Tim Johnson – Page 27

Most home gardeners work with gas-powered lawn mowers and other equipment while maintaining their gardens.

A first-time homeowner’s guide to gas-powered lawnmowers, leaf blowers and weed wackers

August 29, 2021 at 5:00 a.m.

"My son just bought his first house, and I want to give him some advice on safely operating gas-powered equipment." — Brendon Anderson, Grayslake Most home gardeners work with gas-powered...

Pale, stunted annuals could be sign containers aren’t getting enough fertilizer, leaving plants hungry

August 21, 2021 at 5:00 a.m.

"The annuals in my containers seem to have stopped growing, and the foliage of the plants has a bit of an off-green color and is even looking a bit yellow....

Oriental beetles look similar to Japanese counterpart, but there’s a key difference

August 15, 2021 at 5:00 a.m.

"I have found a couple of these beetles on my flowers and would like a recommendation on what to do about it. My friends have been seeing Japanese beetles in...

How to kill grass growing between perennials and ground-cover plants

August 9, 2021 at 9:27 a.m.

"Grass has started growing in a couple of my ground-cover plantings and in some sections of my perennial border. Some of the perennials with grass growing in and around them...

A cicada killer wasp lands on a giant hyssop at the Lurie Garden in Millennium Park in 2013.

Large, dark red and good for your garden: Meet the cicada killer wasp

July 31, 2021 at 5:00 a.m.

"I found some large holes in between the bricks in my driveway, along with some little piles of sand by the holes. I was wondering what insect might be making...

Dog vomit slime mold looks as gross as it sounds. Here’s what you need to know for your garden.

July 25, 2021 at 5:00 a.m.

"I found an odd-looking substance in my mulched beds next to a boxwood last week. This garden bed was replanted a few weeks ago and mulched with shredded bark. At...

Pachysandra turning brown, spotty likely sign of Volutella blight

July 17, 2021 at 4:00 a.m.

"My bed of pachysandra has developed dark blotches on the leaves, and some sections have completely died out. What is wrong with my plants, and what can I do to...

Orchid left out in the cold? It can still recover

July 3, 2021 at 5:00 a.m.

"I put my orchid out too early this spring and forgot to bring it in during the cold weather spells. Will it recover?" — Robin Carlson, Evanston I do not...

Why a weak, spindly red twig dogwood shrub needs moved

June 27, 2021 at 5:00 a.m.

"I have a red twig dogwood shrub I planted at least two years ago in my backyard that tends to be moist and shaded by some adjacent trees. It has...

Pinkish-red growth on birch leaves are galls called erineum patches

June 19, 2021 at 5:00 a.m.

"What is wrong with my birch tree? I am seeing some odd-looking patches on the leaves." — Deb Schultz, Evanston The pinkish-red spots on your birch's leaves appear to be...

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