… 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
… any chlorophyll—the green pigment necessary for photosynthesis—this seedling was doomed. That is the case with all albino plants. The gene mutation that gives rise to albino plants is fatal to the plant, because without the ability to make sugars, the plant runs out of energy … will this grass actually look like? How long will it take to sprout? How easy it to grow? Is there enough green on those leaves for the grass to survive or will it die off like my basil? …
Type: Blog
… 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
… 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
… Care Department Landscape Waste Program As manager of horticulture services, Cindy Baker is responsible for the care and maintenance of more than 100 acres of ornamental landscaping. She … Baker has been involved with many projects, events, and classes at the Garden since 1988. She is a regular guest on the WGN-TV Morning News "Botanic Backyard" segments. Baker is also a frequent speaker at the American Public Garden Association's annual meetings and has …
Type: Staff bio
… that folding 1,000 paper cranes, one for each year, can make a wish come true. So it is that the crane is the symbol of longevity and good fortune. Fast forward to the turn of the twenty-first … origami cranes throughout the winter. And 3,000-plus cranes are ready to hand out. Happiness is 1,000 paper cranes…and volunteers like Susan and Edie. From Ray’s original intent comes great …
Type: Blog
… the “parent plant.” 2. Selecting Choose a ripe, disease-free tomato; one past being edible is best. 3. Removing Cut the tomato ‘around the equator’ and squeeze out the seeds and ‘goo’ in … 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. Drying When dry, scrape the seed in to an envelope labeled with … put them in my top desk drawer. 8. Life Span Seeds have varied life expectancies. Tomato seed is viable for four to ten years. …
Type: Blog
… the Forest Preserves of Cook County, including a stint at the Garden. The Conservation Corps is a paid summer internship that gives young people hands-on conservation and environmental … because everybody knows each other in the field." —Ushus Hermanson, 17, Chicago The program is part of the effort by the Garden and its partner, Friends of the Forest Preserves, to build … the Garden’s director of government affairs, who helped coordinate the program. “Not only is it a great help for the Garden’s staff to tackle needed projects, it is a great learning …
Type: Blog
… Pogue, senior horticulturist, Elizabeth Hubert Malott Japanese Garden My New Year’s resolution is to apply the principles of the Garden's soil initiative. I am very excited to learn more about … Wade Wheatley, assistant horticulturist, Greenhouses My horticultural New Year’s resolution is to be a better plant dad to my houseplants. Since I spend the day at work taking care of the tropical plants at the Garden, it is sometimes difficult to maintain enthusiasm to come home and keep watering plants. However, I …
Type: Blog
