… or later. In this issue of Smart Gardener , we offer some thoughts about helping your garden to age gracefully. While a mature, lush, beautifully maintained landscape is every gardener's … More colorful? Are you craving more privacy, or feeling claustrophobic? Think about the goal for your garden and curate toward that goal. Make a simple map A basic layout of your space … Mature tree questions? Consult your local forester or arborist first, and request an on-site visit. Their expertise and knowledge of the neighborhood "forest" will give you fresh insight …
Type: Plant Info
… bear cones. With a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes, they add color and textural contrast to landscapes year-round. What exactly are dwarf conifers? Simply stated, they are conifers that do not reach the normal height for their species. True dwarf conifers average about one-twentieth the typical size, with most … Blue Spruce) has the blue foliage of the Colorado Spruce in a weeping, dwarf form. Be sure to visit the Dwarf Conifer Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden to view these and many more dwarf …
Type: Plant Info
… the least understood—and therefore least considered—part of gardening. And yet soil is, next to water, the most precious resource that a gardener has. In this edition of Smart Gardener, … is soil? Great garden soil teems with life, and the creatures that live there are responsible for breaking down leaves/compost/mulch into the nutrients that your plants need. Some creatures … can only find cow and horse manure through retail sources. Consider the source before you buy! Search out an organic, hormone-free source or farming operation if you'd like to add manure …
Type: Plant Info
… Flowers are one of the best antidotes to the icy winds of winter, and growing a houseplant that buds and blooms inside while all is … Like many flowering plants, clivia prefers to be kept rootbound and can remain in the same pot for as long as five years. Since it takes a few years for a clivia plant to bloom, it's best to … base to prevent seed set. In spring, resume normal watering and feeding AT THE GARDEN If you visit the Greenhouses at the Chicago Botanic Garden in late winter, you can see both the yellow …
Type: Plant Info
… produce astounding color in the natural landscape. While some plants tone down as they prepare to "go gentle into that good night," others turn up the heat and glow with the fire of early fall … are found in many environments with quite differing soil conditions. When choosing a goldenrod for your garden, consider its native habitat before siting it in your own garden. Wet and dry … Garden, Fruit & Vegetable Garden, Landscape Gardens, and McDonald Woods. An end-of-summer visit to these various gardens is a perfect way to admire goldenrod's many forms, as well as note …
Type: Plant Info
… college class called “The Natural Environment in Winter.” It was January, and we met outdoors for about three hours—regardless of the temperature. I showed up at the first class wearing … kid.) The ink in my pen froze and I couldn’t take notes. We spent a lot of time standing still to observe birds, twigs, moss, ice crystals, and seed heads while the wind sent bone-chilling … pneumonia was in August. The Garden is open every day of the year. Why not plan your visit now? …
Type: Blog
… Their Bets As if on cue, tiny green leaves peek out from the dark soil each spring, reaching for the sun. But how do flowers know it’s spring? And can they detect real spring versus a warm … it’s still winter? “Within the context of ‘reasonable conditions’ plants are generally able to detect real spring from a false start,” said Paul CaraDonna, Ph.D., a Chicago Botanic Garden conservation scientist. “It is important to keep in mind that plants have long dealt with variable and unpredictable environments. How …
Type: Blog
… Winter is a great season for bookworms—there’s nothing like a good book to keep you company during the colder months. And … are digitized and linked above, but nothing quite compares with seeing a rare book in person. Visit the Lenhardt Library from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday to explore its full …
Type: Blog
… Meet the bees of the McCormick Place Rooftop Farm …and try their honey! Check out our video to learn more about the honey harvesting process. Iris Michael (second from left), Fred Daniels … ranging from reducing inflammation to antimicrobial properties. People have used honey for these purposes for more than 5,000 years , from ancient Greece to the Mayan civilization, and … Rodeo Farm honey at the Garden Shop, or in the market at Farm on Ogden while supplies last. Visit our farms! Come check out the McCormick Place Rooftop Farm, as well as Farm on Ogden, …
Type: Blog
… at the Chicago Botanic Garden! Our day included these snapshots of the early morning visitors to the rare phenomenon of a corpse flower in full bloom. We chatted with the early birds and met … the corpse flower that bloomed last September. Maxwell and Lexi (in her Alice T-shirt) Kirchen visit Sprout early this morning before school. Harper, 14 months old, waves at #CBGSprout the … And it is very stinky. Carrie: I happened to see the Facebook post. And we were here every day for Spike (a titan arum that previously was on display at the Garden). Jamie Smith of Highland …
Type: Blog
