15 Best Chicago Native Plants

Thistles are some of the most common weeds that can turn into an invasive nightmare if not cared for properly. Check out these Weeds with Thistles to learn more about these plants.

This versatile and beautiful plant has become even more fascinating to gardeners and botanists alike. Check out the Best New Zealand Flax Varieties in this article that offer unique colors, textures, and growth habits.

As much as we all love the idea of gardening, if your garden space is limited, the soil on your property isn’t great or you simply want gardening to be easier, here’s a seriously perfect solution. Give yourself more room to grow with Vego’s modular raised garden beds. They’re sustainably made, they last decades longer than wood, they’re easy to assemble, and will adapt to your available space, regardless of size, shape, balcony or backyard. And another plus: For something so functional, they’ll look great in your yard.

When not in flower, it’s fair to say dahlia plants rarely command a second glance. In fact, to the uninitiated, they could be easily mistaken for potatoes, not that surprising when you consider that these two fast-growing, frost-tender tuberous species share a surprising amount of common ground regarding their geographical range in the wild and their fondness for a certain set of growing conditions that includes a rich, moist but free-draining soil in full sun or light shade. But the comparison ends there. Unlike potatoes, which are valued solely as a tasty food crop, dahlias are generally prized for the otherworldly beauty of their often large and vividly colourful flowers.

Prepare to rattle your funny bones with this bone-afide collection of skeleton puns!

Border plants play an essential role in unifying gardens. They are used to delineate space and accentuate the lines of a landscape, including planting beds and pathways. Border plants bridge the gap between the floor plane of a garden and its plantings, creating a more finished look. The best border flowers for your garden include annuals and perennials that complement their surroundings while guiding the eye through the landscape.

All plants need water to stay alive and an essential tool to provide them this is a watering can. It can be one of the most important items in a gardener’s arsenal and helps us be selective about the amount of water we provide our favourite plants.

In Issue 181, we got to know some of the plants that grace Mt. Cuba Center’s hot, sunny South Garden during the spring and summer months (10 Great Natives for a Sunny Border). The garden had been recently redesigned to showcase a collection of borderworthy natives that can take the heat of the Zone 7 summers in Hockessin, Delaware.

Gardens can be a hotbed of activity for local wildlife, but much of this activity happens out of sight. Whether it’s nocturnal creatures such as badgers, foxes or hedgehogs, or elusive creatures like rabbits, we often miss a lot of the goings on in our outdoor spaces.

Terrariums are extremely popular as they provide greenery and freshness indoors without occupying much space. These Best Plants for Terrariums are vibrant, unique, colorful, and eye-catching to uplift any space of your home in a fun way.

Winter-flowering plants are perfect for adding a splash of colour to the garden in the coldest, darkest months, helping to extend the season of interest beyond the traditional growing season of spring to autumn. There’s a huge range of winter flowering plants to grow, including climbers such as winter clematis and winter honeysuckle, shrubs like mahonia and daphne, and bedding plants like winter pansies – there’s a flowering plant for every part of the garden. What’s more, many winter-flowering plants are suitable for growing in pots, so you can add a splash of colour anywhere you fancy – perhaps a colourful display outside your front door is enough to bring some winter cheer?

You don’t need much space to grow small cucumbers in your garden, which allows you to savor crispy, fresh cucumbers right from the vine. Check out the Best Mini Cucumber Varieties to grow on a patio or balcony in pots.