… Spring is here, and the birds are returning from their winter homes. Some birds fly through the Chicago area to their nesting habitats up north, while others return and stay in the area. Spring is the season for laying eggs, because it gives the juvenile birds all summer to mature and become strong before they need to migrate in the fall. Also, as spring turns to …
Type: Blog
… for prairie plants. Take this tale of the return of the Hill’s thistle ( Cirsium hillii ) to the Dixon Prairie at the Chicago Botanic Garden. I’m the assistant ecologist for the natural … hillii ) blooming This thistle was not the Canada thistle ( Cirsium canadensis ), which is a non-native weed that is commonly seen along the roadsides and in your garden. What I … plants. A number of species of bees visit and pollinate this plant. The plant is believed to be monocarpic, which means the plant dies after flowering and producing seed. I had to know …
Type: Blog
… toured the Greenhouses with Boyce Tankersley, director of living plant documentation, to see what’s in bloom and take in the different climates visitors can enjoy. In the Arid … Tankersley pointed out the acanthus cultivar ( Aphelandra sinclairiana ‘Panama Queen’) native to Panama and Costa Rica, as one of his favorites. The Semitropical Greenhouse was filled with … like pinkball dombeya ( Dombeya wallichii ). Native to East Africa and Madagascar, the genus is a highly sought-after ornamental in USDA Zones 9 and warmer. One of the rarest plants in our …
Type: Blog
… Putting roses to sleep for winter In early November, many of the roses that bloom twice per year (called … December brought below-freezing nighttime temperatures—and Garden staff jumped into action to put the rose beds “to sleep” for the winter. Now the garden looks entirely different. The process that our staff uses to prep roses for winter is the same process you can use in your rose garden, too. Step 1: Prune canes. While early spring …
Type: Blog
… Foraging for edible mushrooms is a treasure hunt that always yields a reward. You never know what you’re going to find. At the least, you’ve spent enjoyable time outdoors in nature. Examining a woodland … basket that prevents any mushrooms I’ve collected from scrunching together. I like to wrap my finds in wax paper or wax paper bags. Paper bags can work too, but mushrooms tend to …
Type: Blog
… People don’t always think of the Garden as a place to read, but we have the perfect backdrop for your escape into another world. Don’t wait until … when it eventually reopens or are available now from online sellers, including smile.amazon.com (your purchases through this link support the Chicago Botanic Garden, if you designate us as the recipient). Bonus for members: While the Lenhardt Library is closed, more than 7,000 horticulture and gardening e-books are now available for online …
Type: Blog
… Pinch off terminal growth buds on rhododendrons to increase next year's buds. Prune all spring-flowering shrubs, if necessary, immediately after … Evergreens, such as boxwood or yew, can be lightly pruned after the new growth fills in to maintain a formal shape. …
Type: Plant Info
… Deep reddish black flowers with yellow edges to their petals are produced on long arching flowering stalks. The plant and flowers are small by … standards. Like it's larger cousins, it requires a distinct cooling period in fall in order to set the flower buds for winter blooms. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… panicles on 2 foot stems. It prefers moist, humusy, organically rich soils in part to full shade. Soils must not be allowed to dry out. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Densely packed green to dark green needles on layered fans are featured on this very slow growing hardy evergreen reaching 8' high by 3' wide in 10 years. An irregular upright growth habit adds to it's architectural qualities. Plant in a sunny location in moist well drained soils. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
