… Imagine a friend invites you to a dinner party, promising a delicious spread of food and libations. You arrive, excited and hungry, only to find nothing but raw kale, brought by an uninvited guest. Regardless of your … The other guests are obviously disappointed about the monotonous spread. Most people leave, and because most people aren’t eating the kale, the kale continues to dominate the party. Even if …
Type: Blog
… Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden. There, visitors will find varieties of heirloom fruits and vegetables grown by our third president, Thomas Jefferson, in his country estate at … , who oversees the Fruit & Vegetable Garden . “Because of the work of home gardeners and seed-saving organizations, an increasing number of heirloom varieties are now available to … the United States Department of Agriculture more than 150 years ago. The big, sweet, and juicy tomato is a good slicer and also makes great ketchup. “What could be more American than …
Type: Blog
… high-quality plants for the Garden's seasonal displays, working with many of the annuals and tender perennials that are used in the annual displays, and caring for most of the vegetables that are planted at the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable … grower in 2014. Previously, she worked for Intrinsic Perennial Gardens, Fiore Nursery and Supply Company, Midwest Groundcovers, the Atrium Garden Center, and Harms Farm and Garden …
Type: Staff bio
… Silent Spring had a profound impact. It was one of the books we read at my mother’s insistence and then discussed around the dinner table. . . . Rachel Carson was one of the reasons why I became conscious of the environment and so involved with environmental issues. Her example inspired me to write Earth in the … those of political leaders... Carson has had as much or more effect on me than any of them, and perhaps than all of them together. —Vice President Al Gore, “Introduction,” Silent Spring, …
Type: Blog
… David Cantwell is the assistant horticulturist for the Garden Wall and Berm—the exterior plantings at the Chicago Botanic Garden's signature brick wall stretching … Dundee Road, consisting of more than eight acres of planting beds, more than 100 plant taxa, and thousands of shrubs, trees, grasses, bulbs, and perennials. Cantwell has been with the Garden since 2003, when he began as a seasonal …
Type: Staff bio
… If you’re ready to start a new tradition (enough already with the pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin cookies), consider this recipe for bourbon pumpkin-pecan fudge. The bourbon gives the fudge a bit of a kick (and who doesn’t need a little jump-start during the holidays?). The recipe is simple enough to get the whole family involved. Think butter…pumpkin…toasted pecans—what’s not to like? And what better way to celebrate the season than to spend time together, break fudge together, …
Type: Blog
… What are those big white things dangling by the orchids in the air, you wonder, and how do they work? Let’s look at those roots from a different angle Most orchids are … with above-ground rather than in-ground roots. Known as aerial roots, they act as anchors and supports as they wrap around branches and trunks, stabilizing the plant as it grows. Roots are an orchid’s lifeline, absorbing water …
Type: Blog
… ( Amorphophallus titanum ), “Spike,” to the Semitropical Greenhouse. Now we are all watching and waiting for Spike to bloom—a dream of the Chicago Botanic Garden for 12 years! Finally, in … next ten days or so, we’ll see the fruit of our labor in all of its stinky glory. What’s next, and when? Over the next several days, Spike will grow taller—some days, a barely noticeable inch, and other days, a remarkable 4 or 5 inches. Below the soil is a giant corm, which is a type of …
Type: Blog
… time in nature can provide protection against cancer, high blood pressure, depression, stress, and more. Take a walk in nature to improve your mood and your health. A recent National Geographic article noted that advances in neuroscience and psychology have provided scientists with more tools to look at the way nature affects our …
Type: Blog
… One of the best things about visiting (and working at!) the Chicago Botanic Garden: you get great ideas for your own garden. I put one … labeling dozens of different heirloom tomato varieties in containers. Her solution was simple and elegant: gather up the paint stirrers and get out the chalkboard paint! The photos are testament to how easy it is: assemble a pile of …
Type: Blog
