… grown. Here are some tips for growing these beautiful plants in the garden. Selecting a site Pick a sunny spot where, optimally, the plants will receive at least six hours of sunlight. … get their “feet” wet, the area should not accumulate water and should drain well. If the soil is clay-like, it should be amended with leaf mulch, compost, or peat moss. Since dahlias should be planted about 18 inches apart, it is easy to determine the number of plants the area will accommodate. Planting You can plant your …
Type: Blog
… ever before, and discover vital information. “One of the problems we have with soil science is that you can’t see into it so you really depend on a lot of techniques and methods to work out … for “fungus” and “root.” If climate change results in more intense rainfall and drought—as is predicted by climate change scientists—mycorrhizal fungi will also play an important role in … helping to filter gases and air that move through the system. Of growing interest, is also the fact that fungi could have a major role in soil carbon sequestration . Soil carbon …
Type: Blog
… The flowers are gone, the trees are bare, now what to photograph? Birds, of course! Winter is a great time to get some fabulous shots of winter birds. One huge bonus is that there are no leaves on the trees and the birds are much easier to see! There are the … this species!” birds, like crossbills, snowy owls, bald eagles, and bohemian waxwings. That is the fun part—you never know what you will find on any given day. That is why I go out every …
Type: Blog
… and made recommendations for improvement to the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL). BHL is a group of natural history and botanical libraries that work together to digitize books and … Alicia Esquivel, Pamela McClanahan, Marissa Kings, and Katie Mika My particular project is to define how much biodiversity literature is in the public domain and how much of it still needs to be added to BHL. This content analysis …
Type: Blog
… love fresh grapefruit—and birds. So we decided to keep the rind and make a bird feeder. This is a fun, easy project. The grapefruit sections have been cut and eaten; the rind is ready to become our bird feeder. To make a grapefruit bird feeder, you will need the … Hold the grapefruit up by all three strings and adjust the length of the strands so the fruit is not tipping. When it is balanced, knot the strings together about 4 or 5 inches from the top. …
Type: Blog
… post, we demonstrated how plants respond to the gravitational pull of the earth. Geotropism is difficult to overcome, but that didn’t stop me from trying to make a plant grow sideways … it’s too challenging, it won’t work. Trust me, I learned this the hard way. When the maze is complete, give your beans a last bit of water, and maybe a kiss, and then close the box. Apply … to be sure it has not dried out. Add a little water, but only enough to moisten the soil if it is very dry. When you see the bean plant emerging through the open window in the box, open it and …
Type: Blog
… Even when snow is falling and temperatures plummet, I’m working on my backyard vegetable garden. I might not be … planning, you can harvest something from your garden from April through 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. “Timing is everything," says Lisa Hilgenberg, horticulturist, Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden. Now is …
Type: Blog
… No rain, then too much rain, then...this is a challenging year for gardening. For those who garden in northeastern Illinois, Here are some … the soil. One of the most important things a gardener can do to address both of these extremes is to routinely add organic matter to planting beds. This helps condition and loosen the soil so … on hot, sunny days to help reduce evaporation, but they perk back up at night. When the soil is so saturated with water that it displaces tiny air pockets that roots require, the plant may …
Type: Blog
… on that prairie, for the long haul, they have to survive and reproduce. We learned that fire is essential for reproduction. A healthy population is one that will be resilient in the face of adversity. Fires keep populations healthy,” said … live there need diversity too. Some animals only eat one species of plant, so if that plant is gone, that animal is gone,” said Wagenius. For Wagenius and his team, there’s more to learn …
Type: Blog
… I am sure that most of you know what I am referring to when I say “leap year.” Although this is not a leap year, I am suggesting that we unofficially call 2015 “Lep Year”—“lep” being short … the butterflies have gotten the lion’s share of PR. In particular, the monarch butterfly is on nearly everyone’s radar, due to its precarious situation with dwindling wintering grounds … species outnumber the butterflies by more than ten to one in North America ! In fact, there is a moth species that is also dependent on milkweeds—the milkweed tussock moth ( Euchaetes egle …
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