… Spring is seed season—and a good time to think about gifting seeds to gardeners, friends, and … cotta as the balls dry. This recipe yields about 24 seed balls. About Your Seed Choice Less is more. You only want a few seeds to sprout from each seed ball. Too many seeds mean too many … into the soil), or placed, randomly or intentionally, on bare soil in the garden. A rainy day is the perfect day to “plant” seed balls—rain helps to break down the clay and compost, giving …
Type: Blog
… play outside. Outdoor activities encourage creativity and independent thinking. The good news is that outdoor play time has many benefits ; a growing body of research shows that nature play … positive social relationships. Sharing discoveries—like water creatures from Garden lakes—is a great way to cement knowledge. Nature play abounds at the Chicago Botanic Garden, and can be … in the backyard and a bit of imagination. Paint with mud. Why use regular paint when mud is so much more fun? Swap out watercolors for mud, and ditch brushes for hands to create …
Type: Blog
… Mites are often difficult to see without a lens. Scale — Characteristic sticky, clear honeydew is produced on leaves by these small, immobile, rounded insects usually found on stems and veins …
Type: Plant Info
… in the foliage. If you happen to come to the exhibition just after a rain shower, and the sun is shining, it’s your lucky day, because love is literally in the air. I remember one day in the exhibition when the weather was lousy. It had … human relationships seem tame. Visitors were enjoying the show, too. They would say, “This is supposed to be a ‘family’ exhibit!” Females who had already mated or just weren’t impressed by …
Type: Blog
… asters. The chosen replacement was a smooth aster cultivar, Aster laevis ‘Bluebird’, which is new to the Garden’s plant collection. It bears flowers nearly identical in color to ‘Jindai’ … and can grow to the same height as well. Bluebird smooth aster ( Aster laevis ‘Bluebird’) is getting along nicely with its neighbor plantings. Furthermore, this cultivar is more … relocated or divided, and these were heeled into a well-mulched bed located immediately at the site, and watered generously. Additional Echinacea , Liatris , and grasses were delivered and …
Type: Blog
… have become increasingly threatened by geologic disturbance and climate change. The Garden is part of a research group that's working to collect root pieces and other genetic material from … raise the trees in cultivation and then plant new ones in the wild. The quaking aspens project is just one part of a broader Garden goal to protect species and promote biodiversity. As part of … Adam Black, director of horticulture at the famed Peckerwood Garden in Hempstead, Texas. Adam is a plant geek at heart and knows the Chisos Mountains intimately from 20-plus years of …
Type: Blog
… encountered a curious specimen of a tree related to jackfruit and breadfruit. Dr. Zerega is an expert on plants in this group, but nevertheless she was unable to identify the newly … are new to science! We have so much to learn and to protect around the world, and the clock is ticking.” This work was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and published this summer in the peer-reviewed science journal, Phytotaxa: https://www.mapress.com/j/pt/article/view/phytotaxa.453.3.8 Keywords: Nyree Zerega, species discovery, jackfruit, …
Type: Research
… and Puffball Specialist Group, as well as co-leading the Global Fungal Red List Initiative, is focused on significantly increasing the number of fungi on the Global Red List, raising the … as separate organisms by conservation organizations and agencies —flora, fauna, and fungi—is a current initiative. (Mueller) …
Type: Research
… with food, our campers are eager to “dig into” their creations. For little ones, this project is easy and fun to do with a grown-up and provides opportunities to identify colors and start … plant parts. Older kids can use new kitchen tools (with adult supervision) and discuss what is really a fruit or a vegetable. Watch Painting with Veggies on YouTube. Supply list: Cutting …
Type: Blog
… muddling technique Muddling 101 Here’s the first rule of muddling: Don’t overmuddle. Muddling is the process of gently—repeat, gently—bruising the leaves of herbs. As Kasey said, “If you hear the leaves tear, you’re overmuddling.” The goal is to release the fresh, green taste and aroma of the leaves, not to break or pulverize them … steel bar sets from the ’50s and ’60s. That big bump at the end of the long swizzle stick is a muddler. Infusion starts with muddling. Infusions Herbal infusions are a …
Type: Blog
