… of mint —this year, I’m growing peppermint, catnip, banana mint, and pineapple mint. Rich in nutrients, mint is both delicious and medicinal, known for easing both digestion and … Mint can also relieve a runny nose by clearing congestion. A perennial herb that thrives in both sun and shade, mint is a vigorous grower and should always be grown in its own pot—plant it in a raised bed or in the ground at your peril. If you do so, it will …
Type: Blog
… beautiful flower, commonly called the lady’s slipper orchid. The first story has its roots in the ancient Greek myths. Flower legend says that the goddess Aphrodite (Venus to the Romans) … with the handsome mortal Adonis, when a powerful storm forced them to seek shelter together in a cave. Love ensued. Post-storm, the lovers ran off—Venus, minus one slipper. A mortal human … calceolus , was given it by none other than Linnaeus himself (Carl von Linné), who listed it in Species Plantarum in 1753. The great botanist packed a lot of meaning into that name: Cyprus …
Type: Blog
… stroll. Find the places where the two of you can hear the music across the water, take in a different view, and have a bench all to yourselves. Our top ten hideaways at the Garden: Stop and smell the roses. In between the entrance to the Krasberg Rose Garden and the Linden Allée is a tiny terrace, tucked behind a hedge. The chairs there are perfect for taking in the scent of the thousands of roses in summer bloom. Where light dances on water. In summer, …
Type: Blog
… In 2018, the Chicago Botanic Garden hosted celebrated designer Bunny Williams of Bunny Williams … plant a container, all of the plants are very small. But a month later when they’ve grown in, they’re at their full profusion. They look quite different. You have to think in advance about plants growing to varying heights. For instance, I always like to have something …
Type: Blog
… Just like magic, a ghost orchid ( Dendrophylax lindenii) appears overhead in a Florida swamp. Its pale roots extend like gloved fingers across the bark of a pond apple … approach to better understand the species’ uncommon lifestyle. During March 2016 fieldwork in the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, Johnson went deeper every day—even when it meant … looked past the plant and took a sample from the bark of its host tree. “What I’m interested in primarily is identifying the fungi within the habitat of these particular orchids,” said …
Type: Blog
… of all parents when deciding on their child’s first preschool experience. No. 1: Children in nature preschools learn by doing and with hands-on activities. You must be hands-on when you learn in nature. You cannot be a passive learner; you must engage. Most nature preschools do not put a … social, emotional, and creative development. Growing and planting teaches a valuable lesson in change over time, and sticking with a project to see results that may take a while to be …
Type: Blog
… Are you feeling winter blue? Do you feel trapped in cold and ice? Has your mood gone south, leaving you wishing that you could, too? What, with … a brisk walk any time, anywhere. But never is it as urgently necessary for my mental health as in winter. A winter walk is the cure for cabin fever. And more than that, it’s the way to reshape … winter. Winter doesn’t have to be a sentence to months of suffering. Once you start walking in it, you see it as a time for a brisk spins through snow-frosted landscapes; an opportunity to …
Type: Blog
… Perhaps you noticed the spiderwort, with its striking royal blue flowers, in the Dixon Prairie as part of the perimeter walk of the Garden. Or did you say cow slobbers? … has a unique story to tell. Tradescantia ohiensis , better known to most as spiderwort, blooms in late spring in moist prairies. Its brilliant, royal blue flowers composed of three petals contrast with its …
Type: Blog
… Even when the Chicago Botanic Garden was buried in snow, our horticulturists would look for signs of spring and trade tips—did you see that … into undulating mounds so they always look good. But they are incredibly dramatic starting in April, when they’re blooming en masse on a slope that provides different perspectives. Redbuds … Campus We planted a large number of redbud trees to create a dramatic flowering display in early spring. The landscape architect for the Learning Campus , which opened in 2016, did a …
Type: Blog
… Summer is in the air. As the nights heat up, it’s a perfect time to get outdoors and entertain in your garden. Chicago Botanic Garden floriculturist Tim Pollak shares how you can bring the … white or cream-colored foliage and flowers. White flowers and plants create brightness in your garden by reflecting moonlight, candlelight, and firelight. Some flowers even “glow” in …
Type: Blog
