… École Boulle (a school of fine arts and crafts and applied arts in Paris, France), I decided to study for my master’s degree at the National School of Landscape Architecture of Versailles. For me, work in landscape architecture is the best way to unite many different and interesting fields, such as art, sociology, and ecology. Designing …
Type: Blog
… are beautiful, magical, and mysterious creatures. Sara Longwing ©Carol Freeman They have to among nature’s greatest achievements. Their transformation from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly is truly mind-boggling when you really think about it. Seeing one is a joy. Seeing hundreds at …
Type: Blog
… There are things I look forward to seeing every season. In spring, I watch for “mighty plants” that emerge from the ground with enough force to heave the soil above ground. These botanical weightlifters—the bulbs, grasses, and other … Seeing bulbs coming up all around me inspires lots of questions. I want to understand how this is possible and I want to test their strength. So I spent a few weeks playing around with this …
Type: Blog
… in trees for shelter and protection from the elements. What you see as a messy clump of leaves is actually a structure formed from sticks and then lined with leaves and other materials to make it a dry and cozy home. This month I was walking around my neighborhood in Chicago, and I … of four squirrel dreys on my street were located on branches that reach over the street. I had to ask myself why squirrels would build their homes in such a dangerous place. If the squirrel …
Type: Blog
… in your closet, and you might find a long wooden broom for sweeping up dust or offering rides to witches and wizards. For broom maker John Spannagel of Hidalgo, Illinois, brooms are more than … a pantry item. They’re a labor of love, made with a special ingredient: broomcorn. Broomcorn is a type of ornamental grass used to make specialty brooms, a passion Spannagel discovered nearly three years ago. The retired …
Type: Blog
… On a walk through the Chicago Botanic Garden, you are likely to encounter dozens of woody plants—short, tall, flowering, or simply lending structural beauty … It’s OK to have a favorite. Phillip Douglas, the Garden’s new curator of woody plants, is not shy about listing his top picks. Spending his first summer in Glencoe, Douglas is … the development of the oak and willow collections, and a review of all such plants already on-site. Douglas will also be helping to organize trips to collect plants in the wild with Andrew …
Type: Blog
… Looking for fun projects to do indoors? Here’s one with a great return: start seeds. It’s easy to do, whether you want to start seeds on a sunny windowsill or in a more formal arrangement. The great thing about starting seeds indoors is that it is relatively inexpensive—and who can resist the satisfaction of watching those first …
Type: Blog
… If you happened to walk around the Heritage Garden in late June, the unusual blue color of the Moroccan mountain … with flying insects. The odor was not lovely and sweet. I would describe it as similar to musty, molding fruit—not unpleasant, but certainly not a fragrance you would wear. It only … its hind legs with pollen from the eryngo, and they are now swollen and bright yellow. Pollen is also sticking to the hairs on its thorax and underside. It is a good pollinator! Carpenter …
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… There’s more to the North Branch Trail addition than meets the eye. It’s a great story to tell the kids or to … deeper (literally and figuratively), and you’ll find the reason for that slope: the “hill” is actually the remnants of a glacier. Its proper name is the Highland Park Moraine. It’s one of … path included much deliberation about the plants that were already growing at the site. As construction neared, Garden ecologist Jim Steffen reached out to the Glencoe Friends of …
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… I make no secret about the fact that fall is my absolute favorite season. Between the pumpkin-spiced treats, falling leaves, warm-toned … I simply can’t get enough of the many opportunities that fall brings. Fall also happens to be my favorite season for horticultural therapy. This exciting time of year is when all the off-site therapy gardens are reaping the benefits from their summer of hard work. The fall programs …
Type: Blog
