… Grunsfeld Children's Growing Garden The Grunsfeld Children's Growing Garden is closed for school programs on spring and fall weekday mornings; occasionally, one or both … closed for programs. The Grunsfeld Children's Growing Garden is the perfect place for children to engage with nature, with raised garden beds at just the right level for little arms to reach … Garden is designed to be kind to the environment. A water-harvesting system for the entire site, plus an "adventure station" rain barrel, help keep the plants growing; solar panels on the …
Type: Page
… Welcome to winter, one of the best seasons for gardeners. You have time to plan, prune, and enjoy those … easier to prune because you’ll be able to better see a tree’s branching structure and there is less chance of transmitting diseases from one plant to another. Winter is the perfect time to …
Type: Blog
… Information FAQ Early Season Problems The top questions we get on tomatoes point to two main topics: "my tomatoes are funny-looking" and "why don't I have as many tomatoes as … some answers about cracked tomatoes, catfacing, blossom-end rot, and other oddities—plus tips to increase production. How do I prevent my tomatoes from cracking? Skin cracking is mainly caused by a fluctuation of soil moisture, especially as tomatoes ripen. If soil …
Type: Page
… The Rainwater Glen The shallow, troughlike depression that surrounds the Plant Science Center is called the Rainwater Glen, and it functions like a river’s floodplain. Though beautiful, it is above all practical: designed to hold back stormwater runoff, it allows deep-rooted native plants to facilitate absorption and help filter impurities. The native plants in the Rainwater Glen have … it functions like a river’s floodplain. Though beautiful, it is above all practical: designed to hold back stormwater runoff, it allows deep-rooted native plants to facilitate absorption and …
Type: Page
… welcome Snowflake Fairy, on your terrace give her room. She alone in February braves the cold to shed her bloom. —Elizabeth Gordon What can give us more hope that the end of winter is near than to see the young shoots of snowdrops (Galanthus spp . ) emerging from the … years and will multiply by themselves; however, they also can be propagated by division. The best time to move or divide snowdrops is when they have just finished flowering. Lift the bulbs …
Type: Plant Info
… For Chicago-area gardeners, May is typically “go time!” for planting annuals, vegetables, and herbs to fill out the garden. The lawn is actively growing, too. However, this month is a study in … plantings and bring unplanted containers indoors if cold temperatures are predicted. It may be best to plant warm-season plants such as tomatoes, peppers, basil, cucumbers, beans, corn, …
Type: Plant Info
… food movement. Windy City Harvest, the Chicago Botanic Garden's urban agriculture initiative, is thriving with the Farm as its home base. Food 130,000 pounds of fresh produce, 50% distributed … is growing. Farm-stand sales exceeded estimates by 84%. Windy City Harvest asked residents to give feedback on what food they would like to access in the community, and staff swiftly … a job." Art found Windy City Harvest when he volunteered at the PCC Wellness Center’s farm site in Chicago’s Austin community. The Windy City Harvest coordinator there helped recruit him …
Type: Page
… Rodrigo Artist Raquel Rodrigo, known as Arquicostura, brings the technique of embroidery to an architectural scale. Inspired by the relationship between floral motifs and … Raquel uses the native Echinacea flower—part of the Chicago Botanic Garden’s identity—to design a large-scale composition blending a two-dimensional pattern with three-dimensional … a contemporary language that opens a dialogue among craft, nature, and innovation. This work is both a tribute to botanical beauty and a vision of how traditions can evolve and adapt to the …
Type: Page
… into your celebration: Memberships . These thoughtful gifts are always welcome, especially to the Chicago Botanic Garden, which also includes free admission to 200 other botanic gardens nationwide! Donations . You can honor a loved one by making a … Celebration of Children”; “Caesar and Other Greats (Salads)”). A once-a-month batch of cookies is a terrific gift idea if you are an enthusiastic baker with friends or family in the vicinity. …
Type: Page
… and divers return As the lakes thaw at the Garden in March and April, migratory ducks stop to feed and rest on their journeys to their northern breeding grounds. It's the perfect time for visitors to study the beautiful … feeding and courtship behaviors. The next time you see a duck at the Garden, notice how it is feeding: Is it sticking its rear end up into air? Does it dive into the deep part of the …
Type: Page
