… The night Spike blooms will thrill us all in the semi-tropical greenhouse, with its breathtaking flower…accompanied by a titanically rotten smell. “Your heart is full of … as follows— and I quote: stink, stank, stunk!” —Dr. Seuss “Titan Tim” Pollak here once again, with an update on Spike, our still-growing titan arum. Spike continues to get bigger, not only in … ( Catharsius sp.) think that stink smells great. Photo ©2012 via potokito-myshot.blogspot.com A different view of ewwww! Carrion beetles, dung flies, and flesh flies aren’t responding to …
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… nannyberry. Native goldenrods include blue-stemmed goldenrod (Solidago caesia) , a wildflower with blue-green stems. Follow the winding paths through the Reserve’s aquatic, prairie, and … pond The restoration work also allows visitors to get a great view of the 6-acre pond, framed with color. Look for swamp white oaks turning a nice burnt yellow, shagbark and bitternut … My favorite place in the Reserve is the southeast corner. I love the views across the pond, with the Garden’s other shorelines in the distance. Every day, I see something new, which makes …
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… spring wildflowers open up too early—or too late? How does the timing of flowering synchronize with native bees and other pollinators? These are just some of the questions I’m studying as a … weather events. In contrast, later flowering individuals risk flowering in an environment with less sunlight due to the developing forest canopy. Because of this natural variability, this … master’s student at Northwestern University and the Chicago Botanic Garden. She works with Amy Iler, Ph.D., who studies plant-pollinator responses to climate change. …
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… them this way to protect your containers instead. Sherwood also recommends covering plants with old bedding, especially fitted sheets. They fit snugly around the bottom of the containers … out the cold air. If you do cover your containers, it may be helpful to prop up the covering with bamboo poles. The covering shouldn’t touch the plants, because it can weigh down and crush … level of protection. Contact Plant Information at the Garden at plantinfo@chicagobotanic.org with any questions. …
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… strategizing and prioritizing so I can squeeze the most out of the upcoming growing season. With a little advance planning, you can harvest something from your garden from April through … from seed . Last spring, for the first time, I grew my vegetable garden from seed, starting with old seeds I had and an old florescent light. I had long aspired to growing vegetables from seed, but never got around to it. With a little time and TLC, you never know what’s possible—the tomato seed that I grew last …
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… If you have heard about milkweed, you no doubt know about the plant’s unique relationship with the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) . Milkweeds are the only plants on which monarchs … are pod-like structures (follicles) that split open to release many seeds that catch the wind with their long silky hairs (coma). Most people are familiar with common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) , which occurs commonly along roadsides, the edges of …
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… Why not try growing some plants indoors? Better still, why not experiment with your plants to understand them better? In this activity, you will confuse a bean sprout and … The timing will depend on the level of light and the temperature. That’s the way it goes with growing plants. Horticulturists – the people who grow plants – are some of the most patient … down. This phenomenon may also be called gravitropism. The Garden’s horticulturists play with gravitropism. Look at this picture of the Visitor Center bridge in fall. Notice the gorgeous …
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… of the year. They are grown out in 3-inch plastic pots, removed, and placed in bonsai pots with the root ball untouched or wired down. Most trees are covered with standard potting mix instead of bonsai soil, which can retain too much moisture for many … midwestern homes tend to be dry in the winter (due to heating), so misting your trees daily with a spray bottle is also a good idea. Doing this will increase the humidity and prevent leaf …
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… well, they’re alive. Plants can be passed down through generations, and spread and shared with family and friends. At the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Unearth Science festival last year, a … this, she reminds us, “please remember to share your plant love frequently, particularly with kids.” Dave Sollenberger , ecologist and manager of the Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank, credits his parents and teachers with nurturing him on his botanical path, as he wrote in his story, "Plant Lovers Beget Plant …
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… and welcome visitors back when it is safe to do so. Our 385 acres are a living museum, filled with plants, trees, and shrubs that are under cultivation. Like objects in any museum, plants in … Collection requires detailed styling on an ongoing basis. All of that has been a challenge with the closing of the Garden because of the COVID-19. The safety of our horticulture staff and … Tom Soulsby oversaw the removal of protective winter material from the Krasberg Rose Garden, with a reduced crew, widely spaced out. Senior horticulturist Heather Sherwood gave the boxwood …
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