… People sometimes walk right by the brick pillars of the Enabling Garden, thinking it’s not for them, said Alicia Green, who maintains and designs the horticulture therapy garden. She likes … Potter storybook You might not find Peter Rabbit in the Enabling Garden. But you might pick up on the whimsical feeling of an English country garden. “I used a bit of lettuce mix foliage in there so it looks quaint like a cottage garden. The rabbits would probably munch on it,” she said. And yes, she planted carrots. A touch of whimsy Green avoids a formal design, …
Type: Blog
… of insects is generally known as leaf miners. Most of us have seen a caterpillar munching away on the edges of a leaf, like a monarch caterpillar on a milkweed, cutting away pieces until the … However, some of the moths mine the leaves of grasses and sedges, and if you know what to look for, they are fairly common. In the fly family, many of the miners can be found in herbaceous … America . The details of the publication can be found at Charlie’s website charleyeiseman.com/leafminers. …
Type: Blog
… A Half Male, Half Female Butterfly At Butterflies & Blooms on Monday, I saw something I had never seen before in my five years as a butterfly wrangler at … morning, when I had discovered the male-female lacewing, butterfly visitors had been waiting for me to release butterflies from the pupae chamber. So I packed up the lacewing, with all of … literally half male and half female!” The visitors were fascinated by the lacewing, which sat on the tip of my finger. Then it took flight and was free in the blink of an eye. Luckily, one of …
Type: Blog
… than 70,000 varieties of dahlia, about 1,500 of which are popularly grown. Here are some tips for growing these beautiful plants in the garden. Selecting a site Pick a sunny spot where, … dig a shallow hole (about 6 inches deep), add material as described above, and place the tuber on its side. Loosely cover the tuber—but do not bury it—with soil. Once the tuber has sprouted … cages also provide good support. New dahlia plant staked, tied, and identified Depending on the height of the plant, you should loosely tie it to the supporting stake. The final step in …
Type: Blog
… “Titan Tim” Pollak here, with today’s update on Spike, our first-ever corpse flower. The corm of an Amorphophallus titanum : after a dozen or … to add up. An Amorphophallus titanum shoot to the right of a leaf stalk provides comparison for determining the slight bulge, which could mean a flower bud. The emerging Amorphophallus … and expertise. Their final confirmations gave us the thumbs up to go public with the big news that Spike would soon blast into bloom! Like first-time parents, we are learning as we go. I …
Type: Blog
… Today, on International Women’s Day, the Chicago Botanic Garden celebrates women in science at our … tend to name men. Rarely do they mention some of the amazing women who have opened the door for so many of us following in their footsteps: marine biologist Rachel Carson, conservationist … to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility is some of the most important work we do. On International Women’s Day, we pay tribute to women in science at the Garden, past and present: …
Type: Blog
… Americans are at last tuning in to the taste of homemade condiments. The time has come for homemade mustard—and you won’t believe how easy and tasty it is. Start with the Basics As … up: Nancy Clifton’s Basic Mustard Recipe ½ cup dry mustard powder* ¼ cup cool water (see tips on temperature below) ¼ cup white vinegar ¼ teaspoon salt 2 to 3 teaspoons honey Whisk ingredients together. Pour into clean Mason or Ball jars and set aside on a pantry shelf for two weeks, to allow the spice’s heat to mellow to the degree desired. …
Type: Blog
… much garlic mustard in our natural areas in recent years, and its reemergence is a reminder for all of us that controlling and managing invasive species is an ongoing challenge. Our natural … Gently pull the plant out (if the soil is moist, this job is easier) by grasping it low on its stem. Do not shake; that will release the seeds. Put it in a plastic bag and tie securely; contact your village or city for specific instructions on disposal. With an increased awareness of the environmental and economic threats posed by …
Type: Blog
… Poland, to spend the summer with relatives. My grandparents’ farm was the home base for my adventures with cousins and siblings. We spent hours in the breezy northern hills, picking … are working to fix this problem. Fragaria × ananassa is not the only cultivated strawberry on the market. There are more than 20 species of strawberries worldwide, with only a small … its name? The popular theory is that strawberries are so named because they are cultivated on straw. The truth is, strawberries were named before straw was ever cultivated. Have you ever …
Type: Blog
… be a rare—if not impossible—sight in Cook County in the summer. But now, thanks to the ban on certain pesticides (including DDT), and the creation of osprey nesting platforms, the … Immature bald eagles, with their mottled black and white plumage, can easily be mistaken for ospreys. In summer, visitors can watch an osprey (Pandion haliaetus) —with its 6-foot … their liking. According to officials of the Cook County Forest Preserves, 12 osprey pairs bred on man-made platforms in the county in 2014, including at Long John Slough at the Little Red …
Type: Blog
