… Anyone who reads the volumes of research can easily see all the reasons why a nature preschool is not just a real preschool, but should be a standard for all preschool environments to aspire … of all parents when deciding on their child’s first preschool experience. No. 1: Children in nature preschools learn by doing and with hands-on activities. You must be hands-on when you learn in nature. You cannot be a passive learner; you must engage. Most nature preschools do not put a …
Type: Blog
… A new collaboration between Garden scientists and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is hoping to expand the range of a species once extinct in Illinois. Garden scientists, students, and collaborators are conducting research to guide … the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to understand genetic and ecological limits to its recovery in Illinois and the Great Lakes region. “Lakeside daisy relies on dry, rocky habitat in the Great …
Type: Research
… The night Spike blooms will thrill us all in the semi-tropical greenhouse, with its breathtaking flower…accompanied by a titanically rotten smell. “Your heart is full of unwashed socks, your soul is full of gunk, Mr. Grinch. The three words that best … ( Catharsius sp.) think that stink smells great. Photo ©2012 via potokito-myshot.blogspot.com A different view of ewwww! Carrion beetles, dung flies, and flesh flies aren’t responding to …
Type: Blog
… Chamomile Chamomile can be traced back to ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Chamomile’s oil is said to have calming properties. It is a popular herbal tea that is said to help with digestion, insomnia, and the common cold. Its fragrant white flowers with a yellow disk in the center make a great addition to your home garden. Gardenia Nothing quite compares to the … aromatic gardenia plant. Native to southeast Asia, gardenia is a large shrub or small tree in the Rubiaceae family with large, white, fragrant flowers produced at the ends of branches …
Type: Blog
… One of the top questions we have been getting about Spike the titan arum is “How do you know how much water to give it?” The care and feeding that we have given Spike and its fellow titan arums—our collection of nine Amorphophallus titanum growing in our production greenhouses—is very specific! Yes, the cultivation requirements for these … conditions of high humidity and high temperature—similar to their natural conditions in the tropical rainforests of Sumatra. Therefore, the cultivation is not particularly suitable …
Type: Blog
… 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 …
Type: Blog
… Several years ago, while walking the nature trail in McDonald Woods, I stopped, having heard a high-pitched squeaking emanating from the sedges and … a romantic interlude or territorial dispute between two of the smallest carnivorous mammals in our woodland: shrews. Actually, shrews are technically known as insectivorous mammals. … in length, with the tail being about a quarter of the length of the body and head combined. It is by far the largest of the shrews we will see here. They are generally a velvety, dark gray …
Type: Blog
… 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 … 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 …
Type: Blog
… Competition is heating up in the western United States. Invasive and native plants are racing to claim … to reverse. Cheatgrass, which is an aggressive, invasive plant with a dense root system, is in the lead and spreading quickly across the west. Native plants are falling in its …
Type: Blog
… Here’s a science project students can do at home! Try tomato seeds. As I’ve stated before, we in the education department of the Chicago Botanic Garden are committed to helping parents and … off the cutting board. As you will discover (if you didn’t already know) the seeds are coated in a gelatinous substance that makes them slippery and difficult to handle. So the first question is, what purpose does the slimy coating serve? This is not the kind of blog post where I give …
Type: Blog
