Beth Botts – Page 34 –

Want to start a compost pile for your garden? Here are tips on how to build one with yard and kitchen waste.

May 23, 2020 at 8:57 a.m.

Even in the garden, "waste not, want not" is good advice. To keep useful nutrients and organic matter in your yard and put them to work, make compost from your...

It’s time to prune spring-flowering shrubs like forsythia and lilac. Here’s how to do it right.

May 17, 2020 at 1:00 a.m.

In this stressful spring, we've been cheered by the bright blooms of flowering shrubs and ornamental trees such as forsythia, quince, viburnum, lilac, cherry, crabapple and redbud. If these plants...

Start planting cold-tolerant plants and cool-season vegetables as May gets underway

May 9, 2020 at 1:00 a.m.

The middle of May is approaching. Does that mean it's finally time to plant our gardens? Maybe, said Julie Janoski, manager of the Plant Clinic at The Morton Arboretum in...

Moving a shrub can be a big job — here’s how to do it

May 3, 2020 at 1:00 a.m.

Sometimes a shrub needs a new home. "When a shrub isn't working where it is, you may be able to give it a new lease on life by transplanting it,"...

Celebrate Arbor Day by enjoying all that trees bring us — and give them a little love in return

April 24, 2020 at 1:00 a.m.

In these difficult days, it's good to be reminded that life goes on. One way to remember that is to look at our trees. "Trees live a long time, and...

You don’t have to social distance from your garden while coronavirus has us cooped up — get outside and dig in

April 18, 2020 at 1:00 a.m.

If you have a large yard where you can work outdoors at a suitable social distance, you have a handy stress reliever: You can garden. Even if you don't have...

Sharpen your gardening tools for clean cuts and healthier plants

April 5, 2020 at 1:00 a.m.

Sharpening tools is an important gardening task that can be completed indoors. If your tools are sharp, your plants will benefit, said Julie Janoski, Plant Clinic manager at The Morton...

Despite coronavirus crisis, ‘nature stays on track,’ so look out your window for signs of spring

April 2, 2020 at 1:00 a.m.

Spring is coming just as it does every year. Crocuses are in bloom and daffodils are getting there. Buds are swelling on forsythia shrubs. Soon, a red or green glow...

Wildflowers are great for spring gardens — just don’t get them from the wild

March 28, 2020 at 1:00 a.m.

Nothing raises the spirits like the first wildflowers of spring in the woods. "It's always a treat to see those first little blooms," said Sharon Yiesla, plant knowledge specialist at...

Don’t let warm days fool you — gardens aren’t ready for springtime work just yet

March 19, 2020 at 1:00 a.m.

The garden beckons on warm days in spring, but it's too soon for planting and many other garden tasks, said Julie Janoski, Plant Clinic manager at The Morton Arboretum in...

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