… as some of us in the Second City affectionately call it: Second Winter—can test our ability to feel connected to anything living, including each other and ourselves. When we are stuck inside, our mental … Garden’s horticultural therapists engage our clients in similar moments of joyful perseverance for their health and well-being, guiding them through to May, when the last frost date finally …
Type: Blog
… Is there any more welcome sight than daffodils blooming in the spring? Not to me! I’m thrilled by the sight of these flowers, their colors ranging from the most vivid yellows and oranges to muted pastels to pure white. In the early years of the nineteenth century, daffodils so … reportedly said, “Let him who hath two loaves sell one, and buy the flower of narcissus: for bread is but food for the body, whereas narcissus is food for the soul.” During the Victorian …
Type: Blog
… Garden, the Dixon Prairie boasts more than 250 species of native plants. You don’t have to go far to find plants that have something interesting or unique about their life story. Something that … meadia : A Must-see of the Prairie Question: Which one of these is NOT a common name for this handsome spring ephemeral? Shooting star Prairie pointer Prairie primrose Roosterheads …
Type: Blog
… Garden, we were reminded of the pure joy that plants can bring. Alice provided special moments for many people—including me. On September 28, at 12:51 a.m., I received a text from the Chicago … director, facilities and maintenance, joined us soon after. I don’t have scientific evidence to support this, but it was my impression that Alice “knew” we were there; maybe our warmth and … even more intense. There would be a lot of activity very soon, but we shared a quiet moment to reflect on this rare phenomenon and the extraordinary dedication of so many to reach this …
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 become our bird feeder. To make a grapefruit bird feeder, you will need the following: Half a … be able to hang it from a branch. Finally, fill the fruit with birdseed and hang it outside for your feathered friends to enjoy. If you like, you can add a little suet, but you may find it …
Type: Blog
… Garden North Bernice E. Lavin Plant Evaluation Garden Ayse Pogue is the senior horticulturist for the Malott Japanese Garden. She is also responsible for overseeing and coordinating the … Evaluation Garden and the Children's Outdoor Classroom. Two years later, she was promoted to horticulturist in the Dwarf Conifer Garden and the Waterfall Garden, and then to her current position. Inspired by her work at the Garden, Pogue decided to continue her formal …
Type: Staff bio
… celebrates the achievements of women in all fields and walks of life. It’s also a day to advance the cause of gender balance in every aspect of our lives—an equal number of men and … 21 percent of full science professors in the United States are women. When students are asked to name pioneers in conservation biology, they tend to name men. Rarely do they mention some of the amazing women who have opened the door for so many of us following in their footsteps: marine biologist Rachel Carson, conservationist …
Type: Blog
… Be the first to grow these ten new plants—including Lunar Eclipse false indigo—just patented via the Chicagoland Grows, Inc. plant introduction program and on sale for the first time. Look for them at Chicago-area garden centers, said Jim Ault, Ph.D. , who … Plant Research: Baptisia ‘Lunar Eclipse’, for its flowers that change from creamy white to deep violet as the plant ages, and Baptisia ‘Sunny Morning’, for its profusion of yellow …
Type: Blog
… Selecting perennials to look good year-round and weather the seasons outside our wall (and next to the freeway) has been a challenge! With its own group of microclimates and an often-harsh … question, located by the big Edens Expressway (northbound lanes) sign. Originally, the design for the perennial border—which you can see trailing up and down the hill behind the big Chicago …
Type: Blog
… osprey would be a rare—if not impossible—sight in Cook County in the summer. But now, thanks to the ban on certain pesticides (including DDT), and the creation of osprey nesting platforms, … Immature bald eagles, with their mottled black and white plumage, can easily be mistaken for ospreys. In summer, visitors can watch an osprey (Pandion haliaetus) —with its 6-foot wingspan—soar above a lake, then plunge in to snatch a meal with its talons to bring to its young. Once endangered in Illinois, the osprey …
Type: Blog
