Home and Garden – Page 20

A monarch butterfly climbs on verbena blooms Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, in Oak Park. Land managers of rights-of-way throughout the area are increasingly implementing monarch-friendly practices such as installing native plants and mowing less frequently. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai)

As monarch butterflies head south, they’re getting an assist along utility rights of way, roadways

By Susan DeGrane

October 8, 2026 at 2:51 p.m.

The Illinois Department of Transportation, ComEd and other agencies are implementing practices along rights of...

Even spectacular bulbs such as these peony-flowered tulips are most effective groups. Plant them in fall for spring bloom. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Plant bulbs now for spring bloom

By Beth Botts

October 4, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

There’s no more satisfying way to spend a crisp fall day than planting bulbs for...

Ageratum is a sun-loving annual that can provide color in gardens that are challenged by rabbits. (Jeff Carrion/Chicago Botanic Garden)

Rabbits nibbling your garden? Here’s what to do.

By Tim Johnson

October 3, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

The best way to prevent rabbit damage in the growing season is to exclude them...

If you prune roses in springtime to remove dead wood and improve air circulation, it will bring you beautiful blooms this summer with less risk of disease. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Get your rosebushes ready for beautiful bloom

By Beth Botts

April 12, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Here are some tips from the Plant Clinic for a spring rose tune-up.

When Magnolias are infested with scale, the leaves turn black from a sooty mold that grows on the clear sticky liquid that the insects secrete. (Julie McCaffrey / Chicago Botanic Garden)

Should I spray my trees after magnolia scale infestation?

By Tim Johnson

April 6, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Many gardeners had issues with magnolia scale last year, and it’s a pest to watch...

Sargent’s cherry (Prunus sargentii) is a small spring-flowering tree that is more likely to thrive in the Chicago area than Japanese flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata). (John Hagstrom/The Morton Arboretum)

For cherry blossoms, choose carefully

By Beth Botts

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

The Japanese cherry trees that bloom in a cloud of pink in Tokyo and Washington,...

Jim Irwin lets out his chickens from his backyard coop in Chicago's Albany Park neighborhood on March 17, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/baiduhai)

Backyard chickens might not crack high egg prices, but Chicago-area owners say they’re worth it

By Joseph States

April 6, 2025 at 7:44 p.m.

With egg prices so high and Chicago and many suburbs allowing people to raise hens,...

It may take one to four weeks for branches to bloom. (RJ Carlson/Chicago Botanic Garden)

How to force branches to bloom indoors

By Tim Johnson

March 30, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Some good plant choices for forcing branches indoors include magnolias, lilacs and viburnum.

The silvery, fluffy hairs of pussy willow buds insulate the flowers inside against cold in early spring. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Pussy willow can grow in a sunny, moist site

By Beth Botts

March 30, 2025 at 2:29 p.m.

Pussy willow can be part of a home landscape if you have a site with...

To keep from compacting your garden soil, avoid digging while soil is wet from spring rains or thawing snow. Compacted soil can stunt plants’ growth. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Delay digging to save soil

By Beth Botts

March 23, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

It can be hard to resist on a sunny spring day, but don’t start digging...

These two spades are my favorites — one is lightweight with a fiberglass handle and the other is medium-weight and all metal. (Tim Johnson/Chicago Botanic Garden)

Looking for a garden upgrade? These tools could help.

By Tim Johnson

March 22, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Most home gardeners do not pay enough attention to selecting and maintaining their gardening tools.

Bright colors work well when planted in locations with full sun exposure. (RJ Carlson / Chicago Botanic Garden)

Vibrant colors can enhance your garden

By Tim Johnson

March 16, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

This is a great time of year to design your annual displays.

Cool-season vegetables grow well in spring before summer's heat sets in. Their seeds can be sown outdoors once the soil is thawed and well drained or started indoors for an earlier crop.

(Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Some crops need a cool start

By Beth Botts

March 15, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Before too long, it will be time to start planting vegetables.