Spring Clean-Up, The Environmentally Friendly Way
By Sandra Nelson We had a quick taste of spring this past weekend. It was warm and sunny and people in our neighborhood were out in full force taking advantage of the beautiful days to begin their spring yard clean-up. Leaves were raked and bagged, perennials chopped back to the ground, trees were …
Bloomerang Lilac -- A Must Have For Your Garden
This week’s pick is by Art Hayzlett, Irrigation Service Manager Bloomerang Lilac If you’re longing for the sweet scent of lilacs all summer long, then the reblooming Bloomerang Lilac could be the answer. At only 4 feet tall, this easy to grow variety is suitable for foundation plantings, hedges, …
Bring Nature In -- Let Stress Out
By Sandra Nelson This article was originally published December 2018. I have been feeling incredibly stressed lately. Unfortunately, when I am stressed, I just shut down which, of course, increases my stress level and renders me virtually useless. My “To Do” list gets longer and my “Done” list stays blank.The only way I …
Sweetbay Magnolia -- A Must Have For The Garden
By Sandra Nelson This week’s pick is by Karl Hying, Landscape Designer Sweetbay Magnolia “The Sweetbay Magnolia, with its wonderful fragrance, blooms late May into June, long after other magnolias are done.” Elegant is the word of choice to describe this fragrant beauty. A striking alternative for a unique …
Life-long Gardening -- Adaptations That Work
By Sandra Nelson While wandering around the Chicago Botanic Garden last summer, I stumbled upon (no pun intended) an area dedicated to Accessible Gardening — gardening for people with special needs or physical limitations. Feeling my aches and pains more and more every day, the prospect of discovering ways to make strenuous gardening tasks …
Ornamental Millet -- A Must Have For The Garden
By Sandra Nelson This week’s pick is by Sandra Nelson, Blog Writer Ornamental Millet “The vibrant color and strong structure are hard to beat, but watching dozens of goldfinches vying to devour the seed heads in the fall is enchanting.” What began as one of the world’s oldest …
Experience Spring This Weekend -- Visit A Nearby Botanical Garden
By Sandra Nelson I am over it! Six inches Wednesday and another inch or two tonight. Grey skies and more snow expected tomorrow. The trees are drooping under the weight of the snow and my early spring bulbs that were beginning to peek through the ground are once again covered over. I need a …
Outdoor Cactus For The Midwest -- A Must Have For The Garden
By Sandra Nelson As unlikely as it seems, you can grow cacti outdoors in the Midwest — as long as you recognize the fact that cacti have some particular requirements that must be met. Cacti need excellent drainage. Heavy soils, like our typical midwestern clay soils, hold water which causes root rot …
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