… 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
… can expect good growth in spring. The yellow whips of this willow make an excellent contrast to the snow in most landscapes. The fruit of eastern wahoo ( Euonymous atropurpureus ) creates a … and hoping winter will end, cheering a thaw and higher temperatures. What you might not know is that all this snow has a number of benefits that will help your garden and landscape later … Snow brings an important nutrient into the soil: nitrogen There are not many ways for nitrogen to enter the soil. While planting legumes and adding fertilizer are the most common ways we add …
Type: Blog
… Have you noticed all the mushrooms popping up in lawns, mulch, and next to trees? We asked Greg Mueller , Ph.D., chief scientist and Negaunee vice president of science … for answers. Why do mushrooms pop up out of nowhere? Mushrooms can appear magical—seeming to pop up overnight. This is part of their mystique. The mushrooms we see are the spore forming part of the …
Type: Blog
… same time, large portions of its wet prairie, sedge meadow, and wetland habitat were converted to agriculture. By 1989, just 20 percent of the original population of Platanthera leucophaea remained, and the orchid was added to the federally threatened species list. The struggles of the captivating orchid did not go … plant materials they saved are from populations that no longer exist. Now, all of that data is coming together for the first time in a research study by graduate student Claire Ellwanger. …
Type: Blog
… these trees were displayed in this fashion here at the Garden, giving visitors the opportunity to see tropical and subtropical trees that otherwise would not be able to be shown in our courtyards until late May, due to temperature requirements. This crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia) is continuing to respond very favorably to the root work we did. This crape myrtle ( …
Type: Blog
… and relaxing, and something the whole family can do. Ephemeral art uses found materials and is created and left in the environment. It is temporary and evolving. The materials can include … anything you find outside, such as sticks, bark, leaves, flowers, sand, shells, etc. How to First, collect flowers, leaves, grasses, and sticks. Or gather pebbles, stones, and shells. Remember that trip to the beach? I bet there’s a collection of sea glass or shells under somebody’s bed. Here are a …
Type: Blog
… Simplicity is critical in creating a striking Instagram photo. Here are some tips to help you reduce distractions and bring focus to your pictures. The most important thing to keep in mind when photographing for Instagram is …
Type: Blog
… Tiny hands, belonging to a class of third graders, carefully fold rulers into squares and rest them on a grassy meadow near the Dixon Prairie. Inside these 2- by-2-foot quadrants is a fantastical world to discover: the height of different species of plants, the temperature of the soil, the wind and …
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… Using peonies as a cut flower for floral design is easy, with a few tricks to preserve the health of your plants and flowers. Peonies are the … and shapes blooming, depending on the variety. Finding a variety that is also fragrant adds to the reward of growing this exquisite flower. Storing peony stems allows you to use early and …
Type: Blog
… in the subject in college, when I realized that free food was everywhere once you knew where to look. (The reality soon set in that most of this “free” food was actually growing on lawns and private property.) Whenever you forage weeds and wild plants you have to be careful that what you take isn’t getting sprayed with herbicides—which is why I recommend only harvesting weeds from your own yard, or places you know have …
Type: Blog
