… the coming fall at the Chicago Botanic Garden —just the way our ancestors have done for centuries. As the growing season winds down , it’s a busy time for gardeners, ahead of the fall equinox on September 23 in the Northern Hemisphere. Six days … tomatoes, peppers, carrots, beets, and more—some of which goes to eligible patients in our free prescription produce program, VeggieRx . You can shop for the farm-to-table produce, …
Type: Blog
… plant sounds, and more made headlines. What’s on Google’s 2023 Holiday 100 gift guide for plant lovers? Seed starter kits and no-watering-required LEGO bonsai trees made the list of … trend of using fungi in fashion with our own design. London Fashion Week observers loved the latest iteration in sustainable fashion—a bronze-gold, silky gown made from the leaves and stalks … plant story Twenty-eight percent of Americans have hugged their plants, according to a Trees.com survey—but if the plants don’t respond to touch, does it still count? As it turns out, some …
Type: Blog
… displays “wild” tomatoes (Saturday); Hector Ortiz demos horchata-making (Sunday). Free; regular parking and admission fees apply for nonmembers. 2025 Heirloom Fest is sponsored by RATIONAL USA …
Type: Event for Calendar
… are among the most amenable to home culture and thrive if provided with a sunny location free of cold drafts. The roots are very sensitive to standing water (deadly) so make sure all of … by genus and is consistent with their natural habitat. While requiring adequate sunlight for a stunning bloom display, most orchids will not tolerate sustained direct sun. Many varieties …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Q. How should we select pumpkins for cooking and decorating? A. From supermarkets to farm stands and backyard gardens, fall brings … many unique cultivars have been introduced, along with distinctive heirloom varieties. Whether for cooking or decoration, a good pumpkin has the same external characteristics. It should be free from scratches, soft or rotten spots, and cracks, and should feel heavy relative to its …
Type: Plant Info
… or slough. In spring and fall, when you're walking around the waterways of the Garden, look for this handsome (some might say gaudy-looking) duck. During the breeding season, the northern …
Type: Birding
… or repurposing gently used items. Here at the Chicago Botanic Garden, we’re all about fuss-free pursuits—plants, nature crafts, plant-based meals...we had you at plants, right? Below are … shirt and get glowin’: Forget the pricey pumpkin lattes Put together a quick, seasonal meal for someone—try pumpkin bisque , with walnut bread , and a corn and nopales (cactus leaves) salad … No one knows anymore. Here’s an easy way to send a postcard that will cost you….35 cents for a U.S. postage stamp—download one of our Lenhardt Library's historic garden images and print …
Type: Blog
… herb you’d grow in your yard can be used to flavor drinks. Herbs + fresh fruit = a yummy base for all sorts of hot and cold beverages. Grab what’s in season in the yard and experiment. A few … cover the bottom. Add about a cup of fruit. (Amounts of both will vary according to taste—feel free to experiment!) Bruise fruit and herb leaves with muddler to release some of the juices and … leaves 2 cups water 1½ cups fresh herb leaves (mint or lemon verbena taste best, but feel free to experiment!) For concentrate: Rinse and drain herbs. Add all ingredients above to a …
Type: Blog
… in sacks on their hind legs, which doesn’t always make it to the stigma of the flowers they visit (anthers are where the pollen grains are picked up; stigma is where they are deposited for successful pollination). Mason bees (Osmia lignaria) carry pollen all over their bodies, … tubes with larvae. For information about storing and incubating mason bees for next year, visit seedsavers.org . …
Type: Plant Info
… most commonly eaten toxic mushroom in the United States. It might seem like a bumper crop of free eats in your lawn, but Chlorophyllum molybdites is toxic. Today’s other culprit was … lawn mower’s mushroom, is also nonedible. (Photo with permission Michael Kuo, mushroomexpert.com .) Not all mushrooms growing in lawns are toxic. But the only way to tell is to know what … to join a club like the Illinois Mycological Association . Identifying mushrooms and plants for the Illinois Poison Center and hospitals is something that I and other Chicago Botanic Garden …
Type: Blog
