… the diversity of life in a prairie below ground. All one has to do is drive across the Midwest and view the unending and, to many, boring, miles of corn and soybean fields to understand the impact of prairie life underground has had on the prosperity …
Type: Blog
… oriole (Icterus galbula) returns, giving his liquid “tea-dear-dear” song in suburban yards and forest preserve edges. Homeowners who put oranges and grape jelly in feeders are often rewarded with a look at the male with his black head and back contrasting with his brilliant orange breast as he eats a spring meal. A male Baltimore …
Type: Blog
… The elegant flight and bright white plumage of the great egret ( Ardea alba ) belie its harsh croak when it takes … bird’s beauty that nearly led to its demise at the turn of the twentieth century, when these and other waders were hunted for their feathery plumes that women wore in their hats. Since then, … to extinction. Great egrets spend winter as far south as the West Indies, Central America, and South America. In spring, they migrate in small flocks during the day, eventually choosing a …
Type: Blog
… Alice was blooming. That’s me! Pollinating Alice the Amorphophallus took steady hands and quite a bit of concentration. What a wonderful surprise. I took a breath and thought: This is it. This is what so many dedicated horticulturists at the Garden have been waiting for, and watching for, with our collection of eight titan arums over these last 12 years. I arrived …
Type: Blog
… did the team from the Development Department (spearheaded by Lisa Bakker) brainstorm, gather, and plan for their wreath that it took them just two lunch breaks to assemble and decorate it. Monica Vachlon (administrative assistant of horticulture) and Jacob Burns (herbaceous perennial plant curator) built a wintry vignette around a charming …
Type: Blog
… Hundreds of other varieties have disappeared—not only of cabbages, but also of lettuce and corn and tomatoes and too many other crops to list. And that, in a nutshell, is why it continues to be important to …
Type: Blog
… called the titan arum or corpse flower, has gained attention because of its very large flower and pungent fragrance at bloom time—a hybrid of week-old gym socks and a rotting mouse that you just can’t seem to find in your kitchen. The Garden began collecting … species, as it is considered “vulnerable”—unless the circumstances threatening its survival and reproduction improve, the species is likely to become endangered. Our titan arums began …
Type: Blog
… Here are a few tips to get you started. 1. Know yourself, your growing environment, and what you’re buying. A healthy orchid. Notice the plump pseudobulbs (stems), smooth green leaves, and beautiful flowers. If you look closely, you’ll even see new buds forming. Orchids live in a wide variety of habitats and come in a wide variety of sizes, so you’ll want to make sure that you choose one that’s well …
Type: Blog
… It happens every year—like Groundhog Day—and I have the same déjà vu annually! Each winter for the past more than 20 years, I have supervised and worked on the pruning of the apple orchard at the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden . Since … an annual duty of the Plant Health Care Department (that I manage) many years ago. Tom Tiddens and Tom Fritz pruning the apple orchard. To prune the north orchard (about 43 trees) it takes …
Type: Blog
… Sometime around midsummer, we all look at our yards, filled in and blooming, and think about designing something new, dividing plants, or perhaps creating a new hedge. Attractive native shrubs are often overlooked—and occasionally hard to come by in local nurseries and garden centers—but they are well worth …
Type: Blog
