… are talking about ways to green their gardening. We hope you find this information useful for your own gardening purposes. Biodegradable Biodegradable products or packages decompose into … lanes. In some communities, commercial building codes require bioswales to reduce the need for larger sewer systems. Carbon Footprint Carbon dioxide is one of a handful of common … mechanical practices to address challenges posed by pests and pathogens Composting disease-free plant material for later use as a soil amendment or mulch Rain Gardens Similar to bioswales, …
Type: Plant Info
… Timber Press. Portland, Oregon. p. 227. At first glance, witch hazels hardly seem candidates for tests or trials, since, as a group, they are hardy, maintenance-free, and ignored by most pests. Whether you think of them as small trees or large shrubs, they … p. 227. In fact, the only major drawback to witch hazels lies at their roots—a preference for well-drained, loamy, acidic soil means that they grow less than happily in clay soil. That's …
Type: Plant Info
… styles, is a walk through the history of English gardening. It is also an ideal opportunity for visitors to fill their own gardening dreams with beautifully inspired ideas. A Series of … Garden Rooms The noted English landscape architect John Brookes provided the original design for this garden in 1971, and he continues to visit regularly, checking on the progress of the signature plant specimens that mark each area. …
Type: Walks
… many rootlets, it clings to brick, mortar, wood and stone and becomes virtually a maintenance-free plant. Fences, pillars, trellises, and posts of all sorts are perfect forms against which … ivy cultivars available are not winter-hardy here, 'Thorndale' is particularly recommended for midwestern gardeners. As an outdoor annual container plant, English ivy combines beautifully … in hanging baskets, decorative containers, or window boxes. A few cultivars suitable for pots include 'Brokamp', 'Cascade', 'Ceridwen', 'Domino', 'Irish Lace', and one of the best …
Type: Plant Info
… pollinators and that each pollinator has a specific flower type that they are attracted to. For hummingbirds, many gardeners and scientists alike have long assumed their flower type to be … strikingly red, tubular, and scentless. Flowers that are often thought of as typical choices for hummingbirds: Wyoming paintbrush Castilleja linariifolia Giant red paintbrush … hummingbirds do have a sense of smell. So why would hummingbirds go out of their way to visit a limited selection of reddish, long-tubed, scentless flowers that produce cheaper nectar …
Type: Blog
… inspired by the bright, high-held flower spikes of the tall species, comes from the Greek word for "flame." Although some species have become common garden plants all over the world, nearly … leaves shriveled, brown, and dusty-looking. Finding a better phlox has been a years-long goal for Richard Hawke, manager of plant evaluations. In his sunny outdoor laboratory, the Bernice E. … resistance, but its hardiness, sturdiness, and willingness to put on a show. The mildew-free top performer was Phlox paniculata 'Shortwood'. The name is a joke; the fragrant flower …
Type: Plant Info
… a woodlot. I was traveling between nature preserves in this area of the state collecting seeds for the Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank , so my mind was already tuned in for interesting native flora that might produce a collection for the seed bank. It was impossible … gave me plenty of time to contemplate whether or not to make the collection. Since my first visit to the woodland, I have made several seed collections of many quality native woodland …
Type: Blog
… is anything around them at all. This reminds me, once again, of the mission I have defined for myself as a professor of botany: In order to help them understand and appreciate the nature … down electronic devices and experiencing nature firsthand. “Plant blindness” (an incapacity for many people to recognize the green world around them) has been bemoaned by modern botanists … are institutions like the Chicago Botanic Garden in cities around the world where people can visit, learn about, and come to love real plants. Botanic gardens are thus critical players in …
Type: Blog
… we can also experience negative engineering effects of plants on their environments when we visit natural areas throughout the Chicago region and beyond that have been heavily invaded by … common or European buckthorn ( Rhamnus cathartica ). Buckthorn was brought to the Midwest for ornamental use—it’s great at making hedges—but escaped from human control and is now one of … where it contributes to global climate change and instead locking it away harmlessly for potentially hundreds of years—is one such service. Steffen’s more than two decades of work …
Type: Blog
… says Joan O’Shaughnessy, the Garden’s prairie and river senior ecologist. It’s challenging for her to suggest the “best” time to visit the prairie because it’s constantly changing—every week, every month, there’s something … The Dixon Prairie is a recreated prairie. “The soils and the hydrology are the foundations for the different habitats,” she explained. “These different types of prairies are communities of …
Type: Blog
