… Winter is no stranger to Chicago and can sometimes feel like a less-than-pleasant guest. But as the days … herbs like mint, parsley, or lavender. Make your own wrapping paper Wrapping paper that is glossy or shiny, or has foil in it usually cannot be recycled. Try decorating sheets of …
Type: Blog
… not a serious threat to people and will only give you a pinch if you handle them roughly. It is not uncommon to find the large brown stag beetles around buildings near woodlands at night, … If you notice the dark-colored segment that looks distended on the end of the grub, it is the digestive chamber, where the wood the grub consumes is digested with the aid of microorganisms. If you give one of these guys a gentle squeeze, you …
Type: Blog
… 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
… November is a great month to tuck your lawn and garden to bed for the season. Nighttime temperatures are … area and plant your bulbs two to three times as deep as the height of the bulb. If the soil is heavy clay, add compost, such as composted leaf mold. Sprinkle a slow-release granular … less-frequent watering in the winter than during their active growing season. When indoor heat is turned on, natural humidity disappears. Some houseplants require more humidity indoors and may …
Type: Plant Info
… Tip 1: Work with the proportions of the space. In the low-to-the-ground containers, no plant is taller than 12 inches, and most are in the 3- to 6-inch range. Keep heights low, but allow for … companions. Tip 3: Mix it up. The riotous mix of mats, spikes, lettucey leaves, and textures is what gives the container its charm. In this plan, Soulsby used 15 different kinds of dwarf, … petals and fiery, red-orange color. As with daffodils, dig up tulip bulbs post-planter and site them in your yard come fall. (If the leaves are still green, you can plant the bulbs right …
Type: Plant Info
… don't want anything spiky amid your flowers. Filling in a round form to make a kissing ball is easy, Clifton says. Make a row of flowers around the equator. Fill in one hemisphere … securely attach a ribbon strong enough to hold the ball; the water will make it heavy. A cone is a little trickier, Clifton says. Start at the bottom and work your way up. Around the bottom … Berries and crabapples will eventually dry out and lose color, or else rot, however (which is why they sell fake berries and fruit at the crafts store). Of course, the easiest way to …
Type: Plant Info
