… or difficult or messy. But nature makes it easy. A seed exists to sprout, and given the right conditions, it will do so with great determination. Sowing Seeds Seeds of many species … annuals and vegetables that come from places with a longer growing season than Chicago—are best given a head start inside where it's warm, beginning in late February or March for some … But it must be porous enough to drain very well and allow the delicate roots to find their way between its particles. Potting mix is generally too dense; it's better to buy a sterile …
Type: Plant Info
… Tour the Dixon Prairie Lost Landscape Download the GardenGuide App when you visit to use this tour on your phone Distance: .56 miles Time: 1 hour 25 mins Stop 1: Savanna Dixon … than a person. -In fall, the grasses go golden and birds flock here to eat and rest on their way south. -In winter, open water attracts overwintering birds and animals. Stop 7: Wet Prairie … Lost Landscape Download the GardenGuide App when you visit to use this tour on your phone Distance: .56 miles Time: 1 …
Type: Page
… Donna Herula and her band play a variety of blues styles as well as original songs that tip the hat to the blues tradition. Donna Herula is an award-winning blues singer/songwriter, resonator slide … Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith on drums for a fun show. Donna’s latest album, Bang at the Door won Best Acoustic Blues Album and Donna won Best Traditional Blues Artist at the 2022 Independent …
Type: Event for Calendar
… Have you noticed some of the neighbors’ lawns are a bit taller this month? They may be taking part in No Mow May—a movement that began in Great Britain in 2019 and has spread to North America and beyond. The goal is to leave the “weeds”—clover, dandelions, violets—even … Charlie (gasp!) so that bees can feed on their spring flowers. If this sounds contrary to the way most homeowners view their lawns—crisp, clean, deep green, and weed-free (think of …
Type: Blog
… There are many definitions for the word “zen.” It’s been described as “a state of calm attentiveness in which one's actions are … Kuck, in her 1935 book “100 Gardens of Kyoto.” By the 1950s, the term became popular as a way for Westerners and Europeans to describe the minimalistic rock-and-sand gardens found at Zen Buddhist temples in Japan. The …
Type: Plant Info
… Blue and yellow, goldenrods and asters — classic colors of an Illinois autumn. Asters are easy to grow, if you plant them in full sun, in soil that is well-drained but not too rich, and you … overdo water or fertilizer. But which asters? Richard Hawke, manager of plant evaluation at the Garden, has already evaluated goldenrods . Now he is finishing up a massive trial of asters … the ones an ecologist would choose for a prairie restoration, but those likely to do best in a garden. And they were not necessarily the species and cultivars most often recommended …
Type: Plant Info
… Explore the Helen and Richard Thomas English Walled Garden There’s no doubt about it — England’s long and passionate love affair with gardening has exerted an enormous influence on the way Americans garden today. A walk through the Helen and Richard Thomas English Walled Garden’s … bluestone surrounds, and in the familiar pepper pot hideaways that offer one of the best views in the entire Garden. The Formal Checkerboard Garden The Checkerboard Garden …
Type: Walks
… Center Free Learn about South American butterflies with Doug Taron , Chief Curator of the Chicago Academy of Sciences, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. At just slightly smaller than Nevada, Ecuador is home to more than 4,000 species of butterflies—over five times the species diversity of the United … floodplain of the Rio Napo, a major tributary of the Amazon. From higher elevations we will visit the butterflies of the cloud forest as well as a mixture of familiar and exotic species …
Type: Event for Calendar
… Would you love to be able to harvest fresh berries from your own backyard? If so, this class will show you how easy it is to successfully grow berry fruits. You will learn how to choose the best varieties, select and prepare a site, and use proper planting and pruning techniques, as …
Type: Item Detail
… Nothing says spring like the stunning masses of brightly colored tulips that brighten our landscape. But tulips can be a … happen and what can you do about it? Adam Dooling, director of plant collections, responds to this gardener’s question. My tulips looked great the first spring, but there have been fewer … how a new variety will perform in the landscape over the long term. It’s often a tradeoff: To get gorgeous flowers, they sacrifice vigor. T. kaufmanniana T. clusiana ‘Lady Jane’ ' T. …
Type: Blog
