… It’s a big week for cooking, for getting out the china, crystal, and silver, and for setting a holiday-worthy … yet? A cornucopia, or horn of plenty, is a classically beautiful, easy, and crowd-pleasing way to pull together a centerpiece without a lot of fuss or expense. I taught a fall cornucopia … is basically the same. Once your supplies are gathered, it should take less than an hour to put together. Essential tools include pruners, floral foam, and a hot-glue gun. Gather the …
Type: Blog
… as a gift, tell you where you can get quality trees, and give a little information on what to do if you receive one of these wonderful trees as a gift yourself. Juniper bonsai for sale at a large garden center During the holiday season, little areas pop up in megastores and mall kiosks to sell bonsai (or “mall-sai,” as I call them). These bonsai are reasonably priced, cute, and …
Type: Blog
… colored squeeze bottles, and grab-’em-by-the-handful packets, Americans are at last tuning in to the taste of homemade condiments. The time has come for homemade mustard—and you won’t believe how easy and tasty it is. Start with the Basics As always, we turned to program horticulturist Nancy Clifton to learn the how-to’s. Within five minutes of starting …
Type: Blog
… With the Kentucky Derby—and mint julep season—approaching, it's time to consider mint, a fast-growing, almost wonderfully invasive plant. Mint survives Chicago … hardier than ever. Cuttings easily take root and begin propagating anywhere they touch soil. For these reasons, grow mint in a plastic pot, so it doesn’t take over your yard. (The roots are … It is tolerant of most soils and weather conditions—just be sure it gets some water every week to keep it from becoming bitter. Maintaining flavor Mints spread in two ways: by runners and by …
Type: Blog
… my head when they’re in bloom in my home garden from June through October. Recently, I decided to revisit an old goal and bugaboo of mine—learning to overwinter the tubers so I can plant them again and enjoy the blooms next year. Sarah Nolimal, … to show us the process. Note that you should wait until a hard frost before digging them up for storage. Dahlias , which grow from small tubers planted in the spring, are one of my favorite …
Type: Blog
… Botanical Garden, and the Chicago Botanic Garden) and we all researched best practices for digital libraries and made recommendations for improvement to the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL). BHL is a group of natural history and botanical libraries that work together to digitize books and articles about biodiversity and make them freely available to access and …
Type: Blog
… are in their prime now, when the hot summer days and good strong rains are perfect support for a fruiting pepper plant. In just a month or two, the number of varieties will start to dwindle and your hot spicy recipes will taste bland again. Fear not! You can preserve that … easily with pickled peppers! But even Peter Piper couldn’t pick a peck of them. You have to pickle them yourself. Luckily, pickling peppers is perfectly painless. Hot or not Just how …
Type: Blog
… Add a little brightness to your family's day—play with food, make rainbow dough—and get in some nature play, too. Ready to turn ☹️ into☺? Nature Rainbow Scavenger Hunt Lace up your hiking boots, grab a camera, and … and subtract the blah by turning food into art. Use what you have in the fridge, and look for fruits or veggies in a fun variety of colors, which is not too hard to do since they are …
Type: Blog
… For the past week, the big forklifts and trucks with their whimsical cargo have been rolling in … of color, imagination, and sound, a night out for families, couples, and friends who want to get in on something new. This is a holiday lights event for a new generation, jolly with the …
Type: Blog
… Holiday plants and flowers make great gifts for everyone on your shopping lists. They are perfect gifts for family members, the host and … home. Plus, they can be enjoyed long after the holiday season is over, adding color and life to your home on chilly winter days. But getting your plants to last longer will require a little special care. Here’s how to take care of the most popular …
Type: Blog
