… of the water, but there’s also sounds, color, and motion, if you know where to look. Let’s start when you enter the Garden from the Lake Cook Road entrance. On the right, you’ll see the North Lake, one of our most recent … vibrant-green, cool-season algae known as water silk (Spirogyra). Spirogyra gets its name from its spiraled chloroplasts, the part of plant cells where photosynthesis takes place. Algae …
Type: Blog
… the least glamorous thing in gardening. When seeds come in the mail, when garden centers start to fill with tempting flowers, when juices start to flow and gardeners' ambitions are … course, if you keep a pot on a saucer, always empty it so a pool of water doesn't block air from getting into the pot.) With pots, which dry out so quickly, many gardeners' top priority is to not have to water too often. Sub-irrigated containers that wick water up from a reservoir beneath the root zone are one answer. There also are synthetic crystals that can …
Type: Plant Info
… that most people (and even Google) don’t know about the Chicago Botanic Garden. Take this quick quiz on just a few of the factoids that the drivers share. We know you’ll ace this (except … for the steps? Wisconsin Stonehenge Lake Michigan × Wisconsin We hauled stones and boulders from Wisconsin to make the rock steps. (Tram drivers’ tip: The east-facing slope of the waterfall …
Type: Blog
… the Chicago area. In the 1990s, hundreds of millions of monarchs made the journey each fall from the northern plains of the United States and Canada to forested sites north of Mexico City. … can ensure that milkweed stands are adequately protected. The Milkweed Seed Finder gives you quick access to regionally appropriate seed sources, with options to search by milkweed species …
Type: Blog
… offer up some simple Garden strategies for facing them. #1: "I don't know where to start." Because many of us were neither taught much botany in school nor raised by farmers (as so … fail—no vegetable grows well in shade. Regular, consistent watering. One inch per week, either from Mother Nature or your hose. Healthy soil, as discussed above. An occasional weeding. That … Fruit & Vegetable Garden as a laboratory where you can watch the entire process in action, from planting to harvest. Take notes, take pictures, ask questions, and learn by watching. Every …
Type: Plant Info
… how public spaces are experienced while giving artists a platform to express their vision. From large-scale murals to immersive installations, every project resonates with the ethos of … Seema Surana is a graphic designer and illustrator based in Bangalore, India. Her work draws from an exploration of natural forms, patterns, and the fluidity of movement, often juxtaposing …
Type: Blog
… Masses of small white flowers from mid-September through early October are produced by each corm. Plant this crocus in full sun … moist but well-drained soil. Divide it when the clumps of corms have become so congested they start to push up to the surface of the soil. Interplant the corms with companion plants that …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… slender twigs and clusters of tubular yellow flowers with long stamens and pistils protruding from the flowers. The yellow flowers turn reddish-orange as they age. The fruit is a dry capsule …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… often called crowns, are preferred; they are fleshy stems with established roots. You can start asparagus by seed, but that will add a year to the establishment of the bed. Plant the …
Type: Plant Info
… of Food Life. "After recent precipitous changes, three-quarters of all human food now comes from just eight species… Modern U.S. consumers now get to taste less than 1 percent of the … more diversity? In our February 2013 Smart Gardener , we talked in detail about how to start seeds for spring. This month, we'll talk about what to start for spring—and that means … catalogs or nurseries. A sample from the mixes available at Renee's Garden ( reneesgarden.com ): "Asian Baby Leaf Mix," Edible Landscape "Stardom," and "Heirloom Cutting Mix." A mix makes …
Type: Plant Info
