This week’s pick is by Art Hayzlett, Irrigation Service Manager Bloomerang Lilac If you’re longing for the sweet scent of lilacs all summer long, then the reblooming Bloomerang Lilac could be the answer. At only 4 feet tall, this easy to grow variety is suitable for foundation plantings, hedges, …
Read More »
By Sandra Nelson This article was originally published December 2018. I have been feeling incredibly stressed lately. Unfortunately, when I am stressed, I just shut down which, of course, increases my stress level and renders me virtually useless. My “To Do” list gets longer and my “Done” list stays blank.The only way I …
Read More »
By Sandra Nelson This week’s pick is by Karl Hying, Landscape Designer Sweetbay Magnolia “The Sweetbay Magnolia, with its wonderful fragrance, blooms late May into June, long after other magnolias are done.” Elegant is the word of choice to describe this fragrant beauty. A striking alternative for a unique …
Read More »
By Sandra Nelson While wandering around the Chicago Botanic Garden last summer, I stumbled upon (no pun intended) an area dedicated to Accessible Gardening — gardening for people with special needs or physical limitations. Feeling my aches and pains more and more every day, the prospect of discovering ways to make strenuous gardening tasks …
Read More »
By Sandra Nelson This week’s pick is by Sandra Nelson, Blog Writer Ornamental Millet “The vibrant color and strong structure are hard to beat, but watching dozens of goldfinches vying to devour the seed heads in the fall is enchanting.” What began as one of the world’s oldest …
Read More »
By Sandra Nelson I am over it! Six inches Wednesday and another inch or two tonight. Grey skies and more snow expected tomorrow. The trees are drooping under the weight of the snow and my early spring bulbs that were beginning to peek through the ground are once again covered over. I need a …
Read More »
By Sandra Nelson As unlikely as it seems, you can grow cacti outdoors in the Midwest — as long as you recognize the fact that cacti have some particular requirements that must be met. Cacti need excellent drainage. Heavy soils, like our typical midwestern clay soils, hold water which causes root rot …
Read More »
By Sandra Nelson Nurseries, garden centers, big box stores, grocery stores, discount centers, florists, online retailers — they’re all offering vast displays of cacti to tempt their customers into impulsively picking up one or two to take home. Before giving in to temptation however, it’s wise to take a few minutes to do some …
Read More »
By Sandra Nelson This week’s pick is by Sandy Defoe, Artistic Director. Oak Leaf Hydrangea “In summer, the attractive green leaves show off other plants. The flowers last all summer long and then the dried flower heads stay on through the winter.” Long a favorite for Midwest gardens (introduced in …
Read More »
By Sandra Nelson For years I thought that succulents and cacti were two entirely different and unrelated types of plants that just happened to be marketed together. It’s only been in the last few weeks that I’ve learned the actual relationship between the two. The truth is that all cacti are succulents, but not all …
Read More »