Search

  • … When a coyote pirouettes in the snow, you start to wonder. Where was it going? And what made it turn? After a big snow, I love looking for wildlife tracks and the stories they tell. The paw prints and other tracks in the snow are among the small wonders of winter. In a recent blog, we talked about finding awe on winter walks—turning attention outside yourself …
    Type: Blog
  • … To feed, or not to feed, that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of empty bird feeders, Or to take arms against a sea … lines a little, but you get the idea. When winter arrives, we see the birds all fluffed-up out in the cold and wind and snow and feel the need to “save them,” or at least make their lives … about feeding birds. On the negative side, there is the way feeders concentrate many birds in a small area, making it easier for diseases to spread among the population. The concentration …
    Type: Blog
  • … close to home and engaging your creative side this Halloween. Not so creative? Uninterested in spending hours sewing complicated costumes? Not to worry. Here are some tips from the Garden … easy was that? Goodbye to plastic pumpkin candy carriers! Your kids can lug around their loot in a traditional fabric container. They can use paint or markers on their pillowcases to make … you purchase your pumpkins, cornstalks, straw bales, and other natural decorative material to buy locally, and if possible, organically. Organic Halloween candy is harder to come by, but …
    Type: Page
  • Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … butterfly recovery and promote positive, science-based actions to avert food web collapse in the milkweed community and the further demise of the monarch migration to Mexico. They aim to promote social engagement to implement tangible solutions in midwestern landscapes through collaborative conservation. TIME TOPICS AND SPEAKERS 9 a.m. … of Northern Iowa Topic: Restoring monarch habitat in Iowa: county roadsides, urban flood buy-outs, and (maybe) farms 2:40 p.m. Stretch break 2:50 p.m. Doug Taron, Ph.D., curator of …
    Type: Page
  • … subtle colors may be visible on purchased, recycled paper or recycled card stock. (When folded in two, paper measuring 8 ½ by 11 inches will create two greeting cards of 4 ¼ by 5 ½ inches, which will fit into a standard 4 3/8-inch envelope; type “card size” in your computer search engine for many alternative sizes.) You’ll also need some soy-based … or some berries. Alternatively or to supplement the natural objects, cut a large baking potato in half and carve out holiday shapes; relatively easy ones are candy canes, dreidels, or goblets …
    Type: Page
  • … perennials, Mediterraneans, and tropical plants that you have grown to love over the summer. In this class, you will learn which plants will overwinter successfully and which ones are best to compost and buy new in spring. You will learn the best techniques and secrets of success to keep your tender plants …
    Type: Item Detail
  • … think of honeybees when they think about bees, there are more than 4,000 native bee species in the United States and 500 species in Illinois alone. Like their honeybee counterparts, native bees are undergoing global declines, … research at the Chicago Botanic Garden is investigating how urban areas may affect native bees in Chicago. Chicago is an ideal city to study the impact of urbanization on native bees because …
    Type: Blog
  • … sound like—a place outside where you can sit and reflect. We use them often with little ones in the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Nature Preschool. The dedicated places are a mindful way for people of any age to check in with and be present in the natural world. Choosing a Spot The best kind of sit-spot is one that you feel comfortable …
    Type: Blog
  • In 2015, we displayed four new bonsai trees in the Semitropical Greenhouse in the Regenstein Center. Bonsai on display in the Semitropical Greenhouse The crape myrtle, two …
    Type: Blog