… titanum ), “Spike,” to the Semitropical Greenhouse. Now we are all watching and waiting for Spike to bloom—a dream of the Chicago Botanic Garden for 12 years! Finally, in the next ten days or so, we’ll see the fruit of our labor in all of its … the spadix will emerge out of the top of the bud and continue to grow taller, until it’s time for the bloom. For a single day, the spathe will unwrap and open to a dark, velvety red “bloom,” …
Type: Blog
… daffodils.” You don’t need to come across 10,000 or more daffodils to bring good cheer. Look for them on a walk in unexpected places—along a road, for instance, or in an alley. Even just a few of the blooms in a vase will bring nature and …
Type: Blog
… Botanic Garden bids adieu to our beautiful summer blooms until next year. The air starts to get crisper (and your summer plants will too), but September isn’t the expiration date for color and excitement at the Chicago Botanic Garden—and it shouldn’t be in your garden either. … asked Tim Pollak, outdoor floriculturist, and Cindy Baker, manager of horticultural services, for their favorite fall-blooming perennials that will make your landscape pop this season. Purple …
Type: Blog
… Come visit the Nature Play Garden to roll down the hills, splash in the runnel, and hide in the log tunnels. Join us for facilitated multi-sensory activities and exploration. Children and caregivers can engage in … books and play at Family Drop-In Activity sites and earn prizes! For details and to sign up, visit the Lenhardt Library in the Regenstein Center. Children of all ages are welcome to …
Type: Event for Calendar
… non-scripta ); among the last is hairy toad lily (Tricyrtis hirta ‘Moonlight’). When you get to the end of the path, take a seat on one of the granite boulders. Take your time in this … non-scripta ); among the last is hairy toad lily (Tricyrtis hirta ‘Moonlight’). When you get to the end of the path, take a seat on one of the granite boulders. Take your time in this …
Type: Page
… cultivars have a sweeter flavor, and both contain high amounts of pectin, so are a good choice for canning and to add to preserves. Tomatillos (Physalis ixocarpa) prefer the same soil … by sweating, which some suggest is one reason hot peppers are popular in hot climates. Get the most from your pepper plants with our Plant Information tips . Smaller, bushy hot pepper … area, our growing season is to short for it to bear ripe fruit. Naranjilla lovers will need to visit a Latin grocery store to purchase the fruit, which is popular in drinks, ice cream, and …
Type: Page
… Growing tomatoes in containers Got bad soil? Buckets, troughs, and pots all work well for growing tomatoes, too. Small space, poor soil? Container gardening may be the answer. If … indeterminate type tomato, you’ll need a long stake or a tall tomato cage for support. You can get by with a short stake or a smaller cage for a determinate type plant. To get started, place a few coffee filters over the drainage holes to keep the soil from washing …
Type: Page
… Are your summer container gardens in need of a fall makeover? Good news! There are many fall-flavored plants that will provide you with texture, form, and … or blue asters (Symphyotrichum) with ornamental kale as the colors play off each other nicely for a long-lasting fall container. Using other lesser-known plants, such as some of the … a fuller effect, use more plants than you would in the spring or summer. As the days begin to get shorter and the nights get cooler, plant growth is slowing down or ceasing. By planting a …
Type: Blog
… led to its demise at the turn of the twentieth century—when these and other waders were hunted for their feathery plumes that women wore in their hats. Since then, the great egret, standing … its motionless legs likely looking like branches to a fish, which will come closer, and then get snatched up by the hungry wader. The bird swallows the prey head first, sometimes having to … is doing well in Illinois; however, habitat loss and water pollution may threaten its future. Visit Baker’s Lake in Barrington to watch the great egret during breeding season and McGinnis …
Type: Birding
… the next generation of plants. These beetles are members of the Coleoptera (beetles) and get their name from the large antlerlike mandibles (jaws) found on the front of the head of the … have mandibles, but they not as impressive as those of the males. The large mandibles are used for territorial defense and also to protect the beetles from any birds or other animals that … and so on. These mites do neither the beetles nor the grubs any harm; they are just along for the ride and probably snacking on any choice fecal pellets deposited by the beetles. If you …
Type: Blog
