… gathered stories about the most famous orchid of them all: the genus Vanilla. (Yes, vanilla is an orchid.) One unusual story comes from Ph.D. student Lynnaun Johnson, whose work in our doctoral program in Plant Biology and Conservation took him to Mexico, the native land of edible vanilla. Last April, I ventured to Mexico as part of an international team investigating how cultivation practices influence the …
Type: Blog
… at the Garden, you can find examples of this everywhere. The milkweed in the Dixon Prairie is a favorite meal of the monarch butterfly. In the Bernice E. Lavin Plant Evaluation Garden, … and other perennial seeds. Crabapple and dogwood trees set fruit that many birds like to feed on in late fall and winter. In addition to plants providing food to all kinds of wildlife like birds, insects, and mammals, having a set …
Type: Blog
… This summer, when you walk through the Linden Allée, be sure to look UP—and marvel at the incredible trees above you. These 28 GREENSPIRE™ linden trees ( … linden, are actually pruned into a 270-foot-long hedge! Littleleaf lindens are native to Europe, central Russia, and western Asia. They are relatively disease-resistant and … in the winter for shaping, and once in the summer for detail grooming. The design is very uniform and creates a formal allée of trees. The sides are pruned at a slight, almost …
Type: Blog
… The ever-creative Nancy Clifton is putting the finishing touches on her fun and fragrant project. She’s making more than 400 … lightweight and a pretty, cinnamony color. The process is easy and kid-friendly, great to try at home for your seasonal decorations. Nancy let us photograph her at work, while … will pull together into a shiny, moist-looking mix with few cracks. If the dough seems too wet to roll out, add more cinnamon. (Nancy suggests starting with a 1:3 ratio of cinnamon to sauce, …
Type: Blog
… Robin Carlson added the color inside Brian’s head. Now Brian, along with the rest of the team, is bringing his vision to life at the Orchid Show , from February 9 to March 24 at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Also, Orchids After Hours is back —on Thursdays from …
Type: Blog
… In November, I had the unique opportunity to go to the Portland Japanese Garden for a week-long training session—and what a week it was! I … of Japan. One of the two pines species most popular in a Japanese garden, the black pine is symbolic of the seashore and referred to as on-matsu (the male pine), because of masculine …
Type: Blog
… Even as the leaves start to turn in shades of scarlet and gold, we are thinking ahead to nature’s other big show—spring color. This year, the annual Woman’s Board Fall Bulb Sale is online only. You’ll be able to shop at your leisure for hundreds of varieties of bulbs …
Type: Blog
… heard in late summer and fall as chickadees gather in family groups and small feeding flocks to prepare for the winter. The chickadee’s song—translated as “Hey, sweetie,” (though you can’t often hear the third syllable)—is reserved for late winter, spring, and summer, when the bird is courting and nesting. Nothing brightens a mid-February day more than when a chickadee sings because to those who hear it, the song signals spring’s arrival. Because of its curiosity and propensity …
Type: Blog
… Should I be concerned for my fingers? Don’t worry; these carnivorous plants are only looking to devour insects. Why do some plants eat insects? Not all habitats in the world have nutrient-rich and well-draining soil. Carnivorous plants have evolved to live in low-nutrient bogs by using insects as a food source. Carnivorous plants have modified … How do carnivorous plants attract pollinators and insects to eat at the same time? This is a complex question. Using different odor cues, color cues, and potentially even distance …
Type: Blog
… too? What, with the world’s best antidepressant right out your front door? The magic elixir is a winter walk. And the Chicago Botanic Garden awaits with a prescription-strength dose—miles … all of them kept clear of snow and ice, with a number of mapped-out walks ranging from 1 to 2.3 miles. A hidden gem, the path along Spider Island is just the place for a peaceful winter … as in winter. A winter walk is the cure for cabin fever. And more than that, it’s the way to reshape the way you think about winter. Winter doesn’t have to be a sentence to months of …
Type: Blog
