… who manage the Garden's amazing natural areas ). I work collaboratively with land managers to harness the Garden's research capacity to address priority management needs. Ultimately, our goal is to play a leading role in supporting the conservation, management, and restoration of native …
Type: Staff bio
… Circle, Ring, Wreath This is a BIG wreath—great for an outdoor wall. Flint. Dent. Sweet. Flour. Pod. Pop. Regenstein Fruit … and ‘Golden Bantam’—in a seasonless sunburst. The French saying on this wreath translates to, “the moon is my light and my joy.” Monica Vachlon (administrative assistant of horticulture) … Bakker) brainstorm, gather, and plan for their wreath that it took them just two lunch breaks to assemble and decorate it. All summer long, assistant horticulturist Leah Pilon kept a sharp …
Type: Blog
… graduate program run by Northwestern University and the Chicago Botanic Garden. Flower timing is critical for many reasons. For the earliest of the spring bloomers, earlier flowering provides first access to important natural resources and pollinator services. However, these early individuals are at higher risk of exposure to extreme weather events. In contrast, later flowering individuals risk flowering in an …
Type: Blog
… Some vegetables are more satisfying than others when it comes to harvest. Parsnips are in that category. The sun was out, the air was crisp, and the nights were frosty: parsnip weather. Cold weather is actually a good thing for parsnips—in fact, they need it to convert the starch in their roots to sugar, transforming them from lowly, nose-turned-up roots …
Type: Blog
… air and from the leaf litter in the tree niche it inhabits. Orchid Roots Are Adventitious That is, an orchid’s roots can grow along the stem of the plant, not just out of the bottom of it. The … rather papery, but spongy and protective, it’s a one-way water barrier that allows moisture to soak in—and keeps it from oozing out. If the velamen appears dried or rotted, it should be stripped off up to where it’s healthy and white, leaving the wiry inner root to help stabilize the plant once …
Type: Blog
… Q. Are there any houseplants that should stay outdoors in the fall to promote bud formation? A. A few houseplants benefit from the shorter days and cooler … Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera hybrids) can stay outdoors until nighttime temperatures drop to 40 – 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Once buds have developed sometime in late fall or early winter, … Azalea (Rhododendron hybrids) needs six weeks of 40 – 50 degree temperatures in the fall to set buds. Move it into an unheated garage where it will remain cool but not frozen until bud …
Type: Plant Info
… How one humble scientist used his botanical superpowers to solve a real-world problem, successfully tackling agricultural sustainability and economic … for his work. He found personal satisfaction in scientific discovery and using his talents to make the world a better place for farmers and everyone. I believe if he were alive today, he … scientist who invented dozens of products for peanuts. What’s most important about his story is why he devoted so much time and ingenuity to peanuts and how he did so much more than make a …
Type: Blog
… know the extent that urban areas impact native bees. My research at the Chicago Botanic Garden is investigating how urban areas may affect native bees in Chicago. Chicago is an ideal city to study the impact of urbanization on native bees because the intensity of urbanization slowly … that attract and capture the bees. Secondly, we use a butterfly net to capture bees at the site throughout the day. When we are finished sampling, the bees are taken back to the lab at the …
Type: Blog
… of its native habitat nominated the gladiolus for trial at the Garden: first, it is a winter-growing bulb in South Africa, which translates to summer growth in North America. Second, this plant thrives in moist soils in grassy areas—it was perfect for the site we chose in the Bulb Garden. Based on its initial success in our plant trial program, other …
Type: Blog
… plants were disappearing and other lineages were taking their place. Some of these would go on to dominate modern ecosystems, such as the conifers and angiosperms. Jurassic and Early … diversity of fossil plants and animals. The Early Cretaceous of Mongolia in particular is well known for its fossil dinosaurs and other vertebrates, but fossil plants from Mongolia are … and China that are yielding new, exceptionally well-preserved fossil seed plants. Our goal is to understand the diversity and evolutionary implications of these fossil plants. The fossils are …
Type: Staff bio
