… This brightly colored member of the blackbird family is a common breeding bird at the Garden. It is usually found around groves of cottonwoods and willow trees where it constructs a … his Life Histories of North American Birds series, Arthur Cleveland Bent noted that the oriole is “perhaps the most skillful artisan of any North American bird.” Those lucky enough to see an …
Type: Birding
… at the overlook, next to the English Walled Garden . From this point, the entire central lake is visible, with Evening Island , the Arch and the Serpentine—the two bridges that connect the … Fruit Birds, bees, and butterflies love these blossoms, and the tasty fruit that follows is enjoyed by hungry birds and wildlife. There are considerable differences in fruit as well as … nonstop blooming beauty. As the bridge reconnects with the main island, a shadier environment is revealed, with ligularia, hosta, fern, Jacob’s ladder, and Solomon’s seal growing low, while …
Type: Walks
… check in with and be present in the natural world. Choosing a Spot The best kind of sit-spot is one that you feel comfortable in and familiar with. So choose a natural area that is easily accessible and preferably in a location that you can visit regularly. That might mean a …
Type: Blog
… where the prepaid lunch tasting menu begins at $310 a person. Marshall strawberry What is the Marshall strawberry? The Marshall strawberry has a storied history. In the early twentieth … of the few places to even have Marshall strawberry plants. Now, a handful of private growers is trying to bring it back to prominence. Strawberries flower and fruit at the same time. The …
Type: Blog
… jars to give them a vintage look. Save time by measuring flowers. Nancy’s time-saving hack is to trim one flower with pruners and remove foliage at the bottom of the stem. Place that … Adhere moss to the top of your medium-sized pumpkins with your hot-glue gun. Once the glue is dried, add the succulents on top of the moss, and adhere with hot glue or floral picks. …
Type: Blog
… fully submerged, others tethered to sand by just a few roots. “A lot of rare plant monitoring is just monitoring, and sometimes volunteers see things declining,” said Gretel Kiefer, manager … shoreline remains undisturbed, dune willow survives at just a few sites in Illinois and is listed as endangered in the state. Dune willow’s spring blooms provide meals for early … mosaic of uncommon prairies, savannas, and globally rare wetlands. “There is no ‘replacement’ site for Illinois Beach, nor is there a possibility to re-create such a unique ecosystem at such …
Type: Blog
… canadensis) width="1400" height="787"> Eastern redbud ( Cercis canadensis ) Eastern redbud is a small-scale tree with big impact. A Midwestern native plant growing 15 to 25 feet tall, … appeal. In native habitats, redbud grows as an understory tree in partial shade and soil that is naturally rich with organic matter. In cultivated gardens, redbud feels at home in dappled shade, but performs well in full sun as long as soil is consistently moist. Cornelian cherry dogwood ( Cornus mas ) Cornelian cherry dogwood offers …
Type: Plant Info
… like palms, rubber plants, and ficus trees can be grown indoors and outside once the weather is warm. And, for first-time indoor gardeners, we have a plant story for you. Outdoors If you … thumbs—around a patio, on a deck, on a balcony or near an entryway—growing plants in pots is a good way to add color and a little pizzazz. Flanking a walkway or a front door with large … can purchase a raised bed or make your own from rot-resistant cedar planks. The initial cost is the bed, the potting mix to fill it, the seeds or plants, a trowel, a watering can or hose, …
Type: Plant Info
… leaves known as bracts, which look just like flowers. The most well-known member of this group is the poinsettia, whose red "flowers" are in fact the showy bracts of an ornamental spurge. All … spurges are mid-spring bloomers, with the bracts coloring in May or even earlier, if spring is unusually warm. They combine beautifully with midseason tulips and daffodils, cool-season … season. The following are all plants for full sun and well-drained soils. One cautionary note is that these plants can spread aggressively by underground stems. Chameleon spurge ( Euphorbia …
Type: Plant Info
… plants that give you pause. In the opinion of renowned garden writer Allen Lacy, the astilbe is one of these prized garden plants. Multidimensional, versatile and adaptable to a variety of settings, it is one of the "steeples and spikes" in a panoramic garden. At the Chicago Botanic Garden, these … all add to the astilbe's interest. A favorite choice of the lowest-growing, ground-cover type is Astilbe simplicifolia 'Sprite'. It blooms with soft pink flowers that top out at 1 1/2 feet. …
Type: Plant Info
