… We have a problem. My cat is eating my plant. Despite the fact that my prayer plant has inhabited my apartment for over a … that she can, in fact, eat it. The leaves turned all ratty and shriveled, and now the plant is dead. Rita the plant-muncher, whom I love very much. (Don’t worry–she has not taste-tested any … plants are not toxic to cats—otherwise, we’d be having a much bigger problem. My cat usually is completely disinterested in my plants. But my cat’s new habit got me thinking about …
Type: Blog
… away behind the dirt. When you do find something colorful, snap a picture! The end result is a gorgeous collection of nature's treasures that just may help us remember that there is always something beautiful to find. Sometimes, you just have to look a little harder to find … what you have in the fridge, and look for fruits or veggies in a fun variety of colors, which is not too hard to do since they are mostly all gorgeous shades of the rainbow naturally. Wash, …
Type: Blog
… that buckthorn was not nearly as pervasive in our region in previous centuries as it is today. And they are doing something about it here at the Garden. Jim Steffen, senior ecologist … including 30 sedge, 16 woodland grass, and 25 Asteraceae species. Graduate student Nathan Lamb is also studying how invasion by buckthorn alters the seed banks of oak ecosystems in the Chicago … spread. A good way to remove stands of buckthorn and lessen the risk of spreading the plant is to remove the plants before they flower and set seed. Buckthorn plants bloom from May to June …
Type: Research
… garden or borders and occasionally fills a vase or two in the kitchen. The name Helianthus is derived from the Greek helios for sun and anthus for a flower. Vincent van Gogh paid tribute … turn their heads toward the sun, tracking it as it moves across the sky. This unusual behavior is called heliotropism, and it is almost magical. Later, as the flowers grow heavy with maturing seeds, they face east and …
Type: Blog
… the seed germinates, the bacteria grows and infects the young seedling. Don’t worry! There is a way to save your seeds from this cruel fate. We use two methods to help prevent disease in … heat treatment. Bleach treatment Pumpkin seeds (top), tomato seeds (below). Bleach treatment is easy. If you’re working with squash or melon family members, asparagus, or zinnia seeds, you … and lettuce. A few common household supplies make this an easy task. Your first step is to collect your materials. You will need a work space with bleach, water, measuring cups or …
Type: Blog
… Wolfsbane is a beautiful—and poisonous—fall-blooming perennial. It also has a colorful history associated … at unsuspecting enemies. One thing both Hollywood and horticulturists can agree on: wolfsbane is a potent plant. Ingesting wolfsbane is typically fatal. Arends azure monkshood ( Aconitum carmichaelii ‘Arendsii’) Lamarck …
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
… 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
