… the fall, and we get vague quickly. Colder temperatures? Shorter days? True, but there’s more to the story. American smoke tree (Cotinus obovatus) turns a brilliant yellow late in the … or brown, the colors of carotenoid chemicals. Reds, crimsons, and purples happen when sugar is trapped in the leaves. As sugar decomposes, it creates chemicals called anthocyanins. According to Boyce Tankersley, director of living plant documentation, “Plant physiologists have …
Type: Blog
… my head when they’re in bloom in my home garden from June through October. Recently, I decided to revisit an old goal and bugaboo of mine—learning to overwinter the tubers so I can plant them again and enjoy the blooms next year. Sarah Nolimal, … I dampened them too much) if I cleaned them thoroughly of soil before storing. My solution is to leave soil around the tubers (whatever sticks there) and place them in a paper grocery …
Type: Blog
… this year’s Words in Bloom: A Year of Haiku program, I learned that the world of haiku is an expansive one with many forms. Designed to be “one breath” poems with a focus on nature, haiku has the power to strike an emotional chord. Collaborating with the Midwest Region of the Haiku Society of …
Type: Blog
… the path of his life. He began volunteering in 2011 and did so on and off until 2014. Thanks to an introduction by Sustic, Baker spent six months in 2012 studying with bonsai master Torho Susuki at the Diajuen Nursery in Japan. Returning to the U.S. in late 2012, Baker was awarded the “First Curators” Internship at the U.S. National … 2014 Baker was hired as the first full time curator of bonsai at Chicago Botanic Garden. Baker is the President of the North American Bonsai Federation and a board member of the World Bonsai …
Type: Staff bio
… Deciduous trees, explains Boyce Tankersley, director of living plant documentation, respond to environmental conditions when preparing to go dormant for the winter. Just like animals that hibernate, trees slow their processes down … it isn’t a regular year. The heat can be a factor. Expect color, but some years, the display is shorter than usual. “The higher the temperature, the faster the processes go,” Tankersley …
Type: Blog
… joys of spring. Under the calm and creative eye of Field & Florist’s Heidi Joynt, we learned to turn those branches into lovely, living wreaths in a perfectly timed class at the Chicago … ) Pussy willow varieties Flowering almond ( Prunus triloba ) Heidi Joynt demonstrated how to layer in curly willow cuttings and delicate flowering branches like bridal veil and bridal … or curly willow wreath (purchased or handmade). That’s how surprisingly simple the process is. As everyone clipped and pondered and designed, Joynt offered helpful wreath-making and …
Type: Blog
… As the Curator at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Jess Goehler is responsible for the acquisition, development, use, research, and interpretation of the … expeditions. Additionally, she plays a role in the Garden’s breeding and evaluation programs to incorporate successful trials and new releases from Chicagoland Grows® Plant Introduction . … the nationally accredited collections of Baptisia, Geranium, Spiraea , and Quercus (multi-site) and displaying non-hardy plant collections for public enjoyment. Originally, a native of …
Type: Staff bio
… they are a nuisance, they are harmless. So while they are bugging us, let’s find some things to admire about them. First let’s answer the question: W hy are they all here right now? It’s … summer/early fall, their wings develop and they can take flight, seeking a nice, cozy place to spend the winter. Can you blame them for wanting to come into our comfortable homes? OK, don’t … bite you! These insects also have two pairs of wings that cross in the back. The forewing is thicker than the bottom of the wing and this gives true bugs a distinctive “X” or inverted “V” …
Type: Blog
… Why wait until spring? Plant a bulb container for a preview of blooms to come. In this video, the Chicago Botanic Garden shows how to create a bulb garden in a pot for winter forcing so you can enjoy a preview of spring in the midst of winter’s chill. Forcing is the act of putting plants through a cold period in order to stimulate blooming during an …
Type: Blog
… into a game. We paired unusual plant containers with plants that had some relationship to those planters and asked teachers to guess the connections. We provided an easy example to start. You can duplicate this game using … A pitcher plant growing inside a beverage pitcher was a favorite table display. (This pitcher is a species of Nepenthes.) Home tips Since these containers were not made for plants, you may …
Type: Blog
