… Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden teacher. This project is “baking” in name only, as the dough is simply mixed, rolled, and cookie-cut—the ornamental “cookies” then … her at work, while supplying some tips along the way. The first question: Where do you buy a whole pound of cinnamon? Nancy orders bulk cinnamon online from San Francisco Herb Company. … cinnamon until achieving the feel and sheen of pie dough). If too many hairline cracks form in dough, add a bit more applesauce and mix until glossy and smooth. Prep Prep your rolling …
Type: Blog
… These are just some of the questions I’m studying as a master’s of science candidate in the Plant Biology and Conservation graduate program run by Northwestern University and the … However, these early individuals are at higher risk of exposure to extreme weather events. In contrast, later flowering individuals risk flowering in an environment with less sunlight due … for the next season. Close up of the Eastern Spring Beauty ( Claytonia virginica ) flower To test whether there are reproductive differences in earlier or later flowering time in spring …
Type: Blog
… this the year to try bigleaf hydrangea, tea olive, or another plant that you think only grows in a warmer place? The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released a revised Plant Hardiness Zone Map , … Gardeners use it as a general guide, for instance, to decide which perennials to buy that might survive the winter. The map also may help you decide when to bring in tropical …
Type: Blog
… plant was the cause of the girl’s life-threatening allergic reaction. The girl had been flown in from Japan to be treated at the hospital, National Jewish Health. After I got the call, I … is known worldwide for treating patients with respiratory, immune, and related disorders. In the girl’s case, the doctors apparently had a list of potential allergens they were testing, … As it turned out, Thujopsis did appear to be the culprit, and the hospital is continuing to test the girl’s blood samples with extracts from the Thujopsis to determine what constituents …
Type: Blog
… search for young violet leaves—the only food they eat. Regal fritillary butterflies once lived in a world of endless prairies filled with violets ( Viola species) for their caterpillars. Now, they find themselves in small fragments of prairie surrounded by pavement and farmland. Their future largely depends … with other plants, animals, or fungi. And then, it provides potential solutions to test—like sourcing seeds from a different location, managing the restoration to attract a missing …
Type: Blog
… annuus— that brightens the vegetable garden or borders and occasionally fills a vase or two in the kitchen. The name Helianthus is derived from the Greek helios for sun and anthus for a flower. Vincent van Gogh paid tribute to their beauty in a series of paintings, and poets including William Blake salute them in their verses. Native … after a single season spent with sunflower shells on the soil around it. Better idea is to buy sunflower seeds that have the hulls removed. It’s a bit more expensive, but you won’t have to …
Type: Blog
… spans a much longer period of time, late summer to late autumn, achieving a crescendo of color in those peak weeks of October. Just as they understand the fickle weather in our town, gardeners know better than to try to predict the date the Japanese maples will light … Center This approach to the Plant Science Center reveals installations of Exclamation!™ London planetree (note the patchwork bark!), serviceberry (terra cotta is the perfect word to …
Type: Walks
… across bridges as they merrily toot their horns. You don’t see the workshop crammed with test tracks, a lathe, a drill press, soldering irons, a drawer filled with spare train motors, … maroon.” But that’s what keeps the trains rolling at the Chicago Botanic Garden. A room in the basement of the Regenstein Center is the hive of repair activity for the Model Railroad … when the train travels over magnets. They also invent their own fixes. They have to. Cubs fans in fresh whites never lose hope for their team winning one day. “The Amtrak train hasn’t been …
Type: Blog
… and more than 32,000 registered cultivars (named hybrids). They are divided into 13 divisions in an official classification system. Some people refer to any yellow daffodil as a jonquil. … sold in garden centers and by mail-order sources from September through November. If you buy several bags of bulbs, you can stagger the bloom time by potting a few each week. Didn’t buy any bulbs in fall? No problem. In February and March, garden centers, groceries, and big-box …
Type: Plant Info
… twofold, having positive and negative virtues. On a positive note, our soils tend to be rich in nutrients. But on a negative note, our soils are heavy and do not drain well. The soils at the … and are about to embark on another trial…biochar. Biochar has been used for thousands of years in the Amazon Basin of South America to greatly improve poor, unproductive soils for farming. The … research trials on biochar with very positive findings. One study found the root mass of test seedlings (honeylocust) grown with biochar was significantly more compared to their control …
Type: Blog
