… the Aztecs, who used the tubers as one of their staple foods. The plants were brought to Spain and eventually spread throughout Europe, as people appreciated the beauty of the flowers … grown. Here are some tips for growing these beautiful plants in the garden. Selecting a site Pick a sunny spot where, optimally, the plants will receive at least six hours of sunlight. … get their “feet” wet, the area should not accumulate water and should drain well. If the soil is clay-like, it should be amended with leaf mulch, compost, or peat moss. Since dahlias should …
Type: Blog
… When you think of fires that occur in the natural world, you might think of destruction and loss of wildlife. But when it comes to the North American prairie, fires are a crucial tool for native plants to thrive and to safeguard against extinction. Until now, it was unclear precisely why and how fires can … on that prairie, for the long haul, they have to survive and reproduce. We learned that fire is essential for reproduction. A healthy population is one that will be resilient in the face of …
Type: Blog
… My daughters love fresh grapefruit—and birds. So we decided to keep the rind and make a bird feeder. This is a fun, easy project. The grapefruit sections have been cut and eaten; the rind is ready to …
Type: Blog
… Even when snow is falling and temperatures plummet, I’m working on my backyard vegetable garden. I might not be harvesting tomatoes and zucchini yet, but I am still strategizing and prioritizing so I can squeeze the most out of …
Type: Blog
… The flowers are gone, the trees are bare, now what to photograph? Birds, of course! Winter is a great time to get some fabulous shots of winter birds. One huge bonus is that there are no leaves on the trees and the birds are much easier to see! There are the “regular” local birds, like robins (yes, some … all winter), goldfinches, cardinals, chickadees, mallards, Canada geese, red-tailed hawks, and cedar waxwings, to name a few. Plus, winter has the bonus of birds that actually migrate to …
Type: Blog
… conditions that scorch evergreens, protect plant predators, elicit heavy use of road salts, and encourage snow molds. A scorch or burn can leave patches of brown on arborvitae ( Thuja ), yews ( Taxus) , boxwoods ( Buxus ), and other evergreens. Branch damage from voles and rabbits can also be bad, and heavy and … slow-growing, this boxwood ( Buxus microphylla ) should make a full recovery. The bad news is that more plant damage is likely to appear once the weather is consistently warm, though many …
Type: Blog
… What are those big white things dangling by the orchids in the air, you wonder, and how do they work? Let’s look at those roots from a different angle Most orchids are epiphytes. An epiphyte is a plant that grows on another plant (not in soil), but is not parasitic. They’re Called Aerial … with above-ground rather than in-ground roots. Known as aerial roots, they act as anchors and supports as they wrap around branches and trunks, stabilizing the plant as it grows. Roots …
Type: Blog
… Are you feeling winter blue? Do you feel trapped in cold and ice? Has your mood gone south, leaving you wishing that you could, 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 of trails through …
Type: Blog
… botanists for hoping against hope for a bit of rain for the plants. Botanists Monica Depies and Rebecca Ubalde make up one of the Chicago Botanic Garden’s three teams in the western United … native seeds for the national Seeds of Success (SOS) program this field season. The Garden is an active partner in SOS, led by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, to collect seeds for … participate in the Seeds of Success program. The goal is to collect 80,000 viable seeds per site, but the devastating heat and drought in the west has made the job especially challenging. …
Type: Blog
… ...and this year's fall colors It’s hard to think of fall without picturing a mosaic of trees with warm-colored hues. Amber browns, golden yellows, and blazing reds cover many natural areas in the Midwest, including the Chicago Botanic Garden. … At the Garden, peak fall color emerges around mid-October. This year’s fall color show is not a drastic change, but the colors are a little “off,” according to Boyce Tankersley, …
Type: Blog
