… 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 other staff members are …
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 … 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 prelude to the …
Type: Blog
… Garden is atop the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center, which opened in 2009. The garden consists of the Ellis Goodman Family Foundation Green Roof Garden South and … elegant plant nearly 3 feet tall with dramatic spires of white flowers. Q: What happens next in the Green Roof Garden? Hawke: Keeping the goal of compiling a broad list of good plants for green roofs in mind, we’ll continue to add new plants into the evaluation plots beginning in 2015. I plan to …
Type: Page
… to plan and dream about your yard and garden, smart gardeners know that a wish list drawn up in winter can feel overwhelming by spring. Instead, grow your garden a few steps at a time each … the garden of your dreams. Winter resolutions Hang a bird feeder. Build a compost bin . Invest in an excellent pruner. (Find a variety of garden tools at The Garden Shop! ) Order seeds for … Show . Build a raised bed. Spring resolutions Plant a fruit tree…or two. Start a compost pile. Test your soil. (For a list of Illinois soil testing labs, visit extension.illinois.edu ) Plant …
Type: Plant Info
… fear when it comes to growing food, rational or not—fear of failure, fear of bugs or critters (in my case, spiders), fear of Nature’s power to wipe out a crop with one fell storm. In this month’s edition of Smart Gardener , we get to the root of three fears that often pop up … feed the kids organically, but not sure if your yard qualifies? The Strategy: Send for a Soil Test It’s the best way to get the scoop on what’s really happening underground before you …
Type: Plant Info
… Q: How can I overwinter coleus plants so I don’t have to buy new ones each spring? A: The easiest method is to pot up stem cuttings. Most growers and home gardeners use this method in late fall to overwinter coleus plants or in early spring to increase their stock of hard-to-find cultivars. To overwinter coleus, cut 3- …
Type: Plant Info
… the environmental challenges we face today and train those who assume that responsibility in the future. The following individuals, corporations, and foundations have generously supported … National Science Foundation Ernest P. Waud III Ms. Susan A. Willetts and Mr. Alan K. Pritz $250,000 – $499,999 Anonymous (1) Willard and Sally Aaron The Buchanan Family Foundation Robert F. … National Science Foundation Ernest P. Waud III Ms. Susan A. Willetts and Mr. Alan K. Pritz $250,000 – $499,999 Anonymous (1) Willard and Sally Aaron The Buchanan Family Foundation Robert F. …
Type: Page
… $18 a plant—I decided to graft some tomato plants myself and grow them out. My first foray was in winter 2013. The Chicago Botanic Garden’s propagator in the plant production department, Cathy Thomas, had just returned from a conference at Longwood … out of direct sunlight, to heal for up to one week. When planning on grafting, growers must buy double the amount of seed and need to double the number of plantings (to account for the …
Type: Page
… — The Hows and Whys One of winter's many pleasures is seeing a male northern cardinal, decked in bright red plumage, feasting on seeds from your snow-covered feeder. Indeed, one of the main … kinds of food that attract different species. Before you start buying feeders and seeds, keep in mind some basic concepts that will make you and the birds happy: Though birds are intelligent … it's a good idea to keep the feeders filled as much as you can until middle to late spring. In fact, early spring, when last fall's seeds are all gone and the insects haven't yet started to …
Type: Page
… table, mantlepiece or a countertop, flowers make a room festive and inviting. Whether you buy fresh flowers, or receive them as a gift, you can often extend their vase life from three or four days to as much as two weeks. “If you buy cut flowers, the first thing you should do is strip the bottom leaves off the stems,” says … at the Chicago Botanic Garden. “If you don’t, the leaves decay and bacteria will grow in the water.” Bacteria cause the common green film that forms at the bottom of a vase and …
Type: Plant Info
