… a pointed leaf apex at the front tip and a petiole, or the stalk that attaches leaf to stem, on the hindside. The wing is a drab brown, with leaf vein arrangement very similar to that of a … showing people that one of those dead leaves was not what it seemed. Kallima inachus at rest on a branch Kallima inachus with its wings open The butterfly has another surprise for visitors: It has incredibly vivid coloration on the dorsal side of its wings. When the …
Type: Blog
… Thank you, Rachel Carson. For me, personally, Silent Spring had a profound impact. It was one of the books we read at my … issues. Her example inspired me to write Earth in the Balance. . . . Her picture hangs on my office wall among those of political leaders... Carson has had as much or more effect on me … built, we felt that it was so close to a large city…I put a full-page ad in the Highland Park News, and I wrote an article about nuclear waste and terrorists.” When my mom wasn’t lying down …
Type: Blog
… U.S. Navy veteran Anna Andersen is quick to tell you how the Chicago Botanic Garden’s impact on her life goes beyond the beauty of the plants to the nurturing she found in its Veteran Internship Program (VIP). “I am grateful for the VIP and Garden for providing me direction into the horticulture profession and community. … and demonstrate how to be a well-rounded person.” Andersen credits the program’s emphasis on both hard skills (résumé writing, etc.) and soft skills (“like being a better communicator”) …
Type: Blog
… at a Time Parents and grandparents are often children’s first and most important teachers. For 15 years, I have had the pleasure of teaching families with young children at the Chicago … young children are active learners. The best teaching occurs when we join that child in hands-on, developmentally appropriate play. A backyard garden, a small container on a porch, or even a pail filled with dirt can introduce the joys of working the soil and the …
Type: Blog
… (or those who study butterflies and moths). I always enjoy these questions, since they are on the cutting edge of scientific understanding. One such question is: “What are those specs of gold on the monarch butterflies?” The short answer is “Nobody knows!” But there are a few interesting … endocuticular thin alternating layers.” That’s quite a mouthful, so they call it M.E.T.A.L. for short. The acronym fits perfectly. Here's another way to think of what you are seeing: …
Type: Blog
… Tom Soulsby is the senior horticulturist for the Rose Garden, Heritage Garden, and Linden Allée. He is responsible for curating and … lifelong gardener, some of Soulsby's best horticulture education has come from practical hands-on gardening that included working as a child alongside his dad. His love of gardening carries … He manages detailed, complex horticulture projects and collaborates with Garden designers on exhibitions such as The Orchid Show, as well as other seasonal program themes. Soulsby is an …
Type: Staff bio
… How best to highlight the color of 10,000 blooming orchids? For Brilliance: The Orchid Show , which runs February 8 to March 22 at the Chicago Botanic … party-ish. Finally, for the space under the two-story skylight in Nichols Hall, we settled on translucent squares of mostly leafy green, sunny yellow, sky blue, and warm magenta, … is one of the few institutions in the world to have ghost orchids. Fast facts quiz Click on each picture for the answer. Bee-pollinated orchids are usually an eye-catching red. True or …
Type: Blog
… Maps had been followed, clues tracked, and early this summer the fortune was found. Standing on the far side of a hummock swamp in Delhaas Woods in Bristol, Pennsylvania, Andrew Bunting had located a unique magnolia tree population on the edge of fading away. He had discovered the treasure he set out to find. Often, this is … vines, wild roses, and other invasive plants to reach stable ground. It’s all in a day’s work for Bunting, who has gone on wild plant-collecting trips around the country and world during his …
Type: Blog
… do not. Add rose petals to salads, ice creams, homemade vinegars; candied, they’ll store for months. Lavender buds are delicious sprinkled on a fruit salad (terrific with berries, cherries, figs). Lavender has more than fragrance and … and vitamin A. Chive blossoms are so beautifully purple that you’ll be tempted to use them on everything, but a little of their onion flavor goes a long way. Float a few florets on a …
Type: Blog
… no small task. The invasive species that the native plants are up against are very impressive. For example, Russian knapweed is allelopathic (prevents other plants from growing nearby), and it … plant is good for pollinators, one of the few plants that flowers late in the season, and on top of that, is really good at growing in sites that need to be restored. Woolly plantain ( … the plains abloom in May How cool is it to be able to take research that’s been done on a small scale and actually apply it to the real world? I feel so lucky to be able to do this …
Type: Blog
