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  • … Members of the genus Syringa , commonly known as lilacs, are shrubs or small trees prized for their showy and fragrant blooms in late spring. The individual flowers are tubular in form and are borne in large panicles. While the common name of the plant has come to define a shade of pale purple, some species and hybrids have pink or white blossoms. Lilacs begin to set buds for the following year shortly after they finish blooming; if pruning is desired, it …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … Members of the genus Syringa , commonly known as lilacs, are shrubs or small trees prized for their showy and fragrant blooms in late spring. The individual flowers are tubular in form and are borne in large panicles. While the common name of the plant has come to define a shade of pale purple, some species and hybrids have pink or white blossoms. Lilacs begin to set buds for the following year shortly after they finish blooming; if pruning is desired, it …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … lakes of the Chicago Botanic Garden, as well as the Skokie River, attract migratory waterfowl to feed and rest before they continue their journey. Mallards are plentiful, but careful … the smallest diving duck in North America. You can identify the male fairly easily—look for a small black-and-white duck. The body is mostly white, the back is black, and the head looks half white and half black. Sometimes there is a greenish sheen to his head. The female is more difficult to identify. She has a mostly grayish body, dark head …
    Type: Birding
  • … Wisconsin. Here at the Chicago Botanic Garden, high water levels in the Skokie River forced us to close on July 13 and 14—the first time in the Garden’s history that we closed to visitors for two consecutive days.   So what exactly happened that required us to close? And how did the … portion of the rain that falls in this upstream, 20-square-mile watershed eventually finds its way to the Skokie River. During the early morning of July 12, between 3 and 5 inches of rain fell …
    Type: Blog
  • … Q. How should I care for my Christmas cactus when it stops blooming? A. Christmas cactus ( Schlumbergera ) is one of … it should be placed in a location that receives moderate light. If the foliage or stems begin to shrivel during its resting period, give it a minimal amount of water and the leaves should recover quickly. Closer to spring, as days begin to lengthen, increase water slightly and move the plant to a location …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … The common boxwood prefers part shade to full shade sites with moist, slightly acidic soil. This species boxwood are native to Eurasia and North Africa, but its cultivars (like Pullman) are hardy for this climate. 'Pullman' grows to about 7 feet high in full sun to partial shade and moderate …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … with your own unique glass suncatcher. These rod-style suncatchers add dimension and charm to any home. Perfectly match your creations to your own aesthetic to make lasting art that you will cherish for years to come. Your glass designs will be kiln-fired and returned to you approximately two …
    Type: Item Detail
  • To commemorate Juneteenth, we invited Chicago writer Tequia Burt to write about the importance of … marks the final liberation of our ancestors held as slaves on June 19, 1865. What better way to commemorate that historic day than to plant heirloom seeds that our ancestors may have … forgiving, and prolific crop. Photo courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds/rareseeds.com   Aunt Lou’s Underground Railroad Tomato This heirloom seed is still with us today because an …
    Type: Blog
  • … Rosa gallica was first famous as the medicinal “apothecary’s rose,” the oil of which was said to cure many maladies. In the late fifteenth century, it became the symbolic red rose of the House of Lancaster, a faction then fighting to rule England (in a battle later called the War of the Roses). ‘Versicolor’ is naturally … of the world’s more than 250 wild, or species, roses, R. rubiginosa has been well known for centuries in its native Europe for two reasons: First, for the dense and thorny hedgerows it …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … flowers provide continuous bloom throughout the warmer months on this nonhardy perennial bred for dwarf size, excellent lateral branches, and larger-than-normal flowers. Butterflies and bees are attracted to the nectar. Plant 'Anbluim' in full sun when nighttime low temperatures do not fall below 60 …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant