With all the foliage gone, now is the perfect time to start planning. If you have some open areas in your gardens or landscape, there are several summer blooming bulbs that you can plant after the last chance of frost has passed. Here are few suggestions for sun and shade that are all low maintenance […]
This might be a good time to reimagine or reinvent your gardens and landscapes using native plants, shrubs, and trees, which were here before the settlers arrived in McHenry County in 1836. You could turn your landscape into a “floral highway” for the monarch butterfly by putting in plants for their summer breeding grounds, which […]
Like the poinsettia, the amaryllis is cultivated to bloom during the winter holiday season. And just like the poinsettia, it is usually thrown into the compost bin after blooming is done. There are two genus of amaryllis, and hippeastrum is the one sold as indoor flowering bulbs. It is a genus of about 90 species […]
No flower reminds us of the winter holiday season more than the large showy poinsettia plant (Euphorbia pulcherrima ). Like the chrysanthemums that many people buy for fall color and then throw into the compost bin, people also consider the poinsettia a throwaway plant after it is done blooming. They come in more than 100 […]
In my columns, I try to promote the use of native plants in your landscape. Sometimes though the heart must have what the heart desires. I’m talking about chrysanthemums, which add so much interest and color in our fall gardens when all the other flowers are done blooming for the year. They are called “The […]
A few of the steps to “put your garden to bed” for the winter include cutting back, protecting, and cleanup. It’s been the accepted custom for many years to get the perennial gardens cut down in the fall for a clean look with a light layer of mulch. That is some people’s preference, but leaving […]
When fall arrives (autumnal equinox 9/22/20), I take the time to reassess my garden plans. Did I accomplish the goals/designs I started with last fall? One of my goals has always been to have different plants in bloom every season – “continuous bloom.” Fall often is the hardest challenge, as most flowering plants require more […]
Nancy Shevel – Gardening In my last column on orchids, I tried to explain how easily orchids can be grown in the home with just a little basic knowledge of their needs. I also want to give you insight into the two basic types of orchids. Ephiphytes are the orchids you can now purchase just […]
A good way to bring color into your yard on a monthly basis is with native flowering shrubs. Blue Wild Indigo Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis), which is a nicely formed medium shrub with blueish flowers that bloom in mid to late spring. It’s bushy structure complements summer bloomers with a background of attractive foliage. […]
Larry Lough is editor of The Independent and reports local news.
Janet Dovidio has been a freelance correspondent for The Independent for eight years.
Susan W. Murray wrote for The Independent, covering various beats, from 2005 to 2008.
Tricia Carzoli is a freelance writer and photographer that on community news.
