Are you dreaming of healthy, fast-growing trees on your property? As a homeowner, you’ve likely already got enough on your plate when it comes to landscaping. However, trees require just as much care and attention as shrubs, lawns, and vegetable gardens. In fact, it’s imperative to regularly inspect the health of trees you’ve planted on your property. Tree transplants are especially vulnerable to slow growth given their need...

It has been a few weeks since our last installment of our series on the native trees of Chicagoland, but we return this week to highlight crabapple trees.  Crabapple trees are best known for the fruit they produce which is how they get their name, and their showy spring flowers.  These trees and their cultivars are found throughout landscapes in the Chicago area because of their ornamental flowers and their relatively small size which makes...

We are less than a week away from everyone’s favorite summer holiday, the 4th of July!  Many people will be spending the 4th gathering at backyard barbecues across the country to eat, drink, and celebrate together with friends and family.  This holiday is well loved because it not only gives us an opportunity to celebrate the freedom and independence of our country, but also gives us a mid-summer break from our daily commitments.  However you...

This week, we are picking back up with our series on the native trees of Chicagoland.  We have so far covered the oak tree, dogwood, ash tree, and sassafras, and in this installment, we will cover the willow tree.  Willow trees are among the most recognizable trees in the Chicago area with their long, drooping branches and distinct catkin flowers.  There are over 400 species of willow trees, most of which are found in North America.  This...

Even though it seemed like it would never happen, we are finally experiencing summer weather here in the Chicago area!  The start of the summer may officially be two weeks away, but to us in the Midwest, the summer starts once we reach June.  The weather throughout Chicagoland has appeared to finally stabilize and we have already experienced several days of temperatures up into the 90s.  As we know too well, the summers in Chicago can get...

This week’s installment of our series on the native trees of the Chicago area highlights the sassafras tree.  Sassafras trees have a stunning appearance both in season and in the fall because of their white flowers that bloom in the spring and the vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds of its leaves in the fall.  One of the most defining characteristics of the sassafras tree is the aromas that come from all parts of the tree, including the leaves...