… the Prairie Series Graminoid is a term created to encompass all of those grass-like plants with narrow leaves and barely noticeable flowers. Yes, grasses and grass look-alikes do have … often without showy petals. The function of most flower petals is to attract insects. Flowers with petals generally have sticky pollen that attach to the legs or body of an insect to be … dry pollen that is carried by the wind, not an insect, to another flower of the same species with the same effect—seed production. All that graminoid pollen, mixed with that of other …
Type: Blog
… and weather the seasons outside our wall (and next to the freeway) has been a challenge! With its own group of microclimates and an often-harsh growing climate—including high winds and … clouds of small lavender-blue flowers well into late October and even November. The problem with this particular plant choice was its aggressiveness. It’s not exactly invasive , but it’s a … ( Echinacea ), blazing star ( Liatris ), and several varieties of ornamental grasses with a replacement for the original Tatarian asters. The chosen replacement was a smooth aster …
Type: Blog
… can be a great way to stop and take a closer look at some of the gardens while connecting with other visitors. Ordinarily, we love our visitors to enjoy our gardens with their senses, not their phones, but with the new Pokémon GO app, you can do both. Essentially an app that lets you run around and …
Type: Blog
… behavior is called heliotropism, and it is almost magical. Later, as the flowers grow heavy with maturing seeds, they face east and eventually turn downward. Each flower or inflorescence is … a gardener could easily collect more than four dozen different types—from dwarf to ginormous, with flowers that are single or double, and colors that range from yellow with a brown disk to crimson, rust, mahogany, chocolate, pale pink, near white, and golden-yellow …
Type: Blog
… salad recipe below from The Foothills Cuisine of Blackberry Farm . Marbled Potato Salad with Arugula Pesto Tips: Use the smallest potatoes you can find. The leftover pesto keeps up to a … and thyme sprigs. Meanwhile, prepare the arugula pesto. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, place sunflower seeds and garlic; pulse to finely chop. Add lemon zest and juice; pulse to combine. Add the parsley, half the arugula; pulse to combine. With machine running, add half the oil in a slow, steady stream. Add the rest of the arugula; …
Type: Blog
… photographing in the Greenhouses is much more challenging and darker than you think. With a limited depth of field, I chose to focus on the "face" I saw in this orchid. Photo ©Carol … newer cameras have improved sensors that let you increase the ISO and still get clean images with little noise. I like to do an ISO test before going out to shoot to see just how far I can … to get a pleasing amount of the flower in focus. Increasing the depth of field, however, comes with a price, as the increased depth will often allow much of the background to be in focus as …
Type: Blog
… much what they sound like—a place outside where you can sit and reflect. We use them often with little ones in the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Nature Preschool. The dedicated places are a mindful way for people of any age to check in with and be present in the natural world. Choosing a Spot The best kind of sit-spot is one that you feel comfortable in and familiar with. So choose a natural area that is easily accessible and preferably in a location that you …
Type: Blog
… Look up! In partnership with Friends of the Chicago River ( FOCR ) and the Forest Preserves of Cook County ( FPCC ), an … nest to be successful, it must be located near water (their diet consists exclusively of fish, with large mouth bass and perch among their favorites), the nest must be higher than any other … water can pass through the sticks and stems that the osprey will bring to construct the nest. With the osprey nesting platform now in place, our hope is that within the next few years, a …
Type: Blog
… Botanic Garden end up sharing one of the most sought-after strawberry plants in the world with a three-star Michelin restaurant? The collaboration and conservation initiative began … thus helping to preserve and conserve this unique strawberry. After her chance meeting with the French Laundry’s Keefer in summer 2016, Hilgenberg agreed to send him some Marshall … When Bertelsen also expressed an interest in the strawberry plants, Hilgenberg shared some with Great Dixter as well. Hilgenberg said she hasn’t heard of any other public gardens that have …
Type: Blog
… resilience, their hunting prowess, their enchantment (even you, Venus flytrap). We ended up with a list of charismatic plants; feel free to co-opt for your own bucket list. Great Basin … structure, but rather unique in the United States. If you’ve ever seen any nature documentary with Japanese macaques (snow monkeys…you know, the ones that bathe in the hot springs and live in … is the basis of all forests in Hawaii, and has beautiful mo`olelo (stories/legends) associated with it, including one about spirits of the forest who immortalize two young lovers with eternal …
Type: Blog
