Knowledge and resources about plants and planting are so vast they can be overwhelming. The best approach is to take advantage of information based on your areas of interest and then seek the guidance of a plant professional. Your local nursery or garden center has inspired people ready to offer advice.
The conundrum of a small yard- you want to make it usable and beautiful but you’re not quite sure what you have room for. Adding in a small to medium-sized shade tree may be just the answer you’re looking for. Shade trees will help reduce your energy bills by keeping your home cool in the
Do you see those beautiful white flowering trees lining the streets and backyards? These delicate white blossoms, made brighter by the months of winter endured, are actually an environmental hazard to the Illinois wilds. Callery Pear season is upon us.
Mowing your lawn may seem like a straightforward task, but the WAY you mow makes a big difference to your lawn’s overall health. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you mow
Life gets busy, and sometimes the first chores to get cut from the list are landscaping and yard work. Landscaping maintenance can be pretty time-consuming if you have lots of high maintenance plants, trees, and shrubs.
If you feel like a bit of a goldfish when you’re in your backyard, on display for all the neighbors to see everything you do, you probably want to find a way to add some privacy to your yard.
This time of year the question of “How can we tell what is alive or dead?” is a frequent one. It is so second nature to us that we often forget to explain to you how we tell if a branch is alive or dead in the middle of the “dormant” season.
You’ve spent hours at your local garden center carefully selecting the colors, textures, and varieties you want to place in your landscape. You even took notes so that you could ask questions of the staff at the garden center, to be sure you select the right plants for the right place.
Native plants produce the right fruit at the right time to nurture the native bird population. In turn, the birds eat the fruit and distribute the seeds, helping to ensure the plant’s survival.
Leaving pumpkins on private property or a nature preserve without permission is littering and illegal. Come fall, it is common for natural areas to become a dumping spot for yard waste, pumpkins, straw, and other organic decorations which is costly.
According to a 2010 tree census conducted by the U.S. Forest Service and The Morton Arboretum, buckthorn is the most common tree in the Chicago region. Common, or European, Buckthorn, and glossy buckthorn were brought to the midwest to be used as hedging material.
