… For 50-year members, the Garden has meant inspiration, refuge, and more The Chicago Botanic … them, and it was a way to find a little bit of peace in our otherwise crazy lives. … I taught for a number of years, and I had copious papers to correct. When I discovered coming over here … through some very difficult years. I had peace and quiet here. So I think that’s what I come for. It feeds my spirit. It improves me.” –Madeleine Felix Madeleine Felix “This was my refuge” …
Type: Blog
… Dwarf Conifer Garden. Evergreens are cherished in midwestern gardens, parks, and streetscapes for the steady color they bring even to the gray and brown winter. Yet as much as we love to drape them with holiday lights, they often get less respect and care than color-shifting roses and Japanese maples. Evergreen trees and … Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) Other evergreens have wider leaves: boxwoods, for example, such as those stately pyramids in the English Walled Garden. These plants evolved in …
Type: Plant Info
… producing. As the fruit ripens, the plant starts to shut down. Determinate types are good for those gardeners who wish to freeze or can the tomatoes all at once for winter use. Check tomato plants every five to seven days for tiny shoots called suckers. … about three to four weeks and then the plants are finished. Pole beans take a bit longer to get going but healthy plants will continue producing beans throughout the summer. To use as a …
Type: Plant Info
… us navigate the world—it’s how we recognize faces, understand language, and learn new skills. For scientists, patterns are also clues that something deeper is at work. “Nature is inherently … exploring more,” said Jeremie Fant, Ph.D., a conservation scientist at the Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science and Action at the Chicago Botanic Garden. “Evolution has a way of … have different visual cues that guide their tongues to the flower’s entrance like a bullseye for a dart.” Some orchids take pollinator pattern-play a step further, mimicking the appearance …
Type: Blog
… eye level. An obelisk placed in a slender bed creates a focal point and an interesting support for smaller annual vines like cypress vine with its tubular red, pink or white flowers. If you … interest through the summer. Besides their decorative nature, some vines can provide screening for undesirable views. Others offer food to pollinators and nectar-seeking creatures like … in partial shade will grow but produce fewer flowers. There are plenty of choices. Let’s get growing. Black-eyed Susan Annual Vines for Sunny Sites Moonflower Vine ( Ipomoea alba …
Type: Plant Info
… Here’s one cure for cabin fever— grow some cool indoor plants and stage them like they’re pieces of art. Potted … foliage trailing from the top of a bookshelf. And, you don’t have to be a gardening guru to get them to thrive . There are plenty of places to stage plants indoors. They can go near the … you don’t know what to do with? Accessorize it with a tall plant in a large attractive pot. For the vintage enthusiast, there are Victorian wicker planters for ferns. For the no-nonsense …
Type: Plant Info
… and surprise? We love featuring mums in our fall displays at the Garden, but we also aim for variety and surprise. Here, Tim Pollak, manager of plant production, celebrates our seasonal … more, their striking color lasts beyond the growing season, making this an excellent choice for drying—then you’ll be able to add some warmth to interior displays over the winter. … visually interesting late into the season.” Dahlias Simone Gore is an assistant grower for outdoor floriculture in the Garden’s Plant Production department. She and Pollak both highly …
Type: Blog
… For many homeowners, a long, hot summer means mow the lawn, water, repeat. It’s a cycle that … to traditional turfgrass, she and her collaborators are hoping to offer a “menu of options” for greener lawns that not only look good and stand up well against the Chicago area's moody … near their house,” Barak said. “[This research is] only helpful to the extent that it’s used!” Visit Rethinking Lawns —a website designed by Kozik in collaboration with Barak, Tonietto, and …
Type: Blog
… seem to be entering areas with piles of dirt along our walkway. What are they and how do we get rid of them? A.The large wasps you’re seeing are called cicada killer wasps ( Sphecius …
Type: Plant Info
… not just in May, but in February. Yes, now is the time to start planning and planting for an uplifting display of blooms—the early risers—that can grace your home landscape from late … important, these early bloomers provide protein-rich nectar and pollen—the first fresh food for hungry bees that emerge on a sunny day after a long winter. As their name implies, snowdrops … the sun warm the soil. Extend the flowering by selecting bulbs that bloom at different times. For example, there are many daffodils that bloom early, midseason, and late spring. Follow the …
Type: Plant Info
