… we can also experience negative engineering effects of plants on their environments when we visit natural areas throughout the Chicago region and beyond that have been heavily invaded by … common or European buckthorn ( Rhamnus cathartica ). Buckthorn was brought to the Midwest for ornamental use—it’s great at making hedges—but escaped from human control and is now one of … where it contributes to global climate change and instead locking it away harmlessly for potentially hundreds of years—is one such service. Steffen’s more than two decades of work …
Type: Blog
… mint, and pineapple mint. Rich in nutrients, mint is both delicious and medicinal, known for easing both digestion and indigestion. Mint can also relieve a runny nose by clearing … herb is also known as sorrel, Florida Cranberry, and Flor de Jamaica. In the Caribbean, it is best known as the main ingredient in the holiday drink Sorrel . Although a perennial in tropical climates (hardy in USDA Zones 8 to 11), it’s best grown as an annual in colder climates like Chicago. Agua de Jamaica Iced Tea You are very …
Type: Blog
… with highly fragrant white or pink flowers. Its suckering habit makes it a good candidate for naturalistic sites. Heptacodium miconioides (seven-son-flower) The tallest of the group, it … hydrangea) The largest-leaved of the many hardy midwestern hydrangeas, and is a good choice for massing in naturalistic gardens. A 5- to 6-foot spreading shrub, it features large, oaklike … and exfoliating rusty bark. Hypericum kalmianum (Kalm St. Johnswort) A very hardy native shrub for many uses. It remains small at 2 to 3 feet, and can give the appearance of a mounding ground …
Type: Plant Info
… How to Identify Poison Ivy Poison ivy takes many forms, so it is particularly important for parents, camp counselors, hikers, gardeners, and anyone who enjoys the outdoors to become … trees, telephone poles, or even buildings in more rural areas. Urushiol, the resin responsible for producing allergic reactions in people, is present in every part of the plant. Rashes can … care must be taken not to spread the resin on clothing, tools, gloves, or garbage bags. For information about identification and removal of poison ivy, as well as current herbicide …
Type: Plant Info
… says about putting my plants outside: Be careful about sunburn. Sunburn isn’t a concern just for us humans. Plants can get scorched, too. Don’t put them in blazing sunlight. Porches with shade are prime locations for orchids and birds of paradise plants. The outdoors makes your plants happy. A lot of plants … until it blows over. Of my plant collection, Sherwood said my spider plant would probably do best outside. She also recommended elephant ears as a new outdoor option. I don’t have room in my …
Type: Blog
… flower was all the rage. A language of flowers emerged. Books appeared that set the standard for flower meanings and guided the sender and the recipient in their floral dialogue. Victorians … volumes from his extensive personal library on floral design. Moretz taught the floral arts for 45 years, traveled the world in pursuit of the history and knowledge of flowers, and authored … His donation gives the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Lenhardt Library one of the Midwest’s best collections of literature on the language of flowers. As even these few photos show, there …
Type: Blog
… girls would will not sit still and listen to another lesson. I decided to make a board game for them. The main message of this game was a really important one: in Chicago, all of our water … five students. A game set includes: 1 game board, printed on 11″ x 17″ paper 1 six-sided die Place marker tokens; one per person (these can be any small object, or borrow them from another … we use water, we take a little more out out of Lake Michigan. Put about 100 beads in a cup and place it in the middle of the lake. The beads represent water from Lake Michigan. Players will …
Type: Blog
… I’m thinking ahead about comfort plants—ones that lift your spirits. As senior horticulturist for the Regenstein Center Greenhouses at the Chicago Botanic Garden, I talk to a lot of people … They have large, showy flowers, some of which smell like carrion to attract pollinators. For example, the huge, hairy, star-shaped flowers of Stapelia gigantea have a decaying flesh odor … your pitcher plant every few months to keep it fed and happy. Keep this plant moist; it does best in a humid and bright area. Your rock for the winter Lithops Lithops are fascinating …
Type: Blog
… Growing Weekend. We spoke to her about her potted paradise design. Q: Describe your process for designing your container. What makes a good container? A: One of the things I’m always … look quite different. You have to think in advance about plants growing to varying heights. For instance, I always like to have something that hangs over the sides of the container, like … Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’ Origanum ‘Kent Beauty’; photo by Paul S. Drobot Q: What’s the best thing about planting containers? A: What’s interesting and fun about containers is you have …
Type: Blog
… in Florida, suggests that the ghost orchid depends on fungi in the bark of its host tree for nutrition and to help carry out essential functions. … in Florida, suggests that the ghost orchid depends on fungi in the bark of its host tree for nutrition and to help carry out essential functions. …
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