… For Earth Day this year, take some time to appreciate the rich soil that covers our planet and supports plant life. Try this soil seed-bank test to discover the magic of topsoil. The soil seed-bank test is used by farmers, scientists, and others to find out what weed seeds are hidden in a garden or …
Type: Blog
… bloomed last September. Maxwell and Lexi (in her Alice T-shirt) Kirchen visit Sprout early this morning before school. Harper, 14 months old, waves at #CBGSprout the corpse flower. … found out on the Internet. The Internet knows everything. Lexi: It’s very stinky. Maxwell: It is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see it. And it is very stinky. Carrie: I happened to see the Facebook post. And we were here every day for Spike (a titan arum that previously was on display at the Garden). Jamie Smith of Highland …
Type: Blog
… remaining until germination. When the seed sprouts, the new soft tissue offers a welcome home for the fungus to grow. Bacterial pathogens sometimes will infect the embryo of the seed itself, … the seed germinates, the bacteria grows and infects the young seedling. Don’t worry! There is a way to save your seeds from this cruel fate. We use two methods to help prevent disease in seedlings: bleach treatment and …
Type: Blog
… May is the month to look for warblers, vireos, thrushes, sparrows, and some shorebirds, as they migrate through the Chicago area. Most birders might agree that the highlight this time of year is warblers. It is for me—they are tiny jewels with wings. I feel totally …
Type: Blog
… Clusters at the tips of stem can carry as many as 15 dark blue-purple upward facing flowers from late spring …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… most of you know what I am referring to when I say “leap year.” “Lep Year”—“lep” being short for Lepidoptera (from the Latin “scaly wing”), the order of insects that includes butterflies … more since I have seen the diversity and abundance of butterflies and moths that I have seen this past spring and summer. Lately, the butterflies have gotten the lion’s share of PR. In particular, the monarch butterfly is on nearly everyone’s radar, due to its precarious situation with dwindling wintering grounds …
Type: Blog
… Pondering the Prairie Series A weevil is a type of beetle. It typically has an elongated head that appears as a snout. In fact, its … and the larvae feed on the developing seeds inside the legume fruit. The other weevil in this tale is called the sunflower head clipping weevil (Haplorhynchites aeneus) . This weevil … sense if you have some background on the life of these two groups of prairie plants. Look for the white-and-cream wild indigos in a prairie near you—they are blooming now. Of course you …
Type: Blog
… slice. In a bowl, combine onion and rosemary with 2 tbsp. oil, vinegar, 1 tsp. salt, and the chile flakes. Place flatbreads on baking sheet. Top flatbreads with onion mixture and … slice. In a bowl, combine onion and rosemary with 2 tbsp. oil, vinegar, 1 tsp. salt, and the chile flakes. Place flatbreads on baking sheet. Top flatbreads with onion mixture and …
Type: Page
… A lot of birds migrate through the area this time of year, but I have to say warblers are my favorites. The other day, when the rain … The black-and-white warblers ( Mniotilta varia ) can be seen hopping along branches looking for insects. Photo © Carol Freeman After delighting in the abundance of birds for a few hours, I … ) photo © Carol Freeman While I can’t promise you will see this many warblers in a day, there is always something to see, and the fun part for me is never knowing just what might show up. …
Type: Blog
… alliances—hybrids made by crossing cattleyas with another orchid genus—have led to some of the biggest, most deliciously fragrant, strikingly colored orchids, as Laeliocattleya Mary …
Type: Plant Info
