… way to cement knowledge. Nature play abounds at the Chicago Botanic Garden, and can be found in many of our education programs, including Family Drop-In activities, Camp CBG, and the Nature Preschool. Ann Halley , Nature Preschool director, … play activities that can be done at home. Choose an activity—or two—to keep children playing in nature throughout the school year: Create land art. Use twigs, rocks, and leaves to create …
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… As a docent at that Show, I was eager to show off the Garden’s vanilla plant (located in the Tropical Greenhouse next to the banana trees), because I knew that may visitors didn’t know that they had an orchid in their spice cabinet. Currently, I am in the second year of my research of the vanilla orchid. Vanilla is an exciting plant to study …
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… and flowers you want to grow this year and envision how to lay them out. The renewed interest in gardening lately means that seeds sell out quickly so get your order in early. One of my winter projects is to get started on crop planning. Make a spreadsheet for the crops you want to grow in order to keep track of your planting dates. I’ve wanted to so in past seasons; this is the …
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… of nasturtium or chive flowers and let dry. Gently add flowers to a sterile quart jar. Pour in plain vinegar or white wine vinegar to cover. Let steep for two weeks in a cool, dark spot. Strain vinegar into a fresh jar to use. Note how the flowers have lost … While the farro is cooling (about 3 cups cooked), make the dressing: Toast ½ cup pecans in an oven or fry pan until fragrant. Set aside to cool, then chop. Sauté one small (or ½ large), …
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… turning to the earthy aesthetics and healing powers of mushrooms and other kinds of fungi. In particular, the underground part of mushrooms known as mycelium has captured the imagination … designer James Frost sketched this garden party-vibed headpiece, made of a Laccaria species in a summery shade of lilac. These fungi form a partnership with forest trees—they help tree roots absorb water and nutrients; in return, the trees provide nutrients to the fungus. The high-rise, swingy skirt has a retro …
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… salad dressing—we used ranch Notes from the chef/artists: Bell peppers don’t work well in the food processor. I recommend finely chopping them with a good knife. Broccoli was a bit … fourth-grade teacher Lindsay for eight great spiralizer ideas . Prepare veggies by shredding in a food processor, and place each kind in a bowl. Use your imagination to “paint” your canvas (plate). Make sure to take a picture …
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… life—as he did life here at the Chicago Botanic Garden—during the four weeks he was on display in our Semitropical Greenhouse. Spike brought the nation’s—and even the world’s—attention to the Garden, as we waited for our first-ever flowering titan to open up in all its stinky and colorful glory. The event—and I am proud to call this an event—brought more … to Spike! I want to share with you just a few of the many wonderful comments I received via e-mail and in response to my blogs: From Don H. : “How very cool to experience something so …
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… of the lawn. The children have a mission on this blustery October morning, an adventure in the far reaches of the Chicago Botanic Garden, where a yellow school bus opens its doors to a … the day-to-day work of a Garden ecologist. Trained Garden volunteers engage students in guided field trips from September to June. They use the same tools as horticultural scientists, take samples in the field, and ask questions that Garden experts examine on a daily basis. The goal of the …
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… edge of a glacier, then left behind as it shifts its motion and melts/recedes. Moraines vary in sizes and heights. Glacial ice that once covered northern Illinois began to recede about 14,000 years ago, leaving the five moraines, like scallops in the landscape, with the oldest to the west, the youngest to the east. Oldest and furthest west … the ups and downs of the moraines and the valleys in between. Source: Luman, Donald E., LiDAR Surface Topography of Lake County, Illinois. ©2013 University of Illinois Board of …
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… by a lack of light. Most people with seasonal affective disorder have symptoms that start in the fall and continue through the winter months, which in the Midwest, can seem endless. Lucky enough, there are many ways to remedy this SAD state of … activity, participants mix together a wide array of spices to create a holiday sachet to use in their home or office, or give as a gift. This activity serves as therapy on multiple levels. …
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