… Pondering the Prairie Series Life in the prairie in the middle of winter is fairly uneventful; at least for humans who focus primarily on life above ground. Perhaps now is a good time to reflect on the diversity of life in a prairie below ground. All one has to do is drive across the Midwest and view the unending …
Type: Blog
… There are some remarkable prairie plants in the Midwest. Here at the Chicago Botanic Garden, the Dixon Prairie boasts more than 250 … about their life story. Something that might help you remember them when you happen upon them in a local natural area. Something other than a pretty face. Dodecatheon meadia : A Must-see of … Pride of Ohio Answer: Shooting star is the most common name for this species, at least in the Midwest. The plant’s myriad arching flower stalks sporting shooting stars falling to the …
Type: Blog
… Tequia Burt to write about the importance of African American heirloom seeds. Every year in my garden, I grow at least one African American heirloom crop, partly to commemorate … to plant heirloom seeds that our ancestors may have carried from Africa to help sustain them in a harsh, unknown land? Here are a few African American heirloom seeds that you can try growing in your own garden. Hill Country Red Okra OK, I’ll admit that okra is not my favorite—it’s slimy. …
Type: Blog
… new curator of woody plants, is not shy about listing his top picks. Spending his first summer in Glencoe, Douglas is especially taken with the variety of oaks at the Garden. The … points out the deep purple leaves on the English oak tree ( Quercus robur ‘ Purpurascens’) in the meadow east of the English Walled Garden, and the cutleaf emperor oak ( Quercus dentata … ‘Purpurascens’) He favors the narrow, upright Regal Prince oak ( Quercus × warei ‘Long’)—in the rainwater glen on the southeast corner of the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation …
Type: Blog
… In the middle of the night, an 8-inch bundle of feathers and hollow bones projects a haunting, … the bird—an eastern screech-owl—could likely be right above your head (that is, if you are out in the middle of the woods at night). A year-round, common resident of northern Illinois, the eastern screech-owl (Megascops asio) is primarily found in woodlands; it prefers trees with natural cavities near a field with a stream or shallow river. …
Type: Blog
… Monarch butterflies have left their overwintering sites in Mexico and are heading back toward the Midwest, including the Chicago area. In the 1990s, hundreds of millions of monarchs made the journey each fall from the northern plains of the United States and Canada to forested sites north of Mexico City. In western North America, more than a million monarchs made a shorter flight to tree groves on …
Type: Blog
… April definitely does not always go out like a lamb. Some years, we in Chicago don't put away our sweaters until the end of the month. Here at the Chicago Botanic Garden, we recorded our coldest April in 2018, ever since we started recording temperatures in 1982. Our average high temperature in April that year was 48.1 degrees Fahrenheit, which is …
Type: Blog
… Interested in a healthier, happier life? Try connecting with the natural world. A new, technologically advanced body of research shows that spending time in nature can provide protection against cancer, high blood pressure, depression, stress, and more. Take a walk in nature to improve your mood and your health. A recent National Geographic article noted that …
Type: Blog
… of sending messages as a gift of flowers has flourished over the centuries. Popularized in the Victorian era, when public display of emotion was frowned upon, great effort and detail went into the choice of flowers presented in a bouquet. Each flower chosen had its own well-known meaning concealed in its size, shape, color, and even the way it was presented — by hand, singularly, or in a …
Type: Blog
… will wilt dramatically if allowed to dry out. The plants should never be allowed to stand in water for more than 20 minutes if possible. Poinsettia plants can be a challenge to keep … as the plant looks healthy, continue to provide it with even moisture and warm temperatures in a bright location, out of direct sun. In six to eight weeks, it will begin to lose its leaves and turn slightly off-color. At that …
Type: Blog
