… of Chicago and in Lake County. The Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden has inspired visitors for decades to grow their own vegetables. The COVID-19 health crisis has changed how we get our … plants is not feasible on the scale needed to feed our population. That presents challenges for those on the front lines of our food chain. In addition, supply chains and other economic …
Type: Blog
… working on conservation genomics of Amsonia tharpii and reconstructing the evolutionary tree for Amsonia . My graduate school work focused on the systematics, taxonomy, and biogeography of …
Type: Staff bio
… garden. If the soil can form a sticky ball when you squeeze a handful, it is still too wet for planting. Soil will take longer to dry after periods of cool weather. Sandy soils can be … walking in garden beds and on lawns. It can compact and damage your soil. Soil is ready for planting when it crumbles in your hand. Working the soil when it is too wet can increase …
Type: Blog
… do not. Add rose petals to salads, ice creams, homemade vinegars; candied, they’ll store for months. Lavender buds are delicious sprinkled on a fruit salad (terrific with berries, … onion flavor goes a long way. Float a few florets on a chilled potato-leek or spring pea soup for all the extra zip you’ll need. …
Type: Blog
… with the Huntsville Botanical Garden in Alabama on a Trillium conservation program for the beloved woodland flower . The Huntsville Botanical Garden has one of the most complete … the more alkaline soils across the Midwest. Our goal is to expand the range of growing areas for some species and increase the overall diversity. Urban growth and development over the years …
Type: Blog
… ‘Miss Muffet’ and Begonia × tuberhybrida ‘Illumination White’ make a great pairing for shady areas. On the perennial side of things, we’re moving into lily season. The very first … hybrids (such as Lilium martagon ‘Mrs. R.O. Backhouse’). Martagon lilies are terrific plants for the shade garden because they provide both structure and color at a time when little else is …
Type: Blog
… we midwesterners appreciate giving blooms in February, when our hearts and senses most long for the color and smell of the garden in bloom. From the hearts of everyone at the Garden, we … to put your flowers in a vase, give each stem a fresh cut. Cutting at an angle opens more area for the flower to take up water. If you can, cut the stem ends in water to prevent the cut from …
Type: Blog
… morning, when I had discovered the male-female lacewing, butterfly visitors had been waiting for me to release butterflies from the pupae chamber. So I packed up the lacewing, with all of … each of the two dozen butterflies that had hatched that morning, saving our special discovery for last. I got everyone’s attention and announced, “This is extremely rare! As a butterfly … do with mishaps that occur during early cell division. Butterflies have a W and a Z chromosome for female and male, respectively. Sometimes, the W and Z chromosomes get stuck together during …
Type: Blog
… in this area along the Metra line allows us to ask a variety of questions about native bees. For instance: Are there fewer bees in highly urban areas? Are there different bees in natural … the lab at the Garden’s Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center and pinned for future study. In addition to collecting the bees, we also record all of the flowering plants … species level. When we have all of the bees identified, we can then start analyzing the data for my master’s thesis and answer some of the questions we have put forth. We suspect we will see …
Type: Blog
… there are many ways to remedy this SAD state of mind. HT ‘Simmering Spices’ supply list for 15 participants Let’s begin by talking about a few winter-themed Horticultural Therapy (HT) … ornament Another fun, and inexpensive, activity is our ‘ Holiday Greens Ornament ’ project. For this activity, participants get the opportunity to create a beautiful ornament out of fresh, … small acorns and pine cones to add more interest to the ornaments. Most of the craft supplies for the activity can be found at your local craft store. I use clear, plastic ornaments, fake …
Type: Blog
