… When the sun begins to shine brighter in late April and the day temperatures reach into the 50s, Chicagoans become eager to reunite … crops such as lettuce, spinach, radicchio, endive, and many more tolerate, and even thrive in, cooler climates. Salads were once an afterthought in American diets, consisting of a few leaves of iceberg lettuce and a slice of tomato. Today, …
Type: Plant Info
… flowers, or 'hops', of the common garden hop ( Humulus lupulus ) were the main calming agents in 'sleepy pillows', used to treat insomnia and headaches until the late 19th century. And mixing … considered to make a good sedative. Today, these dried female flowers are a main ingredient in beer production. Their bitter, resinous properties dilute the heavy malted barley taste. … will weigh less. Native to the Northern temperate region, hop vines can twine up to 25 feet in a single season, quickly filling in fences, bowers or arbors. The only physical features of …
Type: Plant Info
… amphibians, and reptiles combined! Can you guess how many more eyes they have than humans? In addition to the two most prominent, there are three eyes on top of their heads just for … facts we have learned about bees, but the most critically important one is their role in pollination. Busy Pollinators Smart gardeners know that it's the presence of pollinators that makes the difference in the health, fertility, and productivity of wild plants, food plants, and landscape plants …
Type: Plant Info
… then loaded into volunteers’ cars. Soon after, the boxes arrive at the Roberti Community House in nearby Waukegan. From grower to giver, this lifeline is set in motion each Wednesday to help feed the neediest families. “Many of our families are living … including bread, avocadoes, oranges, yogurt, and mangoes, for example. Some produce is used in the Roberti House’s Culinary Pathway program, a workforce training program. And they also …
Type: Blog
… surprises at every turn. Explore the Fruit & Vegetable Garden. Learn More Structure in the Garden One of the myriad ways by which the fruit and vegetable display gardens are … architectural techniques bring order and organization to the plant material, maximize yields in small spaces, and encourage you to try these plants, and these methods, yourself. Vertical … healthy fruit development. Recommended varieties of apple and pear trees begin to bear fruit in midsummer and early red ovals of Maxine pears color up by July. Organic Gardening The garden …
Type: Walks
… to a semitropical, tropical, or desert environment, filled with specialty plants that flourish in these three different climes. For more than 40 years, the Greenhouses have displayed beautiful … of unusual plants—their healing and spiritual properties. The Semitropical Greenhouse In the Semitropical Greenhouse , where temperatures hover between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit … as familiar midwestern houseplants. A variety of ferns, gardenia, and jasmine are but a few in this category, most blooming brightly with orange, blue, pink, lavender, and scarlet flowers …
Type: Walks
… search for young violet leaves—the only food they eat. Regal fritillary butterflies once lived in a world of endless prairies filled with violets ( Viola species) for their caterpillars. Now, they find themselves in small fragments of prairie surrounded by pavement and farmland. Their future largely depends on our ability to restore the prairies they evolved with—but in countless prairie restorations, the violets are missing. And it’s not just violets. Even in …
Type: Blog
… gardeners breathe a secret sigh of relief at the prospect of a few dormant months. Gardening in Chicago can be a frenzied few months with so many plants to grow and just not enough time to … not touching, the trees to buffer the winds. The burlap will protect plants but still allow in all essential light and moisture. Burlap screens can also reduce the burning effects of salt … signs of stress, is off-color, or has produced fewer or smaller leaves, flowers or fruit. In these instances, a slow-release form of nitrogen applied at this time might help. Late fall is …
Type: Plant Info
… Description: This hawk is a rare winter sight flying over, or in, trees. …
Type: Birding
… Description: This Great Plains migrant is a rare sighting in the Dixon Prairie. …
Type: Birding
