… make-a-floral-centerpiece gathering. One Tuesday evening before Thanksgiving, we did just that for the first time in our office at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Within an hour, each of my work … arranging before. On the other hand, I will find any excuse to make a flower arrangement. I get great joy from pairing store-bought flowers with backyard branches, seasonal buds, and … Preparation Cover a dining room table or long table with newspapers or kraft paper. Get participants started with placing their chicken wire or whatever they’re using to hold the …
Type: Blog
… Cicadas have been out and singing for a while now. If you live around trees, you may be enjoying their late summer serenade. You … eyes? In school we learn that insects have compound eyes, and we use toy bug eye viewers to get a sense of what dragonflies and bees see. But the real picture is a little more complicated. … three simple eyes show up as three spots reflecting the flash from the camera. The Latin name for this cicada is Tibicen canicularis. “Canus” is the Latin word for dog. Why do you think he’s …
Type: Blog
… keeps the wheels turning? The ability to access this information in real time during a Garden visit is what makes the app so special, according to Boyce Tankersley , the Garden’s director of … that people like to find other things at the Garden, so we created a new second database for the app. It has points of interest at the Garden, like water fountains, classrooms, … “We have a large campus and much to see,” said Van Deraa, who uses the app herself. “I just get a thrill every time I want to find a plant,” she said. “There was an iris I wanted to see in …
Type: Blog
… orchid—a star at London’s Chelsea Flower Show and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew—was set up for success by an international conservation team. The unexpected call came in mid-February. … on a global stage in London? An international team of orchid experts would work with us to get the rare plant to the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show in late May. At … pictures so she could track the bud’s progress. Finally, a few days later, Hutchins got the news that she had been hoping for—the ghost orchid was in bloom. The BBC, The Times of London, …
Type: Blog
… or slough. In spring and fall, when you're walking around the waterways of the Garden, look for this handsome (some might say gaudy-looking) duck. During the breeding season, the northern …
Type: Birding
… species occurring in inland regions. This plant's very strong root system makes it ideal for growing in rock gardens and as a border plant in warmer climates (USDA Zones 8a through 11), …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… because they are not pollinated. Its leaves are long and strap-like. It may be possible to get blooms on plants in the shade of deciduous trees if the leaf canopy is not complete when … blooming scapes not well supported. Bulb and leaves are edible. The wild species is collected for pickling in native Central Asia. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… gracilistyla ). This mid-sized deciduous shrub blooms in early spring and is a great plant for challenging landscapes with full sun and wet soils. If it gets too large, it can be pruned …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… bits of green—reminders of the resilience of nature. On a winter awe walk , when I’m looking for unexpected beauty, those bits of color bring my attention to the bigger world around me. My … a curtain to reveal insights into the life cycle of plants that we may rush by in our hurry to get inside from the snow or cold. It’s a great time for everyone—especially kids and families—to cultivate an appreciation of nature by thinking …
Type: Blog
’Regal Shields’ is a new hybrid elephant ear that gets its dramatic coloring from its father, 'Black Velvet', and its upright growing habit and improved cold resistance from its mother, Alocasia odora . The leaves are a deep glossy green suffused with purple on top, and deep dark purple on the underside, both strongly marked with light green veins. Alocasias are jungle understory plants that …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
