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  • … Society—which had a few assumptions about women and their research. Beatrix’s full name is Helen Beatrix Potter . She shares her first name with her mother, Helen Leech Potter, who was … skirt and jacket. The Fairy Caravan , a longer book for older children published in 1929, is autobiographical . Marta McDowell, author of  Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life,  wrote of  The … Potter: Fifteen Walks in Beatrix Potter Country  by Norman and June Buckley. Peter Rabbit is extremely popular in Japan.  The exhibition shows this through a Japanese catalog of all …
    Type: Blog
  • … seemingly, the less one knows; old questions are answered and new ones are developed. This is what pushes scientists, and science, forward. The evolution of a research idea In 2008, I … flower buds and/or seeds, they reduce the number of offspring that the plant produces. This is bad for any plants upon which these moths decide to lay their eggs, but everything must eat, … Could floral scent be telling hawkmoths  and  Mompha  moths where the flowers are? Pollination is good for plant reproduction, but anything that eats flowers or seeds is not—so how would this …
    Type: Blog
  • … this benefit of keeping chickens:  Earth First Farms,  run by Tom and Denise Rosenfeld, is a local organic orchard that uses chickens as natural “insecticide.” Biddie Biorecycling Many … amount of organic waste. A mother hen teaches her chicks to forage. By fir0002 | flagstaffotos.com.au [ GFDL 1.2 ], via Wikimedia Commons An adult chicken eats around 9 pounds of food per month. For the sake of argument, let’s say that 75 percent of that is layer ration (which I recommend for a healthy, balanced diet). That means each bird can …
    Type: Blog
  • … sewing room.) Jessica took the creative lead for shaping the titan puppet, which is made of foam. Paper templates came first; next came foam that could be heated, bent, sanded, carved, airbrushed, and painted. The spadix (the tall structure in the center) is made of lightweight, open-cell foam…with buttons for eyes. The puppeteer’s arm goes up a …
    Type: Blog
  • … the paint stirrers and get out the chalkboard paint! The photos are testament to how easy it is: assemble a pile of paintable wooden markers-to-be, scrub-brush lightly under running water, … to read from a distance, get stepped on), and rocks (hard to keep in one spot). This approach is simple, recyclable, nice looking, and kind of fun to do—makes a good kid project, too! Can't …
    Type: Blog
  • … well-being. One easy way to do that at the Chicago Botanic Garden or anywhere you walk is to seek out the company of evergreens. That includes most conifers, which are plants that … as well as their ability to transform and brighten the landscape. The charm of conifers is subtle; you just have to slow down and get up close. Here are a few suggestions on what to …
    Type: Blog
  • … It’s now early fall and that means it’s time for  Colchicum !  Colchicum  is a group of flowers also known as autumn crocuses, though they’re not related to the true … bulbs. We’re still seeing the final blooms of  Lilium speciosum  ‘Uchida’ as well. This lily is notable for being the latest-blooming lily in our climate. These plants started blooming in …
    Type: Blog
  • … It’s been another fantastic season at Butterflies & Blooms at the Chicago Botanic Garden. This is my second year working at Butterflies & Blooms, and I think it’s looking better than ever. The … Botanical (Own work) [ CC BY-SA 3.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons   Butterflies & Blooms  home is in the  Regenstein Learning Campus . I can’t think of a more appropriate place for visitors to …
    Type: Blog
  • … Betsy ( Trillium cuneatum ) Yellow wakerobin ( Trillium luteum )   The Chicago Botanic Garden is collaborating with the Huntsville Botanical Garden in Alabama on a Trillium conservation … there are several species that thrive in the more alkaline soils across the Midwest. Our goal is to expand the range of growing areas for some species and increase the overall diversity. …
    Type: Blog
  • … used to do this all the time, and now she’s a wildlife biologist.” 1. Pick up a Stick How cool is this? In 2008,  the stick  was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame! It’s in great … in the dirt, a conductor’s baton, the first leg of a tepee, and anything else a child says it is. 2. Learn to Lash If one stick is interesting, a pile of sticks has real 3-D potential. The art of lashing teaches kids to turn …
    Type: Blog