… Summer-blooming lavender is everywhere these days—in botanical cocktails, in aromatherapy mists, on fruit salads. The … deep breath, and see if you can spot the fragrant lavender. The scent of memory Yes, lavender is calming. But it might work in a different way than you think. Smell is connected deeply to memory, so a familiar scent can conjure feelings like nostalgia, joy, and … sugar 5½ tsp. water 6½ tsp. rosewater Recipe courtesy of The Spice House, thespicehouse.com …
Type: Blog
… reproduce the “parent plant.” 2) Choose a ripe, disease-free tomato; one past being edible is best. 3) Cut the tomato ‘around the equator’ and squeeze out the seeds and ‘goo’ in to a … the tomato variety and let dry which could take up to three weeks. The top of the refrigerator is a great place for this. 6) When dry, scrape the seed in to an envelope labeled with the … like to put them in my top desk drawer. 8) Seeds have varied life expectancies. Tomato seed is viable for four to ten years. …
Type: Blog
… Why Pumpkins Are Fruits and Other Cool Botany Think you know what a fruit is? Most people think of fruit as being sweet or tart, juicy or crunchy, or peel-able like a … Yep. Feeling groovy on the fruit-or-not question now? Take the Fruit Pursuit quiz below. Is This a Fruit? Click on each picture for the answer. × Yes, bell peppers are fruits. Fun fact: … × No, rhubarbs are not fruits. Fun fact: We treat a lot of fruits like vegetables, but rhubarb is a vegetable that we treat like a fruit. Close × Yes, maple samaras are fruits. Fun fact: Maple …
Type: Blog
… the best way to brighten your doorstep for the longest season of all: winter? The answer is the easiest kind of container gardening, even for the black thumbs among us. The key is knowing how to create a harmonious design that doesn’t blow over in winter’s first blizzard. I attended a winter containers class at the Garden and this is what I learned: Materials needed: Winter-hardy container: plastic or fiber container and wood …
Type: Blog
… [insulated] jeans.” She’ll pull on a tank top and place two long-sleeved tops over it. “One is thermal and tight—the other is a Garden work shirt. Next, my work hoodie and my [insulated] jacket are the outer layer.” (I’m feeling toasty already.) Ayse Pogue, senior horticulturist Covering the neck is a no-brainer. “Scarves are a must. I also cover whatever hat I’m wearing with a hood to …
Type: Blog
… really interesting career histories and double-digit years of volunteer service. Larry Aronson is one of them. You’re likely to find Larry on Thursdays at his favorite volunteer station: the … it. What’s his favorite pepper to eat? It changes over time. The Brazilian malagueta pepper is a current favorite that is “better than Tabasco,” Larry says. What’s the hottest pepper he’s got? Used to be "Ghost" …
Type: Blog
… unity while remaining personally meaningful to each viewer.” How they found their inspiration is as varied as the artists. Michael Young's Night Birds Matthew Hoffman’s Joy sculpture Tanner … challenge? Choosing joy over hope. “I love both words. But hope only has one “p” stem and joy is really nice because it had two big feet at the ends of it and joy won out.” Based on Hoffman’s … & Promise tree design Tree topper design The tree, topped with a 5-foot-tall Chicago star, is made of stacked rows of mirrored and matte-finished stars. Each row is affixed to a circle of …
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… primrose, and listen to the water trickle into an eighteenth-century lead cistern—the feeling is as timeless as the tiny thyme plants growing between the hand-pressed bricks. So how do we … sure the Helen and Richard Thomas English Walled Garden withstands the rigors of time? Work is underway to enhance the English Walled Garden’s magestical tapestry. Dedicated in 1991 by … Garden features a formal study of contrast in texture and color. Like all gardens, this one is subject to constant change. Some plants overgrow their space and need pruning. Trees cast …
Type: Blog
… in 2016, did a great job with the scale and placement of the plantings. Each year, the display is more impressive, as the trees grow and produce more flowers. Drifts of roses at the Krasberg Rose Garden The first big flush of flowers is typically around the middle of June. Note the simple shape and deep fragrance of heirloom … tend to be short-lived and fade quickly in warm weather. So catching them in full flower is a real treat. Crabapples at the Lakeside Gardens Don’t miss a walk through a cathedral of …
Type: Blog
… for kids and families that celebrate the outdoors. What’s fun about nature art is that it starts with an adventure and ends with a surprise. For instance, the “family of owls” … as a mother and continue to get the best reviews from Laila, my toughest little critic. Dirt is cool Even when she was a baby, my daughter was intrigued by dirt. She is still fascinated by it, in any form. In the long winter, when we’re tired of being cooped up, …
Type: Blog
