Beth Botts – Page 18 –

Luna™ white rose mallow is a cultivated selection of Hibiscus moscheutos, a perennial with a tropical-looking bloom that is hardy in the Chicago area and is native to eastern North America.

Grow hibiscus to get double takes on your yard

July 16, 2023 at 5:00 a.m.

Looking for a plant that will knock off socks with showstopping bloom, while supporting pollinators and other native wildlife? Consider hibiscus. To most people, hibiscus is a tropical plant, and...

In a drought, save water for valuable plants such as shrubs and mature trees by allowing lawn grass to go brown and dormant. Cover bare soil around trees, shrubs and perennials with a layer of mulch to slow the evaporation of water from their root zones.

To deal with drought in your garden, water with precision

July 8, 2023 at 5:00 a.m.

The drought is likely coming for your garden. You may notice it first when lawn grass turns brown, but other plants are in the line of fire. "Drought can do...

Clematis vines, such as this Durand's clematis (Clematis x durandii), bring height and color to the garden when they climb trellises, fences and arbors.

Hardy clematis vine can climb high in your garden

July 2, 2023 at 5:00 a.m.

Wherever you need something colorful to clamber over something — a trellis, a fence, a shed, an arbor — there's a clematis vine that would welcome the opportunity. Several types...

Big-leaved hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) often fails to bloom in Chicago because the shrub's flower buds are killed by winter cold. Other, more hardy hydrangea species bloom more reliably.

Getting hydrangeas to bloom is a risky business

June 24, 2023 at 5:00 a.m.

Every June, some gardens are bedecked with the glorious, huge, fluffy pink blooms of big-leaved hydrangea. And some aren't. "'Why didn't my hydrangea bloom?' is one of the questions we...

Japanese beetles, which usually appear in June after they develop from grubs that overwinter in the soil, feed on about 300 species of ornamental plants.

Tips for treating destructive Japanese beetles

June 18, 2023 at 5:00 a.m.

It's time to keep an eye out for Japanese beetles, one of the most easily recognized and destructive garden pests. In June and July, grubs in the soil of lawns...

Whether you use a sprinkler, a hose nozzle, soaker hoses or an irrigation bag for young trees, water each area slowly and deeply so the water percolates 3 to 6 inches into the soil.

A dry spring means it’s time to water

June 11, 2023 at 5:00 a.m.

Summer is off to a dry start in the Chicago region, which means it's time for watering. "May was very dry, so plants need more watering than we might be...

Peonies are among the most hardy and long-lived of perennial plants.

You can cultivate gorgeous peonies this June

June 4, 2023 at 1:05 p.m.

Peonies, with their huge, look-at-me blooms, are one of the glories of early summer. They're also one of the easiest, most durable garden perennials. "Once it's established, a peony plant...

The small brown leaves on this ginkgo tree were killed by cold, but the tree is already replacing them with new green leaves.

Water helps dried tree leaves recover from dry spring, cold weather

May 27, 2023 at 5:00 a.m.

Are you seeing brown, dry leaves on trees this spring? They may have been damaged by cold weather. "We didn't get a hard freeze this spring, but we have had...

It's best to wait until late May or even early June, when nighttime temperatures are reliably warm, before planting tender vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers.

Freezing spring nights can endanger tender plants

May 21, 2023 at 5:00 a.m.

It's planting time! For most things, yes, but perhaps not for others, according to Sharon Yiesla, plant knowledge specialist at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle. Some plants are vulnerable to...

European buckthorn is one of the many common garden plants from other regions of the world that have become invasive problems in the Chicago area.

What can gardeners do to combat invasive plants? Know your enemy.

May 14, 2023 at 5:00 a.m.

What do these plants have in common: Callery pear trees, barberry shrubs and yellow flag iris? Sure, they're all pretty in bloom. But more ominously, they are all invasive plants....

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