Chicago Botanic Garden Fall 2020

14 chicagobotanic.org September goals: Hints for harvest time Collards, kale, and brussels sprouts: Allow these plants to be hit with frost be- fore harvesting. This improves their flavor. Herbs: Discontinue harvesting herbs if they have gone to flower or seed. At that point, the flavor has left the foliage. Tomatoes: Refrigerating tomatoes causes them to lose their flavor. Store tomatoes in a cool, 60- to 70-degree Fahrenheit room for a few days. Pumpkins: Full-sized pumpkins need to remain on the vine as long as possible to achieve their maximum size. Rose: A variety for every gardener The Krasberg Rose Garden has more than 5,000 roses in 200 varieties, including hybrid teas, floribundas, miniatures, grandifloras, climbers, and shrubs. • Roses can bloom as early as April and as late as November. Fall’s cooler tem- peratures and often clear-blue skies make for intense colors and typically larger blooms. • Some rose varieties, including the shrub or landscape rose, are hardy, al- lowing them to bloom prolifically through fall. These are good choices for gardeners who love rose flowers but are unable to devote the time re- quired to keep the plants happy. • The American Rose Society classifies roses into two major categories: old garden roses (sometimes called an- tique or heirloom roses) and modern roses. The old roses were cultivated before 1867. • This ancient flower was grown for thousands of years throughout Asia before it ever made an appearance in the Western world. • The year 1867 is an important one in rose history since it marks the debut of the hybrid tea rose. Gardening Tips from Garden experts A new look for fall: The return of cool weather sig- nals that it’s time to refresh annual containers. Replace tired summer plants with cool-season favorites such as pansies, ornamental cabbage and kale, chrysan- themums, or fall-blooming asters.