… and well watered. It also needs an ideal combination of cool nights and sun-filled days, with a minimum of thunderstorms that often rip off the leaves before they are ready. Finally, the … together, we will have the show of shows this month. October is truly a transitional time — with great abundance and harvest followed by drastic change. As the tall trees begin to color up, … color), hackberry, Wildfire sour gum, and Green Mountain sugar maple. Additional highlights guaranteed to light sparks include Avalanche crabapples and Somerset red maples. Many future …
Type: Walks
… The Dune Willow Wading through frigid flood waters with a GPS unit, David Johannesen searched for the 12 remaining dune willows ( Salix syrticola ) … an important role in Illinois Beach’s dune and swale landscape—dry sandy ridges alternating with wet depressions—which features a mosaic of uncommon prairies, savannas, and globally rare … the cuttings at the Garden. Photos by Gretel Kiefer. Survival through creative cloning Working with a sense of urgency, a team from Plants of Concern and the Illinois Department of Natural …
Type: Blog
… and choosing their plants, they should first take care of their "dirty" business. Starting with and maintaining healthy soil is fundamental to good gardening, but too often it is … all sizes, ranging from the largest (gravel) to the finest (clay), which cannot be seen even with an ordinary microscope. Soil particles have sides or edges that play an important role in … feet tread on soil day after day? What happens when gardeners tamp down a moist planting area with heavy boots? The soil becomes compacted. The spaces collapse, squeezing out air and water, …
Type: Plant Info
… Winter is always a good time to slip into a chair with some hot chocolate and do a little reading. A good book or magazine lets readers … pull up a chair and immerse yourself in whatever tweaks your fancy—growing perennials, cooking with herbs, attracting butterflies, or perhaps exploring the wild journeys of international plant … to garden magazines, Pollak says, “I definitely love The English Garden. I always get inspired with every issue, for both plant choices and design ideas in every article. The color photos and …
Type: Plant Info
… the incredible flowering diversity at the Chicago Botanic Garden during Pride Month in June. With late spring flowers, such as peonies and phlox, overlapping with the early summer blooms such as echinacea and milkweed, there is an overabundance of blooms, … some people prefer the large bright flowers that demand your attention, others love those with a heady scent that recall wonderful memories of times past, and still others prefer the …
Type: Blog
… snow or through mulch to nibble on the tender bark of young trees, which makes them unpopular with gardeners. Short-tailed shrews and masked shrews are also active. These mouse-sized … At the Garden, you may see common grey squirrels or black squirrels—simply grey squirrels with black fur. You may also spot the less common fox squirrels that are larger, with a hint of orange in their grey coat. At night, McDonald Woods rustles with the movement of …
Type: Plant Info
… can harbor diseases that attack seedlings. You’ll need a few containers—a seed-sowing flat with individual planting cells, or plastic, ceramic, or clay pots—even a clean milk carton will do. Punch a few small holes in the bottom, fill it with potting mix to a half-inch below the rim, and place a tray underneath to catch the water. … of the potting mix and sprinkle a paper-thin layer of mix over them. Cover the pots loosely with a sheet of plastic wrap to keep the potting mix from drying out. After the seeds germinate, …
Type: Plant Info
… array of tips to care for your lawn. These are turf tips that will turn your neighbors green with envy, and help the environment as they green the grass. First Things First A beautiful lawn starts with the right environment. Enough sunlight is key, as well as at least 8 inches of good, fertile … pay for. Invest in high-quality seeds, but don't limit yourself to one type; lawns flourish with a mixture of grass types. Here at the Garden, we have found success with a mix of 80 percent …
Type: Plant Info
… Enjoy a spectacular meal prepared with locally grown ingredients by award-winning chef Cleetus Friedman, executive chef at the … , followed by a unique dining experience under the grape arbor, where they will converse with their table mates while learning more about the food and beverages being served. Hear …
Type: Item Detail
… cultivars that are well-suited for the harsh environmental conditions of the Upper Midwest, with a preference for native taxa. Traits of interest in our breeding program include new flower … genetic and phenotypic variation into the program. Promising accessions are studied closely with assistance from the Plant Evaluation Program and those ultimately selected are released …
Type: Staff bio
