… I sat there in front of a group of plants that produce lovely-smelling flowers, waiting for their impressive pollinators to show up. And when they did, I snapped some of my very first photos of these beauties: … volume and sugar content, floral scent, who pollinates and when (hawkmoths come at dusk and visit overnight; bees generally visit in the morning), how populations grow and shrink over time, …
Type: Blog
… For many homeowners, a long, hot summer means mow the lawn, water, repeat. It’s a cycle that … want a brown, unruly patch of land. Conservation scientist Becky Barak, Ph.D., is looking to change that assumption. By studying alternatives to traditional turfgrass, she and her … near their house,” Barak said. “[This research is] only helpful to the extent that it’s used!” Visit Rethinking Lawns —a website designed by Kozik in collaboration with Barak, Tonietto, and …
Type: Blog
… Ketaurah James VeggieRx Manager, Windy City Harvest For Ketaurah James, her job is more than just a job: She grew up in North Lawndale, where Windy … the VeggieRx program is helping people she knows lead healthier, happier lives through access to fresh produce. Here, she talks about how she was first introduced to the Chicago Botanic … plants that call our space home. In honor of The Orchid Show: Magnified , open through March 26, 2023, we chatted with one of the people who see the show through from vision to reality. …
Type: Blog
… Viva Vita Pride Month is a time to honor the history and voices of the LGBTQIA+ community—which makes me, a plant scientist and … Sackville-West (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons ) Sackville-West (1892-1962) is well-known for her close relationship with writer Virginia Woolf; she was also a dedicated gardener and … As a scientist at the Chicago Botanic Garden, I most often think of Sackville-West when I visit the Thomas English Walled Garden . This garden is inspired by a long history of British …
Type: Blog
… Admit it: you're always drawn to them. It's their height…their interesting contrast…those smoky good looks. This month in Smart … that can be hard to achieve with green-foliaged plants. Tall, dark plants become a backdrop for everything else in the garden: their purple-to-black foliage makes chartreuse plants pop, … for tall plants, they need not be relegated to a line-up against the wall. On your next summer visit, keep an eye out for the many different ways that horticulturists are using tall, dark …
Type: Plant Info
… tombstone in Cumberland, England "While life lasts." This can be a very brief moment in time for a spring ephemeral. In that narrow window of time between thawing ground and the leafing out … woodland wildflowers that emerge, then quickly go dormant—live their lives. If you want to see some of the spring woodland flowers in bloom, you often have to be there on the day they … pollinators associated with them, they usually have several different pollinators that can visit, including other native bees and many species of flies. Besides being important sources of …
Type: Plant Info
… As the days get shorter, you might be looking for off-the-beaten paths where you can soak up the rest of the season. I’ve got just the place … Garden’s southeast side, just north of Dundee Road, the Reserve is relatively unknown, even to longtime visitors. As an assistant ecologist, I’m in the Reserve a lot, and often by myself. … I’m always puzzled that so few people have discovered it. Here are just a few reasons to visit: The color purple—and more The fall colors are amazing—purple asters, yellow goldenrods, …
Type: Blog
… The Orchid Show Murals St+art India Foundation, based in Delhi, commissioned artists to create murals for The Orchid Show: India Blooms. Artworks by Seema Surana are on display in the Visitor Center; … nostalgia with an exploration of transformation. The Orchid Show Open through March 23 Buy Tickets Now …
Type: Blog
… The flowers are gone, the trees are bare, now what to photograph? Birds, of course! Winter is a great time to get some fabulous shots of winter … to name a few. Plus, winter has the bonus of birds that actually migrate to our area just for the winter. Some migrants you will see every year are juncos, tree sparrows, and a variety of … what you will find on any given day. That is why I go out every chance I get! Before your next visit check out our list of birds that you can expect to see at the Garden each season. A …
Type: Blog
… start shutting down soon after Labor Day. That’s changed. “Back then, we were getting ready to pack it in,” says Tom Soulsby, senior horticulturist for the Rose Garden, Heritage Garden, and the Linden Allée. Tom is responsible for curating and … in the Midwest have been getting warmer over the past several years and Soulsby has no reason to believe that trend will not continue. “We continue to care for roses now as we do in June and …
Type: Plant Info
