… happen and what can you do about it? Adam Dooling, director of plant collections, responds to this gardener’s question. My tulips looked great the first spring, but there have been fewer … and smaller plants every year since, and many of them have no flowers. What am I doing wrong? To grow tulips that remain in the garden year after year, it helps to understand the plant’s life … the Netherlands, where tulips were introduced in the sixteenth century. The environment there is ideal for growing tulips. It’s mostly surrounded by sea, and has well-drained soil, long days, …
Type: Blog
… Q. My neighbor puts epsom salts in the soil around his rose bushes instead of fertilizer. Is there any advantage to this? A. Epsom salts have a long tradition of being used in the garden, especially in Europe, … fast-acting source for magnesium and sulfur. For soils on the alkaline side, the added sulfur is a benefit. Epsom salts, however, do not contain any of the three major components of most …
Type: Plant Info
… If you’ve thought about delving into gardening but don’t know quite where to start, you’re in the right place. Any kind of gardening—whether you want to grow houseplants or herbs, flowers or vegetables—can be a fun, relaxing hobby. And, gardening … like palms, rubber plants, and ficus trees can be grown indoors and outside once the weather is warm. And, for first-time indoor gardeners, we have a plant story for you. Outdoors If you …
Type: Plant Info
… Amorphophallus remains a unique occupant in the world of plants, and visitors to the Chicago Botanic Garden recently experienced the fascinating bloom cycle with the titan … lily hails from China, Japan, and Korea. It is one of the easiest to grow, and perhaps the best garden subject for the Chicago area. They are pricey to buy, but the flying saucer-shaped tubers bulk up quickly in a rich, woodsy soil. There are …
Type: Blog
… Phosphorus is a component of most fertilizers that helps plants to grow. When too much is applied or is … the use of phosphorus-containing fertilizers for turf or lawn areas. These laws are designed to protect local water quality in lakes, streams, and ponds. According to several experts, in …
Type: Plant Info
… costumes that are made so cheaply and cost so much? The ones beckoning from cluttered shops to which you have to drive, using up gas and your precious time? Fuhgeddaboudit! Do yourself, … costumes? Not to worry. Here are some tips from the Garden that are easy, quick, and—best of all—effective. Now go grab some empty pillowcases. How easy was that? Goodbye to plastic … 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
… April's only full moon is lovely enough, but the upcoming one is a gift from nature—and the perfect time to take a night walk. On Monday, April 26, head outside to see the "pink" supermoon. Whether you prefer to walk in solitude or with …
Type: Blog
… A bridge can be a portal, a passage, a strategic position, an arrival, a departure, or a place to meet halfway. And of course bridges can be marvelously romantic, as anyone who’s gasped at a … Golden Gate Bridge or taken a Parisian boat ride on the Seine can attest. Bridges are integral to the Chicago Botanic Garden, too, built as it is on nine islands. For a lovely summer evening, take a long walk together…cross these six …
Type: Blog
… April 26 – 28, 2013 Chicago Botanic Garden Glencoe, IL Download a registration form (due April 1, 2013) The MPC is a weekend symposium held in the spring, and is hosted by a different institution each year. … in a relaxed and relatively informal setting. Although the format varies somewhat from year to year, there generally are social receptions, oral and poster presentations, banquets, …
Type: Event for Calendar
… Each Lunar New Year brings new fortunes, each lunar year is associated with a zodiac animal, and this year is the Year of the Rabbit. The Rabbit is associated with the Earthly Branch , and the hours 5 to 7 in the morning. In Asian cultures, rabbits represent the moon. Some believe it is because … Protect the plants that you and the rabbits really love, and don’t worry about the rest. The best way to keep rabbits out of the garden and prevent damage is to use physical barriers such as …
Type: Blog
