… A lot of thought and work are put into raising bonsai trees and pruning them just so, but for many bonsai artists, their containers are just as important as the plant itself. “The pot and … and functional too,” said Chris Baker, curator of bonsai at the Chicago Botanic Garden. For all gardeners, proper drainage, size, and a suitable material are important considerations. … of the tree. Junipers prefer a well-draining soil, so this shallow container is not a problem for it, though more frequent watering is needed to care for the tree.” A raintree slab in the …
Type: Blog
… restoration in the tallgrass prairie. My post-doctoral research is focused on seed mix design for restoration from both a social and ecological perspective. Using social science methods, I am studying the factors that drive seed mix design for prairie restoration managers. Using ecological data collected though observation and …
Type: Staff bio
… degree in horticulture from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1984. He worked as a foreman for Campbell's Garden Center, installing and maintaining landscapes. During summer breaks from … Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden. He writes a weekly gardening column for the Chicago Tribune and a weekly gardening tips column for the Daily Herald , and responds to other media request. He is a regular speaker at the …
Type: Staff bio
… Bridges are integral to the Chicago Botanic Garden, too, built as it is on nine islands. For a lovely summer evening, take a long walk together…cross these six romantic bridges together…and prepare for some memorable moments. Bridges are one of the most spectacular places at the Garden for photography—as countless brides, prom groups, families, and sweethearts can attest. Sunset …
Type: Blog
… path protects young boxwoods in this highly-trafficked area. Prepare properly The right plant for your design goals should help reduce maintenance. Choose the right plant for your garden’s growing conditions and design goals. A plant that is well-adapted to your site will perform better and have fewer problems. Proper siting makes a big difference for some plants. Plant salt tolerant plants along busy roads; broad-leaved evergreens perform …
Type: Blog
… People sometimes walk right by the brick pillars of the Enabling Garden, thinking it’s not for them, said Alicia Green, who maintains and designs the horticulture therapy garden. She likes … flowers; blooms start to take off in May. Here are a few of her spring design touches to look for in the Enabling Garden: Think Beatrix Potter storybook You might not find Peter Rabbit in the … “It looks fanciful and just a little wild and crazy,” without being overgrown, she said. Look for a special botanical tulip called Tulipa ‘Nora’. The small, deep pink tulip looks more like a …
Type: Blog
… know about taking pictures at Lightscape at the Chicago Botanic Garden. It’s a great chance for photographers of all abilities to practice shooting after dark. And with a little time and … are not allowed at Lightscape. Instead, raise your ISO. Newer cameras have improved technology for low-light situations, and the old rules of thumb don’t always hold true. Pick a setting … to photo editing, try a class at the Garden in Photoshop or Lightroom. There is no replacement for a solid tripod, but these easy hacks will help improve your odds of getting a sharp picture: …
Type: Blog
… and Early Cretaceous age rocks from Mongolia and Inner Mongolia, China, are the source for a remarkable diversity of fossil plants and animals. The Early Cretaceous of Mongolia in particular is well known for its fossil dinosaurs and other vertebrates, but fossil plants from Mongolia are very poorly … from two different modes of preservation to maximize our knowledge of structural details for these plants and to provide more detailed reconstructions of “whole fossil plants.” We are …
Type: Staff bio
… Poland, to spend the summer with relatives. My grandparents’ farm was the home base for my adventures with cousins and siblings. We spent hours in the breezy northern hills, picking … at the grocery store. This strawberry is Fragaria × ananassa , which has only been around for about 260 years, and has undergone a lot of breeding in that time. Fragaria × ananassa is … by Philip Miller, a famous English horticulturist. He referred to it as the “pine strawberry” for its taste, which was similar to pineapple. If you’re taken aback by this assessment of …
Type: Blog
… when introduced to a new location, can spread prolifically, competing with native species for resources and eventually dominating the landscape. Some invasive species were popular … plants and reestablish a diverse, open-canopied woodland with improved ecosystem functioning. For understory vegetation, targets included high native-species diversity. Management actions … G. Morrison, an ecologist, landscape designer, and author, created the restoration scheme for the Reserve. After the restoration, the open canopy allowed vegetation in the understory to …
Type: Research
