… The secret is out; visitors to the Chicago Botanic Garden have unprecedented access to plant information, guides, and tours through a groundbreaking smartphone app, called …
Type: Blog
… 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 … (for the bow) were all collected in the Fruit & Vegetable Garden. Circle, Ring, Wreath This is a BIG wreath—great for an outdoor wall. Flint. Dent. Sweet. Flour. Pod. Pop. Regenstein Fruit … and ‘Golden Bantam’—in a seasonless sunburst. The French saying on this wreath translates to, “the moon is my light and my joy.” Even the branches of this wreath are made of raffia. A …
Type: Blog
… As we are all adapting to new ways of connecting for work and play, students in Windy City Harvest’s Youth Farm program … a few obstacles, but discovered some positive surprises along the way. Windy City Harvest is part of the Chicago Botanic Garden’s urban agriculture program that strives to bring food, … It’s been lots of fun and it feels like a second family." Ordinarily, youth farmers work on-site and attend in-person workshops, five days a week for eight weeks. This year, because of the …
Type: Blog
… osprey would be a rare—if not impossible—sight in Cook County in the summer. But now, thanks to the ban on certain pesticides (including DDT), and the creation of osprey nesting platforms, the fish-eating bird is breeding again in local forest preserves. The osprey looks somewhat like an adult bald eagle, … an osprey (Pandion haliaetus) —with its 6-foot wingspan—soar above a lake, then plunge in to snatch a meal with its talons to bring to its young. Once endangered in Illinois, the osprey …
Type: Blog
… Many students I know struggle to find a good idea for science fair projects and sometimes wait until the last minute to do their experiments. We in the Education Department of the Chicago Botanic Garden are … and teachers by offering some simple ideas for studying plants. A no-brainer botany project is testing germination of radish seeds in different conditions. Radish seeds are easy to acquire, …
Type: Blog
… moment occurred in the Semitropical Greenhouse this morning, as a fascinated crowd gathered to see what was happening with Spike, the titan arum. On Saturday, it was determined that Spike had run out of the energy it needed to continue its bloom cycle. Spike is powered by energy from the sun, stored in its beach-ball-sized corm—a tuber-like underground …
Type: Blog
… Looking for a reason to be glad for the cold weather in winter’s stretch? Consider the needs of fruit trees. Fruit trees need to spend a certain amount of time during their dormant winter period at cool temperatures in … order to satisfy their chill requirement. Simply defined, the accumulation of chill units (CU) is a cumulative measure of the number of hours trees spend between 32 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit. …
Type: Blog
… Handmade greeting cards make people feel loved. Here is a fun and festive way to show friends and relatives that you care about them. It’s a great project for kids who need something to do. (It’s also a way to use up some of those 20-year-old spices that are languishing in your …
Type: Blog
… Thanksgiving is here again, and we at the Chicago Botanic Garden are thankful for all the pollinators who make … one-third of the food we eat. As you enjoy a meal with friends and family, take a moment to say thanks for the little things that make such a big difference—pollinators! Instructions Click on the image above to download our placemat to enjoy with your feast. The ideal printing size is tabloid (11 x 17 …
Type: Blog
… Selfies? Walking hand in hand? A romantic picnic need not be formal or fancy. The secret to making it romantic is a personal touch—something that both reflects your personality and makes the evening more fun. … It could be a home-cooked meal or an out-of-the-ordinary beverage. One of our favorite ways to make picnic fare more special—whether it’s homemade or store-bought—is with edible flowers. …
Type: Blog
