… This perennial bulb blooms with bright vermillion flowers in late spring and will grow to a height of only 4”. The flower color provides a nice contrast to its wavy, gray-green foliage. It should be planted in full sun in average, well-drained soil. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… This evergreen ground cover grows to a height of 6” and will spread to 18”. It blooms from May through June with small, lavender-blue flowers. It will bloom …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… species of moths in the state of Illinois—more than ten times the diversity of butterflies—it is a real adventure sampling the moth species inhabiting the McDonald Woods at the Chicago … woodland. Moths are removed from the traps and then photographed before being released back to the woodland. The metallic scales of the Virginia Ctenucha moth (C tenucha virginica ) are … the food chain. Entomologist Doug Tallamy tabulated the number of caterpillars that were used to support one nest of black-capped chickadees and found that they consumed between 6,000 and …
Type: Blog
… Summer-blooming lavender is everywhere these days—in botanical cocktails, in aromatherapy mists, on fruit salads. The … the Lavender,” based on the plant’s texture, scent, beauty, and versatility. It’s a bit tricky to grow lavender in the Midwest . Most of the 28-plus species of lavender are not reliably hardy … sugar 5½ tsp. water 6½ tsp. rosewater Recipe courtesy of The Spice House, thespicehouse.com …
Type: Blog
… Attention orchid fans: our vanilla orchid is blooming in the Tropical Greenhouse at the Chicago Botanic Garden. It’s a rare occurrence in the wild—and in a greenhouse. Wade Wheatley, assistant horticulturist, seized the moment to hand-pollinate the flower. Why hand pollinate? In hopes of producing a vanilla bean. Yes, the fruit of a vanilla orchid is used to make pure vanilla extract, which flavors many foods we enjoy. Vanilla vines typically begin to …
Type: Blog
… as some of us in the Second City affectionately call it: Second Winter—can test our ability to feel connected to anything living, including each other and ourselves. When we are stuck inside, our mental … Flower Mandala Sun Catchers Loosely translated from Sanskrit to mean “circle,” a mandala is a symbol that represents wholeness and reminds us of the connectivity of all things in the …
Type: Blog
… Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with recipes featuring flavorful chiles. Learn how to roast, peel, and de-seed peppers. Taste a variety of Mexican chiles in a progression of heat from mild to hot, as well as chiles in three different recipes: chayote with guajillo dressing, carne asada …
Type: Item Detail
… flowers cover the 18 inch sized plants from mid-summer well into fall on this annual adapted to sunny, hot and dry locations in containers and flower beds. The flowers are 20% larger than those of other cultivars. Zinnia flowers are great butterfly and honey bee attractants to the garden. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Africa in sandy, well-drained soils in hot/dry situations in the garden. Water only enough to germinate the seeds or establish the root system of transplants. Deadhead old flowers to encourage continuous bloom. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… that thrives in shaded conditions and moist acidic soils. The trademarked name refers to a series of large, double flowered Lenten roses that must be hand pollinated in order to reliably set seed. Rabbits and deer avoid all parts of this plant. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
