Senator Dick Durbin recently visited two west side locations where the Chicago Botanic Garden is training people to grow healthy food for their communities: the Windy City Harvest garden at the Arturo Valasquez Institute and the Cook County Boot Camp garden. He spoke with participants who are learning how to grow organic vegetables and sell them in communities that don’t have access to fresh produce. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org/windycityharvest for additional information.
View the video on YouTube here.

Tom Soulsby tells us some interesting facts about the Victoria waterlily which is in bloom right now in the Heritage Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org/bloom for more information about what’s in bloom now.
View the video on YouTube here.

We talked to Nancy Giardina, co-chair of the Roadside Flower Sale, about the flower arranging workshops that occur Aug. 31-Sept. 3 before the actual sale on Sept. 10-12. Volunteers can sign up for the workshops and learn how to make beautiful dried flower arrangements and then their creations are sold at the sale. A variety of arrangements are available at the sale from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., September 10-12, 2010. Visit http://www.chicagobotanic.org/calendar/roadside.php for more information. View the video on YouTube here.

We learned some interesting things about hummingbirds in this interview with Ecologist Jim Steffen. You’ll find hummingbirds in many of our 24 display gardens and in our three native habitats. You’ll also find many other resident and migratory birds at the Garden because of the diversity of plant life. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org/birds for more information on birding at the Chicago Botanic Garden. View the video on YouTube here.

Heather Sherwood, Senior Horticulturist, tells us about the Lycoris squamigera, a hardy member of the amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae), native to China. These bulbs as well as many spring flowering bulbs will be available at the Fall Bulb Festival Oct. 1-3. For more information, visit www.chicagobotanic.org/bulb. View the video on YouTube here.

Kris Jarantoski tells us about the century plant which is blooming in the Arid Greenhouse.

View the video on YouTube here.

The Chicago Botanic Garden’s plant breeder, Jim Ault, shows you how he hybridizes lilies in his backyard. You can learn more about lilies at the Wisconsin-Illinois Lily Society Show on July 10 and 11 at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org/plantshows for more information.

View the video on YouTube here.

Tom Soulsby tells us about the plants that went into each of the 65 troughs in the Heritage Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden. He also shows us how to protect cool season annuals from frost since they still don’t like freezing temperatures (much like us!)

View the video on YouTube here.

Heather Sherwood shows you how to prune climbing roses so you have a glorious display this summer. We covered our climbing roses in 18 inches of mulch and wrapped them in burlap for the winter. It’s important to uncover them and remove dead material when the temperatures get warm in spring.

View the video on YouTube here.