… Like so many things in tending bonsai, how you overwinter your trees is specific to the tree species and the region in which you live. Bonsai in fall color, before being prepped for storage. The same bonsai … the spring, has wire, needs wire, etc. These indicators are very important when managing about 250 trees! Foliage is carefully removed by hand before storage. Moss which has grown over the …
Type: Blog
… Amorphophallus remains a unique occupant in the world of plants, and visitors to the Chicago Botanic Garden recently experienced the … This formation produces the startling look of snake eyes. One of the first jacks to emerge in spring, cobra lily has flowers that can last a long time in the cool spring weather. Japanese … easiest to grow, and perhaps the best garden subject for the Chicago area. They are pricey to buy, but the flying saucer-shaped tubers bulk up quickly in a rich, woodsy soil. There are …
Type: Blog
… lounging or late-night stargazing. Still, I find myself dreaming of an herb garden growing in the little patch of morning sun that filters through the stairs. Growing an herb container … & Vegetable Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden. She recently planted an herb container tower in the garden, so ideas were fresh on her mind when I talked with her. Here are her tips for … calls for two types of potatoes, and four or five different herbs. If you go to the store and buy these ingredients, it could cost eight bucks apiece. To grow scallions, dill, basil, and …
Type: Blog
… In Chicago, February is too early to start gardening outside, but herbs may be started indoors … It’s often used in Italian and Greek dishes, soups, stews, tomato sauces, and with meats. Buy a plant in the produce section and transplant it to a larger pot filled with soilless potting … water them frequently. Although you can grow rosemary from seed, it’s easier (and faster) to buy a pot from a garden center or produce section. Lemon verbena A tender perennial that is easy …
Type: Plant Info
… the few orchids that are used as edibles worldwide, one is world-famous and probably already in your kitchen cabinet: Vanilla planifolia . One of the 110 species in the orchid genus Vanilla, V. planifolia is a vining orchid that's indigenous to Mexico. Its … true vanilla is more than a sweetener. It is actually a powerful flavor enhancer, due to the 250 to 300 flavor notes that develop when the green vanilla bean (flavorless and odorless) is …
Type: Plant Info
… gathering. One Tuesday evening before Thanksgiving, we did just that for the first time in our office at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Within an hour, each of my work friends had created … packets that come with bouquets of flowers from the grocery store or florist. Flowers Buy flowers at places like grocery stores or Trader Joe’s; you can ask people to contribute money to buy them. Figure on about 15 to 20 stems per person. Tips: Lilies in the bud are pretty and …
Type: Blog
… Renaissance, and as early as 1670, "forced asparagus" (harvested earlier than usual) was sold in London markets. Its appearance has changed over the years from skinny, tall, narrow stems (much like the wild type) to the fatter, thicker stems that were popular in the eighteenth century. Close up of asparagus spear Asparagus officinalis ' Jersey Shore' …
Type: Plant Info
… On Monday, April 26, head outside to see the "pink" supermoon. Whether you prefer to walk in solitude or with family members, don’t miss peak illumination at about 10:30 p.m. Central … Earth. April's supermoon is nicknamed the pink moon, but not because the moon will look pretty in pink—it won't look pink; the photo below is just for fun. April’s first full moon got its … Want to capture the supermoon on your phone? Consider downloading a night photography app and test it before the big night. Tips on taking a night walk: In the glow of sunlight, vibrant …
Type: Blog
… It’s easy to find fun outdoors—with sticks, chirpy crickets, magic circles, and more. “Hands in earth, sand, mud: building, digging, sewing, baking—these are what humans DO.” For fun, … this all the time, and now she’s a wildlife biologist.” 1. Pick up a Stick How cool is this? In 2008, the stick was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame! It’s in great company: the … process of decorating it with ribbons and streamers… 6. Cricket Bug Box Catch a cricket (or buy a dozen for $1 at the pet shop). Friendly and chirpy, crickets are many kids’ first …
Type: Blog
… greenhouse staff spends their winters growing the unique and beautiful plants that we feature in the troughs, another team is hard at work making the troughs. Hypertufa is a simulated stone container that is durable in all weather conditions, but lighter-weight than solid stone or concrete. Our trough style, … completely cure for several weeks. Once cured, it is ready for our spring display! You can buy pre-made hypertufa containers, but this is definitely a project you can do at home for a lot …
Type: Blog
