Beth Botts – Page 32 –

Why leaves change color in autumn — and how to help your trees look as spectacular as possible

October 12, 2020 at 2:22 p.m.

The time when trees change color and then drop their leaves is a signpost of the year, a mark of the familiar cycle of the seasons. Early to mid-October is...

9 timely gardening and lawn tips for fall, whether you’re a pandemic gardening newbie or a seasoned pro

October 7, 2020 at 11:07 a.m.

Getting outside to soak up some sun and tend to living things was restorative for many during the stressful pandemic-plagued summer. But as the weather gets colder, it'll be time...

An ode to the ginkgo, as its fleeting golden leaves arrive in the last show of summer

September 27, 2020 at 1:00 a.m.

Every fall, there comes a moment as lovely and fleeting as a visit from a butterfly: when the ginkgo trees are golden. The incandescent yellow lasts for just a few...

Landscape fabric can do more harm than good under mulch in your garden. Here’s a better, cheaper alternative to try.

September 28, 2020 at 4:06 p.m.

For many homeowners, spreading mulch is part of the ritual of tidying up the garden after the growing season. Some will use landscape fabric under the mulch, in the hope...

Weeds still going strong into fall? Here’s how to tackle them in your garden or lawn

September 14, 2020 at 3:03 p.m.

Many perennials and shrubs start to lose steam toward the end of the growing season, but one category of plants is still going strong: weeds. "Don't stop weeding in the...

Hot, dry summer means your plants need extra watering, and for longer than you might think

September 5, 2020 at 2:00 a.m.

Despite a major storm that propelled multiple tornadoes through the Chicago area, August was otherwise pretty dry, with hot days and rainfall below normal. So even as the growing season...

Early autumn is the perfect time to plant new trees and shrubs. Here’s how to do it right.

August 29, 2020 at 2:00 a.m.

Autumn will be here soon, and that means it's a good time to think about adding trees or shrubs to your yard. "Planting them in early fall gives their roots...

The best spring-blooming bulbs to plant under trees this autumn range from daffodils to snowdrops

August 23, 2020 at 2:00 a.m.

The approach of autumn makes it time to think about which bulbs to plant for spring bloom. That's because spring-blooming bulbs are planted in the fall. In order to flower,...

If pests have the ‘gall’ to cause these warty bulges on your trees or bushes, there’s not much you can do

August 15, 2020 at 1:00 a.m.

You're admiring the stalwart limbs and sculpted leaves of your handsome oak tree, and suddenly you see them: warty bulges clustered along the branches like bunches of freaky grapes. There's...

Dry shade is a challenging place for plants to thrive. Here’s how to handle it in your garden

August 10, 2020 at 2:29 p.m.

When we see how quickly the soil dries out under the hot sun, it can be easy to assume that spaces in shade will stay moist. In fact, some shady...

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