… and early this summer the fortune was found. Standing on the far side of a hummock swamp in Delhaas Woods in Bristol, Pennsylvania, Andrew Bunting had located a unique magnolia tree … on the edge of fading away. He had discovered the treasure he set out to find. Often, this is where the story ends. But when the prize is an elusive plant sought by scientists nationwide, … collection program. Records of wild collected plants’ origins hold a value that extends beyond dollars. Details of when and where each collected plant was gathered are stored in the Garden’s …
Type: Blog
… wonderful graduate students and a team of researchers to study ways to restore natural areas in the Colorado Plateau. If you’ve ever visited national parks like the Grand Canyon or Arches, … across Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona—and the largest concentration of national parks in the country. Our research team heads out across a recently-burned area in search of data. … able to handle these growing threats (we refer to them as “native winners”). The ultimate goal is to help make restoration of these plants and habitats as effective as possible in order to …
Type: Blog
… Do you see something pushing up from the ground that looks like the claws of some creature in a zombie movie? Does it smell bad too? Happy spring! This charmer is the first native wildflower of a Chicago spring: the skunk cabbage ( Symplocarpus foetidus). A skunk cabbage blooms in early March in the McDonald Woods. It’s a biologically intriguing, ecologically brilliant …
Type: Blog
… The hand-carved Buddha is in the house. A circa-1850 glazed Chinese jar is filled with green Cymbidium orchids native to Asia. And we’re pampering 10,000 other orchids so they’ll be in full flower for Asia in Bloom: The Orchid Show. Lighting crews, horticulturists, and dozens of …
Type: Blog
… Compared to photographing flowers outside, photographing in the Greenhouses is much more challenging and darker than you think. With a limited depth of field, I chose to … a pleasing amount of the flower in focus. Increasing the depth of field, however, comes with a price, as the increased depth will often allow much of the background to be in focus as well. And …
Type: Blog
… 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 … flower alone. Having a tag will help you to always remember what species or hybrid your orchid is. 2. Choose a plant you really like. This may sound obvious, but orchids aren’t like other … it’s not really any worse than buying a bouquet of cut flowers. (Orchids are about the same price, and the flowers last much longer.) Another reason to buy when the plant is flowering is so …
Type: Blog
… await you at nearly every turn. A perfect way to experience the lush abundance of the season is with a walk around the Garden’s 2.6-mile perimeter. Whether enjoying panoramic scenes or … see children at Camp CBG, along with their counselors, busy exploring or, at midday, resting in the shade. Nearby is a service road with a gate that bars all but official Garden vehicles; follow this road as it curves, becoming the Garden’s westernmost road. …
Type: Walks
… Gardens are romantic by nature. That’s why one of our most frequently asked questions is, “What’s the most romantic spot at the Garden?” So we scoped it out, asked around, and … is available at the Garden View Café .) “Something borrowed, something blue…” sets the tone in the English Walled Garden. 2. “Would you like to sit here?” With climbing hydrangeas overhead, … Wonderful weddings happen at the Garden. Find out more at events@chicagobotanic.org . It’s official! Chicago Botanic Garden is voted Best Wedding Venue by Make it Better magazine! …
Type: Blog
… pollutants poison the water and choke plant and animal life. Planting a rain garden is a way to enhance your landscape's aesthetic while absorbing and cleaning rainwater. The garden … x 10 to 15 x 20 feet). A small area can be transformed into a lush eco-garden for just a few dollars per square foot. Choose the best plants for the project The key to a successful rain … 4 to 6 inches deep—a little deeper on the downslope side (think of a shallow bowl in your landscape, tilted slightly to one side). Use the soil from digging to create a ledge or …
Type: Plant Info
… Found in the lakes, this small black-and-white diving duck is distinguished by a big white patch on its head. The cold November winds signal the return of … swim rapidly to catch their prey of mollusks, fish, and other aquatic animals—but they pay a price. Buffleheads, like most other divers, can hardly walk on land. To become airborne, they …
Type: Birding
