… 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
… FO-76 has left our staff scratching their heads. “We’re not actually sure what species it is,” Sarah said. Her guess is Agave oteroi , a species that was only characterized six years ago. Conservation scientist … them preserve wild species of agave and their native deserts. A cycle worth preserving Agave is a “keystone species” for humans, a source of food and drink for Indigenous Mexicans for …
Type: Blog
… he needed a job—then from day one, he fell in love with “how resilient and amazing nature is.” Clarence Smith’s family has farmed for generations in Michigan and Mississippi; Windy City … thanks to a hard-earned Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification, their impact is set to scale up quickly. Produce from the Big Three’s Incubator plots at Legends Farm. Coleman … that created a recipe for success. “Clarence, he’s a pastor [with a broad network]. Deshawn is really handy—he’s the smarts when it comes to farming and trying new things. And I bring the …
Type: Blog
… after wild populations of the species were last seen in Illinois. The bloom this past spring is a small but striking sign of recovery. Its presence is thanks to the Chicago Botanic Garden and conservation partners who set out to test whether an … decades. It couldn’t have survived Big Marsh’s original wetland, but slag had transformed the site into something resembling the daisy’s almost nonexistent native habitat. This was a rare …
Type: Blog
… on its long, strappy leaves. A grass that grows into an elegant, 3-foot mound, 'Prince' is hardy in zones 8 to 10, but not in our area. Planted as an annual or overwintered in a … details. Angelica gigas Canna 'Intrigue' are sure to get noticed. Tall, Dark, and Bold A "what is that?" plant to be sure, Giant Angelica ( Angelica gigas ) starts the year out with … deep maroon leaves that can anchor a large container or water feature. The water canna is a non-hardy, tuberous perennial that we've used in the Heritage Garden fountain plantings, …
Type: Plant Info
… and economy. In fact, the threat they pose to native plants, animals, and ecosystems is second only to habitat destruction. Nearly half the threatened or endangered species are at risk due to competition with invasive species, and combatting invasive species is costing the United States nearly $125 billion each year. In natural areas of the Chicago …
Type: Plant Info
… of Sciences, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. At just slightly smaller than Nevada, Ecuador is home to more than 4,000 species of butterflies—over five times the species diversity of the …
Type: Event for Calendar
