… 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
… 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
… the word, but after painting with food, our campers are eager to “dig into” their creations. For little ones, this project is easy and fun to do with a grown-up and provides opportunities to … which would add a different texture. Check out this post by fourth-grade teacher Lindsay for eight great spiralizer ideas . Prepare veggies by shredding in a food processor, and place …
Type: Blog
… 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
… 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
… Merian (1647–1717) was a fascinating woman, artist, and naturalist. While she was known for her watercolor paintings of flowers and insects, embroidery patterns, and copper engravings, … in the eighteenth century. Nine species of butterflies, six plants, and two beetles were named for her. She is still a well-known historic figure today and is represented on the 500 deutsche …
Type: Blog
… have survived and are unlikely to survive over the long-term. “We suspect one reason for these declines is too little genetic diversity. This species is self-incompatible, meaning … genetically different individuals remain in a population, it will not be able to produce seeds for the next generation,” said Rafael. “I hope my research will bring stakeholders together, …
Type: Research
… 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. Echium pininana ‘Blue Steeple’ The following spring, they are transplanted into …
Type: Blog
