… You’ve undoubtedly noticed a tall, vertical grass, planted en masse , swaying in the wind at the entrance to the mall, in your neighbor’s yard, or most likely, at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Feather reed grass ( Calamagrostis × acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’) has, for good reason, become a staple in perennial gardens. Calamagrostis × acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ by Daryl Mitchell from …
Type: Blog
… (known as pollination syndromes), these human constructs may mask what is really going on in nature. Many “typical” hummingbird flowers belong to species that produce diluted nectar with … are also known to have acute color vision and show no innate preference for the color red—in other words, there is no reason for them to exclusively focus on red or orange flowers. And … flowers that produce cheaper nectar when they could feed from more suitable nearby sources in a diverse buffet of flowers? Flowers that are “atypical,” or lacking the characteristics we …
Type: Blog
… is on-site at the Garden and health and safety guidance on social distancing means big changes in the work the horticulture staff does and how we do it. Our focus is to keep the Garden alive … living museum, filled with plants, trees, and shrubs that are under cultivation. Like objects in any museum, plants in the Garden’s permanent collection are documented and preserved—they’re not wild. They contain …
Type: Blog
… of interest, and botanic details on more than 10,000 plants into an application that sits in the palm of your hand. How did they do it, and what 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 … they need to see, and then they are back to experiencing the Garden, just as we had hoped.” In addition, photos and plant information are frequently being added, so there is always …
Type: Blog
… 1,500 of which are popularly grown. Here are some tips for growing these beautiful plants in the garden. Selecting a site Pick a sunny spot where, optimally, the plants will receive at … the danger of frost has passed, and the soil temperature remains above 55 degrees Fahrenheit. In Chicago, this typically means about the middle of May. However, some growers wait until … of the potting medium is level with the ground. Many growers add a slow-release fertilizer (e.g., Osmocote) and/or composted manure to the bottom of the hole. Water the plants once they …
Type: Blog
… though you may not realize it, it’s part of your daily prep for work, school, and play. In a small, sunny, grassy, flat, fenced-in plot (there’s a reason for that), located on the outer road that encircles the Garden, stands … Temperature A soil thermometer is as handy for home gardeners as it is for us—especially in spring, when it tells gardeners if it’s warm enough to put seeds in the ground. We measure the …
Type: Blog
… Evaluation Garden allows us to expand our acclaimed plant evaluation program, which began in 1982. The landscape plan by Wirtz International Landscape Architects includes specialty … crabapple tunnels, deciduous hedges, and playful ornamental grass mounds that come together in a distinctive, non-traditional design. David received his bachelor’s degree in environmental studies at Northeastern Illinois University. His interest the outdoors began as …
Type: Staff bio
… Join me in contemplating the sweetness of plants. All sugar comes from plants. All of it. Plants are the … pictured here, and be ready to cover loosely with a piece of paper towel like the glass shown in the middle. Directions First, assemble the hardware. Cut the bamboo skewer to 6 to 8 inches, … into the glass without allowing it to touch the sides. Cut a piece of paper towel with a hole in the center. This will go over the top of your glass to prevent dust from settling on the …
Type: Blog
… The night Spike blooms will thrill us all in the semi-tropical greenhouse, with its breathtaking flower…accompanied by a titanically rotten … with an update on Spike, our still-growing titan arum. Spike continues to get bigger, not only in height, but also in girth! What we’re really curious about, however, is the aroma. The stench is one of the cool …
Type: Blog
… to the natural world for inspiration on how to enjoy the eclipse— here at the Garden , or in your own backyard. On Monday, August 21, 2017, people across the United States witnessed a rare event: the first total solar eclipse to cross over the country from coast to coast in nearly a century. The path of totality—meaning the area of the United States that saw the sun completely blocked by the moon—passes across southern Illinois. In the Chicago area, we experienced roughly 86 percent coverage around 1:19 p.m. This was the …
Type: Blog
