… Many new visitors may not realize that nearly one-quarter of the Garden's acreage — 81 acres, to be exact — is water. In fact, most of the 27 gardens are located on one of nine islands. Even … with the diverse plants appropriately themed to each specific garden. A fine starting point for this walk is the Great Basin, the Garden’s central lake, which is surrounded by gardens that … is every gardener’s dream. Look and listen for all our water sources on your next Garden visit. …
Type: Walks
… bits of green—reminders of the resilience of nature. On a winter awe walk , when I’m looking for unexpected beauty, those bits of color bring my attention to the bigger world around me. My work with Budburst , the Chicago Botanic Garden’s community … science project, has made me appreciate these moments even more. Budburst encourages everyone to observe and record how plants change with the seasons. The spots of green usually come from …
Type: Blog
… favorite insects at the Chicago Botanic Garden is the praying mantis. So we were very excited to obtain an egg case earlier this spring. We decided to keep it indoors so we could watch it … to know that although it looked like a bad infestation, aphids are not really a big problem for the plants. When they are very abundant, it does not take long for natural predators like … and devour on our flowers, and they will grow up over the summer. The next time you visit, stop by and see if you can find them helping our plants remain healthy and less bothered …
Type: Blog
… My cat is eating my plant. Despite the fact that my prayer plant has inhabited my apartment for over a year as part of my Plant Parenthood journey at the Chicago Botanic Garden, my cat’s … not taste-tested any of the plants in this photo! The ZZ plant and flamingo flower are toxic to cats and normally sit safely out of her reach.) Thankfully, prayer plants are not toxic to … Ponytail palm Catnip Basil Christmas cactus For a full list of toxic and non-toxic plants, visit aspca.org. 2. Place plants out of reach An easy way to keep plants pet-free? Put them out …
Type: Blog
… native plants can play in home landscapes. But just because a plant has been growing somewhere for as long as anyone can remember doesn't mean it's a native plant! Important to the ecosystem Native plants are those found in a specific region that began growing there … offers different soil and moisture conditions. When using native plants in your garden, the best results occur when plants are matched to the sun and soil conditions it has (or had) in a …
Type: Plant Info
… at the Chicago Botanic Garden, there are dragonflies everywhere! The quick, strong fliers seem to love the Garden. Eastern pondhawk dragonfly, female. Most dragonflies have very … dragonflies and tend to hold their wings above their bodies. (See my blog post Damselflies 101 for more information.) Blue dasher dragonfly, female. She looks very different from her male … be found here from March through the first hard freeze in the fall. Choose the right time to visit, and you might even be lucky to find yourself in the middle of a migrating swarm of green …
Type: Blog
… with her daughter Keira, age 5, when another young child at the airport got upset and started to shout. Other travelers stared as the child became increasingly distraught; Keira asked her mom … where her classroom was the first to include students from TrueNorth, an education cooperative for students with disabilities. Keira remembered that one of her TrueNorth friends used music to … Nature Preschooler described the TrueNorth students as her “TrueNorth neighbors”: They visit the Nature Preschool classrooms, and at the end of their time they go back to their own …
Type: Blog
… soft buttery yellow new growth that becomes a rich yellow as the pinkish purple flowers begin to bloom in June. The Spiraea japonica species includes the greatest range of cultivars available to the home gardener within the Spiraea genus. They all have a compact mounding habit in sizes … are quite small, they occur in clusters of inflorescence that can be very showy. Spireas are best used in groupings in a shrub or mixed border, where they are valued as tough, reliable and …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… The foliage of DOUBLE PLAY® Artist spirea emerges red and turns to blue-green as the season progresses. Blooms are deep pink and long lasting. The Spiraea japonica species includes the greatest range of cultivars available to the home gardener within the Spiraea genus. They all have a compact mounding habit in sizes … are quite small, they occur in clusters of inflorescence that can be very showy. Spireas are best used in groupings in a shrub or mixed border, where they are valued as tough, reliable and …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… just about everywhere you go you'll see pumpkins. These Central American natives are great for crafts, decorations and food. A member of the squash family, pumpkin is high in beta-carotene, potassium and vitamin C; low in fat; and high in fiber. Smaller, three- to six-pounders are the best for pies since they're sweet and non-stringy. As with all squash, the flowers are edible …
Type: Plant Info
