… Robin Carlson added the color inside Brian’s head. Now Brian, along with the rest of the team, is bringing his vision to life at the Orchid Show , from February 9 to March 24 at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Also, Orchids After Hours is back —on Thursdays from 4 to 8 p.m., the Show is lit for evening, and cocktails and light tropical fare are available for purchase. New this …
Type: Blog
… of monarch groves in California may also be playing a role. In the West, severe drought is likely contributing to reduced monarch populations. These threats are compounded by climate … these butterflies (and other wildlife) with high-quality, insecticide-free habitats. This is not something that needs to be restricted to a distant wilderness. Indeed, it is a cause in which everyone can take part. Homeowners and farmers can plant milkweed to support …
Type: Blog
… to see what you come up with. Post your photos, #Lightscape, and tag us: @chicagobotanic. Blur is good If you manually focus closer to your lens, distant points of light grow into luminous … your widest aperture and watch them grow as you shift them out of focus. The resulting blur is called bokeh. Lightscape is a perfect opportunity to explore what your lens can do with this technique. Camera phone users …
Type: Blog
… Some outdoor tasks can be undertaken, but resist the temptation to work outside if the soil is too wet or extreme weather is on the horizon. Garden To-Do List Spring cleaning On dry days, remove winter debris from lawn … turf, that might be in the path of salt spray from salted roads. Prune trees and shrubs March is an ideal time to prune many trees and shrubs. Make sure garden tools are sharpened and you …
Type: Plant Info
… Cathy Thomas is the plant propagator for the Plant Production department. One of her responsibilities is sowing seeds for the annual displays on the Garden's grounds and for plants used in classes and camps. She is especially interested in the complex strategies that plants have developed to prevent the …
Type: Staff bio
… that emerges in spring. Tree and Shrub Care Pruning tips Weather permitting, late February is an ideal time to heavily prune large woody plants that are fully dormant. The absence of … amounts of water, such as elms, maples, and birches. Prune these trees only when the weather is consistently cold and the plants are fully dormant, if possible. As always, immediately prune … evergreens require little pruning. But because evergreens bleed heavily when pruned, this task is best done in the winter months when they are not in active growth. Juniper ( Juniperus ) can …
Type: Plant Info
… in the yard as well, particularly if March’s weather proved too cold and/or wet. April also is a good month to help emerging plants for the growing season ahead. Garden To-Do List Continue … stems, buds and leaves, and discard any diseased material. Amend soil with compost Compost is a superb soil amendment, top dressing, and mulch for gardens, borders, and lawns. In April, … conditions before planting. Plant perennials, hardy ornamental grasses, and roses. Be aware of site conditions when planting in April, especially for plants that require six hours of direct …
Type: Plant Info
… Tim Pollak is the Manager, Plant Production at the Garden, where he has worked since 2001. As part of his job, he is the grower and buyer of all the plants for the seasonal annual displays, containers, hanging … other media and appears regularly on local TV news segments to discuss gardening topics. He is also a regular instructor for the Joseph Regenstein Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden. …
Type: Staff bio
… The first moth to emerge in the Butterflies & Blooms exhibition is the Atlas moth ( Attacus atlas) , which is native to Southeast Asia. The Atlas moth lives for one to two weeks, so its main purpose after emerging from its cocoon is to mate. Most moths do not have functioning mouthparts, and the Atlas will not feed at all. It …
Type: Blog
… Garden this spring. Its bold blooms draw pollinators in as well as Garden visitors. What is it, you ask? Some of the most unusual plants our Production Greenhouse team grow for our … nursery quonset, with temperatures of 42 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit all winter long. (It is called vernalization, and it is a process by which keeping a plant in colder winter temperatures induces a bloom cycle.) The …
Type: Blog
