… and unplanted. What makes a miniature? The American Daffodil Society (ADS) refrains from an official definition or separate division for miniatures (although it sanctions a cultivar list ). Because daffodils' bulbs are site-dependent—putting out larger or smaller flowers each year, according to sun/soil/water/weather conditions—the term "miniature" is a moving target that's hard to standardize. In general, however, the ADS and reputable …
Type: Plant Info
… & Symptoms Salt injures plants in two ways. It soaks into the soil with melting snow and is taken up by plant roots. It also becomes airborne, especially during dry winters, and is blown onto plants. Ice and snow weigh down tree and shrub branches, causing breakage. This can … following light snowfalls. Do not attempt to remove ice from branches after an ice storm or free branches that might be frozen to the ground; allow the ice to melt on its own. Most …
Type: Plant Info
… a drawer or door front, this collection of dried plant leaves, flowers, seeds, and barks is a must-have in American kitchens: full spice racks are prized as wedding gifts and … for your own herb garden, and to order seeds for the herbs you want to grow yourself. To help get you started, check out these inspirations/resources at the Garden: The informal herb garden's … You might have read about it in this Smart Gardener, Better than Googling . The eager-to-get-started will want to sow seeds early indoors, too—this Smart Gardener link has the how-tos: …
Type: Plant Info
… eventual home. Keep the tree’s mature size in mind when determining placement. Once the hole is dug, if freezing temperatures are predicted, move the soil into a garage or other warm … it permanently outdoors. Once the tree has been planted, be sure to water it in well. This is particularly important as evergreens are prone to drying out over winter. Fertilization is not necessary. A 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch will be beneficial as mulch moderates soil …
Type: Plant Info
… Is your garden fragrant enough? Gardeners often focus on color and design in their beds, borders, … plants. In this month's edition of Smart Gardener : a dozen plants in all shapes and sizes to get your scent palette primed. 3 Bulbs with Bouquet Snowdrops (Galanthus) Blooms in March Famous … plants of Chocolate cosmos. Its maroon/brown/near-black flowers have a velvety feel and can't-get-enough-of-it chocolate scent—you'll find it incorporated into containers around the grounds …
Type: Plant Info
… stem (monopodial), and the roots stretch out from the base of the stem. Aerial roots roam free of their containers and can grow up to 2 meters long. In ideal conditions, you can expect … number of genera, each with its own unique characteristics. A common characteristic, however, is the basic form of the flower, which consists of three petals surrounded by three sepals—often … nights—though the absolute temperature range (cool, intermediate, or warm) varies by genus and is consistent with their natural habitat. While requiring adequate sunlight for a stunning bloom …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… States in 2011. Currently, it has been identified in 18 states, primarily in the east. It is being managed at a state level, with various states having different regulations. Some states … to practice boxwood blight cleanliness programs to ensure the plants they sell are disease free. Here at the Chicago Botanic Garden, we are developing protocol to monitor incoming plants … Bugwood.org Now that boxwood blight has been found in Illinois, and because boxwood is such a common landscape planting, we should all have a good understanding of this new …
Type: Plant Info
… sprout with a few ferny leaves. Now this sprawling monster, barely contained by its cage, is overwhelming you with tomatoes. What are you to do with them all? Or with the rampant zucchini … your front porch. Never fear. There are many options for coping with the harvest. One option is to donate surplus produce to food pantries or homeless shelters, as the Garden's Windy City … if you actually want more vegetables and herbs? With most, the more you pick, the more you'll get, until the plant is slowed down by dropping temperatures and shorter days or has simply run …
Type: Plant Info
… the Netherlands, where tulips were introduced in the sixteenth century. The environment there is ideal for growing tulips. It’s mostly surrounded by sea, and has well-drained soil, long days, … how a new variety will perform in the landscape over the long term. It’s often a tradeoff: To get gorgeous flowers, they sacrifice vigor. T. kaufmanniana T. clusiana ‘Lady Jane’ ' T. … temperature. You can’t do anything about those freak 90-degree-Fahrenheit days. And you can’t get a tulip to rebloom by deadheading it. The bulb doesn’t have enough energy to bloom a second …
Type: Blog
… orchid looks like in the Tropical Greenhouse at the Chicago Botanic Garden —but the rotation is so slow that you won’t be able to see the buds move in real time. We’ll have two comet orchids … rotation. Most orchids rotate 180 degrees in a process called resupination or, if you want to get technical, “blooming upside down.” The fancy petal known as the lip usually faces up. When … sunlight, which may also help catch the attention of insects. Here, the “lip” of the orchid is the dark purple-ish part. One good turn deserves another Orchids are best known for this feat, …
Type: Blog
