… Spring is here, and the birds are returning from their winter homes. Some birds fly through the Chicago … area to their nesting habitats up north, while others return and stay in the area. Spring is the season for laying eggs, because it gives the juvenile birds all summer to mature and … in Scraps of yarn or strips of fabric cut 1/4 inch wide and at least 6 inches long (longer is fine) Optional — metallic thread or any other attractive loose materials Let’s put this empty …
Type: Blog
… hillii ) blooming This thistle was not the Canada thistle ( Cirsium canadensis ), which is a non-native weed that is commonly seen along the roadsides and in your garden. What I stumbled on was Hill’s thistle ( … from taller plants. A number of species of bees visit and pollinate this plant. The plant is believed to be monocarpic, which means the plant dies after flowering and producing seed. I …
Type: Blog
… shadowed water below. Doctoral student Lynnaun Johnson wades over for a closer look. Habitat is shrinking for this reclusive orchid, and he is using a unique approach to better understand the species’ uncommon lifestyle. During March … the plant and took a sample from the bark of its host tree. “What I’m interested in primarily is identifying the fungi within the habitat of these particular orchids,” said Johnson. “If you …
Type: Blog
… like pinkball dombeya ( Dombeya wallichii ). Native to East Africa and Madagascar, the genus is a highly sought-after ornamental in USDA Zones 9 and warmer. One of the rarest plants in our collections is Deppea splendens. Native to the mountains of western Mexico, this plant is extinct in the wild. Visit our What’s in Bloom highlight page each week—twice a week during …
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… Horticultural Society was founded. To celebrate the Society’s 125th anniversary, the Garden is featuring two special exhibitions, lectures, and the launch of a commemorative book, Chicago … Fire of 1871 to the victory garden era through the present.” A view looking south from the site of the future Chicago Botanic Garden; low in the horizon is the city of Chicago (click on image for a larger view) An early image of the Garden’s islands: …
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… Foraging for edible mushrooms is a treasure hunt that always yields a reward. You never know what you’re going to find. At the … Jean-Pol Grandmont Great finds: black trumpets, and more importantly—chanterelles! Summertime is the fruiting season for two of my favorite edible mushrooms: chanterelles (Cantharellus … eaten mushroom in the United States. (The green-spored lepiota [Chlorphyllum molybdites] is the most common.) We can tell chanterelles from jack-o-lanterns when we turn them over and …
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… also allow for richer colors to develop. These peony stems have a deep burgundy color that is highly ornamental in an otherwise empty bed. Eventually these will grow out into large bushy … x hybridus ‘Blue Metallic Lady’ in the Thomas English Walled Garden sports new growth that is almost showier than its flowers. Of course, since it is spring, there are plenty of flowers to see. Many people associate spring with bulbs, but there …
Type: Blog
… (for the bow) were all collected in the Fruit & Vegetable Garden. Circle, Ring, Wreath This is a BIG wreath—great for an outdoor wall. Flint. Dent. Sweet. Flour. Pod. Pop. Regenstein Fruit … Bantam’—in a seasonless sunburst. The French saying on this wreath translates to, “the moon is my light and my joy.” Even the branches of this wreath are made of raffia. A nursery grower in our production greenhouse by day, Lorin Fox is an artist and woodcarver off-hours. A close look at his wreath reveals the mushrooms he …
Type: Blog
… off the lawn and cutting back perennials are all fine to do now providing your garden soil is not too wet. Early flowering bulbs like snowdrops at the Chicago Botanic Garden are very … growth, they might benefit from a light layer of mulch. For the most part, though, there is nothing special for most gardeners to do in their perennial beds. Even in great weather for … have a flower bud at the ends of the stem. The dormant season, and in particular late winter, is the best time of year to complete rejuvenation pruning, which is the aggressive pruning of …
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… the unique and diverse leadership styles and efficacy of women, Homeward Bound’s goal is to ensure that the future of STEMM reflects the diversity of the human population and benefits … Atlantic, and Indian Oceans meet the cold waters of the Southern Ocean and Antarctica. This is also an area of great marine productivity, which contributes to the diversity and abundance of … understand the impacts of climate change on the biotic and abiotic environment. Antarctica is crucial to regulation of the earth’s climate and is one of the most sensitive places to …
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