at planting, will … kept copious notes about the fruits and vegetables grown at his home at Monticello. To get really inspired about garden journaling, check out the pages of his Garden Book , documented … The venerable Mother Earth News has a wide-ranging app that's free : motherearthnews.com Smartgardener.com (no relation to our monthly column!) has a free online journal that looks …
Type: Plant Info
… permits, remove burlap screens erected to protect plants from wind or road salt spray. Check for broken branches (prune immediately. Check plants for signs of damage from snow loads or … sprouts to grow naturally. Tend to emerging perennials As spring begins, help perennial plants get ready for the robust growing season ahead: Freeze-thaw-freeze cycles may cause some plants to … gardening sites can help you locate native plant sales in the Chicago area. For inspiration, visit the Garden’s Native Plant Garden. Learn more Return to the top …
Type: Plant Info
… is required. Additional information concerning the artist is available at www.djgarrity.com . Students of all ages have enjoyed the light approach that Garrity brings to the art of … is required. Additional information concerning the artist is available at www.djgarrity.com . Students of all ages have enjoyed the light approach that Garrity brings to the art of …
Type: Page
To most people, the word “pollinator” is synonymous with the word “bee,” but only a fraction of plants are pollinated by bees. In fact, many different insects and mammals are pollinators—bats, birds, beetles, and we can't forget our nocturnal friends, moths. Conservation Scientist Krissa Skogen, Ph.D., tells us about the white-lined sphinx moth ( Hyles lineatawe ). Meet Some Moths In the state of …
Type: Plant Info
… Baltimore orioles have arrived in the eastern United States to set up breeding territories. To get her attention, the male hops around the female, spreads his wings, and bows forward. The … lucky enough to see an oriole nest will most likely agree. It can take a week to ten days for the female to complete her nest. She’ll then lay three to seven pale eggs blotched with brown, which hatch in 11 to 14 days. The young remain in the nest for another 11 to 14 days, getting fed constantly by their parents, until they’re able to hop out …
Type: Birding
… Cicadas have been out and singing for a while now. If you live around trees, you may be enjoying their late summer serenade. You … eyes? In school we learn that insects have compound eyes, and we use toy bug eye viewers to get a sense of what dragonflies and bees see. But the real picture is a little more complicated. … three simple eyes show up as three spots reflecting the flash from the camera. The Latin name for this cicada is Tibicen canicularis. “Canus” is the Latin word for dog. Why do you think he’s …
Type: Blog
… to its demise at the turn of the twentieth century, when these and other waders were hunted for their feathery plumes that women wore in their hats. Since then, the great egret, standing … its motionless legs likely looking like branches to a fish, which will come closer, and then get snatched up by the hungry wader. The bird swallows the prey head first, sometimes having to … is doing well in Illinois; however, habitat loss and water pollution may threaten its future. Visit Baker’s Lake in Barrington to watch the great egret during breeding season and McGinnis …
Type: Blog
