… A striking century plant is putting on a show in the final stages of its life—it’s blooming for the first and only time in 27 years. The succulent sends up a tall stalk of blossoms right before it dies. In the Arid Greenhouse at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Agave ocahui is known as the century plant …
Type: Blog
… easily take root and begin propagating anywhere they touch soil. For these reasons, grow mint in a plastic pot, so it doesn’t take over your yard. (The roots are so strong they can crack clay … it gets some water every week to keep it from becoming bitter. Maintaining flavor Mints spread in two ways: by runners and by seed. However, many plants are hybrids, which means the sprouts … your flavor There are more than 600 types of mint on the market. Here are a few that work best in the kitchen: Kentucky Colonel spearmint (Mentha spicata ‘Kentucky Colonel’) got its fame …
Type: Blog
… spring to clear just 10 or 11 acres. After years of not letting the garlic mustard set seed in the McDonald Woods, a few years ago we finally began to see a light at the end of the tunnel … mustard each year). Thanks to the tremendous help of Garden volunteers, garlic mustard growth in the Woods has finally been curtailed, and each year we are now able to remove all flowering … about 75 flowering plants to remove. What was once viewed as an impossible goal to achieve (i.e., near-total elimination of flowering garlic mustard from the reserve) has actually happened! …
Type: Blog
… A weevil is a type of beetle. It typically has an elongated head that appears as a snout. In fact, its other name is snout beetle. Weevils, or snout beetles, make up what many believe to be the largest family of insects in the world—estimated at almost 40,000 species. The majority live in and around plants, and feed on plants and various plant parts. Sunflower head clipping weevil, …
Type: Blog
… getaway. Seeking a seasonal and local bouquet? Consider some of the dormant shrubs growing in your yard, said Heather Sherwood, senior horticulturist. A little advance planning can produce … from early-spring flowering shrubs, such as forsythia. Prune 2- to-3-foot lengths, put them in a container filled with water, and place them in a sunny location. The bright yellow forsythia flowers will begin blooming in roughly a week, …
Type: Blog
… In early May, when the leaves of maples are unfolding into a soft green, the Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula) returns, giving his liquid “tea-dear-dear” song in suburban yards and forest preserve edges. Homeowners who put oranges and grape jelly in feeders are often rewarded with a look at the male with his black head and back contrasting …
Type: Blog
… field trips last year as a way to bring the natural world to students who were participating in remote learning at home. In order to do so, we remodeled a classroom and purchased equipment including cameras, computers, and a sound system. Our learning team learned a new set of skills, both in front of and behind the camera. Our virtual classroom in action As the Garden’s youth programs …
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… are appropriate. Hold off on doing any detailed cleanup of garden beds as the mulch and leaves in the beds will provide some protection to any early growing perennials when the weather … to take any special maintenance steps to protect these plants. If you have some perennials in a warm area of the garden with more pronounced growth, they might benefit from a light layer of mulch. For the most part, though, there is nothing special for most gardeners to do in their perennial beds. Even in great weather for pruning, proceed with care. Spring-flowering …
Type: Blog
… A few years ago, in early spring, I was traveling through the McDonald Woods at the Chicago Botanic Garden, … for some of the flat-bodied crab spiders ( Philodromus ) that typically spend the winter in communal groupings under the loose bark of dead trees. Upon reaching a small stand of dead … spiders under this bark! Although I was a little startled to have this hand slowly reach out in front of my face, I immediately realized that this piece of loose bark was the day roost of a …
Type: Blog
… are my favorites. The other day, when the rain cleared and the sun came out, I found myself in warbler heaven! Yellow-rumped warblers ( Setophaga coronata ) are some of the most common … anywhere! Photo © Carol Freeman As soon as I walked out of the Visitor Center, I saw movement in the trees next to the bridge: my first warbler of the day—a prothonotary! ( Protonotaria … can be seen hopping along branches looking for insects. Photo © Carol Freeman After delighting in the abundance of birds for a few hours, I slowly made my way back to my car, choosing to walk …
Type: Blog
