… secrets to each other, their leaves rustling in an eerie symphony. However the wind carries with it a freezing cold gust that cuts through your clothes, and you can't help but turn your … tap is a whisper of Kodama's presence. Then, there are moments when the air seems to shimmer with an otherworldly energy. The trees themselves appear to sway in response to a presence you … within this realm. The Kodama are drawn to gentleness and respect. To disturb their sanctuary with loud noises, hurried steps, or careless actions might provoke their playful curiosity. …
Type: Blog
… I started vermicomposting (composting with worms) in April for Earth Day. It has been four months and my worms have generated some nice … After separating the materials, add some fresh food scraps to the bedding side, and cover with moist newspaper or other paper scraps. Then place the lid on the bin, leaving it partially … of fertilizing your garden, you can add castings directly to a garden, mixing it to combine with existing soil. You can also add a small amount to indoor plant soil to feed your …
Type: Blog
… 545 native species important to Midwest habitat restoration efforts. The Garden also works with the Center for Plant Conservation to preserve seeds from 11 of the rarest species in the … the Midwest’s native plants produce seeds that can survive long-term storage in a seed bank, with some seeds remaining viable for up to 200 years. The Garden banks seeds for three main … for storage in the Seed Bank. How does seed banking work? Collecting seeds Garden staff, along with knowledgeable contractors, collect seeds from wild populations of native plants across the …
Type: Research
… native to the deciduous woodlands of Europe and western Asia. Snowdrops are often confused with snowflakes (Leucojum spp.), to which they are closely related. Snowflakes are not only later-blooming but also much larger. Although both plants have white, bell-like flowers with green-tipped segments, the snowdrop has green tips only on the inner flower segments; the … as soon as they are available in the fall. Place in a sunny or semi-shady site, in moist soil with a large proportion of humus. The site should be well drained, with a neutral to alkaline pH …
Type: Plant Info
… centers and big-box stores have large selections of insecticides, but they often kill the good with the bad. “Using organic techniques has a synergistic effect and companion planting is just … “I was a kid when I heard about companion planting,” Tiddens said. “We had a lot of trouble with rabbits, so my father planted Hungarian hot peppers surrounding the garden.” Tiddens has about 25 10-inch pots of herbs on his deck mixed with pots of ghost peppers—some of the most incredibly incendiary edibles, which appear to be a …
Type: Plant Info
… Fall is a good time to renovate existing turf. Cultivate those bare patches, and sow seeds with a grass mix suitable for sun or shade conditions. At the Garden, we have found success with a mix of 80 percent bluegrass and 20 percent perennial rye, and within that is a blend of … dry out and that causes brown spots in the lawn. Aerate in late spring or fall, and follow up with overseeding. Nina Koziol is a garden writer and horticulturist who lives and gardens in …
Type: Plant Info
… 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 … 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. … carefully planned and managed restorations, many native plant species fail, leaving prairies with fewer species and fewer relationships. “A diverse prairie restoration is more resilient to …
Type: Blog
… anyone needing a “green fix” to a semitropical, tropical, or desert environment, filled with specialty plants that flourish in these three different climes. For more than 40 years, the … variety of ferns, gardenia, and jasmine are but a few in this category, most blooming brightly with orange, blue, pink, lavender, and scarlet flowers in winter. Masses of bougainvillea crowd … Many of them reach higher and higher for the sun, while others grow low, content to make do with filtered light. A chocolate tree grows pods of cocoa seeds, and three man-made trees hold a …
Type: Walks
… the Chicago Botanic Garden. Photo by Jeremie Fant. While last seen in the wild a decade ago, with just one plant clinging to a wind-swept sea cliff on a Hawaiian island, alula is still seen … decades of living at botanic gardens, alula needed another rescue. Garden scientists worked with students from the Research Experiences for Undergraduates program and the Graduate Program … in living collections when exchanging materials,” said Fant. “It dawned on me that the issues with Brighamia [alula] really fit into what the zoos are doing.” NTBG staff established two …
Type: Blog
… a built-in genetic code that is responsible for their intense fall color displays. But even with these genes in place, trees and shrubs need ideal weather conditions to show off their best … known as photosynthesis. As daylight decreases, so does the manufacture of chlorophyll. With less green present, the two yellow-to-orange pigments, carotin and xanthophyll, begin to …
Type: Plant Info
