Home and Garden – Page 41

Wait to prune deciduous shrubs such as this dogwood until the plants are entirely dormant, with all their leaves fallen. Dormant pruning time may come later in autumn than you are used to. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Wait until plants are dormant to prune

By Beth Botts

October 11, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

There’s no safe date when you can assume trees and shrubs will be dormant. As...

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...

Newly planted trees protected by fencing

How do I protect my trees from bucks?

By Tim Johnson

September 16, 2023 at 5:00 a.m.

Some of my friends had minor damage from deer rubs to the trunks of a...

Clockwise from top left: The Antioch Baptist Church in Venice, Chicago's Finest Marina in Chicago, the Second Reading Book Shop in Alton and The Gillett House in Jacksonville are all Underground Railroad sites in Illinois. Photographs were made using an iPhone tintype filter.

Itinerary: A weekend trip to sites on Illinois’ Underground Railroad

By Ariel Cheung

March 12, 2024 at 11:56 a.m.

With dozens of sites in Illinois designated as part of the Underground Railroad, this 3-day...

Black-eyed Susan with dark splotches on leaves.

Air circulation could help treat Septoria leaf spot

By Tim Johnson

September 10, 2023 at 5:00 a.m.

I noticed some dark splotches on some of the leaves of my black-eyed Susans. Some,...

When you bring houseplants indoors in fall or dispose of annual container plantings, you must balance trade-offs in deciding whether to keep potting mix for re-use next year.

Reusing your potting mix isn’t so simple

By Beth Botts

September 9, 2023 at 5:00 a.m.

Container plants are nearing the season's end. Gardeners will soon be discarding colorful annuals and...

An odd-looking mass at the base of my tree.

Slime mold not toxic despite its disgusting look

By Tim Johnson

September 3, 2023 at 5:00 a.m.

I found this odd-looking mass at the base of my tree in the village parkway....

Dave Shepard, of Homewood, uses a laser guide to measure the height of a black maple tree in Messenger Woods in Homer Glen in July, 2020. The tree was certified this year as a State Champion as one of the largest of its kind in Illinois.

Landmarks: Homewood resident champions trees, discovers woodland giants, possible remains of prehistoric forest

By Paul Eisenberg

March 12, 2024 at 11:57 a.m.

If you ask Dave Shepard, prairies get a bit too much credit around here. He's...

Planting spring-flowering bulbs such as tulips is one of the tasks gardeners can plan to do in autumn, after the weather cools off but before the soil freezes.

End of summer garden tasks to check off your list

By Beth Botts

September 2, 2023 at 5:00 a.m.

The end of summer's heat brings a golden time, when it's not too hot, not...

Low-maintence impatiens may still need saving from downy mildew

By Tim Johnson

August 27, 2023 at 5:00 a.m.

My impatiens just crashed — they rather quickly turned yellow and lost all their leaves....

Hedgehog galls, like most galls that appear on trees' leaves, may look bizarre but they are not a serious problem.

‘Freakish’-looking galls are largely harmless

By Beth Botts

August 26, 2023 at 5:00 a.m.

It can be unnerving to find that the leaves of an oak or hackberry tree...

To rest easy in a hammock suspended between trees, do not tie ropes or chains around the trees' trunks, which can damage or even kill them. Instead, sink sturdy screw hooks into the wood.

Swing safely in your summer hammock

By Beth Botts

August 20, 2023 at 5:00 a.m.

A lazy hammock swaying between trees sounds lovely, but it's important to hang it in...