… puddles and fragrant blooms, of fresh breezes and breathtaking views, aren’t exclusively yours to flaunt. Also, you don’t have snowflakes. We’re not instigating a seasonal skirmish here at the Chicago Botanic Garden, we simply want winter—too often maligned as cold and dreary—to get its due. Perhaps no one is more agreeable to take on the pro-winter debate than Fred Spicer, … get outside and enjoy the landscape if you learn to look at it in a little bit of a different way.” Four winter favorites from Fred Spicer Here are Spicer’s favorite wintertime walks, …
Type: Blog
… I put together my top five picks for all-around best Midwest plants after being contacted by editors at Midwest Living magazine. … plants and then came up with a list of great plants that gardeners can count on. (I was happy to note some of the winners are proven perennials from the Chicago Botanic Garden’s trials , as …
Type: Blog
… A Full Season of Tomato-Growing Information Tomato health benefits and recipes Looking for a nutritious snack? Four ounces of fresh tomato has only 15 calories. That half cup provides … What it doesn’t have: fat, sodium, or cholesterol. Try these fresh tomato recipes as you begin to harvest tomatoes. Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad with Herb Dressing Makes eight servings. … baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly grease. Place the zucchini and yellow squash coins on one pan and sprinkle with half of the thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Roast the …
Type: Page
… too. A sweat bee ( Halictus ligatus ) covered in Rudbeckia pollen, which the bee gathers to feed to her larvae. Photo by Alex Wild Not all bees pollinate the same way Did you know that some bees are better than others at pollinating certain plants? Blueberries … prefer foraging in blueberries than the honey bee—which would need three or more visits to get the same job done! Bumblebees, however, can fly at much lower temperatures than native bees …
Type: Plant Info
… Places for the Spirit The Garden Shop will also carry the book Places for the Spirit: Traditional … often inspire artists. Explore the collection of sculptures hidden throughout the Garden, visit the Places for the Spirit exhibition, create your own sculpture using natural materials, and pot up a sculptural plant to take home. Note: Don't forget to bring a picnic dinner! Dessert is provided. Register online …
Type: Page
… Curious about keeping bees? This beginner-friendly class covers everything you need to get started—from assembling equipment and installing bees to locating the queen, feeding your colony, and managing seasonal tasks. Wil Pilipauskas, head …
Type: Item Detail
… Mushrooms for People and Planet Ancient Allies for Modern Maladies Paul Stamets Lecture Saturday, May 9, … Stamets, D.Sc. (Hon.), is the founder of Fungi Perfecti and Host Defense Organic Mushrooms Get cross-sporulated! Innovative and irrepressible mycologist Paul Stamets was our guest lecturer … “immersion lecture,” Stamets goes deep into mushroom lore ( Fomes fomentarius was once used to carry fire embers), discusses mushrooms as miniature pharmaceutical factories, and shows the …
Type: Page
… Q. For the best spring flower display, when should I fertilize my tulip and daffodil bulbs? A. To … bed with a balanced, 10-10-10 or 10-15-10 slow-release fertilizer. Lightly cultivate the soil to disperse the fertilizer, or water it in well. Apply fertilizer to the top of the soil instead …
Type: Plant Info
… 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 agricultural … on flowers that are flat, like black-eyed Susans and coneflowers. Some bees have figured out a way to slit a thin tubular flower at its base to reach the nectar. And, for the record, male bees … have evolved together over thousands of years. But, many native bees are “generalists”—they visit a wide variety of plants, including non-native flowers like zinnias and lavender. Other …
Type: Plant Info
… This shrub needs full sun to partial shade and moderate moisture conditions to reach a height of 80 feet. It is a specimen tree requiring a lot of space. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
