… Sun-style tai chi is a modern form known for flowing movements and gentle postures. Improve balance, strength, and …
Type: Item Detail
… fully submerged, others tethered to sand by just a few roots. “A lot of rare plant monitoring is just monitoring, and sometimes volunteers see things declining,” said Gretel Kiefer, manager … shoreline remains undisturbed, dune willow survives at just a few sites in Illinois and is listed as endangered in the state. Dune willow’s spring blooms provide meals for early … mosaic of uncommon prairies, savannas, and globally rare wetlands. “There is no ‘replacement’ site for Illinois Beach, nor is there a possibility to re-create such a unique ecosystem at such …
Type: Blog
… canadensis) width="1400" height="787"> Eastern redbud ( Cercis canadensis ) Eastern redbud is a small-scale tree with big impact. A Midwestern native plant growing 15 to 25 feet tall, … appeal. In native habitats, redbud grows as an understory tree in partial shade and soil that is naturally rich with organic matter. In cultivated gardens, redbud feels at home in dappled shade, but performs well in full sun as long as soil is consistently moist. Cornelian cherry dogwood ( Cornus mas ) Cornelian cherry dogwood offers …
Type: Plant Info
… like palms, 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 … thumbs—around a patio, on a deck, on a balcony or near an entryway—growing plants in pots is a good way to add color and a little pizzazz. Flanking a walkway or a front door with large … can purchase a raised bed or make your own from rot-resistant cedar planks. The initial cost is the bed, the potting mix to fill it, the seeds or plants, a trowel, a watering can or hose, …
Type: Plant Info
… leaves known as bracts, which look just like flowers. The most well-known member of this group is the poinsettia, whose red "flowers" are in fact the showy bracts of an ornamental spurge. All … spurges are mid-spring bloomers, with the bracts coloring in May or even earlier, if spring is unusually warm. They combine beautifully with midseason tulips and daffodils, cool-season … season. The following are all plants for full sun and well-drained soils. One cautionary note is that these plants can spread aggressively by underground stems. Chameleon spurge ( Euphorbia …
Type: Plant Info
… plants that give you pause. In the opinion of renowned garden writer Allen Lacy, the astilbe is one of these prized garden plants. Multidimensional, versatile and adaptable to a variety of settings, it is one of the "steeples and spikes" in a panoramic garden. At the Chicago Botanic Garden, these … all add to the astilbe's interest. A favorite choice of the lowest-growing, ground-cover type is Astilbe simplicifolia 'Sprite'. It blooms with soft pink flowers that top out at 1 1/2 feet. …
Type: Plant Info
… caution—if neighboring cats roam your garden, do not place bird seed on the ground.) Spring is an important time of year for bird feeding. That’s because the seeds in many natural areas and … and big-box stores offer misting devices that spray a very fine mist over the birdbath, which is very attractive to birds when they’re preening and cleaning their feathers. On hot days, … spring, consider whether they offer fruits for birds. For example, in summer, when the fruit is ripe on native serviceberries (Amelanchier), birds will quickly gobble them up. Dogwood, …
Type: Plant Info
… leaving prairies with fewer species and fewer relationships. “A diverse prairie restoration is more resilient to challenges like climate change,” said Andrea Kramer, Ph.D., senior director … asking why a species failed and how they might successfully reintroduce it. The tool is inspired by violets and now guides the Garden’s efforts to reintroduce violets into prairie … all impact whether they will germinate and grow. When you consider where to collect seeds, the site conditions of the restoration, and how all these factors influence genetic diversity—things …
Type: Blog
… Winter is a great season for bookworms—there’s nothing like a good book to keep you company during the … far as stories go, the Rare Book Collection at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Lenhardt Library is a true treat. The Lenhardt Library acquired its Rare Book Collection from the Massachusetts … the Rare Book Collection—no easy feat. Below are her picks, in no particular order; each book is uniquely beautiful and impactful. The Illustrated Language of Flowers by Anna Christian …
Type: Blog
… For Chicago-area gardeners, January is primarily a time for planning, not planting. With winter in full swing in our USDA Hardiness Zones 5b and 6a, January is a great month to prepare for the gardening season ahead and to tend to the indoor plants … be pruned in dormant winter months to minimize the risk of oak wilt disease. Heavy pruning is best performed later in winter or in early spring just before bud break. However, immediately …
Type: Plant Info
