… Alicia Esquivel, and I worked at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Lenhardt Library as a resident on a collaborative project funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. My cohort and … Botanical Garden, and the Chicago Botanic Garden) and we all researched best practices for digital libraries and made recommendations for improvement to the Biodiversity Heritage … who may not be located near a library with the materials that they need. For more information on all of our projects and updates throughout the year, follow our blog ! I was excited to be …
Type: Blog
… of Surinam Insects ) by Maria Sibylla Merian, published in 1719 in Amsterdam. This volume was on loan from the Owen H. Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine, Bio-Medical … Merian (1647–1717) was a fascinating woman, artist, and naturalist. While she was known for her watercolor paintings of flowers and insects, embroidery patterns, and copper engravings, … beetles were named for her. She is still a well-known historic figure today and is represented on the 500 deutsche mark banknote and a German postage stamp; she was the subject of Google’s …
Type: Blog
… Want to grow your own orchids? We’ll help you choose which ones are right for you. Assistant Horticulturist Chester Jankowski provided these basics on four kinds of orchids: Phalaenopsis 'Surf song' Phalaenopsis Also known as the moth orchid, … food once a week from April to October. Phalaenopsis orchids don’t need much water so go easy on the hydration. And stay away from a common misconception about care: do not use an ice cube to …
Type: Blog
… Ever see a tree or even a weed and wonder what kind of plant it is? We’d love for you to stumble across the answer—right in front of you. Inspired by a movement by French … for the day. We would identify plants in the neighborhood and write their names in chalk on the sidewalk. In the past year or so, botanists and other plant lovers began chalking plant names on streets and sidewalks as a way to get people to appreciate the natural world and biodiversity …
Type: Blog
… herb you’d grow in your yard can be used to flavor drinks. Herbs + fresh fruit = a yummy base for all sorts of hot and cold beverages. Grab what’s in season in the yard and experiment. A few … Cilantro + watermelon Tarragon + peach Thirsty for more? Let’s move on to muddling... Kasey Bersett Eaves demonstrates proper muddling technique Muddling 101 … straight down from the elbow through the wrist through the muddler. (What’s a muddler? Read on.) Press down once, release, and rotate the jar a quarter turn. Repeat five more times. Six …
Type: Blog
… Sensory Garden Circle Garden Lakeside Gardens Heather Sherwood is the senior horticulturist for the Helen and Richard Thomas English Walled Garden. She also is responsible for the West … the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden. Sherwood appears regularly on the "Keeping It Green" television segment on ABC 7. Sherwood has been involved in horticulture since, at age 12, she started working at a …
Type: Staff bio
… Botanic Garden to reflect and recommit to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility for our staff, our visitors, our volunteers, and our boards. Part of that process is to take a … we inherit from Linnaeus means we’re steeped in the use of scientific names. Those names are on every plant label you see at the Garden, in every bit of research we publish, and part of … all of its attendant horrors. The Garden’s omission of this important piece of information on the interpretive sign in the Heritage Garden is glaring. Honestly, we knew that part of …
Type: Blog
… his work at the Linden Allée—he does almost all the pruning. Also, Patino is the lead employee on the team that puts outdoor lights on the large trees for Wonderland Express, a task that takes him more than 240 hours every fall. Patino grew up in …
Type: Staff bio
… Even when the kids have schoolwork, it’s still important for them to play outside. Outdoor activities encourage creativity and independent thinking. The good news is that outdoor play time has many benefits ; a growing body of research shows that nature … Discover the beauty of natural materials and make whatever feels right. There are no limits on what can be created using material found in the backyard and a bit of imagination. Paint with …
Type: Blog
… Even when snow is falling and temperatures plummet, I’m working on my backyard vegetable garden. I might not be harvesting tomatoes and zucchini yet, but I am … October. The trick is to gather what you need now and start dreaming so you can get a jump on things as soon as the weather warms. That’s what our experts do at the Chicago Botanic Garden. … in early. One of my winter projects is to get started on crop planning. Make a spreadsheet for the crops you want to grow in order to keep track of your planting dates. I’ve wanted to so …
Type: Blog
