… A walk through the Dwarf Conifer Garden is truly a plant lover’s feast for the eyes. It’s difficult to decide where to look next; what new magnificent specimens await … with new vistas, views, and plant discoveries revealed at every turn, and at every level. For as the garden clearly demonstrates, not all dwarf conifers are found by looking down. … of the year, especially in winter. Download a guide for the Dwarf Conifer Garden before you visit. Considering dwarf conifers for your landscape? Read on or take a class . The American …
Type: Walks
… If you’re a beginning gardener, it’s easy to be intimidated by where to start and how to care for plants. The Garden offers many resources to get you growing. Let’s dig in. Start Small Don’t … rubber plants, and ficus trees can be grown indoors and outside once the weather is warm. And, for first-time indoor gardeners, we have a plant story for you. Outdoors If you have a small … the existing garden or creating another one. We’re here to help. Take a class. Read a book. Visit the greenhouse. Watch a video. Nina Koziol is a garden writer and horticulturist who lives …
Type: Plant Info
… rakes to remove unsightly mats of algae and invasive shoreline weeds. See the water quality for yourself: at this rare break in the shoreline plantings, you can walk right down to the … species, have become not only part of the shoreline infrastructure but also important habitats for fish, frogs, turtles, and birds. Arranged in eye-pleasing drifts, some plantings extend out … This is a beautiful building. Your walk is an act of conservation in itself. Enjoy your visit! View Conservation Walk #2 …
Type: Walks
… college class called “The Natural Environment in Winter.” It was January, and we met outdoors for about three hours—regardless of the temperature. I showed up at the first class wearing … of Garden staff members who spend a lot of time working outdoors. They know how to dress for the weather. It’s all about wearing layers and staying dry. David Murray, horticulturist His … pneumonia was in August. The Garden is open every day of the year. Why not plan your visit now? …
Type: Blog
… landfills, and facilities that burn everyone’s trash are out-of-sight, out-of-mind topics for many. But, it all stays right here. On planet Earth. The amount of waste—including food … process. There are compost bins that sit on the ground and have slots in the sides for aeration and a lid to keep out animals. Or you can make your own three-sided bin out of … critters. The smaller particles create more surface area on which they can feed. I’m thankful for these tiny workers who are transforming my kitchen scraps into black gold. Think about doing …
Type: Blog
… a prescribed burn in Dixon Prairie. Fire burns through dead leaves and stems, opening space for native plants to grow from seed, nourished by the charred plant material and increased … areas.” That’s because periodic fires—ignited by lightning and set by Indigenous Peoples for hunting, managing resources, and more—shaped the Chicago area’s woodlands, wetlands, and … against them,” said Jim Jabcon, prairie ecologist at the Garden. Fire is an effective tool for keeping natural areas healthy because, over time, the cycle of burning, spreading native …
Type: Blog
… is just plain fun. Here’s a look at some popular planting themes. Of all the creatures that visit our gardens, butterflies are certainly the most exotic and magical. On warm summer days, … are just as fun to attract and to watch. A butterfly garden is simply one that offers nectar for the adults and certain plants for their caterpillars. Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid that butterflies, bees, and other …
Type: Plant Info
… at the Chicago Botanic Garden. “It’s really cool to see how there’s a cult-like following for this plant.” The scientist’s mail bins overflowed with leaves of native pawpaw trees. … from the seeds Pawpaw trees in Ithaca, New York, in the fall The plant has been around for millions of years, and has been used for centuries by Native Americans and others as food and … but can be found as far west as eastern Nebraska. Learn more about the pawpaw growing range, visit the related Plant Information page. “It will be interesting to see where our research …
Type: Blog
… the corpse flower that bloomed last September. Maxwell and Lexi (in her Alice T-shirt) Kirchen visit Sprout early this morning before school. Harper, 14 months old, waves at #CBGSprout the … And it is very stinky. Carrie: I happened to see the Facebook post. And we were here every day for Spike (a titan arum that previously was on display at the Garden). Jamie Smith of Highland … spathe (modified frilly leaf). It has great textures. Roman Bouchal of the Czech Republic came for the smell this morning, and found it in the window removed from Sprout the corpse flower’s …
Type: Blog
… as echinacea and milkweed, there is an overabundance of blooms, making it a joyful month to visit our gardens. It would be easy to draw parallels between the rainbow of summer colors and … sometimes a moth, fly, or even the wind. The diversity of pollinators might be the very reason for the diversity of flowers; more interactions beget more diversity. Regardless of the cause, … that, like flowers, people also come in all types, forms, and expressions. June was chosen for Pride Month to mark the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in 1969, which happened during a …
Type: Blog
