… animals. A few of the species growing on living trees cause disease. The species associated with specific trees (e.g., pines, spruce, fir, oaks) are important, beneficial symbionts that the … toxic to dogs. Unfortunately, there is not a simple way to tell—you must know the situation with each species. And finally, an otherwise nontoxic mushroom growing in a lawn that has been treated with herbicide or insecticide may be toxic. Many mushrooms are very good at absorbing and …
Type: Blog
… Branch Trail addition than meets the eye. It’s a great story to tell the kids or to share with a biking buddy as you try out the North Branch Trail addition . On the surface (literally), … to recede about 14,000 years ago, leaving the five moraines, like scallops in the landscape, with the oldest to the west, the youngest to the east. Oldest and furthest west is the Park Ridge … Skokie River Valley (Mississippi River watershed) on the west side. Most people are familiar with the Continental Divide near the middle of the country; a secondary divide travels along our …
Type: Blog
… pine tree ( Wollemia nobilis ), surprised horticulturists at the Chicago Botanic Garden with a burst of promising male and female cones in 2017. In Glencoe, the sole tree spends its … may inform the research of paleobotanists who rarely have the opportunity to see a live plant with such historic roots to compare against the fossil record. “In a scientific way, we’ve been … its summers in the Australia bed of the Heritage Garden. As for the voyage of discovery with this extraordinary plant, he says, it is to be continued… …
Type: Blog
… Preserves of Cook County are deploying “native winner” plant species—workhorse perennials with potential to compete in highly invaded landscapes—to develop an effective, economically …
Type: Research
… known here as "Pancho"—has been a staff member in the Grounds department since the early '70s. With many decades of training and experience, he specializes in areas including equipment …
Type: Staff bio
… require bleach treatment, while tomato seeds (right) require heat treatment. If you’re working with squash or melon family members, asparagus, or zinnia seeds, you will want to give them the … treatment is easy. Your first step is to collect your materials. You will need a work space with bleach, water, measuring cups or spoons, dish soap, seeds appropriate for this treatment … water and 20 percent bleach. An easy way to do this is to combine 1 cup (8 ounces) of water with 1/4 cup (2 ounces) of bleach in a bowl. Add a drop of dish soap to the solution to break the …
Type: Blog
… but very diverse—and if you don’t see the topic you’re looking for, the staff will work with you to find the right book. Ask a librarian to share the list of current selections, and … were my mother’s favorite flowers. Leora searched the rare book lists and, incredibly, came up with a volume that fit both ideas: Native British Orchidaceae , a beautifully illustrated … the book (fees available upon discussion and request). Ultimately, I chose to honor my mother with a dedication in this orchid book, knowing that she would have loved it, and that my donation …
Type: Blog
… something blue…” sets the tone in the English Walled Garden. 2. “Would you like to sit here?” With climbing hydrangeas overhead, a pergola of white wisteria just ahead, and a romantic morning … path do you want to take?” A summer walk through the Dixon Prairie is inherently romantic, with grasses and prairie flowers taller than your head, and late-day light filtering through the … most beautiful “dance floor” in town. Pop the question after a sunset samba on the dance floor with the best view in town: the Esplanade. After you pop the other question… Wonderful weddings …
Type: Blog
… our collection by obtaining wild-collected, known source material, and providing our visitors with the most diverse array of plants possible.” As a living museum, the Chicago Botanic Garden … to the local climate and soils. “Collecting and conserving plants from the wild provides us with a deeper, almost intrinsic understanding of how the plants grow; the environmental conditions they prefer; and the way in which they interact with that environment,” Douglas says. The collection is an important genetic repository of native …
Type: Blog
… hedge shape. Here comes the tram! Time to back the lift out of the Allée again. Taking a break with a view of the Malott Japanese Garden: the right side (and back left of the Allée) after pruning—still more to do! Guillermo Patino, who has been with the Garden for more than 20 years, is the crew leader for this project. He is an expert at …
Type: Blog
