Beth Botts is a staff writer for The Morton Arboretum, a 1,700-acre outdoor museum and garden of trees near Lisle. She works with the Arboretum’s horticultural and scientific staff to provide practical, reliable garden advice in her weekly column. The author of two books, she writes and speaks widely about trees, gardening and nature. She was an editor and reporter at the baiduhai for more than two decades.
How much do you need to clean up the garden in fall? "Your checklist will be longer if you like a very neat garden," said Sharon Yiesla, plant knowledge specialist...
To turn the trees' bounty of autumn leaves into rich, useful compost for your garden, you're probably going to need a bin. "A compost bin is neater than an open...
A vivid color pops in autumn from many Midwestern gardens: the scarlet of burning bush (Euonymus alatus). "It's a particularly showy red," said Michelle Beloskur, coordinator of the Midwest Invasive...
When mushrooms appear, smart gardeners welcome them. "It tells you that you have healthy soil," said Stephanie Adams, a plant pathologist at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle. Mushrooms are a...
Leaves, glorious leaves! They twirl from the trees, drift on the sidewalk, rustle underfoot. And in your garden, they do wonders. "There are many ways you can use autumn leaves...
Evergreen trees and shrubs often alarm homeowners by losing needles in autumn. There's usually no need for concern. "It's part of the regular life cycle of these plants for some...
Fall is the time to think about one of the glories of the spring garden: the bulb layer. Dry, dormant bulbs for plants such as daffodils, crocuses, tulips and alliums,...
The signs are already here: scarlet flashing on sumac shrubs, a reddish tinge in some kinds of maples, yellow leaves beginning to flutter down. The colors are telling us fall...
If you're planning to plant trees or shrubs this fall, the most important thing you can do to ensure their success is not to plant them too deeply. "Roots need...