… Fragmented Landscapes Need Fire to Thrive The Chicago Botanic Garden sets one-quarter of its land on fire every year. These … like ours where fires were natural and many species require fire to survive, burning regularly is critical to the health of our natural areas.” That’s because periodic fires—ignited by … our fragmented landscapes in Illinois, burning the Garden’s natural areas gives them the best chance to thrive with so much working against them,” said Jim Jabcon, prairie ecologist at …
Type: Blog
… Flowers are one of the best antidotes to the icy winds of winter, and growing a houseplant that buds and blooms inside while all is dormant outside is particularly satisfying. This winter, as an alternative to the brightly …
Type: Plant Info
… From the farmhouse to the White House, vegetable gardening has captured the imagination and attention of seasoned as … the plants, harvesting the bounty, and eating the delicious, nutritious final product is a priceless education in itself. Gardening and the subsequent cooking activities transcend … it simple, small, and have fun! Select the Space Before picking up a shovel or rushing out to buy seeds and plants, choose your garden space. Locate a small section of your yard that receives …
Type: Plant Info
… Advice from our horticulturist as the Rose Garden "Be brave." Tom Soulsby says it's the best advice he has for rose gardeners. As the senior horticulturist at the Rose Garden, Tom knows how to deal with roses at every stage of their lives: young and old, tended and in need of pruning, … want to be open at ground level—the better to get a good dose of sunshine. An overgrown rose is thick and congested at ground level, which results in lots of fuzzy tip growth instead of …
Type: Plant Info
… After severe winter weather, gardeners face bigger challenges than usual in the spring, due to a “perfect storm” of weather conditions that scorch evergreens, protect plant predators, … slow-growing, this boxwood ( Buxus microphylla ) should make a full recovery. The bad news is that more plant damage is likely to appear once the weather is consistently warm, though many … from a severe winter burn, and gardeners must decide on a case-by-case basis whether it’s best to remove the specimen. Unfortunately, some evergreens will be a total loss. This is …
Type: Blog
… collection that visitors might not otherwise see, and the exhibitions are among the Garden’s best-loved secrets! Stacy Stoldt, public services manager of the Lenhardt Library, curated the … watercolor paintings of flowers and insects, embroidery patterns, and copper engravings, she is also credited with being the founder of German entomology. At age 13 she began studying the … from the 500 deutsche mark banknote Divorced in 1699, she traveled with her daughter Dorothea to the Dutch Colony of Surinam (now known as Suriname) that same year to continue her …
Type: Blog
… We’ve officially reached planting season, and it is now safe to put in warm-season flowering annuals, vines, herbs, and vegetables. … and squash. Happy planting! Summer plantings await in the production greenhouses. Get the best performance from your plants with these tips from the Garden’s Plant Information Service: …
Type: Blog
… Everyone can use a little privacy in their garden from time to time. After all, a garden is a place to retreat from the outside world, a place to sit and sip coffee, read a book, do some … fast-growing evergreen that can be sheared to keep it in bounds if necessary. These shrubs are best grown in moist, fertile, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. To create a screen, …
Type: Plant Info
… the years in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden, we've seen the way people have reacted to the autumn harvest. Lately, the lovely fall colors at the Chicago Botanic Garden have reminded … the great pumpkins—ooohs and ahhhhs and squeals of delight, as folks of all ages decided how best to connect with the fruit: Is it real? Should I touch it? Should I sit on it? Hug it? Photograph it? People even talked to …
Type: Blog
… are tiny, mouselike rodents with stocky bodies and short legs and tails. They weigh only 1 to 2 ounces. Voles eat mainly the leaves and stems of grassy plants although they will eat other … a tree or shrub. Treatment & Solutions Removing the habitat voles seek for nesting and feeding is the best control. Weeds, dense ground cover, brush, low spreading evergreens or even thick mulch can …
Type: Plant Info
