Plant lists for armchair gardeners

Pagoda dogwood in bloom

Days are growing longer, but winter is far from over, and it will be a while before we see our new plants in bloom. In the meantime, if you need a dose of green, or are looking for inspiration for your own garden plans, you might find ideas in these plant lists. We’ve included some notes about their value for birds and pollinators. The plantings around the Twiggs and Harbert Park overlooks are drawn mostly from the arboretum lists. You can find pictures and detailed information for most of these on the Illinois Wildflowers website, which is maintained by John Hilty. (Shown here is a pagoda dogwood growing near the Ladd Arboretum’s Grady Bird Sanctuary. They’re adaptable and fast-growing small trees that produce berries eaten by many birds.) Enjoy your armchair gardening!

About Ladd Arboretum Habitat Plantings – Woody 12.4.17
About Ladd Arboretum Habitat Plantings – Herbaceous 12.4.17
About Civic Center Garden 8.26.17

 — Wendy Pollock