… $18 a plant—I decided to graft some tomato plants myself and grow them out. My first foray was in winter 2013. The Chicago Botanic Garden’s propagator in the plant production department, Cathy Thomas, had just returned from a conference at Longwood … out of direct sunlight, to heal for up to one week. When planning on grafting, growers must buy double the amount of seed and need to double the number of plantings (to account for the …
Type: Page
… — The Hows and Whys One of winter's many pleasures is seeing a male northern cardinal, decked in bright red plumage, feasting on seeds from your snow-covered feeder. Indeed, one of the main … kinds of food that attract different species. Before you start buying feeders and seeds, keep in mind some basic concepts that will make you and the birds happy: Though birds are intelligent … it's a good idea to keep the feeders filled as much as you can until middle to late spring. In fact, early spring, when last fall's seeds are all gone and the insects haven't yet started to …
Type: Page
… Take a good look at your yard and garden areas. Be brutally honest about which areas are in full sun, partial shade or dense shade. Remember that the angle and intensity of sunlight differ in early spring and midsummer, as well as from morning to afternoon. Is it possible to limb up … buying a tree or shrub with many cultivars (crab apple, for example), be sure the cultivar you buy is disease- and insect-resistant. Some nurseries continue to sell older varieties that have …
Type: Plant Info
… Take a good look at your yard and garden areas. Be brutally honest about which areas are in full sun, partial shade, or dense shade. Remember that the angle and intensity of sunlight differ in early spring and midsummer, as well as from morning to afternoon. Is it possible to remove the … buying a tree or shrub with many cultivars (crabapple, for example), be sure the cultivar you buy is disease- and insect-resistant. Some nurseries continue to sell older varieties that have …
Type: Plant Info
… horticulturists at the Chicago Botanic Garden with a burst of promising male and female cones in 2017. In Glencoe, the sole tree spends its winters in the carefully controlled environment of the production greenhouse. In the wild, its relatives …
Type: Blog
… visit Hill Top Farm, Potter’s home, after finding a photo of children reading by the fireplace in a National Geographic my parents had. Picturesque Hill Top Farm was purchased by Beatrix Potter in 1905 with proceeds from the sale of her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit . Photo by … . She shares her first name with her mother, Helen Leech Potter, who was also interested in drawing and painting—common pastimes for upper-middle-class Victorian women. Beatrix used a …
Type: Blog
… You may have noticed more garlic mustard in your garden, yard, or alley this year. The ecologists who tend to the Chicago Botanic Garden’s natural areas have, too. We had not seen much garlic mustard in our natural areas in recent years, and its reemergence is a reminder for all of us that controlling and managing …
Type: Blog
… titmice, blue jays, and others provide a colorful, entertaining addition to our gardens in winter. Unlike spring—when they’re busy singing, looking for a mate, and building nests—in winter, a bird’s main activity is to find and eat enough food to keep warm. They’re searching … 2 inches deep). Birds will not use birdbaths with deep basins. If you’re new to bird-watching, buy a bird identification book. It will make the often dull winter months much more delightful. …
Type: Plant Info
… The fourth of July is upon us, and while many beautiful flowers can be found in patriotic shades of red and white, the color blue is very difficult to find at the Garden. In fact, blue is a rare sight in the entire natural world. Less than ten percent of the plant kingdom features blue flowers, …
Type: Blog
… stories, and green-thumb tips. Panache sunflower ( Helianthus annuus ‘Panache’) With that in mind, here are five simple secrets for seed-starting success 1. Quality seed starter. Give your seeds a healthy jump start by planting them in a really good seed starting mix. Don’t skimp on quality here—plants grown in inferior mix will … those grown in a high-quality medium. Some adjectives that should describe the product you buy: sterile, fine-grained, free-draining, fluffy, uniform. One brand we’ve had success with: …
Type: Blog
