Chicago Botanic Garden

"There have been lots of yellow jackets in our backyard recently, making our outdoor dining challenging at times. What can we do to eliminate or reduce them? My garden is...

"There are some bare areas in my lawn. Is this a good time to seed?" — Layton Hopkins, Evanston This is a good time of year to seed a lawn,...

"I have been trying to get rid of some orange-colored daylilies and plant some new daylilies with different colors along with some other perennials. The orange daylilies keep returning and...

"What is wrong with my plants this year?" — Amy Heifitz, Hoffman Estates The plants in your photo appear to be getting too much sun, which is scorching the leaves....

"I think there is nutsedge in my lawn. How do I get rid of it?" — Bob Carville, Evanston Yellow nutsedge is a common weed found in turf areas and...

"I contracted with a landscape firm to prep and seed my front and back yards. The landscapers removed the degraded grass entirely and then prepped and seeded. The front yard...

"I have found some large holes in between the bricks in my patio, along with some little piles of sand by the holes. I am not seeing any ants and...

"Is it too late to install a new garden this year? And should I be watering other plants in my garden?" — Alfredo Gomez, Highwood You can continue planting all...

"A new neighbor decided to limb up some spruce trees to about 8 feet along the property line and I am now looking at bare soil on my side of...

"There are bright-colored beetles here and there in my garden that are feeding on leaves and rose flowers. I think they are Japanese beetles and I would like some suggestions...