Home and Garden – Page 25

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...

Cold damages plants because it freezes water into ice inside their tissues and in the soil. Winter-hardy trees and shrubs such as this saucer magnolia shield their buds with furry insulation or tough bud scales to protect them from the cold. (The Morton Arboretum)

Winter is coming, but the right plants can survive

By Beth Botts

December 14, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

Some hardy plants can withstand a light freeze, but a hard freeze will kill any...

Gift plants such as poinsettias are grown to be short-term pleasures. They may or may not be worth keeping after the holidays, depending on the species. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Gift plants are often a short-term joy

By Beth Botts

December 8, 2024 at 11:40 a.m.

Can gifted plants continue to grace your home after the holidays?

You’ll find a selection of three to four different types of trees when shopping for cut Christmas trees. (RJ Carlson / Chicago Botanic Garden)

Cut your own Christmas tree for best quality

By Tim Johnson

December 8, 2024 at 11:21 a.m.

Cutting your own tree and bringing the tree indoors as close to Christmas as possible...

Cut buckthorn stumps should be promptly treated with a stump killer after cutting. (RJ Carlson / Chicago Botanic Garden)

Battling buckthorn in your garden? Here are some tips.

By Tim Johnson

December 1, 2024 at 9:17 a.m.

This is a good time of year to cut your buckthorns down and treat the...

Fraser fir (Abies fraseri) is a good choice for a Christmas tree because it has excellent needle retention, branch strength and fragrance, as long as it is kept watered and well cared for throughout the holiday season. (The Morton Arboretum)

Pick a tree that will light up your holiday

By Beth Botts

November 30, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

Oh, Christmas tree! We want you to stay green and safe through the holidays. That...

Hire certified professional arborists who have tree knowledge and safety training for winter tree pruning to keep large trees healthy. (The Morton Arboretum)

Winter checks and pruning make big trees safer

By Beth Botts

November 24, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

Before the holiday bustle becomes all-consuming, consider arranging to have your large trees inspected and...

The Thanksgiving cactus has stem segments or sections that have edges that resemble crab claws. (Julie McCaffrey / Chicago Botanic Garden)

Why is my Christmas cactus in bloom?

By Tim Johnson

November 23, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

The plant in question could be Thanksgiving cacti, plant experts say.

Tim Norris tries to catch a chicken named Chipmonk in his backyard on Nov. 15, 2024, in Chicago. Norris currently has 16 chickens. (Stacey Wescott/baiduhai)

Why did the chicken with a broken wing cross a Chicago road? To be rescued, it turns out.

By Rebecca Johnson

November 23, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

While Karen Olenski was driving down Western Avenue after work on Oct. 30, she spotted...

This 1914 prairie style home is among the six that will be featured this year in the Oak Park River Forest Infant Welfare Society Holiday House Walk. (Oak Park River Forest Infant Welfare Society)

Homes in Oak Park, River Forest get head start on holidays for house walk

By Steve Metsch

November 22, 2024 at 5:12 a.m.

Oak Park River Forest Infant Welfare Society’s Holiday House Walk offers inside track on decorating...

Chicago firefighter Markeith Jenkins douses a burning turkey fryer during a safety demonstration at the Quinn Fire Academy, Nov. 20, 2024. A frozen turkey was lowered into a too-full pot of hot oil, which caused the fire. (Antonio Perez/baiduhai)

Chicago Fire Department reminds Thanksgiving cooks to remember one crucial ingredient: Safety

By Peter Breen

November 20, 2024 at 3:30 p.m.

Using a pulley and standing a safe distance back, a Chicago firefighter dropped a frozen...