… Q. When should I plant my tender annual bulbs? A. It is safe to plant your tender bulbs after the average date of the last frost, which is approximately May 15 in the Chicago area. It is important not to work the soil while it is too wet. Soil should crumble when it is squeezed into a ball. If it …
Type: Plant Info
… The species name of swamp white oak( bicolor ) refers to the two-tone appearance of the leaves - the upper side is dark green and glossy while the underside is whitish and fuzzy. Acorns ripen annually in the … turn yellow in the fall, but there is a fair amount of variability. Swamp white oak is native to Illinois and in the wild is found growing on moist sites, but it is adaptable to urban …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… ‘Feuerland’ is a cherry red cultivar with yellow centers. It opens bright red and slowly ages to burnt orange … its cheerful color lights up the area. Its leaves are finely divided and fernlike. Attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds, it is resistant to deer, rabbits, and drought. Its 2-foot height …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… ‘Ilvomindy’ is sold under its trademark name of MEGA MINDY™. This is a compact shrub 4 ½ to 5 ½ ft tall with a spread of 4 to 6 ft. It has large, conical flowerheads held upright on strong stems. The flowerheads are a …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Good Earth An elder taught me that mshkeke is the Potawatomi word we use for medicine , but the literal translation is good Earth . There is … including her great-grandmother Vivian. A word of caution: It has taken me many years to develop a relationship with these plants to correctly identify and respectfully harvest and prepare these plants for medicine. If you have …
Type: Blog
… This plant is commonly called obedient plant or false dragonhead. The dragon's head shaped-flowers can be … of habitats. It is extremely adaptable regarding soil type, moisture, and sunlight and grows to about 30 inches high and 30 inches wide. It is well suited to rain gardens as well as other informal gardens, perennial gardens and borders. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Fragrant sumac is a spreading shrub with three-lobed leaves. It is grown mostly for the attractive leaves that … which was in Glenview, Illinois. It grows 2-3 feet tall, but straggles along the ground to six feet or more. It makes a good low hedge for defining spaces or filling in a corner. … sumac is tolerant of dry soils and some shade once established. It is actually related to poison ivy, but most people are not sensitive to this species. Wearing gloves when pruning is …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… VANILLA SPICE summersweet (or sweet pepperbush) is a cultivar of a deciduous shrub that is native to the eastern US. Its name is derived from the prolific fragrant white flowers that appear at … and that attract butterflies and birds. The flowers are produced on vertical flower spikes up to a foot long. The shrub grows to 6 feet high and wide depending on the location and growing …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Iris 'Rosalie Figge' This is a tall bearded iris that stands 37 to 39 inches tall. It has violet standards while the falls … and in 1999 it received Award of Merit. It is an excellent cut flower and is attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds while resistant to rabbits and deer. Iris is the name of the …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Iris 'Undercurrent' is a stunning tall bearded iris with vanilla standards, apricot yellow falls and fiery red … wash extending inward from the edges of the falls. It stands 42 inches high, blooming in mid to late season with a mild sweet fragrance. In 2006 Undercurrent was awarded Honorable Mention by … and in 2008 it received the Award of Merit. It is an excellent cut flower and is attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds while resistant to rabbits and deer. The classic 'Fleur de Lys' …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
