… The black-and-white warblers ( Mniotilta varia ) can be seen hopping along branches looking for insects. Photo © Carol Freeman After delighting in the abundance of birds for a few hours, I slowly made my way back to my car, choosing to walk under the amazing … you will see this many warblers in a day, there is always something to see, and the fun part for me is never knowing just what might show up. Last week it was a white-eyed vireo ( Vireo …
Type: Blog
… While it may be true that one person at the party really likes kale, it’s hardly fair for the preferences of that person to supersede everyone else’s needs. In the case of buckthorn, … there in the first place) is like keeping all of the kale on the tables and not allowing for other foods to be served just for that one person. Even more frustrating, the person that likes kale has plenty of other …
Type: Blog
… of the Chicago Botanic Garden have a new place to show off in a “theater” designed just for them in the Helen and Richard Thomas English Walled Garden . Plant theater is a traditional … a fantastic production department,” Sherwood said, and they will coordinate the best times for the plants to be replaced with new ones, four times a year. The potting soils will vary as … while the Muscari and geraniums will go in regular potting mix. “We’ve been planning this for a year,” Sherwood said. “Seeing it come to fruition, as a horticulturist, is wonderful.” …
Type: Blog
… place to start * Paint Permanent marker Newspaper or work surface * Any paint will do—look for nontoxic options that are safe for children and environmentally friendly. Sidewalk chalk is another great option. Instructions …
Type: Blog
… in the Heritage Garden, but they were not interested in this flower. Honeybees tend to go for sweeter-smelling flowers. 3. Red admiral butterfly The red admiral, with its characteristic … as hoverflies or flower flies, feed on pollen and therefore serve as important pollinators for many plants. I found three species of syrphid flies on the eryngo. Flower flies resemble bees … syrphid fly is a little bigger and fuzzier than the previous one. It could easily be mistaken for a bee. 8. Mystery fly, possibly another syrphid I was having a difficult time getting good …
Type: Blog
… Take a peek in your closet, and you might find a long wooden broom for sweeping up dust or offering rides to witches and wizards. For broom maker John Spannagel of Hidalgo, Illinois, brooms are more than just a pantry item. … a threshing machine to remove their seeds. The stalks are then laid on a broomcorn crib to dry for a few weeks. Once the stalks are dried, Spannagel uses broom-making equipment, including an …
Type: Blog
… striking presence. First, the naranjillas in this small garden bed, number 10, were put there for a reason. All but one of the plants in this bed are in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. … spherical like little oranges. Unfortunately, our growing season in Chicago is not long enough for naranjilla plants to produce the sweet fruits, which are juiced for beverages in Ecuador. Another interesting thing about the naranjilla—a detail that separates …
Type: Blog
… want to do to protect plants. Move containers inside. If you’ve started to create containers for your back porch or balcony that contain summer crops, bring them inside. Even an uninsulated … fiberglass and plastic will degrade over time if they’re in direct sunlight, so check these for damage and move inside if you’re unsure of their durability. Your reused containers will last much longer if you have stored them out of the elements over winter. (Make a mental note for next winter.) You can use soil bags to lightly cover container plantings when frost …
Type: Blog
… however, have their growing tissue at the base of the leaf and are, therefore, well suited for landscapes dominated by grazing animals (or lawn mowers). They can tolerate repeated clipping of the leaf tip and continue growing. Click images above for larger view. In addition to grasses, there are other grass-like plants that fall into the … or caryopsis where the ovary (female part of the flower) wall is fused to the seed within. For the Carices , male and female flowers are separate and the female flower is enclosed in a sac …
Type: Blog
… that stoked your curiosity about the natural world. Maybe it’s the first houseplant you cared for, or the first one you kept alive. Maybe it’s the first native species you learned to … the professional leagues, to work at the Garden. Many here at the Garden’s Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science and Action have a Plant Love Story that explains the special … she came to this conclusion, I don’t know, and sadly never asked. Perhaps it was my penchant for dissecting peas before I ate them (“look at that baby plant in there!”) or my ability to name …
Type: Blog
