… help of Garden volunteers, garlic mustard growth in the Woods has finally been curtailed, and each year we are now able to remove all flowering garlic mustard in the Woods’ entire 100 … (located at the south end of the Garden near Dundee Road), the area was highly degraded and choked with buckthorn shrubs ( Rhamnus cathartica ). After the buckthorn was removed, the … is having a significant negative effect on garlic mustard (see woodsandprairie.blogspot.com ). Observers have reported an almost complete absence of garlic mustard in areas that are …
Type: Blog
… is bursting forth with fresh new growth in vivid shades of green, chartreuse, yellow…and blue! Layers of color draw you into hidden paths throughout the Dwarf Conifer Garden. Picea … but Acrocona spruce ( Picea abies ‘Acrocona’) has cones that start out a vivid ruby red and slowly fade to a soft tan. The cones start out upward-facing, but slowly begin to droop as they age. Picea abies ‘Acrocona’ has cones that start ruby red, and slowly fade to tan. Abies koreana ‘Silver Show’ Male cones on Pinus leucodermis Another …
Type: Blog
… master at your house. Fashion an herb brush out of a wooden spoon, a bit of kitchen twine, and freshly-snipped twigs of rosemary. Use the aromatic brush to flavor roasting meats like lamb, chicken, or pork—just dip it into marinade or olive oil and apply liberally. Another rosemary trick: Try threading chunks of meat onto rosemary skewers … from the Latin word salvere , “to save or to heal,” hence this herb’s connection to long life and good health. A wonderful wish, indeed! French tarragon easily becomes a grill brush for …
Type: Blog
… with no snow cover, the extreme temperatures could reduce the number of soil-dwelling insects and damage shallow-rooted, marginally hardy plants. Japanese beetles, a common garden pest in summer, are one of those soil-dwelling insects, and unfortunately, they will survive a polar vortex. Insects that live in the trees or on the … of branches during winter might experience some die off, such as emerald ash borer larvae and Lymantria dispar moth eggs. Only a sustained period of time at below minus-20 degrees …
Type: Blog
… about haiku in grade school with the familiar pattern of three phrases written in five, seven, and five syllables. As I developed this year’s Words in Bloom: A Year of Haiku program, I learned … for National Poetry Month. Get lost in these beautiful haiku poems paying tribute to the Helen and Richard Thomas English Walled Garden for spring and early summer. English Walled Garden haiku wisteria season my teenage son begins a …
Type: Blog
… has a perfectly ovate silhouette, complete with both a pointed leaf apex at the front tip and a petiole, or the stalk that attaches leaf to stem, on the hindside. The wing is a drab … & Blooms , this butterfly seemed to seek out dead, brown leaves in the tree canopies and use them as a place to blend in. I always got a kick out of showing people that one of those … of their wings to resemble dead foliage, including the autumn leaf (Doleschallia bisaltide) and the great orange tip (Hebomoia glaucippe) . However, these species have not mastered the art …
Type: Blog
… He received an associate's degree in agricultural business from Kankakee Community College and an associate's degree in turf management from Joliet Junior College. After graduation, he … the Chicago area. Before joining the Garden, he worked for the Des Plaines Park District and the village of Wheeling's Park District as its turf maintenance specialist. …
Type: Staff bio
… well into the garden. The best plants for forcing tend to be on the smaller side. Tulips and narcissus work very well, especially the smaller cultivars. Larger blooms will require … if they don’t receive enough sunlight. Iris reticulata , Scilla siberica , Crocus , and Muscari are all wonderful bulbs for forcing: they stay small, and come in beautiful jewel tones that will brighten up any winter windowsill. …
Type: Blog
… crew leader in 2009. Patino has broad expertise in landscaping, particularly in pruning trees and shrubs. You can see his work at the Linden Allée—he does almost all the pruning. Also, …
Type: Staff bio
… in the Tropical Greenhouse at the Chicago Botanic Garden. It’s a rare occurrence in the wild—and in a greenhouse. Wade Wheatley, assistant horticulturist, seized the moment to hand-pollinate …
Type: Blog
