How-To

What better way to celebrate spring and keep kids busy than with mud?
All you need is a muddy buddy, a few basic supplies, and a sprinkling of imagination to try these fun, nature-based ideas at home. Mud Cupcakes

What’s not to love about a Shrek-like sprout head? This DIY project connects young kids to plants and the magic of sprouting seeds.

Here’s what you should know about taking pictures at Lightscape at the Chicago Botanic Garden. It’s a great chance for photographers of all abilities to practice shooting after dark. And with a little time and effort, you’ll get some cool pictures of holiday lights—one of my very favorite subjects.

I love my container gardens in the growing season, but what’s the best way to brighten your doorstep for the longest season of all: winter? The answer is the easiest kind of container gardening, even for the black thumbs among us. The key is knowing how to create a harmonious design that doesn’t blow over in winter’s first blizzard. I attended Kathryn Deery’s winter containers class at the Garden last year and this is what I learned:

Botanical cocktails that look like scientific potions were front and center during pur previous Science After Hours event. Mix up your own potion at home with these fun botanical cocktail recipes. 
Herbal experts Nancy Clifton of the Chicago Botanic Garden and Kasey Bersett Eaves, owner of Vivant Gardening Services in Chicago, teamed up to create delicious mixers for cocktails. You can easily make these cocktails at home.

Quick poll: Does the word “moving” trigger your anxiety?How about “moving more than 100 plants”?Former Chicago Botanic Garden horticulturist Tom Weaver recently moved to Minnesota to start a new chapter. Along with his husband and dog, he brought his plant family, a love he has nurtured since childhood. “My mom makes fun of me because I knew the Latin names of plants before I could read,” he said.

Are your summer container gardens in need of a fall makeover? Good news! There are many fall-flavored plants that will provide you with texture, form, and long-lasting colors in both flowers and foliage.

Pollinators are crucial to the health of the planet, helping with everything from the food we eat to the cycle of life. You can welcome pollinators such as bees into your yard by making a native bee home.

It’s that time of year when the sun finally comes out and temperatures go up, allowing you to get some outdoor planting done. But beware the fickle Chicago spring. Perfect gardening days are sometimes followed by colder temperatures that can wreak havoc on your newly installed containers. Here at the Garden, we’ve just begun installing our spring annual displays, but we have to protect them from colder days on the horizon. Horticulturist Heather Sherwood shared some of the things she’s doing to protect plants that the home gardener may want to do as well.

There are things I look forward to seeing every season. In spring, I watch for “mighty plants” that emerge from the ground with enough force to heave the soil above ground. These botanical weightlifters—the bulbs, grasses, and other emergent plants—pushing up soil that was compressed by a blanket of snow never fail to impress me. I am in awe of the strength of plants.