… moss, ribbon, and little wooden reindeer are what we used to create our ornaments. (Charcoal is not shown.) Use whatever decorative ribbon you like, but make sure it’s narrow enough to fit through the ornament loops and that it’s knotted securely. The moss ornament is almost complete with charcoal, soil, moss, and reindeer! Seal the moss in a closed terrarium … want to add for whimsy (optional) Separate the halves of the DIY ornament. If your ornament is like mine, it has little “loops” for attaching a hook at the top. Start by tying a 12-inch …
Type: Blog
… One of our favorite insects at the Chicago Botanic Garden is the praying mantis. So we were very excited to obtain an egg case earlier this spring. We … hatch, and then release the newly hatched insects into the Garden. A praying mantis egg case is called an ootheca (pronouned oh-uh– THEE -kuh). The plural is oothecae (oh-uh-THEE-see). The ootheca was produced by a female praying mantis last fall. She …
Type: Blog
… therapy garden. She likes to surprise them. “The Buehler Enabling Garden in spring is all about happiness!” she said. “I plant flowers that are colorful and scented, even a bit … to unfurl at the Chicago Botanic Garden, in areas including the Enabling Garden . Green is still planting last-minute flowers; blooms start to take off in May. Here are a few of her … The small, deep pink tulip looks more like a wildflower than a cultivated variety. Old school is cool “I stick with total crowd pleasers that people connect with right away,” Green said, “and …
Type: Blog
… marker A plate or tray Rubber bands, pipe cleaners, or other items (optional) *Vermiculite is a soil amendment that can be purchased at a garden supply store. It expands when soaked in water and stays moist, so it is ideal for this project. You can substitute regular soil or sawdust as the medium. Time: This … separated by rubber bands. You can add pipe cleaner antennas or legs if you like. The rest is the same. This project gives our educators the chance to teach students about how both roots …
Type: Blog
… easier to prune because you’ll be able to better see a tree’s branching structure and there is less chance of transmitting diseases from one plant to another. Winter is the perfect time to prune deciduous trees or remove nuisance buckthorn. DON’T prune conifers. …
Type: Blog
… the coveted royal blue are now banished to the shadows. Water Birds In the evening, there is a renewed refreshment in the Garden. When the winds soften, the lakes appear as glass, … their roosts. Water birds find this time ideal for fishing, and this “Garden of Nine Islands” is dotted with great blue herons standing tall on the shorelines. Look for them hugging close to … , Circle Garden , and Rose Garden remind us how precious the sound, and feel, of running water is on a summer’s eve. There are secret sources of water drawing you into hidden niches. The …
Type: Walks
… “There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of the birds, the ebb and flow of the tides, the folded bud ready for the spring. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature—the assurance that dawn comes … they search for insects. They’re hungry after a night of flying many miles. The Chicago area is a part of the Mississippi Flyway—one of the major routes for migratory birds. They can be …
Type: Plant Info
… good-looking, late-season wonders for your garden. Butterfly bush (Buddleja) Butterfly bush is a magnet for flower-feeding butterflies, bees, and other insects. This woody perennial ranges … Butterfly bush should be placed in well-drained soil and full sun. Drainage during winter is essential. See how Butterfly Bush performed in the Garden’s Plant Evaluation. Coleus … a paper bag with peat moss and store in a cool, dry place. Sneezeweed (Helenium) Sneezeweed is an unfortunate common name for this wonderful, long-blooming perennial. It doesn’t cause …
Type: Plant Info
… Sensitive plants such as magnolias will particularly benefit from mulch. A good rule of thumb is to spread the mulch as wide as the reach of the branches. Do not pile it against the trunk, … they need a larger supply throughout the winter than deciduous trees. The second priority is any trees or shrubs planted within the year, followed by plantings of the previous three … plants in past winters, wrap the trunk now to avoid a continued issue. Fall Planting Fall is a season to plant selected varieties of trees and shrubs. They offer both aesthetic and …
Type: Plant Info
… we simply want winter—too often maligned as cold and dreary—to get its due. Perhaps no one is more agreeable to take on the pro-winter debate than Fred Spicer, the Garden’s executive vice … walks, which, he said, “offer completely different impressions of what the winter landscape is like.” McDonald Woods “It’s a magical place any time of year,” Spicer said. “But seeing those big, bare trees is wonderful. They have a winter signature.” Dwarf Conifer Garden “When you need a shot of …
Type: Blog
