… are admittedly a persnickety group to cultivate, with many of them inhabiting harsh habitats from baking desert valleys to frigid alpine rock outcrops. So phlox breeding efforts in the past … above. My breeding work at the Garden has always focused on developing new garden plants from interspecific hybridization, or crossing different species in the same genus. I’ve used this … where phlox may yet exist in the wild. I say “may,” as the earliest records I located were from the 1940s—never a good harbinger, as urban sprawl, agriculture, and the like all too often …
Type: Blog
… and help put people into space. As part of Science First each summer, about 40 students from Chicago Public Schools travel to the Garden by school bus from designated stops all around the city to spend up to four weeks being immersed in a free, … science enrichment program. Science First inspires students in grades 8 to 10 who come from backgrounds underrepresented in science to pursue careers in STEM—science, technology, …
Type: Blog
… desired seeds (see seed choice section below) 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (to deter critters from eating the sprouts) Water Mix the dry ingredients; then add ½ cup water. Stir, then begin to … about 24 seed balls. About Your Seed Choice Less is more. You only want a few seeds to sprout from each seed ball. Too many seeds mean too many sprouts, resulting in too much competition for … All summer annuals All lettuces All cool-season herbs Use organic, non-treated seeds from your own garden or from trusted sources. Choose native species for flowers and perennials …
Type: Blog
… The garden is a true stroll garden, with winding paths leading visitors in a circular fashion from the dark, richly red-toned roses planted at the entrance to the softer, more pastel plants … Companion Plants While the roses are the star players in this garden, they have superb support from the arborvitae enclosure, the rounded hedges of boxwood, the specimen trees like Chinese red …
Type: Walks
… fare more special—whether it’s homemade or store-bought—is with edible flowers. Gathered from your garden or from a trusted source (no florists or foraged flowers, please— read why here) , edible flowers … hearts. Their flavor is sweet and perfumed. Conversation starter: the word “pansy” comes from the French “ pensée ,” or “thought.” Nasturtium flowers’ summery colors—yellow, orange, …
Type: Blog
… and fertilizers. His primary duties involve protecting the Garden's plant collections from diseases, pests, and weeds in an environmentally sensitive manner. Tiddens is a certified … of the Chicago Botanic Garden. He has a bachelor of science degree in engineering technology from Northern Illinois University and a master of science degree in natural resources and environmental sciences from the University of Illinois. …
Type: Staff bio
… are a great because they’re easy to cultivate, and there are many herbal varietals to choose from. Plus, you can get incredible, fresh flavor when you brew your own. Here are a few tea herbs … be digging it out for years to come. However, if it does take over, it may help repel critters from your yard! To make drying herbs a cinch, I use an herb drying rack. You can also dry mint by … do double duty, and lemongrass fits the bill. Not only can you brew a delicious cup of tea from lemongrass, but it also serves as a natural mosquito repellent. Lemongrass doesn’t quite …
Type: Blog
… open mushrooms, paper, and a bowl. You can use mushrooms found growing outside or buy them from the market. When selecting mushrooms for spore prints, look for these things: The cap should … and the individual mushrooms and see what you get. If the paper absorbed a lot of moisture from the mushrooms, it may need to dry before you see the print very well—especially prints made … a watercolor effect instead of a sharp print. If all goes well, billions of spores will fall from the mushroom and produce a pattern that resembles the gills on the underside of the cap, …
Type: Blog
… found throughout the Great Lakes region. It prefers drier prairies with less competition from taller plants. A number of species of bees visit and pollinate this plant. The plant is … dies after flowering and producing seed. I had to know more about this plant and where it came from. While doing additional restoration management, I noticed a dirty blue tag next to the … of thistle so we can better learn the ecology of this plant and how we can save this plant from being extirpated from our area. The seed collection process is not easy: Mesh bags are …
Type: Blog
… had run out of the energy it needed to continue its bloom cycle. Spike is powered by energy from the sun, stored in its beach-ball-sized corm—a tuber-like underground structure. A … Shannon Still, conservation scientist, and Tim Pollak, the floriculturist who had raised Spike from a seed, peeked inside the frilly spathe to check for pollen. “If there had been pollen, it … and Evolutionary Biology, narrated for the crowd. As the spathe started to come away from the towering spadix, the internal color started to be visible. Left: A cross-section of the …
Type: Blog
