… Ever see a tree or even a weed and wonder what kind of plant it is? We’d love for you to stumble across the answer—right in front of you. Inspired by a movement by French botanists, my 5-year-old daughter and I decided to become street botanists for the day. We would identify plants in the neighborhood and write their names in chalk on the … and other organisms. The key gives you a series of choices to help lead you to your choice. For kids who want to learn more, you can order a leaf identification kit. The kits help you …
Type: Blog
… throughout the Dwarf Conifer Garden. Many of the trees feature entirely unexpected colors. For most of the year, Spring Ghost blue spruce ( Picea pungens ‘ Spring Ghost’) looks like your … Sunburst lodgepole pine ( Pinus contorta ‘ Taylor’s Sunburst’) is a handsome green tree for most of the year—until spring, when radiant yellow new growth bursts forth, bringing a … of these colors are a seasonal show that is best appreciated before things start to heat up for the summer, so come see them while the colors are bright! …
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… For Earth Day this year, take some time to appreciate the rich soil that covers our planet and … same basic procedure to find out what is living in the soil in your yard or other location. For this variation of the test, your objective is to study the materials that emerge without … want them, and you definitely want everything to grow in your seed bank. The basic directions for a soil seed bank are very simple: dig up a cup of soil, place it in a container, place in a …
Type: Blog
… size, odd shape, and terrible stench (hence its common name, corpse flower). Plants bloom for a single day every seven to ten years, and it is nearly impossible to predict the day it will … in the Regenstein Center. (We have named our titan arum Spike because when you grow a plant for 12 years, you start to think of it as a child.) Spike is growing several inches every day. We …
Type: Blog
… A striking century plant is putting on a show in the final stages of its life—it’s blooming for the first and only time in 27 years. The succulent sends up a tall stalk of blossoms right … stalk grow in a rosette to funnel water to the base of the plant and their waxy coating allows for better water storage. The energy required to push up the flower spike causes the leaves to …
Type: Blog
… herb of the year. “What?” you might be thinking. “What about basil?” Discover a world of uses for your herb harvest—essential and flavored oils, vinegars, jams and jellies—at Herb Garden … Lisa Hilgenberg, horticulturist at the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden, who likes dill for both its flavor and growing habits. “It’s my favorite tasting herb, especially with fish, … freshener. I’d Have the Thyme Versatility—and a pleasing bloom—makes thyme the herb of choice for Celeste Vandermey, supervisor of plant records. “Thyme adds flavor and aroma to any soup or …
Type: Blog
… are all guilty of this unsightly phenomenon. Fortunately, there is a compact substitute for each of these bulky favorites. So, if you want to give your yard more color in autumn but … progeny of Rudbeckia subtomentosa ‘Henry Eilers’. While 3 feet isn’t necessarily short for a perennial, it is definitely an improvement over its 5- to 6-foot-tall daddy. And like Henry … quit until it has fought its way through multiple frosts. Helenium s are plants perfect for rain gardens or any moist, sunny spot. Butterflies find them irresistible, too. Aconitum …
Type: Blog
… What is it, you ask? Some of the most unusual plants our Production Greenhouse team grow for our display gardens are six species of Echium, a biennial plant that produces giant spikes … into smaller pots to establish healthy root systems, before placing them in a cool greenhouse for the winter. The following spring, they are transplanted into their final growing container …
Type: Blog
… at a Time Parents and grandparents are often children’s first and most important teachers. For 15 years, I have had the pleasure of teaching families with young children at the Chicago … of space to acquire new skills like weeding, watering, and planting. All of it is about caring for something —the first step in understanding that the world is bigger than ourselves. This is … ideas and of course, asking lots of questions! Gardening also provides wonderful invitations for children and adults to solve problems together. Why didn’t the seeds grow? What can we do …
Type: Blog
… recognizable and beloved wildflowers, but there are a few things you may not know about them. For one thing, there are several wild species of Rudbeckia growing in the region and several cultivars with bigger and/or fancier flowers that have been developed for people’s gardens. My favorite, sweet black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia subtomentosa) , is a native … cleaning this species is wonderful! Sweet black-eyed Susan is a sweet addition to any garden for several reasons: it is a native species, a long-lived perennial, adaptable to several …
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