… Kohleria 'Peridots Palenque' produces small densely hirsute orange flowers. The inside is white spotted with cherry red. It has small dark green leaves. Kohlerias are characterized by …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Branch Trail to the Chicago Botanic Garden , where I work as a senior graphic designer. Life is just better when you start and end your day outside on a bike. I stopped to take a selfie, as … places for a break, in spots including the Skokie Lagoons. My favorite part of the commute is riding into work past the three islands of the Elizabeth Hubert Malott Japanese Garden. I’m in … It’s a great way to start the day. If you’ve never tried the North Branch Trail, fall is a great time to give it a go. I’m already looking forward to the golden hues of the black …
Type: Blog
… In Chicago, February is too early to start gardening outside, but herbs may be started indoors during the winter. Sow … like parsley, with a hint of anise and lemon. Sow seeds every three to four weeks. Chervil is quick to flower and go to seed (bolt) in hot weather. It is excellent in salads, soups, and vinaigrettes and with seafood. When using it in a soup or …
Type: Plant Info
… a Christmas tree this month, select one with firm needles that don’t drop off when the tree is raised up a few inches and dropped to the ground. The bottom of the stump should be moist with … are the balsam and white firs; red, white and Scots pines; and Douglas fir. Once the tree is at home, cut another 2 inches off the stump and immediately plunge the tree into a bucket of warm water. It’s not necesssary to add preservatives to the water. Make sure the stand is full of water each day. A freshly cut tree can take up as much as one gallon of water in a …
Type: Plant Info
… or a Q-tip and go from male to female flowers moving the pollen and aiding fertilization. This is a fun project for children, too. To attract bees to your vegetable patch, plant flowers they … because you won’t have to replant the entire border each spring. One bee-loving native plant is swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) . Although this milkweed thrives in moist places, it … use the plant for their eggs, so avoid pesticides. The nectar and pollen in native plants is highly nutritious to native pollinators and that’s a good reason to include them in your …
Type: Plant Info
… o blongifolium ‘October Skies’ Ornamental Features A key attractive feature of most asters is the mass of striking flowers that resplendent in the garden and in a vase. Depending on the … form compact clumps, or be large and billowy. The new growth on ‘Lady in Black’ calico aster is bronze and stays purple all summer when grown in full sun. ‘Bridal Veil’ aster ( … DNA research. For example, the native New England aster, formerly called Aster novae-angliae is now Symphyotrichum novae-angliae , a mouthful to be sure. Calico aster, a Chicago-area native, …
Type: Plant Info
… The Chicago Botanic Garden is helping increase the supply of native seed at the local, regional, and national … forest preserves to massive wildfire recovery efforts in the Western United States, the Garden is helping get the right native seed to the landscapes that need it. Andrea Kramer, Ph.D., … native seed production Restoring 30,000 acres of land takes a lot of native seed. The Garden is helping the Forest Preserves of Cook County (FPCC) meet this ambitious goal by supporting …
Type: Research
… and scare trick-or-treaters. Us mere mortals are amazed at the masterpieces you create. What is the trickiest part? Just about every part is tricky! When trying to create art out of fruit, it’s a wonder it ever goes right at all. … before they start to rot. All these challenges make pumpkin carving a delicate balance, which is part of what makes it so satisfying when it turns out well. Once you start carving, I imagine …
Type: Blog
… This brightly colored member of the blackbird family is a common breeding bird at the Garden. It is usually found around groves of cottonwoods and willow trees where it constructs a … his Life Histories of North American Birds series, Arthur Cleveland Bent noted that the oriole is “perhaps the most skillful artisan of any North American bird.” Those lucky enough to see an …
Type: Birding
… at the overlook, next to the English Walled Garden . From this point, the entire central lake is visible, with Evening Island , the Arch and the Serpentine—the two bridges that connect the … Fruit Birds, bees, and butterflies love these blossoms, and the tasty fruit that follows is enjoyed by hungry birds and wildlife. There are considerable differences in fruit as well as … nonstop blooming beauty. As the bridge reconnects with the main island, a shadier environment is revealed, with ligularia, hosta, fern, Jacob’s ladder, and Solomon’s seal growing low, while …
Type: Walks
