… Arch Bridge and the Serpentine Bridge—are lit at night. A bridge is such a splendid place for a private conversation and…reflection. The dramatically lit Serpentine Bridge is the path to … a great background. At the top of the Sensory Garden is the photo-worthy frame you’re looking for. Tucked away in the Sensory Garden is this shady arbor, ready for a romantic moment. 6. “Want to try a new place?” One of the newest—and therefore …
Type: Blog
… to previously reported AFLP and isozyme markers in differentiating among cultivars. Data for 19 microsatellite loci have been collected for 349 individuals (representing 255 accessions) inclduing breadfruit (A. altilis), two wild … 197 unique genotypes sorted into 129 different lineages, but a single genotype accounts for 49 percent of all triploid breadfruit examined. Triploid hybrids and diploid A. altilis …
Type: Research
… of the Gators) hosted the State Bonsai Convention. That weekend was an eye-opening experience for me, as I got to learn from and assist international bonsai artists like Jim Smith, Colin … in Okazaki, Japan, where he had spent some time. Suzuki, or “Oyakata” (an honorific reserved for a person of high authority) as we would call him, was a third-generation bonsai master and … gave me an entirely different perspective on how the practice of bonsai has evolved in Japan for centuries. In April 2014, I started as the curator of bonsai at the Chicago Botanic Garden. …
Type: Blog
… Life on the prairie hasn’t been a breeze for the beautiful eastern prairie fringed orchid ( Platanthera leucophaea) . Once common across … a passion in scientists and volunteers across the Midwest who began gathering leaf samples for genetic analysis and recording measurements on the health of certain populations. Some … paper with their field notes and placing them in long-term storage facilities called herbaria, for future reference. As it turns out, some of the plant materials they saved are from …
Type: Blog
… Circle, Ring, Wreath This is a BIG wreath—great for an outdoor wall. Flint. Dent. Sweet. Flour. Pod. Pop. Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden … a charming mascot dubbed “Mr. Who.” Children’s educator Kathy Johnson used just one ingredient for her made-by-hand wreath: natural raffia. It’s hand-knotted into evergreen sprays and red … team from the Development Department (spearheaded by Lisa Bakker) brainstorm, gather, and plan for their wreath that it took them just two lunch breaks to assemble and decorate it. All summer …
Type: Blog
… Garden, we were reminded of the pure joy that plants can bring. Alice provided special moments for many people—including me. On September 28, at 12:51 a.m., I received a text from the Chicago … This is it. This is what so many dedicated horticulturists at the Garden have been waiting for, and watching for, with our collection of eight titan arums over these last 12 years. I arrived at the Garden …
Type: Blog
… reportedly said, “Let him who hath two loaves sell one, and buy the flower of narcissus: for bread is but food for the body, whereas narcissus is food for the soul.” During the Victorian era, when flowers were selected carefully for their meanings, …
Type: Blog
… the Midwest Region of the Haiku Society of America, the Chicago Botanic Garden put out a call for submissions for haiku poems. After careful review of hundreds of submissions, we’re excited to share our selected poems from Garden enthusiasts everywhere for National Poetry Month. Get lost in these beautiful haiku poems paying tribute to the Helen …
Type: Blog
… Horticultural therapy has proven benefits for individuals with autism. The integration of horticultural therapy and therapy gardens within … skills, socialization, and ambulatory movement. In veteran’s hospitals, gardening is used for exercise, vocational training, and education. There is one population that, in my opinion, … observed with quiet fascination. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized by …
Type: Blog
… Garden. But dig a little deeper (literally and figuratively), and you’ll find the reason for that slope: the “hill” is actually the remnants of a glacier. Its proper name is the Highland … of the country; a secondary divide travels along our edge of Lake Michigan. A helpful map for visualizing the ups and downs of the moraines and the valleys in between. Source: Luman, … LiDAR map courtesy of the Illinois State Geological Survey. Planning & Planting Planning for the bike/pedestrian path included much deliberation about the plants that were already …
Type: Blog
