… Hell. In the Dark Ages, wolfsbane was said to be used by witches in spells and potions and was one of several ingredients for an ointment that, when applied to a broom, could facilitate … who applied the poisonous sap to their flints and launched them at unsuspecting enemies. One thing both Hollywood and horticulturists can agree on: wolfsbane is a potent plant. Ingesting …
Type: Blog
… their roles as pollinators. Pollination refers to the process of transferring pollen from one flower to the reproductive system of another plant, allowing for the fertilized plant to … Adult butterflies feed on nectar from plants, and in doing so they carry pollen from one flower to the next. Unlike bees, which obtain pollen from flowers in a relatively short range …
Type: Blog
… several books on the topic. His donation gives the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Lenhardt Library one of the Midwest’s best collections of literature on the language of flowers. As even these few photos show, there are books filled with intricate illustrations, books specific to one flower, handpainted books, pocket-sized books, and dictionaries. The oldest volume dates to …
Type: Blog
… tools needed to process all of that information. The study is the first piece of the One Thousand Plants (1KP) research partnership initiated by researchers at the University of … World Wickett’s expertise in a field of science called bioinformatics allowed him to serve as one of the leaders in the data analysis process, which relied on a set of tools developed by the … cycle characteristics with land plants. However, the study reinforced, with strong statistical support, recent work that has shown that land plants are actually more closely related to a much …
Type: Blog
… sun lowers in the sky. Have you discovered the Kleinman Family Cove yet? We think the Cove is one of the prettiest places at the Garden in the evening—perfect for listening to the natural … spot to sit near the water. The Circle Garden’s secret gardens. There’s a pair of them, one on each side of the Circle Garden. You’re just steps away from the Regenstein Center, but it …
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… Q: Describe your process for designing your container. What makes a good container? A: One of the things I’m always thinking about when I’m doing a container is height. When you first … well in a container? A: I always like to use a simple color palette in containers. For this one, it’s all about shades of purple, black, and green. It makes for a more effective container …
Type: Blog
… be viewed from several sides, or place them in the back of the container if viewed only from one side. Mix plants with contrasting foliage, colors, leaf sizes, and shapes. Top dress the soil … dose of general fertilizer, and minor trimming if needed. They can last in the home for one to two years before repotting is needed. …
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… you can see how this warbler got its name. The yellow-rumped warbler (Setophaga coronata) is one of the most common warblers you will see at the Garden. A very understated orange-crowned … seeing them stealthily appear from seemingly out of nowhere. A major rarity showed up for just one day, a white-faced ibis. I was lucky to be around to see it; a first for me. Wow, what a … hope you will too! The warbling vireo (Vireo gilvus) —not a warbler, but its song sounds like one. Join me and #birdthepreserves. My top five migration places to visit in the spring are the …
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… allow the foliage to dry out and turn yellow. The plants will remain dormant for anywhere from one to three months. During this time, they require very little water (water approximately once a … the watering until new growth starts again in the fall. When picking a cyclamen, try to pick one with as many buds as possible. Each plant is capable of producing dozens, sometimes nearly … several months of blooms. Because the buds are produced all at once, it is important to pick one with as many buds as possible; this way, you know that you’re going to maximize your bloom …
Type: Blog
… For one December session of our Plant Explorers after school program at Chicago International Charter … Start by tying a 12-inch piece of ribbon to each half of the ornament through the loops. In one half of the ornament, add about a teaspoon of activated charcoal. Fill the rest of that … were walking through a forest. And there were enough in the pack for all 15 students to get one. Use whatever you like! If you have a spray bottle with water handy, it helps to give the …
Type: Blog
