… As a mom and working artist, I try to think of ways I can introduce my 3-year-old daughter to the outdoors and the power of … for kids and families that celebrate the outdoors. What’s fun about nature art is that it starts with an adventure and ends with a surprise. For instance, the “family of owls” … and kid-friendly crafts that have come out of my journey as a mother and continue to get the best reviews from Laila, my toughest little critic. Dirt is cool Even when she was a baby, my …
Type: Blog
… Q. Is there anything that I should be doing in March to my houseplants? A. March is the time when … ( Araucaria heterophylla ). When repotting a plant that has outgrown its container, it is best to select a pot one size larger than the original. Be sure the new pot has adequate drainage …
Type: Plant Info
… Cardinal's guard ( Pachystachys spicata ) a member of the Acanthaceae family, is native to South America and the greater Caribbean. This ornamental tropical plant bears large … have prominent veins and grow to 12 inches. The shrub will reach 6 feet in height and grows best in a sunny location in fertile, sandy, loamy, well-drained, moderately moist soil, where …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… structure in winter. Common names for amelanchier include juneberry and serviceberry and refer to the blueberry-like fruit edible by humans and much beloved by birds. The species range from small trees to large shrubs, usually multi-stemmed. Found at woodland's edge in the their native habitats, amelanchiers are best used in a naturalistic setting in the home landscape. Amelanchiers are native to temperate …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Something amazing is about to happen in the Bernice E. Lavin Plant Evaluation Garden: dozens and dozens of witch … the witch hazel trial. Their question: which of the myriad witch hazel cultivars perform best in Chicago's less-than-perfect soils? The Witch Hazel Trial The trial features 22 …
Type: Plant Info
… over and cold weather has settled in. It’s that time of year when a gardener’s thoughts turn to spring, but planting season is months away. What can you do? Grow some spring-blooming bulbs indoors right now, says Tim … Garden come April. But right now, for a little winter cheer in your home or office, you can buy pots of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and other bulbs at garden centers, stores, and online. …
Type: Plant Info
… How best to highlight the color of 10,000 blooming orchids? For Brilliance: The Orchid Show , which runs … attraction You’ll also get to see the rare ghost orchid, Dendrophylax lindenii , one of the best known orchids in the world. Our collection of young orchids will be displayed in a case, as conditions allow. The Garden is one of the few institutions in the world to have ghost orchids. Fast facts quiz Click on each …
Type: Blog
… temps, you might wonder how any plants can survive a Chicago winter—and even hold on to a welcome splash of color. As curator of plant collections at the Chicago Botanic Garden , … diseases or be browsed by critters. But the main reason that a perennial has evergreen leaves is to provide a place to store energy and nutrients while dormant. The leaves are tricky … perennials and help provide additional winter interest. While both spring and fall are the best times to plant perennials, it is easiest to find what you want in the spring, when nurseries …
Type: Blog
… Own Rewards Taking an active part in the work of the garden can be therapeutic, as long as it is something you enjoy doing. What could be more exhilarating, for example, than raking leaves on … for some. I have a neighbor who mows his lawn at least twice a week simply because he loves to cut grass. For most people it would be a chore, but for him it's enjoyable and therapeutic. … to do but sit back in an easy chair and dream about next spring? Armchair gardening is at its best with a garden catalog in one hand and a wish list in the other. The catalog should be …
Type: Plant Info
… advise on special winter protection for my garden plants. A. Many winter injuries common to plants in the Chicago area can be avoided with a few precautionary practices: Since evergreens … buds and many evergreens. Deer repellents are numerous and must be rotated constantly for best success. Before you prune out any brown winterkill areas on evergreens, wait until the new … inches of healthy shredded leaves or compost—only when the ground has frozen hard and if there is no snow cover. Wrap the trunks of young trees with protective wrap (and remove it as soon as …
Type: Plant Info
