… approaches the final stages of our “Keep Growing” capital and endowment campaign, we pause to review the progress we’ve made together: In 2017, we finished major construction projects on … with new and varied offerings. We opened the Regenstein Learning Campus in 2016 as a place for people of all ages and abilities to explore the natural world and participate in a wide array … director of the Garden, the Garden staff works as a coordinated team every day to bring the best the Garden has to offer to all of its varied constituencies. Thank you for your commitment …
Type: Page
… has national implications—and, though you may not realize it, it’s part of your daily prep for work, school, and play. In a small, sunny, grassy, flat, fenced-in plot (there’s a reason for … at 8 a.m., rain (or snow) or shine, a dedicated Garden staff member steps into the plot to read the instruments and record the results, then heads back indoors to transfer the … interesting fact: no matter what the air temperature is in winter, the soil seldom drops below 26 degrees (it’s measured at a 4-inch depth). This gauge takes a reading of bare soil …
Type: Blog
… In 2001, Plants of Concern was launched through the Chicago Botanic Garden to track the status of rare, threatened, and endangered species in northeast Illinois. A landmark … monitoring app for smartphones and tablets, produced online training videos, and completed a website redesign project, bringing rare plant monitoring fully into the 21st century – while … we as an agency simply would not be able to collect without this program.” Perhaps the best outcome of the Plants of Concern program is that it has “inspired many volunteers to engage …
Type: Blog
… As summer winds down you may be thinking about stowing your shovel and other tools for the season. (But don’t stow that rake—the leaves won’t be falling just yet.) Before you clean and store your other tools, look each one over to see if the handles are split or if the tines are bent or rusty. Some tools benefit from a … edge, which helps remove weeds. The handles may be wood, plastic, padded, or metal. Before you buy one, pick up the trowel in the store and try it out to see how it fits in your hand and how …
Type: Plant Info
… as Dan Hinkley, one of the founders of the renowned (alas, no more) Heronswood Nursery, to far-flung locales such as Vietnam, China, and Bhutan. Much of my presentation focused on plant … wild phlox. Phlox is predominantly a North American genus (one species sneaks into Siberia) best known for its gaudily—some say garishly colored—harbinger of spring, the moss phlox ( Phlox subulata ), …
Type: Blog
… seed catalogs as they think about spring. Growing plants from seeds gives you an opportunity to grow more unusual flowers, vegetables, and herbs than you might find at a local garden center. … And it can save you some big bucks. A 1-gallon pot of purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea), for example, may cost $8 to $10. A packet of seeds can provide dozens of the same plant for about … Painted Lady runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus ‘Painted Lady’), at Monticello. Today, you can buy the seeds of this edible and ornamental annual vine to grow in your own garden. Gardeners …
Type: Plant Info
… Plant Breeding The Garden’s plant breeding program develops new perennial plants for introduction to the horticulture industry and gardeners alike. Focusing predominantly on plants native to … collecting and germinating seed. Growing and evaluating thousands of progeny plants. Selecting best plants for further breeding and/or evaluation as potential releases. This process repeats … collecting and germinating seed. Growing and evaluating thousands of progeny plants. Selecting best plants for further breeding and/or evaluation as potential releases. This process repeats …
Type: Page
… was 48.1 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 8.7 degrees below normal. What did the cold weather mean for our plants? Luckily, nothing devastating. Early bloomers, like winter aconite, crocus, and … that would most likely have damaged plants. May (and later) bloomers are also probably going to arrive on schedule. But plant species that usually bloom in April took their time. Celeste … Garden began to keep track of first blooms on our grounds more than 25 years ago, this is the latest we’ve ever seen forsythia bloom. Late bloomers have now all started to exit their winter …
Type: Blog
… Think fall color disappears in October? Nope. The first week of November is still prime time for leaf peeping at the Chicago Botanic Garden . As the Garden’s photographer, I talk up the … but no one really believes me. So I looked back through my archive and found evidence to prove my case. Check out the dates below. In my experience, early November can be an … the end of the season. Willows everywhere! November 16, 2005 Willow trees are our last trees to turn fully golden. If you are visiting in mid-late November, I recommend walking around the …
Type: Blog
… , known as Short's aster, is a native of eastern North America that grows well in full sun to partially shaded environments. Among the most floriferous of the native asters, this plant …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
