… Thanksgiving is here again, and we at the Chicago Botanic Garden are thankful for all the pollinators who make … on the image above to download our placemat to enjoy with your feast. The ideal printing size is tabloid (11 x 17 inches). Letter size paper (8.5 x 11 inches) will also work if you choose …
Type: Blog
… er, clones? Aside from the internal struggles, enlarging your plant collection by propagation is a relatively easy—and inexpensive—undertaking. It also makes a thoughtful gift over the … by sowing seeds, making cuttings, layering, or dividing roots. Taking leaf or stem cuttings is one of the most common propagation methods for houseplants. Some houseplants, such as pothos … the foliage with water, and place it in indirect light. The ideal temperature for cuttings is 75 degrees Fahrenheit—you can create bottom heat with a heating pad. Thomas recommends placing …
Type: Blog
… Winter is always a good time to slip into a chair with some hot chocolate and do a little reading. A … Staff Favorites Lisa Hilgenberg, horticulturist in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden, is immersed in garden history this winter. She’s reading The History of Horticulture in America … waiting for Jill Selinger, the Garden’s manager of adult education. “My go-to book on bulbs is Anna Pavord’s Bulb. It’s very comprehensive and inspiring.” Other favorites include The Art of …
Type: Plant Info
… tiny soil organisms—all of which evolved with the plants. (One well-known example is the monarch butterfly, which only lays its eggs on milkweed ( Asclepias ) species. The … and attract some butterflies, but most are not native to the United States. However, there is a native woodland sedum, aka wild stonecrop— Sedum ternatum . It is the only sedum species native to central and northern Illinois. A miner bee visits the sedum …
Type: Plant Info
… they offer the home gardener outstanding foliage plus a long bloom time, learning their ways is well worth the time. Most of the 1,500 species and 10,000 begonia hybrids share a few common … during the daytime and no cooler than 60 degrees at night. Water the plants when the soil is dry. Noted begonia expert Tovah Martin revealed that she and her begonias "slowly developed an … plants compact, rounded and, in many cases, suitable for hanging baskets. When the new plant is 6 inches tall, pinch the top growing shoot; lateral shoots will develop in a few weeks. Allow …
Type: Plant Info
… Why Best for the Midwest is Best for the Planet Think twice before you plant those flowers! Are they a native species that … are not left with a monoculture. Much of our research in the Garden and in our Midwest region is studying how habitat degradation, invasive species, and other disturbances change plant and … practices help to combat global warming by reducing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). How? One way is through limiting the use of lawn equipment. In addition, native plants help to reduce the …
Type: Plant Info
… The most common tree in the Chicago area is from Europe—and that’s bad news for our native plants and animals. Introduced to the United … an area, almost nothing can grow under it. Photos by Jim Steffen and Matt Evans. Why buckthorn is bad for native plants and animals The plants and animals of our native woodlands, wetlands, … hinders the growth of other plants. The chemical can linger in the soil even after buckthorn is removed and can harm frogs and other amphibians. Seeding success – Buckthorn seeds have a high …
Type: Blog
… order to satisfy their chill requirement. Simply defined, the accumulation of chill units (CU) is a cumulative measure of the number of hours trees spend between 32 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit. … meet those requirements, barring extreme fluctuation like last year. Our current cool weather is right on track and looking positive for growers. Knowing a fruit tree’s chill requirement is a tool for choosing the right plants for your garden. Come to the garden for a quiet early …
Type: Blog
… most beloved nature poems in the English language. The poem, “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” is a reminder of the ability of the natural world to lift spirits. Wordsworth wrote the poem on … Boyce, the Garden’s director of living plant documentation, even knows where each daffodil is— Narcissus ‘Bittern’, yellow petaled daffodils with orange cups, is under the crabapple trees in the Graham Bulb Garden, masses of large-cupped daffodils are on …
Type: Blog
… Bartram’s Garden, once visited by notables such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, is now a 45-acre National Historic Landmark in Philadelphia. “It’s an amazing place,” said Owen. … the work of artists who created works that included wood from the felled trees. Each piece is meant to celebrate Bartram’s desire to share his passion for trees and other plants. An … the natural world and in collecting and documenting the human species,” said Owen. “Nature is a vast source of that fascination.” …
Type: Blog
