In this video, Boyce Tankersley takes us on a tour of what’s in bloom in the three Greenhouses in the Regenstein Center. We’ll learn about carnivorous plants, a Sago Palm and some giant aloe plants. He also shows us a plant that blooms outdoors even in winter. Visit http://www.chicagobotanic.org/inbloom for more information.

View the video on YouTube here.

Summer camp seems far away, but Camp CBG registration is open early this year. Discover what makes these camps unique, with 75% of the time spent outdoors learning about the natural world. New this year are two-week camps for 6-9 year olds. Learn more at http://www.chicagobotanic.org/camp/summercamp.

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Ecologically friendly gardening isn’t as tough a commitment as you might think. In fact, you won’t just be saving the planet, you’ll be saving time and money. Watch Eliza Fournier’s video for tips on how easy it can be or read on for the highlights.
1.) Repurpose packing materials by filling the bottoms of large pots with leftover styrofoam and packing peanuts. You’ll reduce the amount of potting soil needed, and make your pots lighter and easier to move around. 2.) Replace chemical herbicides with a natural mix. Boil 1 gallon of white vinegar with 1 cup of table salt, then cool. Add 2 or 3 drops of liquid dish detergent and pour into a sprayer. 3.) Reuse! Instead of buying cheap tools every year, consider investing in quality tools and maintaining them properly. Your tool-sharpening kit should include WD-40, a rasp, coarse sandpaper, and a clamp. 4.) Recycle garden pots at garden centers or at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s World Environment Day on June 4, 2011. 5.) Reinvent your garden to include native plants and organic vegetables. Native plants attract pollinators to make your veggies more productive. Natives are also low-maintenance. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org for more information.

View the video on YouTube here.

Who isn’t ready to celebrate spring? The Antiques & Garden Fair is a great first stop to get inspiration for your own home and garden as well as purchase accents that bring them to life. David Drummond takes us on a tour of this year’s Fair to show us some items we could use to throw a spring garden party. We hope this gives you some ideas and inspires you to visit this weekend! See www.chicagobotanic.org for details.

View the video on YouTube here.

Boyce Tankersley, Director of Plant Documentation, takes us on a tour of the earliest blooming plants in the display gardens. We began in the Sensory Garden where huge patches of Iris histrioides ‘George’ were blooming better than ever. Then we went to the Lakeside Gardens to see large patches of giant snowdrops blooming under deciduous trees. The witch hazel outside the English Walled Garden is very fragrant and quite showy right now. We also like the snowdrops in the English Walled Garden Galanthus nivalis ‘Flore Plenum’ because its petals look like a rose and it’s very fragrant. The Waterfall Garden has a nice display of snowdrops that is worth the climb to the top. The crocuses in the lawn near the Bulb Garden were also very showy. You’ll also find crocus in the lawn on Evening Island.

These are just some blooming highlights, visit www.chicagobotanic.org/inbloom for information on what’s in bloom now.

View the video on YouTube here.

We put together these tips for anyone who is relatively new to entering horticulture competitions. These should help if you are planning to enter the competition at the Chicago Flower & Garden Show March 5-13, 2011. Visit to download a complete entry brochure.

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Here at the Chicago Botanic Garden, we’re trying to make winter a little brighter and a little warmer. In The Greenhouses of the Regenstein Center, visitors can escape to a desert oasis and see aloes in bloom. They can feel the humidity of the tropics in the tropical greenhouse. They can even smell the fragrances of the temperate regions and see some interesting carnivorous plants! Sharon Nejman, Senior Horticulturist, takes us on a tour to show us what’s in bloom in each of the different climates we have recreated. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org/inbloom for more information on what’s in bloom at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

View the video on YouTube here.

Though it’s still winter outside, Tim Pollak, Outdoor Floriculturist, and his team in the Production Greenhouses are getting ready for spring on the inside. Tim takes us on a tour of the Production Greenhouses to show us what they are growing for spring this year. All year round, his staff and volunteers work to grow many of the annuals that are later planted in the display gardens at the Chicago Botanic Garden. See what it takes to grow all of those plants!

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.