… 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
… 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
… is anything around them at all. This reminds me, once again, of the mission I have defined for myself as a professor of botany: In order to help them understand and appreciate the nature … down electronic devices and experiencing nature firsthand. “Plant blindness” (an incapacity for many people to recognize the green world around them) has been bemoaned by modern botanists … are institutions like the Chicago Botanic Garden in cities around the world where people can visit, learn about, and come to love real plants. Botanic gardens are thus critical players in …
Type: Blog
… Those are complicated words, but what they mean is that these compounds are being studied for their effects on blood pressure, cholesterol, and cancer. Most importantly, they taste great … in trying scallions, purple potatoes, or red peppers while meeting our bright youth, come visit Windy City Harvest at our community markets. Thank you to Conagra Brands Foundation for … http://www.agriculturejournals.cz/publicFiles/48446.pdf http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/tc/antioxidants-topic-overview http://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f1378 …
Type: Blog
… we can also experience negative engineering effects of plants on their environments when we visit natural areas throughout the Chicago region and beyond that have been heavily invaded by … common or European buckthorn ( Rhamnus cathartica ). Buckthorn was brought to the Midwest for ornamental use—it’s great at making hedges—but escaped from human control and is now one of … where it contributes to global climate change and instead locking it away harmlessly for potentially hundreds of years—is one such service. Steffen’s more than two decades of work …
Type: Blog
… no rain, it’s tricky to figure out how and what to water. Our experts have some watering tips for your summer garden and containers. Know what you are watering weekly A general watering rule … to evaporate quickly, too. —Cool nights or warm this week? Cool nights slow evaporation. For some gardeners, an electronic or written garden journal is a helpful tool for plotting … are available through the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District website . In Lake County, visit the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County website for plastic rain barrels. An internet search …
Type: Plant Info
… says Joan O’Shaughnessy, the Garden’s prairie and river senior ecologist. It’s challenging for her to suggest the “best” time to visit the prairie because it’s constantly changing—every week, every month, there’s something … The Dixon Prairie is a recreated prairie. “The soils and the hydrology are the foundations for the different habitats,” she explained. “These different types of prairies are communities of …
Type: Blog
