Beth Botts – Page 10 –

Adding a few native plants to your garden is one easy resolution to keep in the coming growing season. Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) provides habitat for monarch butterflies. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Resolve to plan ahead for this year’s garden

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

A new year is a good time to make some resolutions for a lovelier, more beneficial and more enjoyable garden.

City contractors feed discarded Christmas trees into a wood-chipper on Jan. 9, 2013, at a recycling facility on the North Side of Chicago. (Chris Walker/baiduhai)

Christmas trees go on to do good

December 30, 2024 at 10:37 a.m.

When it’s time to say goodbye to your Christmas tree, where will it go?

Common winterberry (Ilex verticillata) is a native species of holly that loses its leaves in winter but makes up for it with vivid red berries. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Get jolly for holly in your yard

December 21, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

The holly traditionally associated with Christmas is native to England and other parts of Europe, North Africa and western Asia.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oh, Christmas tree! We want you to stay green and safe through the holidays. That means choosing a fresh holiday tree carefully and caring for it attentively as long as...

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

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

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

Broad-leafed evergreens such as boxwoods and some rhododendrons, whose leaves have more surface area to lose moisture than narrow needles do, are especially at risk of winter kill. (Erin Hooley / baiduhai)

Help your evergreens get ready for winter

November 19, 2024 at 3:54 p.m.

It’s easy to assume that all evergreen shrubs are tough as nails, but winter can be hard on the plant.

The shredded wood commonly sold as mulch is only one of the different organic materials, including fallen leaves, that can make a protective, nourishing layer over plants’ roots. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Many materials make good mulch

November 9, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

Fallen leaves make a fine mulch for garden beds and trees and shrubs, but they aren’t the only possibility. “Any kind of organic matter can make a good mulch,” said...

If you are planning to plant a new garden bed next spring, autumn is a good time to prepare by digging up the soil and incorporating organic matter such as leaves and compost. (The Morton Arboretum)

Dig a new bed in fall to be ready for spring

November 2, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

If you’re planning to install a new garden bed next spring, fall is a good time to do the digging to prepare for it.

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