… explore and make more than one kind of insect. Coffee filters —Cut these each into six pieces for wings. You can see how to cut them from the photo of our completed insect below. Pipe cleaners —Cut these into 3-inch pieces for legs. Craft supplies to decorate and color your insect —Use feathers, googly eyes, crayons, … wait until the fall season of Little Diggers, but if you don’t want to wait, you can sign up for My First Camp for 3-year-olds, and enjoy more hands-on science, art, food, and gardening. …
Type: Blog
… genera and over 19,000 species found in all parts of the world. In addition to being a source for economically important plants, the family is also important because legumes dominate many … important family. This collaborative team has published a new subfamily classification system for the family, and is now focused on major lineages within each of these subfamilies. Research …
Type: Research
… is the range, population size and habitat preference all have important consequences for gene flow and population structure. I am interested in the population genetics of rare species, and what that can tell us for about the management of these species. Botanic Gardens: " Botanic Gardens are playing a … structure of plant populations. Restoration: Choosing "genetically appropriate material" for restoration has become an important aim of many restorations. I study the genetic, …
Type: Staff bio
… best things about visiting (and working at!) the Chicago Botanic Garden: you get great ideas for your own garden. I put one of them to work in my new "all vegetable" front yard garden this … covers most everything.) On a fine spring day, apply two coats of chalkboard paint. I went for black, but you can have the white base paint tinted any color. (Ooh! Lime green would have … rain, wind, and dirty hands. Like many gardeners, I've tried lots of different methods for labeling over the years: Popsicle sticks (disintegrate fast, get stepped on), zinc and copper …
Type: Blog
… awe on winter walks, on how to shift your energy and attention outward instead of inward for emotional well-being. One easy way to do that at the Chicago Botanic Garden or anywhere you … which are plants that produce cones—bald cypress, spruce, fir, etc. As horticulturist for the Dwarf Conifer Garden, I look at evergreens all the time, but I’m still inspired by their … you just have to slow down and get up close. Here are a few suggestions on what to look for: Oriental arborvitae ( Platycladus orientalis ) A mounded conifer, this tree has small, …
Type: Blog
… The Krasberg Rose Garden is naturally romantic. As with fine wines, the descriptive words for roses are rich and varied. Among the 5,000-plus rose bushes planted are some that speak the … definition of a romantic rose. ‘Tiffany’ —Rosy pink, strong fragrance, and the perfect name for a proposal. ‘Love and Peace’ —A beautiful combination: yellow, edged in pink. And that … pine…and, of course, tea, one of the richest of rose scents. Honey Perfume™ —The perfect name for a strongly spicy, apricot-yellow rose Moondance™ —The clusters of clear white flowers give …
Type: Blog
… paint his own pumpkin this year, so creating a “pump-cano” was the perfect fall fun activity for him. This is an entertaining and simple activity for children of all ages and a great way to extend Halloween celebrations during the first week … soda White vinegar Red food coloring Dishwashing liquid soap Supplies all laid out, ready for an explosion! What to do: Remove the top of the pumpkin and hollow it out by removing all …
Type: Blog
… but that knowledge has been lost,” Ross said. It’s not just edibles. Ross looks to the garden for home décor ideas, such as using okra pods in creative ways, and as an unexpected source of … and pick them young. Choose the right plants—such as cherry tomatoes instead of beefsteak for an urban container, or squash blossoms instead of larger squash (and pick the squash when it … keeps up to a week or more in the refrigerator; use on roasted vegetables or grilled steak. For the potato salad: 10 ounces small purple Peruvian potatoes (about 20) 10 ounces small yellow …
Type: Blog
… 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 be fully open with the gills exposed The gills should look good, … the mushroom They should look like mushrooms you want to eat This portobello mushroom is good for making spore prints. This shiitake mushroom may be a little old—notice the brown spots on the …
Type: Blog
… One of my summer interns found a little plant, under a bunch of big plants, and we thought for a second it might be the same as the big plants, but it is definitely different. It’s our … humid summer day in Chicago, and we have been searching through our identification guidebooks for what seems like forever. “Is it this one?” we ask each other, pointing to pictures in the … differences between species, “species blindness” (The only other reference I could find for species blindness was in Rutgers University Professor Lena Struwe’s bioblitz project ). …
Type: Blog
