Home and Garden – Page 21

At the end of the growing season, think back on your garden through the growing season to make notes for improving it next year. For example, planting some colorful alliums might fill a gap between the last spring tulips and the first summer flowers. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Make notes now for next year’s garden

By Beth Botts

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

As fall swirls toward winter, spend a little time out in the garden taking stock...

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...

Consider buying materials, such as mulch, in bulk for larger areas to save money. (RJ Carlson/Chicago Botanic Garden)

Calculate your garden needs for savvy shopping

By Tim Johnson

April 13, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

The garden buying season is about to begin in earnest, and with a few calculations...

If you prune roses in springtime to remove dead wood and improve air circulation, it will bring you beautiful blooms this summer with less risk of disease. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Get your rosebushes ready for beautiful bloom

By Beth Botts

April 12, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Here are some tips from the Plant Clinic for a spring rose tune-up.

When Magnolias are infested with scale, the leaves turn black from a sooty mold that grows on the clear sticky liquid that the insects secrete. (Julie McCaffrey / Chicago Botanic Garden)

Should I spray my trees after magnolia scale infestation?

By Tim Johnson

April 6, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Many gardeners had issues with magnolia scale last year, and it’s a pest to watch...

Sargent’s cherry (Prunus sargentii) is a small spring-flowering tree that is more likely to thrive in the Chicago area than Japanese flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata). (John Hagstrom/The Morton Arboretum)

For cherry blossoms, choose carefully

By Beth Botts

April 5, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

The Japanese cherry trees that bloom in a cloud of pink in Tokyo and Washington,...

Jim Irwin lets out his chickens from his backyard coop in Chicago's Albany Park neighborhood on March 17, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/baiduhai)

Backyard chickens might not crack high egg prices, but Chicago-area owners say they’re worth it

By Joseph States

April 6, 2025 at 7:44 p.m.

With egg prices so high and Chicago and many suburbs allowing people to raise hens,...

It may take one to four weeks for branches to bloom. (RJ Carlson/Chicago Botanic Garden)

How to force branches to bloom indoors

By Tim Johnson

March 30, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Some good plant choices for forcing branches indoors include magnolias, lilacs and viburnum.

The silvery, fluffy hairs of pussy willow buds insulate the flowers inside against cold in early spring. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Pussy willow can grow in a sunny, moist site

By Beth Botts

March 30, 2025 at 2:29 p.m.

Pussy willow can be part of a home landscape if you have a site with...

To keep from compacting your garden soil, avoid digging while soil is wet from spring rains or thawing snow. Compacted soil can stunt plants’ growth. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Delay digging to save soil

By Beth Botts

March 23, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

It can be hard to resist on a sunny spring day, but don’t start digging...

These two spades are my favorites — one is lightweight with a fiberglass handle and the other is medium-weight and all metal. (Tim Johnson/Chicago Botanic Garden)

Looking for a garden upgrade? These tools could help.

By Tim Johnson

March 22, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Most home gardeners do not pay enough attention to selecting and maintaining their gardening tools.

Bright colors work well when planted in locations with full sun exposure. (RJ Carlson / Chicago Botanic Garden)

Vibrant colors can enhance your garden

By Tim Johnson

March 16, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

This is a great time of year to design your annual displays.