Home and Garden – Page 11

By simply raking fallen leaves onto your garden beds, you can provide your plants with a healthy, protective, soil-building layer of free mulch. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Don’t let fallen leaves go to waste

By Beth Botts

October 25, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Nature never wastes a leaf.

Fall tree color at the Chicago Botanic Garden. (Jeff Carrion/Chicago Botanic Garden)

Peak fall color in Chicago area now on display

By Tim Johnson

October 24, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

When you understand the basics of fall color and monitor the weather, you will be...

Rats walk through an alley on the 1900 block of North Halsted Street Tuesday Aug. 12, 2025, in Chicago. The village of Franklin Park is seeking input from residents via an advisory referendum on if it should ban fruit trees in residential neighborhoods to help reduce rodent populations that might feed on fallen fruit. (Armando L. Sanchez/baiduhai)

Franklin Park seeks voter input on potential fruit tree ban to combat rodents

By Alicia Fabbre

October 23, 2026 at 2:13 p.m.

Franklin Park voters are being asked in an advisory referendum if the village should ban...

If a houseplant’s pot is inside a decorative container, like this golden pothos in a plastic-lined basket, remove the plant from the inner pot for watering. Place the pot in the sink or over a bucket, soak the plant thoroughly, and let all surplus water drain away before returning it to the decorative cover. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Water correctly to keep houseplants healthy

By Beth Botts

February 7, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Here are tips for knowing when to water and doing it right.

Disease-resistant cultivated varieties or alternative species are available for many plants that are prone to disease. The Accolade™ elm (Ulmus davidiana var. japonica 'Morton') is a selection of an Asian species that resists the deadly Dutch elm disease. (Mike Hudson/The Morton Arboretum)

Search out shrub, trees that resist disease

By Beth Botts

February 1, 2026 at 9:46 a.m.

Some trees and shrubs have a bad reputation for being susceptible to diseases: lilacs to...

Gro-Low sumac (Rhus aromatica 'Gro-Low'). (RJ Carlson/Chicago Botanic Garden)

Gro-Low sumac a good choice for planting near sidewalk

By Tim Johnson

January 31, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

This fast-growing, durable plant is a good choice to stabilize a bank and requires little...

The home, left, and studio of renowned architect R. Harold Zook on Jan. 28, 2026, at 5901 S. County Line Road in Hinsdale. Zook’s home and studio were located at 327 S. Oak St. from 1924 until 2005, when both buildings were moved to Katherine Legge Memorial Park. (Josh Boland/baiduhai)

Home and studio of R. Harold Zook, ‘Hinsdale’s Frank Lloyd Wright,’ gets funding boost for preservation

By Melinda Moore

January 31, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

The Hinsdale Historical Society's plans for the home of R. Harold Zook, "Hinsdale's Frank Lloyd...

Evergreen trees shelter birds such as this warbler against winter winds and cold. (Hailey Hoffman/Morton Arboretum)

How to plant a garden that welcomes birds

By Beth Botts

January 25, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Yards that include mature trees and native plants are critical rest stops for the millions...

Spathiphyllum, or peace lily, in flower. (RJ Carlson/Chicago Botanic Garden)

Encourage your peace lily to bloom with these simple tips

By Tim Johnson

January 24, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Peace lilies can be erratic in flowering, but there are a few things you can...

Weeding the garden. (RJ Carlson/Chicago Botanic Garden)

What makes a weed?

By Tim Johnson

January 18, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

There is a biological difference between a weedy plant and an invasive plant, a garden...

Researching the care and conditions needed by any plants you’re considering for the coming season is one important gardening task to do in midwinter. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Get busy on this year’s garden

By Beth Botts

January 17, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

What a gift to be a gardener at this time of year! For most other...

To give an old, tangled, overcrowded shrub a new start, rejuvenate it by cutting off all stems within 2 to 4 inches of the soil. In many species, new, more vigorous stems will sprout in spring. (Jeffrey Ross/The Morton Arboretum)

Give an old, tangled shrub a new start

By Beth Botts

January 11, 2026 at 12:01 p.m.

Midwinter is a good time to prune deciduous shrubs because it's easy to see the...

Make sure wood is properly seasoned before burning it in the fireplace. (RJ Carlson/Chicago Botanic Garden)

Can cut trees be safely used for firewood?

By Tim Johnson

January 10, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

I am having a couple of trees cut down next week. Is it OK to...