… but it often overshadows the concerns ecologists have about our own native bees. Illinois is home to about 500 species of bees that are important pollinators in natural areas, in … bees. (I picture carpenter bees wearing little tool belts around their waists.) Nick Dorian is a postdoctoral researcher with the Garden’s Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science … found at a nursery,” Dorian says.  The endangered rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) is supported by gardens containing wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa). Photo credit: Nick Dorian. …
Type: Plant Info
… Summer is in the air. As the nights heat up, it’s a perfect time to get outdoors and entertain in your …
Type: Blog
… air and from the leaf litter in the tree niche it inhabits. Orchid Roots Are Adventitious That is, an orchid’s roots can grow along the stem of the plant, not just out of the bottom of it. The … removed from the mother plant along with their own set of adventitious roots. The White Stuff Is Velamen An aerial root should look fleshy and green; the white coating that covers it is … stabilize the plant once it’s in the pot. Roots Signal Plant Health At the Orchid Show, you get to see lush, healthy roots close up. At home, your orchid’s roots will usually be contained …
Type: Blog
… in Persia or India, near Kashmir, in the early first millennium C.E.; the teardrop motif is believed to be a cypress tree combined with a floral spray, symbolizing life and eternity. Plants used: The paisley pattern is created using slow-growing, rosette-patterned plants including mangave, sedum, aeonium, … in my home in this pattern, it would be my closet. I collect bandanas and the paisley pattern is commonly seen on modern and vintage bandanas. And like the paisley motif, bandanas have a deep …
Type: Page
… to serve teenagers in an extracurricular setting. Building on the success of the Lake County site construction of the North Lawndale Youth Farm began in 2005. This Youth Farm site is located on the west side of Chicago on a quarter-acre lot. This location is in partnership with Neighbor Space, an urban land trust that owns the land and supplies the …
Type: Page
… grow, be careful not to over or under water them. They need a lot of light, but don’t let them get too much heat. Paphiopedilum Commonly known as lady slippers, these orchids are better suited …
Type: Blog
… world celebrated soil: the United Nations proclaimed it the International Year of Soils. Soil is perhaps the least understood—and therefore least considered—part of gardening. And yet soil … matter What's the difference? They're all natural soil amendments, but the terminology can get confusing. Compost is a general term for natural materials that have decomposed enough to be … dirt? Start fresh with a raised bed garden, and heatlhy, nutrient-laden soil. Don't fight your site! If your soil is simply too difficult or contaminated to work with, don't fight it! Consider …
Type: Plant Info
… Spring is seed season—and a good time to think about gifting seeds to gardeners, friends, and … chunkier, greenish seed ball. Both work equally well. Here’s the easy seed ball recipe 1 cup powdered clay or potter’s clay (can be purchased online) ½ cup dried compost (the finer, … helps to break down the clay and compost, giving seeds a good dose of food and water to get started growing. Throw one in your garden. Fill an empty space. Gift a brown- or …
Type: Blog
… Early summer in the Dwarf Conifer Garden is all about the new growth. Everything is bursting forth with fresh new growth in vivid shades of green, chartreuse, yellow…and blue!  … right, with its long, soft, blue-green needles. But when you throw in dusky purple cones, you get a plant that is truly a gem. As the cones age, they’ll slowly turn into the more typical …
Type: Blog
… work? Let’s look at those roots from a different angle Most orchids are epiphytes. An epiphyte is a plant that grows on another plant (not in soil), but is not parasitic. They’re Called Aerial Roots Of the 27,000-plus species of orchids on the … Whitish velamen covers the orchid’s roots. Roots Signal Plant Health At the Orchid Show, you get to see lush, healthy roots close up. At home, your orchid’s roots will usually be contained …
Type: Blog
