… 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 … rare plant species that can be found there. The data, now quite valuable due to its longevity, is a treasure chest for land managers and others who are trying to better understand the system …
Type: Blog
… May is the month to look for warblers, vireos, thrushes, sparrows, and some shorebirds, as they … through the Chicago area. Most birders might agree that the highlight this time of year is warblers. It is for me—they are tiny jewels with wings. I feel totally blessed if I can see a few during migration. Since these birds are so small, they usually wait for favorable winds to help them travel. Any night with southerly winds will have the birds moving; new birds arrive …
Type: Blog
… Pondering the Prairie Series Graminoid is a term created to encompass all of those grass-like plants with narrow leaves and barely noticeable flowers. Yes, grasses and grass look-alikes do have flowers! All plants need to reproduce and they do so primarily by producing flowers. Unfortunately, the graminoid has a …
Type: Blog
… We gathered around a table at the Garden View Café the other day to taste something that only one of us had ever tasted before: powdered orchid roots. A traditional winter drink in the cafés and restaurants of Turkey, salep is made from the tuberous roots of orchids—specifically, terrestrial orchids in the genus Orchis … and “I’ll have another glass,” were three answers; the flavor is hard for American taste buds to define. Sweet and savory and spicy all at once, there’s a note of bark or tree in it—Ayse …
Type: Blog
… Want to help monarch butterflies? Be careful when selecting your milkweed. Not all plants that go by the common name of "milkweed" are the food that these butterflies need. Milkweed is both a food source and a host plant on which the monarch butterflies lay their eggs. Monarchs … the following milkweed species (Asclepias) are native: Asclepias amplexicaulis is native to our prairies and is suitable for planting in sunny perennial flower gardens. The flowers are …
Type: Blog
… promotes self-reliance, and swapping seeds connects and builds community. It connects us to our agricultural roots. Preservation matters. Once varieties are lost, they cannot be …
Type: Plant Info
… clumps which keep out weeds. The name Iris was taken from the Greek goddess of the rainbow to symbolize the many colors of this flower. The classic 'Fleur de Lys' which has been a symbol …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… adaptation of the iris flower. The name Iris was taken from the Greek goddess of the rainbow to symbolize the many colors of this flower. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… adaptation of the iris flower. The name Iris was taken from the Greek goddess of the rainbow to symbolize the many colors of this flower. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… clumps which keep out weeds. The name Iris was taken from the Greek goddess of the rainbow to symbolize the many colors of this flower. The classic 'Fleur de Lys' which has been a symbol …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
