… The annual beds have been replanted with sweeps of dahlias, cannas, caladium, and begonias to showcase these nonstop workhorses of the summer garden. Caladium bicolor ‘Raspberry Moon’, … ‘Miss Muffet’ and Begonia × tuberhybrida ‘Illumination White’ make a great pairing for shady areas. On the perennial side of things, we’re moving into lily season. The very first lilies to bloom are the martagon lilies ( Lilium martagon) and their hybrids (such as Lilium martagon …
Type: Blog
… is investigating how urban areas may affect native bees in Chicago. Chicago is an ideal city to study the impact of urbanization on native bees because the intensity of urbanization slowly … these Megachilid (leaf cutter) bees. Part of that research is about bringing public awareness to the other native bees we have around Chicago. To explore native bee communities along this … in this area along the Metra line allows us to ask a variety of questions about native bees. For instance: Are there fewer bees in highly urban areas? Are there different bees in natural …
Type: Blog
… with the Huntsville Botanical Garden in Alabama on a Trillium conservation program for the beloved woodland flower . The Huntsville Botanical Garden has one of the most complete … Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 1997. The rhizomes were grown out in the nursery, and in two to three years, the Trillium plants will be replanted in areas to be determined throughout the Garden. Currently, the Chicago Botanic Garden has eight species …
Type: Blog
… March in the McDonald Woods. It’s a biologically intriguing, ecologically brilliant prelude to the wildflower riot about to burst forth on forest floors from the McDonald Woods at the Chicago Botanic Garden to area … temperature inside the hood can be 95 degrees hotter than outside. Thermogenesis is the goal for skunk cabbages, titan arums , and other “warm-blooded” plants . The heat creates the …
Type: Blog
… joys of spring. Under the calm and creative eye of Field & Florist’s Heidi Joynt, we learned to turn those branches into lovely, living wreaths in a perfectly timed class at the Chicago … takes the idea in a different direction—in a circle, with living branches forming a perfect-for-the-front-door wreath. Imagine walking out into your yard, pruning a cluster of branch … them into the wreath. Yes, silk flowers are an option. Joynt recommends www.shopterrain.com for extremely realistic flowering branches. …
Type: Blog
… carillon performance at the University of Michigan, studying with Dr. Tiffany Ng. In addition to his carillon studies, Carson has enjoyed a multifaceted music education which has included …
Type: Event for Calendar
… of music from Northwestern University under Elizabeth Cifani and Edward Druzinsky, Joy wanted to create her own style of music on the kong hou, or double strung Chinese harp. In 23 years, Joy …
Type: Event for Calendar
… in the arum family resembling cattails or sweet flag iris, with narrow, rigid leaves up to three feet tall. The leaves have ridges and the bases have a red tinge. The flower is a …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… and conservation initiative began after Garden horticulturist Lisa Hilgenberg happened to meet Aaron Keefer, the culinary gardener for the renowned French Laundry restaurant in California’s Napa Valley. At a conference in Iowa, their conversation turned to the rare Marshall strawberry, known for its exceptional flavor. Keefer mentioned that he would …
Type: Blog
… a drey , when they see one. The eastern gray squirrels in our region build dreys 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
