There is something wonderful about a plant that gives you color, pizzazz, longevity, reliability, and style. Many varieties of the ornamental onion ( Allium spp.) do all that, and more: they brush the mixed border with an artistic touch, dotting the garden with statuesque, floral sculpture. Spring bulbs are beloved for their brilliance and promise of renewal. The tulips, daffodils, squill, grape …
Type: Plant Info
The Chicago Botanic Garden’s Pollen Bank is a critical tool for advancing our work to prevent plant extinctions, reintroduce species into the wild, and support habitat restoration. Preparing an Amorphophallus perrieri flower for pollen collection. Photo by Jeremy Foster. Storing pollen is an efficient and effective way to protect the genetic diversity of a plant species, allowing us to preserve …
Type: Research
Viva Vita Pride Month is a time to honor the history and voices of the LGBTQIA+ community—which makes me, a plant scientist and avid gardener, think about Vita Sackville-West, one of the most influential garden designers of her time. Vita Sackville-West (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons ) Sackville-West (1892-1962) is well-known for her close relationship with writer Virginia Woolf; she was …
Type: Blog
Explore the Helen and Richard Thomas English Walled Garden There’s no doubt about it — England’s long and passionate love affair with gardening has exerted an enormous influence on the way Americans garden today. A walk through the Helen and Richard Thomas English Walled Garden’s six distinct rooms, all of which demonstrate unique styles, is a walk through the history of English gardening. It is …
Type: Walks
What’s not to love about big, beefy Boston ferns or tall parlor palms? They serve as lush, green focal points in a room and, like rubber plants and ficus trees, they demand adequate space to strut their stuff. Then there are tiny indoor plants that are, let’s just say, supremely cute. Miniature orchids, primroses, African violets, roses, pitcher plants, Venus fly traps, shamrocks, and many cacti …
Type: Plant Info
Sangria hot pepper (Capsicum annuum var. annuum 'Sangria') sports a riot of color in August. Arnold Promise witch hazel (Hamamelis x intermedia 'Arnold Promise') sports a riot of color in August. Peppers add color and heat to a world of cuisines They vary from the paprikas of Hungary to the curry powder of India to the bird's-eye pepper of Thailand and the many nuanced chile flavors of …
Type: Plant Info
More and more people are talking about ways to green their gardening. We hope you find this information useful for your own gardening purposes. Biodegradable Biodegradable products or packages decompose into elements found in nature within a reasonably short period of time after normal disposal or use, reducing the volume of materials stored in landfills and offer recyclable alternatives. In …
Type: Plant Info
Many homeowners do their lawn renovation in spring, but in fact this work is better done in fall once summer's heat and drought have passed. In fall, cool air temperatures and warm soil are perfect for seed germination, whereas in spring the cool soil and chilly air are less favorable. In addition, lawn weeds, such as dandelions, grow less vigorously in fall than in spring, when they compete with …
Type: Plant Info
For most gardeners, the top vegetable is the tomato. As they plant in late May, visions of red, round, juicy beefsteaks dance in their heads. Or not. Some gardeners see tomatoes in a rainbow of colors: red, sure, but also shades of yellow, orange, pink, green, burgundy, purple, streaked and striped, and practically black. Along with those colors come a range of flavors. There's a tomato for every …
Type: Plant Info
Greek mythology tells of the beautiful youth, Narcissus , who was so self-infatuated that he spent hours at the garden pool gazing at his reflection. Echo, a mountain nymph, fell madly in love with him, but her love was not returned by the vain Narcissus . Echo wasted away from loneliness until only her voice remained, which disappeared into the mountains to mock every sound it heard. The gods, …
Type: Plant Info
