… Allison Pillar is the grower for indoor floriculture in the Plant Production department. She produces high-quality plants for … since worked as a seasonal and assistant grower within the department before being promoted to her current position in 2020. Her interest in nature and plants led her to graduate from Macalester College with a bachelor’s degree in biology, where she also worked on …
Type: Staff bio
… First student Divine isn’t at the Chicago Botanic Garden, she’s in her backyard, trying to use her iffy, only-works-when-it-wants-to telescope and peering into the future. Someday, she wants to be an astrophysicist and help put … books she read as a child. Divine has always loved reading and would sometimes get in trouble for it. The books she doesn't want to put down even today are cosmos-related or anything about …
Type: Blog
… If you happened to walk around the Heritage Garden in late June, the unusual blue color of the Moroccan mountain … with flying insects. The odor was not lovely and sweet. I would describe it as similar to musty, molding fruit—not unpleasant, but certainly not a fragrance you would wear. It only … in the Heritage Garden, but they were not interested in this flower. Honeybees tend to go for sweeter-smelling flowers. 3. Red admiral butterfly The red admiral, with its characteristic …
Type: Blog
… Ever see a tree or even a weed and wonder what kind of plant it is? We’d love for you to stumble across the answer—right in front of you. Inspired by a movement by French botanists, my 5-year-old daughter and I decided to become street botanists for the day. We would identify plants in the neighborhood and write …
Type: Blog
… Fall bloomers are already stealing the show and, while they are colorful, it is largely due to their size. By the time many of these perennials bloom, they are so tall that they often need to be staked. Not to mention, some end up having unsightly “legs” from shedding lower leaves. … are all guilty of this unsightly phenomenon. Fortunately, there is a compact substitute for each of these bulky favorites. So, if you want to give your yard more color in autumn but …
Type: Blog
… For Earth Day this year, take some time to appreciate the rich soil that covers our planet and supports plant life. Try this soil seed-bank test to discover the magic of topsoil. The soil seed-bank test is used by farmers, scientists, and …
Type: Blog
… Garden blog followers may remember that in “ How to Train Your Plant ” I demonstrated a way to grow a bean seed in a plastic bag to test geotropism. I started working on that project around … I kept one seed growing in the bag all winter, adding water as needed. The bean plant grew for five months, leaning toward the window in my office. The plant produced a white flower about …
Type: Blog
… as we learned in our first video, Repotting Orchids, Part 1: Phalaenopsis , it’s always best to repot your orchids shortly after purchasing them—the sphagnum moss in which they are sold provides too much constant moisture for the plant, and can damage the delicate, epiphytic root system. Anne Nies, a master’s degree … an expert in all things orchids, both native and tropical. She took some time this past fall to show me (and you) how to repot our orchids to maintain a healthy growing environment. Our …
Type: Blog
… We discovered a fun way to encourage the Garden’s Camp CBG campers to try a salad. Many kids turn up their noses when they hear the word, but after painting with food, our campers are eager to “dig into” their creations. For little ones, this project is easy and fun to do with a grown-up and provides opportunities to …
Type: Blog
… employee in 1980. He grew up on a farm near Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico, where he learned how to operate equipment and take care of plants. Within a few months, Melecio was promoted to foreman; then a few years later, he became Grounds supervisor. Melecio supervises four regular employees and 43 seasonal employees, and is responsible for general grounds maintenance, major event support (set up and tear down), and the landscape …
Type: Staff bio
