… Winter is a great time to celebrate the beauty of the natural world and wildlife around you. After a big snow, I encourage you to take a walk around your neighborhood—or at the Chicago Botanic Garden and other green space—to look for animal tracks, either with your children or for your own benefit. Fresh air, exercise, and …
Type: Blog
… Garden Graham Bulb Garden, Aquatic Garden Viburnum Walk Liz Rex is the horticulturist for the Crescent, which welcomes visitors entering the Garden from the Visitor Center; and the … Nights are held. Rex also cares for the Native Plant Garden, which showcases plants native to Illinois, and the Landscape Garden, which is a designed at a smaller scale to be relevant to the typical homeowner. She is also responsible for overseeing and coordinating …
Type: Staff bio
… shore of Lake Michigan, the ravines are a naturally engineered filtration system from land to water. Curving up from the flat lands of Illinois and arching alongside the coast into … unlike any other ecosystem in the Chicago Wilderness region. Among other benefits, they help to filter rainwater. Rare plants, migratory birds, remnant woodlands, and fish are a part of this shadowed world that has long been entrenched in mystery for local residents and scientists alike. As urbanization, erosion, increasingly intense weather …
Type: Blog
… How one humble scientist used his botanical superpowers to solve a real-world problem, successfully tackling agricultural sustainability and economic … scientist, an inventor, and a genius. George Washington Carver did not seek wealth or fame for his work. He found personal satisfaction in scientific discovery and using his talents to make the world a better place for farmers and everyone. I believe if he were alive today, he …
Type: Blog
… Chester Jankowski, Jr., is the senior horticulturist for the Grunsfeld Children’s Growing Garden and the Kleinman Family Cove at the Chicago Botanic … is responsible for designing and maintaining the gardens, and working with the education staff to make all the annual displays at the Children’s Growing Garden accessible to everyone. At the Cove, Jankowski uses the garden to create an outdoor classroom filled with …
Type: Staff bio
… As we are all adapting to new ways of connecting for work and play, students in Windy City Harvest’s Youth Farm program have learned to adapt too. With a new way of doing things, the Youth Farm found themselves up against a few …
Type: Blog
… The first question is easy—we were on the trail of specific wildflowers and woody plants to preserve and add to our collections. Collections trip horticulturists Michael Jesiolowski, Tom Weaver, Josh … plants we would target—was developed, based on what plants our gardens deemed important for conservation, to fill a gap in our collections, or add beauty to our display gardens. And of …
Type: Blog
… Like so many things in tending bonsai, how you overwinter your trees is specific to the tree species and the region in which you live. Bonsai in fall color, before being prepped for storage. The same bonsai prepped for winter storage; tags indicate tasks to do in spring on this tree. Here in the Chicago area, we need to take special care to protect …
Type: Blog
… When September comes to the Chicago area, even if it's been warm outside, it’s time to start thinking about moving your houseplants inside. The best time to do this is when … plant and send it into shock, which can be hard to recover from indoors. 3. Check thoroughly for pests, and treat as needed. One of the biggest ways to set yourself up for success is to …
Type: Blog
… bluish-green, and not pure white. The pigments that give all leaves their color are essential for the plant’s ability to harness energy from the sun and make sugars in the process we know as photosynthesis. But … was doomed. That is the case with all albino plants. The gene mutation that gives rise to albino plants is fatal to the plant, because without the ability to make sugars, the plant …
Type: Blog
