… shares the same plant family as the bald cypress — as well as its deciduous foliage (unusual in conifers). This tree was first placed in the genus Taxites , based upon the fossil record (ergo the common name dawn redwood — as in … rate of seed fertility, and hypothesized that inbreeding depression might be responsible. To test this hypothesis, a plant collecting trip returned to China and collected germplasm from …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… for the stunning beauty of their usually large flowers, which emerge prior to the foliage in spring, and are often fragrant. While shades of pink are the most common bloom color, the … and southeastern Asia and eastern North America, Central and South America; most are not hardy in the Chicago region. Buds and blooms of the magnolias that do thrive here are often subject to damage from cold spring nights. The genus includes over 300 species and numerous hybrids and cultivars. The Chicago Botanic Garden's collection includes …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… 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
… be the Skokie Marsh, part of the ancestral homelands of the Council of Three Fires—the Ojibwa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi Tribes—and a place of trade with many other Tribes, including the … Various methods for controlling the land were implemented over time, resulting finally in the 1960s in a degraded wetland, then owned by the Forest Preserves of Cook County. The Chicago Botanic …
Type: Blog
… fragrant white flowers cover W.B. Clarke anise magnolia ( Magnolia salicifolia 'W.B. Clarke') in early spring. The common name of this large shrub references the anise (or licorice-like) … name honors W.B. Clarke of San Jose, California, who was a prominent hybridizer of magnolias in the 1930s. Members of the genus Magnolia are known for the stunning beauty of their usually … that do thrive here are often subject to damage from cold spring nights. The genus includes of 300 species and numerous hybrids and cultivars. The Chicago Botanic Garden's collection includes …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Ashe magnolia is a small tree with wide-spreading branches native to only a few counties in Florida and Texas. Considered by some to be a more diminutive variety of bigleaf magnolia ( … for the stunning beauty of their usually large flowers, which emerge prior to the foliage in spring, and are often fragrant. While shades of pink are the most common bloom color, the … that do thrive here are often subject to damage from cold spring nights. The genus includes 300 species and numerous hybrids and cultivars. The Chicago Botanic Garden's collection includes …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… $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
