… Come For the Flowers, Stay For the Birds …
Type: Page
… Hydrangeas are a coveted late summer bouquet, but the cut flowers never last long—we set out to discover how to get enduring blooms. Hydrangeas we tested, from left to right: smashed stem, … with the smashed stem wilted on Day 3. The hydrangea with only plant food performed the best but began to wilt on Day 7. We learned that we should have asked the Garden’s …
Type: Blog
… Computer System Requirements 2015 Master Gardener Online Training Course The Master Gardener online training course uses an online teaching program called Blackboard … an online course. Illinois Compass uses Java technology extensively. In order for Compass to work properly, you need to have the appropriate Java plug-in installed on your computer. To get the most recent version of the Java plug in for your windows computer, go to www.java.com , …
Type: Page
… orange, gold, and vermillion leaves. But winter offers its own spectacular scenes, according to Robin Carlson, the Garden’s photographer. “The display gardens here are irresistible in the summer, but go to … the Garden in winter is the branch patterns and the silhouettes of trees," she said. "The best part of photographing the Garden this time of year is that there’s always something to see, …
Type: Plant Info
… Year brings new fortunes, each lunar year is associated with a zodiac animal, and this year is the Year of the Rabbit. The Rabbit is associated with the Earthly Branch , and the hours 5 to 7 … Protect the plants that you and the rabbits really love, and don’t worry about the rest. The best way to keep rabbits out of the garden and prevent damage is to use physical barriers such as wire …
Type: Blog
… will survive in Chicago, especially over winter. But I also know there are more options than the common store-bought showstoppers seen throughout the city. As a self-identified plant nerd, I … I couldn’t totally recreate the complexity of prairie soils, but I tried to mimic them the best I could. I used commercial potting mix as a base and tweaked each pot to simulate different … beebalm ( Monarda punctata ): showy, self-seeding, and a wasp magnet in the best possible way; these wasps do not attack people and have beautiful iridescent colors Phlox ( P. bifida and …
Type: Blog
… Q. What variety of lavender is the best for planting in our area? I'm especially interested in an intensely fragrant variety. A. … over 28 species of lavender grown today, most are not reliably hardy in the Chicago area due to our cold winters and heavy, wet winter soil. The English lavender, Lavandula angustifolia , …
Type: Plant Info
… low maintenance (it's hot out there), heat and drought tolerance (ditto), and brilliant color—the brighter the better. Zinnias fit the bill on all three counts. And more. In fact, they're one of the best flowers that smart gardeners can put to work in their gardens. Zinnias are planted in nearly … maintenance. Since they're fast-growing, they shade out weeds. They don't require much in the way of fertilizing (just an occasional well-balanced mix), and they don't need mulching. …
Type: Plant Info
… In a sunny patch at the Chicago Botanic Garden, a single bee balm ( Monarda fistulosa ) stretches toward the sky. A … anything meant to last. “Sometimes on a frustrating day where things don’t go the right way, I just think about each seed going on and living a healthy life as a new plant in the forest … at the native seed nursery. “It feels like we’re doing something meaningful, doing the best we can.” Each new bloom draws pollinators back; each native plant threads a pattern of …
Type: Blog
… Winter at the Garden View all our Winter Events Featured at the Garden this Winter: Winter Foraging: Barks, … Seed Saturday The Joy of Winter Green Birding Even when it's cold outside, there is plenty to explore inside and out. The peaceful allure of nature in winter reminds us to appreciate the … Awe Forest Bathing Photograph Holiday Lights Like a Pro Photographing in Winter Reshape the Way You Think About Winter Who-who-who's in the Winter Woods Wildlife Tales Winter Solstice …
Type: Page
