Beth Botts

Beth Botts is a staff writer for The Morton Arboretum, a 1,700-acre outdoor museum and garden of trees near Lisle. She works with the Arboretum’s horticultural and scientific staff to provide practical, reliable garden advice in her weekly column. The author of two books, she writes and speaks widely about trees, gardening and nature. She was an editor and reporter at the Chicago Tribune for more than two decades.

Before you start planting is the best time to organic matter such as compost to your soil. For new beds, dig the soil amendment into the whole area, and for existing beds with established plants, try not to dig at all. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Start the growing season with soil improvement

March 15, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Kick off planting in your garden this spring by adding organic matter and making sure the soil has the right texture for plants to thrive.

Shrubs that keep their berries for several months, such as winterberry (Ilex verticillata), are one way to add color, interest and wildlife habitat to the winter garden. (John Hagstrom/The Morton Arboretum)

Add pizzazz to your garden this winter

March 8, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Think about how you can plant this spring for more interest in your garden next winter.

Plants need the protection of mulch or leaves over the soil to stay safely dormant in late winter, so don’t
tidy away that insulating layer from the garden. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Gardeners, remember it’s still winter

February 28, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Here are some tips for gardening — and not gardening — in late winter and early spring.

Choose sturdy, resilient, long-lived perennials for a garden in the parkway, so you rarely need to damage tree roots by digging holes to replace plants. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Parkway is a tough spot for plants

February 21, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Before you plant in a public parkway, think it through.

Before planting a tree close to a house or path, research the species to be sure it will not eventually grow so wide that it needs severe pruning. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Think about a tree’s future size before you buy

February 15, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Choosing a tree or shrub without considering its mature size is a recipe for big trouble.

If a houseplant’s pot is inside a decorative container, like this golden pothos in a plastic-lined basket, remove the plant from the inner pot for watering. Place the pot in the sink or over a bucket, soak the plant thoroughly, and let all surplus water drain away before returning it to the decorative cover. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Water correctly to keep houseplants healthy

February 7, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Here are tips for knowing when to water and doing it right.

Disease-resistant cultivated varieties or alternative species are available for many plants that are prone to disease. The Accolade™ elm (Ulmus davidiana var. japonica 'Morton') is a selection of an Asian species that resists the deadly Dutch elm disease. (Mike Hudson/The Morton Arboretum)

Search out shrub, trees that resist disease

February 1, 2026 at 9:46 a.m.

Some trees and shrubs have a bad reputation for being susceptible to diseases: lilacs to powdery mildew, junipers to juniper tip blight, flowering crabapples to apple scab, and elms to...

Evergreen trees shelter birds such as this warbler against winter winds and cold. (Hailey Hoffman/Morton Arboretum)

How to plant a garden that welcomes birds

January 25, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Yards that include mature trees and native plants are critical rest stops for the millions of birds that migrate through the Chicago region.

Researching the care and conditions needed by any plants you’re considering for the coming season is one important gardening task to do in midwinter. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Get busy on this year’s garden

January 17, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

What a gift to be a gardener at this time of year! For most other people, winter just grinds on, with dingy snowdrifts melting into puddles that will freeze into...

To give an old, tangled, overcrowded shrub a new start, rejuvenate it by cutting off all stems within 2 to 4 inches of the soil. In many species, new, more vigorous stems will sprout in spring. (Jeffrey Ross/The Morton Arboretum)

Give an old, tangled shrub a new start

January 11, 2026 at 12:01 p.m.

Midwinter is a good time to prune deciduous shrubs because it's easy to see the structure and judge which branches to remove.

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