Home and Garden – Page 30

A bed of lily-of-the-valley that recently died back. (Tim Johnson/Chicago Botanic Garden)

Anthracnose is not a fatal plant disease

By Tim Johnson

October 10, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

This disease is not usually fatal, but it does weaken the plant.

A monarch butterfly climbs on verbena blooms 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 9, 2026 at 9:52 a.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...

Distorted and brightly-colored leaves on peach and nectarine trees are the result of a fungal disease called peach leaf curl. It is one of many fungus-caused plant diseases that are more

common after a wet spring. (Sharon Yiesla / The Morton Arboretum).

A wet spring encourages fungal disease

By Beth Botts

June 22, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

If you have a peach tree, this may not be your year for peach ice...

When you buy firewood for camping or a backyard fire pit, carefully check to make sure it was cut locally and burn it all in one place. Moving firewood spreads devastating tree pests and diseases across the country. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

When you travel with logs, you may be bringing pests along

By Beth Botts

June 15, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

When your camping trip comes to an end and you have some firewood left over,...

New Jersey experimental musician David Rothenberg plays his soprano saxophone covered in cicadas on the banks of Lake Springfield. Rothenberg specializes in collaborating with insects, whales and birds. (Charles Lindsay)

There’s no beat, no lyrics. You can’t dance to it. But cicada music is the coolest music you know

By Christopher Borrelli

June 11, 2024 at 9:37 a.m.

You can’t dance to it, and there is no melody nor any lyrics. But the...

Viburnum leaf beetle larvae are greenish-yellow and develop dark spots as they age. (Tom Tiddens / Chicago Botanic Garden)

Viburnum leaf beetle damage can be controlled

By Tim Johnson

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

The leaves of a few of my arrowwood viburnums look like they have been shredded....

In coming weeks the 17-year cicadas will die off, leaving a bounty of fertilizer for gardens and plants. (Beth Botts / The Morton Arboretum)

Tidy up your garden after cicada invasion

By Beth Botts

June 14, 2024 at 6:13 p.m.

As the great cicada emergence of 2024 nears its end, it’s time to tidy up...

The nymphs of spotted lanternfly are red and black with white spots in their final immature stage before they become flying adults. In earlier stages they are black with white spots. (Richard Gardner / Bugwood.org)

Spotted insects are truly bad news

By Beth Botts

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

Most likely, cicadas — noisy but harmless — are the only bugs you’ve been thinking...

You’ll find many types and styles of containers in the marketplace, from decorative to simple. (Tim Johnson / Chicago Botanic Garden)

The bigger your patio, the bigger the container required

By Tim Johnson

June 1, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

Container gardening is a versatile way to soften a patio and gain some growing space.

Carolina allspice is a late-spring-blooming shrub with unusual maroon flowers that have a sweet, fruity fragrance. (John Hagstrom / The Morton Arboretum)

Try these shrubs to keep the bloom in your garden going

By Beth Botts

May 26, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

Flowering shrubs can bring color, interest and fragrance to your garden even after the spring-blooming...

If your garden soil is made up of heavy clay, a raised garden bed made from untreated wood is a great solution. (RJ Carlson / Chicago Botanic Garden)

Healthy soil starts with full sun

By Tim Johnson

May 25, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

My goal this year is to plant a vegetable garden in the ground. What type...

As seen in this infrared camera image, the infrared rays from the sun are cooking my roof shingles like you’ d fry an egg in a pan.

Ask the Builder: The truth about radiant heat

By Tim Carter

May 24, 2024 at 6:18 p.m.

Here are some facts that will help you understand why it’s so very hard to...