… that stands out in winter is an oak tree’s corky bark, which serves to insulate the tree from freezing temperatures and fire. “In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he … and forms add splendor to the winter landscape. But they offer something more: protection from inclement weather for birds and a hideaway for when they seek to evade predators. A stroll … laden with acorns. The Garden in Winter is a very special place indeed. Read On Take a break from your winter stroll at the Garden and pop into the Lenhardt Library . Check out The Sibley …
Type: Plant Info
… assess the need for repotting. It's also when you'll see the new growth that signals emergence from the dormant cycle—the best time for repotting. Is it new? Holiday gift orchids or … soon as they're done blooming. When was the last re-potting? Orchids need both the nutrients from the chunky, loose bark mix they're planted in and the air space in between the pieces. As … Scissors or a razor blade for trimming roots and leaves. Gloves to protect your hands from splinters and prickles. A thin dowel or blunt knife for settling compost around the roots. …
Type: Plant Info
… For it's at this time that all those plants requiring "a long growing season" (90 to 100+ days from germination of the seed to harvest of the crop) are coming into their own. The vines are … on producing all through the season. But the watermelon that is bound to win all hearts comes from an heirloom plant dating back to the 1700s. Its curious name of 'Moon and Stars' becomes … that splits open to reveal juicy golden flesh. Muskmelon or Cantaloupe An heirloom muskmelon from England, 'Blenheim Orange' grows well in American gardens. It's a short-season two-pounder …
Type: Plant Info
… Moyer, as well as serving as a directional tool. It provides visual transportation in a garden from one area to another. Lighting can say "welcome" if the front entrance is lit or "not … will disappear. Downlighting almost always looks more natural than uplighting. Coming from above, like the sun, downlighting mimics the appearance of light and shadow in nature. … A lighted tree becomes visually closer to the viewer, providing a connection to the garden from inside the house. Lighting can accentuate textures. Light that washes the surface of a …
Type: Plant Info
… growing in your garden or prairie at home, you may notice a sweet, spicy fragrance emanating from it; especially on a dewy, humid morning in the fall. This wonderful aroma comes from the fruits. In the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank where … to several habitats, has beautiful flower heads, and adds a wonderful, spicy fragrance from the fruits. Learn more about the Rudbeckia growing at the Garden …
Type: Plant Info
… for photography ideas. Experienced photographers as well as the newest of amateurs benefit from the wide selection of photography courses offered through the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School … for photography ideas. Experienced photographers as well as the newest of amateurs benefit from the wide selection of photography courses offered through the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School …
Type: Page
… the lawn. Unlike many woodland birds, the northern flicker produces a sound that seems to come from the jungle. Its loud, laughing, rapid “kick-kick-kick-kick-kick” song echoes through the … especially loves ants. So this woodpecker prefers feeding on the ground, plucking its food from anthills, grassy meadows, and lawns. Flickers also squash ants and apply them to their …
Type: Birding
… you might see the wood-pewee teaching its young to snatch flies, bees, wasps, and butterflies from the air. In September, family groups begin migrating southward. The eastern wood-pewee's … woodland habitat—which is being done at the Garden's McDonald Woods—can help keep the pewee from further decline. Different flycatcher species feed at different levels in the forest canopy, …
Type: Birding
… climbs above the rest, twisting and twirling before opening its blossoms in shapes ranging from nodding bells to frilly double stars. A few types of clematis have tubular or clustered … Clematis x durandii and the 2-foot shrubby Clematis heracleifolia, which blooms from July to October with highly fragrant, blue to lavender, hyacinthlike flowers. When selecting …
Type: Plant Info
… green in summer, and finally an ochre yellow in fall. Tufts of needles emerge and radiate from small cushionlike nubs along the stem. At maturity they can reach a height of 75 feet or … conifers, the larch produces cones. The female cones are very beautiful in spring as they turn from a succulent, translucent, reddish pink to a yellowish green. Later, the inchlong cones …
Type: Plant Info
