… started in the Corps program because he needed a job—then from day one, he fell in love with “how resilient and amazing nature is.” Clarence Smith’s family has farmed for generations in … of Chicago. Now they’re poised for their next adventure. The three are joining forces with their own 20-acre farm in Chicago Heights, which they’re currently calling Big Three—and … of their unique skill sets that created a recipe for success. “Clarence, he’s a pastor [with a broad network]. Deshawn is really handy—he’s the smarts when it comes to farming and …
Type: Blog
… Woods—from delicate wildflowers and budding trees to the sounds of birdsong. Get involved with our community science program, Budburst, and observe flowers blooming and new leaves growing. Learn about our seasonal challenges and how to submit observations with our mobile app. Take a 45-minute guided walk at 1 p.m. You can also take a self-guided walk …
Type: Event for Calendar
… sun, but be sure to bring in the tubers if frost threatens again. Label the tubers properly with name, height and color of dahlias. Dust with fungicide if desired. Store tubers in boxes of peat moss, shredded newspapers, sawdust or …
Type: Plant Info
… iris. A. If you want to divide bearded iris, do so after it flowers, but before August. With a sharp, sterilized knife, cut the rhizome into pieces containing a set of leaves and … circle. Siberian iris ( I. sibirica ) can be divided in July by digging up the entire clump with a sharp shovel and then separating the clump into as many sections as you want. For an …
Type: Plant Info
… Are you interested in learning more about how to work with youth in an urban agriculture or school garden setting? Would you like to know more about … Let us know that you’re interested! Complete the interest form and staff will follow up with you when we schedule the next training. Interest Form …
Type: Item Detail
… Woods—from delicate wildflowers and budding trees to the sounds of birdsong. Get involved with our community science program, Budburst, and observe flowers blooming and new leaves growing. Learn about our seasonal challenges and how to submit observations with our mobile app. Take a 45-minute guided walk at 1 p.m. You can also take a self-guided walk …
Type: Event for Calendar
… this hardy perennial has long racemes of pendulous, fragrant, white flowers that contrast with its dark, purplish foliage. This is a hybrid of the Asian species Actaea simplex and the … racemosa from a cross made in the Netherlands by Piet Oudolf. It can reach a height of 5 feet with a 2-foot spread when established (second year) and prefers moist, humus-rich soils in …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… the largest blooms of the genus, Allium christophii features star-shaped purple-violet flowers with a metallic sheen on loose umbels from 4 to 8 inches across on 1' to 2' plants. Found in … another of the large-flowered onions that succeed best in Chicago landscapes if interplanted with low-growing perennials and shrubs that will keep soil moisture levels lower during mid to …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… bracts and pedicels. Recently, by authors H.F. Glen and D.S. Hardy in 2000, it was combined with Aloe parvibracteata . Burgersfort Aloe's native habitat in South Africa is on sandy soils in … rosettes can be 11 inches to 15 inches in height, the leaves are white spotted, brownish, with dry twisted tips. It has a four foot tall branched inflorescences of red flowers supported …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… petals, or corolla lobes, are slightly cupped forward. Five spoon-shaped pink to purple petals with white spots nestle in the center. In late summer to fall, narrow, 4-inch long, curved follicles (seedpods) form and split open, releasing seeds with silky tufts. Like most milkweeds, the alternate leaves exude an irritating milky sap. It is …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
