… tired? Change out your container gardens to extend your displays well into the fall. Gardening in containers can offer us year-round seasonal interest, and we can extend the garden seasons … annuals. Photo by Tim Pollak A fall container with grass, pansies, and heuchera, which comes in a host of leaf colors. Photo by Tim Pollak Change-outs should take advantage of seasonal blooming plants and colorful foliage and textures in prime condition. The change-out can add instant color or texture to the display and create a …
Type: Blog
… cornucopia. This week, I thought I’d share a few tips that both cornucopias have in common. Whether you’re using flowers or fruit or vegetables, the process of assembling a … basic tools Horn-shaped cornucopia baskets are readily available at craft and hobby stores. In addition to a basket, you’ll need pruners , floral picks , a hot-glue gun , a small … that fits into the tray. If you’re using fresh flowers, prepare the floral foam by soaking it in water. Ingredients for a fall cornucopia include apples, leaves on branches, gourds, and fall …
Type: Blog
… plant breeding programs, and plant collecting expeditions. Additionally, she plays a role in the Garden’s breeding and evaluation programs to incorporate successful trials and new … for public enjoyment. Originally, a native of northeast Ohio, Jess has earned a BA in Plant Biology and Environmental Studies from Ohio University and a MA in Urban Geography and GIS from Chicago State University. Jess has experimented in many …
Type: Staff bio
… Pondering the Prairie Series Rosa setigera , or Illinois rose, grows in moist prairies and thickets, and is a typical wild rose in many ways: five pink petals, with lots of yellow stamens in the center supported by prickly stems. There are distinct differences, however. Illinois rose …
Type: Blog
… Have you noticed all the mushrooms popping up in lawns, mulch, and next to trees? We asked Greg Mueller , Ph.D., chief scientist and Negaunee … is comprised of a mass of microscopic threads ( hyphae ), known as the mycelium that grows in the soil , leaf litter, wood chips, tree, etc. You can sometime see the usually white, cottony … are borne on the gills of mushrooms or inside the pores of bracket fungi. Was the increase in mushrooms due to the rain? When conditions are right (and what is right somewhat depends on …
Type: Blog
… On a typical day in the Butterflies & Blooms exhibition, you will see our butterflies flying, sunning themselves, or resting in the foliage. If you happen to come to the exhibition just after a rain shower, and the sun is shining, it’s your lucky day, because love is literally in the air. I remember one day in the exhibition when the weather was lousy. It had been raining …
Type: Blog
… weeds wither, moisture plentiful. If you don’t have much space, remember that can vegetables in containers, window boxes, hanging baskets. Don’t say good-bye to your summer garden yet … ideas for next year. Make a list of the plants that worked and should be planted again. Bring in twigs, nuts, berries, and seedheads to dry for fall decorations or winter wreath making . … into bunches, and secure them with a rubber band. Hang the bunches for several weeks to dry in a warm spot (but out of direct sun). Harvest herbs to dry, freeze, or use fresh. Lift tender …
Type: Blog
… you had to repot your orchids shortly after purchasing them because they are often packed in sphagnum moss, which provides too much moisture for the plant. I was also not aware that you … every one to two years to maintain healthy plants. Anne Nies, a master’s degree candidate in the Garden and Northwestern University’s Plant Biology and Conservation program, is an expert in all things orchids, both native and tropical. She took some time this past fall to show me …
Type: Blog
… farm was the home base for my adventures with cousins and siblings. We spent hours in the breezy northern hills, picking the sweetest strawberries I ever had. They grew wild and … , which has only been around for about 260 years, and has undergone a lot of breeding in that time. Fragaria × ananassa is actually a cross of the Chilean and Virginia (or wild) strawberry, which arrived in Europe in 1712 and 1624, respectively. The hybrid plant was discovered in the 1750s and …
Type: Blog
… In other seasons, people tend to breeze right by conifers in favor of, say, roses that scent summer evenings or crabapple trees that flower in the spring. But in winter—especially after a dusting of snow—pines and other conifers are the …
Type: Blog
