… Why Best for the Midwest is Best for the Planet Think twice before you plant those flowers! Are they a … and restore the health of natural habitats for the people, plants, and animals that depend on them. Native and Invasive Species Native plants are those flowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees … plants, but the animals that rely upon them. Much of the restoration work in our area focuses on getting rid of these invaders so that we are not left with a monoculture. Much of our research …
Type: Plant Info
… Spring is the time to start seeds—especially for the veggies and herbs that thrive in summer's heat. Tomatoes. Peppers. Onions. Basil. … date for your area and garden, you can calculate when to start seeds, using the information on the back of the seed packet as a prompt. There is a lot of science behind the determination of … to grow. It's worth investing in a high-quality seed-starting mix, rather than relying solely on cost—inferior mixes will never produce the healthy growth that a quality mix can support. Most …
Type: Plant Info
… Large, intensely red, flowers appear in midsummer and continue to early fall on this cultivar that features green leaves that take on a bronze tint in full sun. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… cold and wind and snow and feel the need to “save them,” or at least make their lives easier. For the most part, birds are perfectly capable of dealing with the weather and finding food. Most … Common redpoll (Acanthis flammea) There are positive and negative things about feeding birds. On the negative side, there is the way feeders concentrate many birds in a small area, making it … the cold. Another nice thing about water is that it will attract birds that might not normally visit a feeding station, especially as temperatures warm up. Some people who have kept a species …
Type: Blog
… Description: This cormorant may be visible on the lakes and in the Barbara Brown Nature Reserve, standing on logs in the water with wings held out to dry. …
Type: Birding
… Description: This slow-flying carrion eater is sometimes found on the ground feeding on dead fish, but is usually seen flying over, mostly in pairs or small groups. …
Type: Birding
… Hundreds of small, short (to 1.5 inches) sweet bananas are produced on this short growing (to 12 feet) cultivar on a flowering stem that can almost reach the ground. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… orchid—a star at London’s Chelsea Flower Show and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew—was set up for success by an international conservation team. The unexpected call came in mid-February. Could the Chicago Botanic Garden present a blooming ghost orchid on a global stage in London? An international team of orchid experts would work with us to get … pictures so she could track the bud’s progress. Finally, a few days later, Hutchins got the news that she had been hoping for—the ghost orchid was in bloom. The BBC, The Times of London, …
Type: Blog
… Drosera are one of the largest groups of carnivorous plants with close to 195 species, found on every continent except Antarctica. Sundews are sticky flypaper plants, bearing long tentacles on their leaves. These stalks are tipped with brightly colored glands that exude attractive nectar, adhesive compounds, and digestive enzymes. Insects that land on the leaves stick to it and are digested. The plant does best in partial shade and is hardy to …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Drosera are one of the largest groups of carnivorous plants with close to 195 species, found on every continent except Antarctica. Sundews are sticky flypaper plants, bearing long tentacles on their leaves. These stalks are tipped with brightly colored glands that exude attractive nectar, adhesive compounds, and digestive enzymes. Insects that land on the leaves stick to it and are digested. The plant does best in partial shade and is hardy to …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
