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  • … their gross-motor skills. Older children may be interested to know that different foods come from different parts of the plant. Here is a fun and educational activity that will foster … stamping. Celery is the most versatile; you can create rosette, crescent moons, and lines from celery. Most other fruits and vegetables can be cut lengthwise and crosswise. Tip: Make the …
    Type: Blog
  • … Nepenthes alata   Here are some FAQs about carnivorous plants, which some people only know from the fictional movie and play Little Shop of Horrors: What do carnivorous plants eat? Should … different odor cues, color cues, and potentially even distance separating the modified leaves from the flowers, plants have evolved to deal with this huge challenge. Keep in mind, these … What kind of care do these bogs need? Since carnivorous plants obtain most of their nutrients from their insect prey, we don’t have to worry about fertilizing. The biggest challenge is …
    Type: Blog
  • … phones will not focus close enough to capture just one. Dappled sunlight draws attention away from these blooms. Even shade brings out the color of the roses. Avoid dappled sunlight to allow … by buildings where tall flowers pop out into the light. The background in soft focus detracts from our highlighted subject. Isolating the bloom makes this echinacea the star of the photo. These two photos are of the same flower but taken from different perspectives. You can see the edge of the shadow cast by a building in the first …
    Type: Blog
  • … corn in the market and finding it in autumn decorations. Indian corn—in its range of hues from blue to deep maroon to oranges, golds, and yellows—extends the colors of the season long … many varieties of maize-corn. Archaeologists are pretty sure that all of them resulted from the domestication and selective cultivation of the grass  teosinte  (pronounced … pumpkins, and bundles of straw. Indian corn is related to popcorn. These kinds of maize differ from other kinds in that they have a harder outer coating and a starchy interior with a bit of …
    Type: Blog
  • … Mycorrhizal fungi are fungi that have a symbiotic relationship with roots of a vascular plant; from the Greek for “fungus” and “root.” If climate change results in more intense rainfall and … a specific role, according to Egerton-Warburton, with some specialized to take up nutrients from the soil, while others cooperate to complete a function, such as fully decomposing a leaf. … “You get 110 yards of fungal material in every teaspoon of soil,” she explained. Aside from breaking down deceased plant material, fungi play a key role in many plant-soil interactions …
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  • … handmade gift ideas, and their responses were so creative that we knew you’d say, “Share.” From a Fruitful Garden Web designer Christina Weisbard has a weakness for fruit trees…which … amaryllis bulbs this year, complete with pot, lightweight soil mix, and growing instructions from Stephanie Lindemann, manager of horticulture events. With care, amaryllis will repeat the … bowl terrariums are filled with dainty succulents. Handmade & Heart-felt Filled with lavender from her garden (plus a bit from the neighbors), Lynn McKay Ledford’s wool felt and cotton …
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  • … parents had. Picturesque Hill Top Farm was purchased by Beatrix Potter in 1905 with proceeds from the sale of her first book,  The Tale of Peter Rabbit . Photo by Richerman (Own work) [ CC … early life and career, along with her love of nature and preservation. Here are ten things from the exhibition and beyond that you might not know about the beloved children’s author: … with her mother’s name, and she signed some of her drawings H.B.P. It was summer forays from the Potters’ London family home—first to Dalguise House in Perthshire, Scotland, and later …
    Type: Blog
  • … healed-over. On closer inspection, the lump turned out to be a ruby-throated hummingbird nest from last summer.  Although I see hummingbirds regularly at the Chicago Botanic Garden, I rarely … of the nest increases. Can you imagine yourself going out and plucking a strand of sticky silk from a spider web with your fingers and then trying to use it to build something out of … nests on a limb with an overhanging branch acting as a sort of roof to help block the nest from the night sky.  Although this measure helps reduce heat loss, it is often the case that …
    Type: Blog
  • … stop. It took a few weeks before the turf recovered—the bottom of the blades had yellowed from the shade overhead. The lesson I learned: Don’t give that tall grass a buzz cut the first … grows deeper roots, holds moisture better, and increases photosynthesis. It also deters weeds from sprouting. If rabbits cohabit in your garden, do check the lawn for nests before mowing tall …
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  • … on her fun and fragrant project. She’s making more than 400 wreath and garland decorations from a no-bake “faux dough” made of just two all-natural ingredients, cinnamon and applesauce. … first question: Where do you buy a whole pound of cinnamon? Nancy orders bulk cinnamon online from San Francisco Herb Company. Any house-brand, non-chunky applesauce can be used. Since these … cinnamon all over it. Heavily dust your rolling pin with cinnamon as well. Remove the dough from the bowl, set it onto the surface and coat the top generously with cinnamon. Roll dough to …
    Type: Blog