… Jamie Berlin is the horticulturist for the Lavin Evaluation Garden and Green Roof Gardens at the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center. The Lavin Evaluation Garden is home to the Garden's Plant Evaluation Program, featuring plants best suited for Midwestern gardens and those in similar climates. The Green Roof includes a south …
Type: Staff bio
… I manage the Plants of Concern, a citizen science rare-plant monitoring program designed to gather standardized, long-term regional monitoring data to detect population trends. The … a collaboration of trained citizen scientists, land managers, and researchers using science to best conserve rare plants and habitats. In addition to our regional monitoring work, Plants of …
Type: Staff bio
… Digitized Rare Books and Special Collections The Rare Book Collection of the Lenhardt Library of the Chicago Botanic Garden offers a comprehensive perspective on five centuries of research in botany, botanical art, horticulture, agriculture, gardening, and landscape design. These digitized rare books provide an opportunity for close examination of unique materials. View Lenhardt Library's Digitized Rare Books and …
Type: Page
… I am sure that most of you know what I am referring to when I say “leap year.” “Lep Year”—“lep” being short for Lepidoptera (from the Latin “scaly wing”), the order of insects that includes butterflies and moths. It has … plant leaves, I generally leave them alone until they have had their fill and work their way down into the soil where they pupate to spend the winter. (I find that they rarely put much …
Type: Blog
… it’s bright red holly berries that turn my head on a winter walk. Or, on a quiet day, it’s the sound of pine cones popping open to spread their seeds. As director of living plant documentation at the Chicago Botanic … By turning your attention to something bigger than yourself, your stress tends to give way to positive emotions such as compassion and gratitude, the study finds. Winter is the time to …
Type: Blog
… For most gardeners, the top vegetable is the tomato. As they plant in late May, visions of red, round, juicy … blocky pink hybrid 'Early Wonder' , early maturing and determinate. Determinate tomatoes grow to a certain size and stop, producing all their fruit over a few weeks and then quitting. Because … plant them too early. Let them enjoy warm soil and summer sunlight so they can grow into their best flavor and color—whatever that color may be. Beth Botts is a garden writer and speaker …
Type: Plant Info
… occasionally hard to come by in local nurseries and garden centers—but they are well worth the effort to find. Already adapted to our particular climate and ecosystems, natives simply do … at the bit to plant this native shrub. It’s unfortunate, because the chokeberry is one of the best shrubs you can grow in Illinois. Iroquois Beauty™ chokeberry ( Aronia melanocarpa … but the fruit that comes afterward offers a food source for yellow-rumped warblers on their way south. New Jersey Tea ( Ceanothus americanus ) New Jersey tea is one native shrub that I …
Type: Blog
… Many students I know struggle to find a good idea for science fair projects and sometimes wait until the last minute to do their experiments. We in the Education Department of the Chicago Botanic … percentages. Cover with a damp paper towel; label the plates. Treat the seeds the same way in every respect except for one thing: the condition you are testing. That condition is your …
Type: Blog
… Stone Family Picnic Glade The Stone Family Picnic Glade features a covered and open-air picnic area—with a breathtaking … lakeside view of the Elizabeth Hubert Malott Japanese Garden. There are plenty of tables to accommodate up to 200 people. With sunny paved and lawn areas, it’s the perfect gathering spot for family, friends, and school groups. Bicyclists, walkers, and all visitors are welcome to take …
Type: Page
… Is there such a thing as a low-maintenance perennial garden? The answer is yes if careful consideration is first given to plant choice and plant location. Matching the requirements of a plant to the characteristics … dividing a plant, dig a large root ball and give the plant lots of water in its new home. It's best not to move a perennial when it's in flower or when it's extremely hot. But it's better to …
Type: Plant Info
