… As fall settles in, a gardener’s thoughts generally turn to removal—raking leaves, cutting back perennials, and … good soil. Try these five steps this fall to build and improve on your soil for spring. 1. Test your soil The first step toward better soil is to know what you’ve already got. Contrary to what you may think, fall is the season to have your soil tested, rather than spring. A fall test allows you to fine tune the amendments you’ll add, since there will still be time to react …
Type: Plant Info
As the Lakes and Shorelines Ecologist, I maintain around five miles of restored shoreline at the Chicago Botanic Garden. My role is primarily leading and assisting the seasonal aquatics crew with fieldwork during the growing season. Field management throughout the year includes planting native species, removing invasive species, managing algae both manually and with algaecide, native seed …
Type: Staff bio
… same mix for their pots. Any gardener who suspects the soil is contaminated should have a soil test taken prior to growing edible plants. This is best done when the soil temperature is above …
Type: Plant Info
… of the largest, most diverse, and most beloved of all plant families. An edible orchid in an ice sphere adorns a cocktail from chef Daniel Boulud, marthastewart.com Why, yes, that's an orchid in my cocktail Noted French chef Daniel Boulud paired with a mixologist to come up with a white … Sugar Cymbidium orchid by Robert Haynes. Photo ©Tony Harris Have your orchid and eat it, too London-based sugar artist Robert Haynes specializes in creating, and teaching others how to make, …
Type: Blog
… to the present. Jonnes will discuss how modern Chicago tree lovers have played a powerful role in advancing the new tree science that has illuminated the role of trees in a green infrastructure and their importance to human well-being and public health. Books will …
Type: Event for Calendar
… Native to the Pacific coast of North America, this little plant in the barberry family grows in woodlands on the west slopes of the Cascade Mountains. With a growth habit similar to … 8-10” tall topped with a compound leaf divided into three leaflets with wavy leaf margins. In late spring to early summer, one-foot stems topped with spikes of tiny, fragrant white flowers …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… ten permanent and 43 seasonal workers. Baker has a bachelor's of science degree with honors in agronomy and horticulture from the University of Arizona. She also has completed graduate course work in both horticulture and human resource development. As an undergraduate, she volunteered at the … as the internship and professional training coordinator. She supervised and mentored more than 250 college students and public garden professionals. She also was the first project manager for …
Type: Staff bio
… and beautiful flowers. If you look closely, you’ll even see new buds forming. Orchids live in a wide variety of habitats and come in a wide variety of sizes, so you’ll want to make sure … for most of the year, and others from which you can get multiple flowerings in a year. 3. Only buy a healthy plant. Soft brown scale ( Coccus hesperidum ) and offspring on Phalaenopsis . The … offspring. 4. Consider the flower. You have basically two choices when buying an orchid: buy one that’s flowering or about to flower, or buy one that’s not in flower. Especially for …
Type: Blog
… Zone 7. The cultivar 'Victoria Blue' has been around for several decades and has stood the test of time. It reliably produces many spikes of violet-blue flowers all summer long, until a hard frost. It reaches 2 feet in height. The attractive foliage is green with a grayish cast. The spent flowers should be …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Today, on International Women’s Day, the Chicago Botanic Garden celebrates women in science at our institution and around the world. At the Garden, 21 of our 35 scientific staff members are women and, in our graduate program in plant biology and conservation with Northwestern University, more than 70 percent of the …
Type: Blog
