… Nothing is better than a daffodil-filled spring view. Bird Island in peak daffodil bloom. Antique Lace … garden in spring. Long-lasting. Sturdy. Cold-tolerant. Fragrant. Sun-loving. Pest-free. Gorgeous in a vase. Despised by deer . No wonder daffodils are so beloved by Chicago area … is not heavily shaded in spring and early summer. Avoid full shade or wet areas in the yard. Get out your camera or smartphone and take photos of daffodil-friendly spots now, before …
Type: Plant Info
… with their music and mayhem. Mary was recently voted Chicago’s Best Clown by ChicagoKids.com. In the show, kids get to help Mary Macaroni with magic tricks, shakers, and dancing along to rockin’ tunes with …
Type: Event for Calendar
Snow Tower Chinese dogwood gets the "snow" in its name from the abundant large white bracts and the "tower" from the upright narrow habit. Members of the genus Cornus , commonly known as dogwoods, are welcome in the home garden for their multi-season interest (flowers, fruit, foliage, or bark) and their range of forms from small trees to suckering shrubs. The dominant display, however, varies …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… wing bars. Males and females look alike; young of the year have buffy wing bars. If you get a really close look, you'll notice the adult pewee has a dark upper mandible and dull … of the lower mandible. This bird spends the winter in Central and South America, where it can get plenty of insects to eat. It returns to the Chicago Botanic Garden and northern Illinois … bird a species of conservation concern. Restoration of the pewee's open woodland habitat—which is being done at the Garden's McDonald Woods—can help keep the pewee from further decline. …
Type: Birding
… with floor-to-ceiling plastic walls around the sanders, saws, and drills. (A separate, dust-free area houses Debi’s well-furnished sewing room.) Jessica took the creative lead for shaping the titan puppet, which is made of foam. Paper templates came first; next came foam that could be heated, bent, sanded, carved, airbrushed, and painted. The spadix (the tall structure in the center) is made of lightweight, open-cell foam…with buttons for eyes. The puppeteer’s arm goes up a …
Type: Blog
… A yellow base is veined in pink on this moth orchid that seems to glow in the sunlight. Among the easiest … 3 times per week to keep the large fleshy roots moist. The potting media must be exceptionally free draining - the surface of most orchid roots need to dry slightly between watering. The … number of genera, each with its own unique characteristics. A common characteristic, however, is the basic form of the flower, which consists of three petals surrounded by three sepals -- …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… the eastern United States, ranging from Minnesota to Massachusetts. Like all bumblebees, it is a superb pollinator of some of our favorite foods like tomatoes and blueberries, but also of … range shrank by over 90 percent in less than a decade. The most concerning part of this story is that we don’t know what caused the decline. Insects like bumblebees face myriad threats … including habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change—but identifying a single culprit is often difficult. Even worse, basic parts of the rusty patched bumblebee life cycle remain a …
Type: Blog
… What do gardeners give as gifts? Staff around the Chicago Botanic Garden get creative this time of year, sharing harvests of fruit, nuts, herbs, and more in creative—and … With care, amaryllis will repeat the show next year. This long-lasting pink and coral beauty is Hippeastrum ‘Amalfi’. Amaryllis ( Hippeastrum ‘Amalfi’) make great “repeat” gifts. A Tiny … wool felt and cotton sachets can scent drawers, shelves, and suitcases for many months. Feel free to compliment Lynn on her sweetly modern design next time you see her at the Information …
Type: Blog
… common name from its shiny reddish-brown bark. The primary ornamental feature of birch trees is the bark. Many of the common names of birch trees refer to the color of the bark -- white, gray, yellow or red. Another signature bark characteristic is its habit of separating into thin sheets; Native Americans used this property to harvest the … bowls and shelter -- practical as well as beautiful. A strong secondary ornamental feature is the usually colorful golden fall foliage. Given their preference for cool weather and acid …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Own Rewards Taking an active part in the work of the garden can be therapeutic, as long as it is something you enjoy doing. What could be more exhilarating, for example, than raking leaves on … soon flags, and I'm left to fight on alone. But, silly or not, my method works for me, and I get great satisfaction every time I yank one of those bad guys out of the ground. Eyes on the … windowsills, where most gardeners are restricted to a few houseplants. How does a gardener get through the difficult months ahead? Here again, imagination helps. Most gardeners have no …
Type: Plant Info
