… When it’s 115 degrees Fahrenheit in the drought-stricken Mojave desert, you’ll forgive our botanists for hoping against hope for a … Monica Depies and Rebecca Ubalde make up one of the Chicago Botanic Garden’s three teams in the western United States that are collecting native seeds for the national Seeds of Success (SOS) program this field season. The Garden is an active partner in SOS, led by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, to collect seeds for conservation, research, …
Type: Blog
… The spots of green usually come from evergreen trees that keep their leaves year-round. In the Midwest, those tend to be conifers , which have modified leaves called needles. I marvel at how conifer branches and needles, laden with snow, hold all that weight. In contrast, I appreciate the exposed branch structure of a deciduous tree, naked of its leaves. … pulls back a curtain to reveal insights into the life cycle of plants that we may rush by in our hurry to get inside from the snow or cold. It’s a great time for everyone—especially kids …
Type: Blog
… first field day. We don’t know what this plant is called, and it’s a hot and humid summer day in Chicago, and we have been searching through our identification guidebooks for what seems like forever. “Is it this one?” we ask each other, pointing to pictures in the book where the leaves kinda sorta look like our little plant. Finally, we flip through the … with a fresh-faced team of undergraduate interns to quantify plant community biodiversity (i.e. identify and count plants) in restored prairies around Chicago. Some of our sites have been …
Type: Blog
… Meditative, artful, and transporting. In a way, the experience of seeing Asia in Bloom: The Orchid Show is much like ikebana, the traditional Japanese art of flower … has established itself as an art form beyond religious ritual, and is often seen displayed in people’s homes. Though it is now a secular practice, ikebana carries deep philosophical …
Type: Blog
… visitors and was originally created by the noted British landscape architect, John Brookes, in 1971. Each of its six rooms take you on a mini journey into English garden design through the … discover a thought-provoking journey. × Did you guess the Japanese Garden Bridge? Way to go! In the Elizabeth Hubert Malott Japanese Garden, this bridge is part of what’s called Sansho-En, a … This painted aluminum sundial was sculpted by Joseph Burlini in 1987. It sits in the Bernice E. Lavin Plant Evaluation Garden between the Trellis Bridge and the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice …
Type: Blog
… The first moth to emerge in the Butterflies & Blooms exhibition is the Atlas moth ( Attacus atlas) , which is native to … all. It survives its adult life feeding off stored fat. Though not the largest Lepidoptera in the world (that award goes to the white witch moth [ Thysania agrippina ]), the Atlas moth comes in second with a recorded wingspan of 262 millimeters. Several other cocoons are still in the …
Type: Blog
… the Reserve is relatively unknown, even to longtime visitors. As an assistant ecologist, I’m in the Reserve a lot, and often by myself. I’m always puzzled that so few people have discovered … just pick a quiet spot to observe wading birds . Look for great blue herons, perched on logs in the water and ready to hunt. They’ll sneak up on a fish, spear it, toss it in the air, and swallow it whole. You can also keep an eye out for hawks and bald eagles, or come …
Type: Blog
… brides, prom groups, families, and sweethearts can attest. Sunset frames the Trellis Bridge in golden glow. Halfway along Evening Island, the Trellis Bridge is a surprise invitation to … signals change—your passage into a very different garden and a very different mindset. In good spirits? Cross the Zigzag Bridge. Separating two of the three Malott Japanese Garden … encouraging you to enjoy the beauty around you…including your sweetheart. Lotus bloom in the shallows of the Arch Bridge in midsummer. Turn left as you leave the Malott Japanese …
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
… This shrub, native to Eurasia, grows to height of about six feet in full sun to partial shade and dry to moist soil conditions. In May it produces yellow flowers with a tinge of red, growing in pairs along the leaf axils. It can be distinguished from other honeysuckles by the larger …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
