… the floriculturist who had raised Spike from a seed, peeked inside the frilly spathe to check for pollen. “If there had been pollen, it would have been all over my hand,” Still said. Pollen’s … tubes, paintbrushes and a “scoopula” (to collect pollen). At 10 a.m. today, staff gathered for the delicate procedure. Pollak and Still fist bumped…and the operation began. As Still began … and director, explains Spike’s spathe to a young visitor. For more information please visit our titan arum page . …
Type: Blog
… May is the month to look for warblers, vireos, thrushes, sparrows, and some shorebirds, as they migrate through the … the weather report if you want to see these beauties while they are passing through. The good news is that there are a few warblers that actually nest in our area, so if you miss them during … but its song sounds like one. Join me and #birdthepreserves. My top five migration places to visit in the spring are the Chicago Botanic Garden, Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary (the magic …
Type: Blog
… Persistence can be a good trait for prairie plants. Take this tale of the return of the Hill’s thistle ( Cirsium hillii ) to the Dixon Prairie at the Chicago Botanic Garden. I’m the assistant ecologist for the natural areas at the Garden. While managing some tall vegetation on the gravel hill of … prefers drier prairies with less competition from taller plants. A number of species of bees visit and pollinate this plant. The plant is believed to be monocarpic, which means the plant …
Type: Blog
… The aggressive root systems of these plants can go down 6 to 7 feet into the soil and travel for many yards underground before surfacing in another spot. These extensive root systems make … thistle Cirsium discolor Pasture thistle Image By Fritz Flohr Reynolds - https://www.flickr.com/photos/fritzflohrreynolds/15143788606, CC BY-SA 2.0, … being impaled by the spines. As you might imagine, the spines provide effective protection for the plants against herbivores. They tend to increase in pasture land, due to the fact that …
Type: Plant Info
… a future on this planet,” said Kayri Havens, Ph.D., chief scientist of the Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science and Action at the Garden. “It is so gratifying to see our studbook … Wood, National Tropical Botanical Garden. The sea cliffs of Kauai were one of the last refuges for alula in the wild. Photo by Jeremy Foster. Seed collecting on a sea cliff Alula’s swollen, … 50% of known flowering plants are estimated at risk of extinction . And you don’t need to visit Hawaii to find rare and endangered species, they are also holding on in the face of habitat …
Type: Blog
… styles, is a walk through the history of English gardening. It is also an ideal opportunity for visitors to fill their own gardening dreams with beautifully inspired ideas. A Series of … Garden Rooms The noted English landscape architect John Brookes provided the original design for this garden in 1971, and he continues to visit regularly, checking on the progress of the signature plant specimens that mark each area. …
Type: Walks
… pollinators and that each pollinator has a specific flower type that they are attracted to. For hummingbirds, many gardeners and scientists alike have long assumed their flower type to be … strikingly red, tubular, and scentless. Flowers that are often thought of as typical choices for hummingbirds: Wyoming paintbrush Castilleja linariifolia Giant red paintbrush … hummingbirds do have a sense of smell. So why would hummingbirds go out of their way to visit a limited selection of reddish, long-tubed, scentless flowers that produce cheaper nectar …
Type: Blog
… is bee food: specifically, it provides the carbohydrates that bees need. While searching for and collecting nectar, bees spread pollen from one plant to another. This mutually beneficial … extra honey to survive the winter. It is the surplus honey that beekeepers harvest and bottle for their lucky customers to eat. It is estimated that it takes two million bee visits—back and forth from hive to flower—to produce just one pound of honey! Scrabbling for pollen While nectar provides the carbs in bees’ diets, pollen provides the protein. …
Type: Plant Info
… with its shorter days and cooler nighttime temperatures, it may be the busiest of months for many gardeners. Vegetable gardeners have their hands full—literally and … to your soil until you know what it lacks. Contact the Garden’s Plant Information Service for a complete listing of soil-testing agencies. Follow agency instructions on where and how to … extend the life of their favorite outdoor herb plants by bringing cuttings indoors to grow, or buying herb seedlings or seeds at the garden center. If using garden cuttings, dig up selected …
Type: Plant Info
… a woodlot. I was traveling between nature preserves in this area of the state collecting seeds for the Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank , so my mind was already tuned in for interesting native flora that might produce a collection for the seed bank. It was impossible … gave me plenty of time to contemplate whether or not to make the collection. Since my first visit to the woodland, I have made several seed collections of many quality native woodland …
Type: Blog
