… The popularity of agave-based drinks like tequila and mezcal is at an all-time high in the United States. And that is bad news for agaves. As Hector Ortiz, … popularity of these drinks has fueled the expansion of agave monoculture—where land is cleared to grow a single species of agave, destroying the habitats of wild agaves and reducing … prickly pear cacti ( Opuntia species). In what is now southern Arizona, people used rock piles to grow agaves, which retained soil moisture and increased resilience against drought. By …
Type: Blog
… The Architecture of Life Wednesday, May 15, 7:30–8:30 p.m. Alsdorf Auditorium Click here to register online. This event is free ($5 suggested donation). Our cities and suburbs are often designed in ways that degrade the environment and alienate us from the nature that we need in a deep and fundamental way. While the recent trend in green architecture has decreased the negative environmental …
Type: Page
… Annual cicada Insect fascination is never ending. Here are five activities you can do this summer to extend the enchantment. 1. Annual cicadas. The annual species are with us all summer. Be an … all other insects go through life cycle stages like the cicada, with a dramatic final shedding to become adult flying insects? Dragonfly nymphs live underwater until it’s their time to molt …
Type: Blog
… noticed a tall, vertical grass, planted en masse , swaying in the wind at the entrance to the mall, in your neighbor’s yard, or most likely, at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Feather reed … Foerster (1874–1970), for discovering the species in the 1930s along a railway in Germany. It is reported that he pulled the emergency brake on the train he was riding in order to collect the … Foerster’s Lasting Imprint on the World of Horticulture,” Cubits.org (blog), April 26, 2010, http://cubits.org/articlesongardening/articles/view/325/ . Van Sweden, James. …
Type: Blog
… Give Through a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) What is a donor-advised fund? A DAF is a charitable giving account that allows you to recommend grants to qualified nonprofits like the Chicago Botanic Garden. It is an excellent … a donor-advised fund Making a gift to the Chicago Botanic Garden through a DAF is an effective way to support our mission to cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life. How …
Type: Page
… Q. What is the best way to save seeds? A. Open pollinated or heirloom varieties are best for saving. …
Type: Plant Info
… Digital Photography Contest Choose your best photo for the Garden Photo Contest From Robin Carlson, staff photographer It is certainly not an easy task to pick your best photo of the Chicago Botanic Garden! The subject matter is so wonderful that I …
Type: Page
… 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The Places for the Spirit: Traditional African American Gardens exhibition is a stunning collection of fine art photographs of African American folk gardens and their …
Type: Event for Calendar
… Why not try growing some plants indoors? Better still, why not experiment with your plants to understand them better? In this activity, you will confuse a bean sprout and train it to grow … trap the seed and ruin the activity.) As soon as your plant has grown a root and a stem that is 1-2 inches long, turn the bag one quarter turn and put it back. You may have to wait a week – … to get results. The timing will depend on the level of light and the temperature. That’s the way it goes with growing plants. Horticulturists – the people who grow plants – are some of the …
Type: Blog
… Kuck, in her 1935 book “100 Gardens of Kyoto.” By the 1950s, the term became popular as a way for Westerners and Europeans to describe the minimalistic rock-and-sand gardens found at Zen Buddhist temples in Japan. The correct term for this type of garden is karesansui, or dry garden. A Zen Garden is the epitome of control, moderation and simplicity. …
Type: Plant Info
