… the sweetness of plants. All sugar comes from plants. All of it. Plants are the only thing on earth that can make sugar, and plants are made of sugars. Even plant cell walls are composed … weeks, so be prepared to be patient. How to Make Rock (Sugar) Candy All the ingredients for the solution are assembled and ready to go. Note: the flavoring pictured here is not the best … to 8 inches, depending how long you want it. Attach two clothespins to one end. They will rest on the edges of your glass, suspending the skewer straight down into the glass without allowing …
Type: Blog
… I just returned from two weeks in Mongolia searching for fossil flowers. Why go halfway around the world to look for fossils of flowering plants when … of fossil flowers closer to home? Easy—because nobody has really looked there before. Camping on the Mongolian steppe. it doesn’t get any better than this! A little background first. Mongolia … pastoral lifestyle of many Mongols, who raise goats, sheep, horses, yak, cattle, and camels on the lush grass growth that formerly supported the many horses of Genghis Khan’s army. …
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… Finally the world of fashion has stumbled on one of our great loves—fungi. Lately, Vogue magazine and other media have picked on the trend of fungi-inspired fashion and design. Since the global pandemic began, designers … “threads” that links plants together to share water and nutrients—is an irresistible metaphor for connection and harmony. Designer Stella McCartney is making pants and other clothes out of …
Type: Blog
… the tree species and the region in which you live. Bonsai in fall color, before being prepped for storage. The same bonsai prepped for winter storage; tags indicate tasks to do in spring on this tree. Here in the Chicago area, we need to take special care to protect our trees from … Bonsai Collection enjoy being out of the wind and cold temperatures. The pre-storage work done on your trees is important. Our winter cleanup on all deciduous trees entails the following: …
Type: Blog
… loss of wildlife. But when it comes to the North American prairie, fires are a crucial tool for native plants to thrive and to safeguard against extinction. Until now, it was unclear … and produce seeds for the next generation.” Wagenius got an inkling of the impact of fires on native prairie plants, based on research of smaller prairie patches that haven’t burned. “We found that there’s reproductive …
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… A few years ago, my Daisy and Brownie Girl Scout troop was working on their Household Elf badge. We needed a fun way to teach about conserving water at home—not a … girls would will not sit still and listen to another lesson. I decided to make a board game for them. The main message of this game was a really important one: in Chicago, all of our water … is set up and ready to play. The girls responded very well to the activity. I am sharing it on the Garden’s blog for others to use, because at the Chicago Botanic Garden, we would also like …
Type: Blog
… the Garden was planning a summer of Brazil in the Garden, highlighting the influence of Brazil on gardens, arts and culture, and conservation, I took advantage of the great opportunity to … purpurata) —is also an orchid. The native orchids of Brazil are often epiphytes growing on trees and shrubs, but can also be terrestrial, and even lithophytes (growing on rocks). They … as the number of species and their habitats, but where they naturally occur provides clues for how to grow them in cultivation. Luckily, the vast orchid literature available often includes …
Type: Blog
… If so, you are a pepper lover, and while you hold yourself back from buying every type you see on the shelf, you also know that this feeling is fleeting. Those beautiful colors and unusual … are in their prime now, when the hot summer days and good strong rains are perfect support for a fruiting pepper plant. In just a month or two, the number of varieties will start to … slicing your peppers (or your peppers are very thin-skinned), you may choose to leave the skin on. However, if you are pickling your peppers whole, remove the skin now by blistering the …
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… nature crafts, plant-based meals...we had you at plants, right? Below are some quick ideas on how to get back to basics. So roll up the sleeves of your homespun shirt and get glowin’: Forget the pricey pumpkin lattes Put together a quick, seasonal meal for someone—try pumpkin bisque , with walnut bread , and a corn and nopales (cactus leaves) salad … U.S. postage stamp—download one of our Lenhardt Library's historic garden images and print it on cardstock. Home, sweet home A nice pot of flowers outside your front door or on your balcony …
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… of pollinator populations is well documented around the globe. Much attention has focused on honeybees, which are extremely important agricultural pollinators, but many of our native bees are vastly more imperiled. For example, the rusty patched bumblebee , native to the Upper Midwest, was just listed this … month by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as endangered. A rusty-patched bumblebee working on Culver’s root in the University of Wisconsin–Madison arboretum. Photo by Susan Day, UW-Madison …
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