… How one humble scientist used his botanical superpowers to solve a real-world problem, successfully tackling agricultural sustainability and economic stability at the same time. Think you couldn't name a single botanist? You probably know this one—George … Washington Carver did not seek wealth or fame for his work. He found personal satisfaction in scientific discovery and using his talents to make the world a better place for farmers and …
Type: Blog
… The Crescent The Esplanade Native Plant Garden Farwell Landscape Garden Graham Bulb Garden, … Nights are held. Rex also cares for the Native Plant Garden, which showcases plants native to Illinois, and the Landscape Garden, which is a designed at a smaller scale to be relevant to … Rex graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, with a bachelor of science degree in horticulture. She has worked at the Garden since 2003, when she began work as a seasonal …
Type: Staff bio
… Chester Jankowski, Jr., is the senior horticulturist for the Grunsfeld Children’s Growing Garden and the Kleinman Family … is responsible for designing and maintaining the gardens, and working with the education staff to make all the annual displays at the Children’s Growing Garden accessible to everyone. At the … Express and the Orchid Show during the winter seasons. Jankowski started working at the Garden in 2015 as a Windy City Harvest intern. He interned at the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden …
Type: Staff bio
… Looking for a reason to be glad for the cold weather in winter’s stretch? Consider the needs of fruit …
Type: Blog
… Tranquil, peaceful, and serene are words often associated with the McDonald Woods, which wrap around the northeastern edge of the Chicago Botanic Garden. But to Jim Steffen , senior ecologist at the Garden, the oak woodland is a bustling center for … answers to unsolved scientific questions. Purple milkweed ( Asclepias purpurascens ) blooms in the McDonald Woods. “Nothing out there exists by itself. It’s all a network,” said Steffen. …
Type: Blog
… On the virtually treeless plains of Nebraska almost 150 years, ago a day was set aside to celebrate and appreciate trees—Arbor Day. This year we have selected the genus Quercus , the … of the World Online hosted by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Centers of diversity are located in Mexico, China, and the Mediterranean nations. DNA research found that the European oaks are …
Type: Blog
… A Phalaenopsis, or moth orchid, is called the “gateway orchid” for beginning collectors: it requires very little care, and yields great rewards with blooms that last up to three months! Early success with a moth orchid leads growers to try other species and, … you had to repot your orchids shortly after purchasing them because they are often packed in sphagnum moss, which provides too much moisture for the plant. I was also not aware that you …
Type: Blog
… perennial. It also has a colorful history associated with werewolves, vampires, and witches. The plant has been a familiar plot element in horror movies, television shows, and novels. In the Harry Potter series, Remus Lupin, a tormented werewolf, drinks a potion of wolfsbane carefully concocted to control his transformations. As early as Dracula in 1931, wolfsbane casually replaced garlic …
Type: Blog
… Cathy Thomas is the plant propagator for the Plant Production department. One of her responsibilities is sowing seeds for the annual displays on the Garden's grounds and for plants used in classes and camps. She is especially interested in the complex strategies that plants have developed to prevent the germination of their seeds until conditions are favorable for the seedlings' …
Type: Staff bio
… David Cantwell is the assistant horticulturist for the Garden Wall and Berm—the exterior plantings at the Chicago … Garden's signature brick wall stretching along the western border from Lake Cook Road south to Dundee Road, consisting of more than eight acres of planting beds, more than 100 plant taxa, … been with the Garden since 2003, when he began as a seasonal horticulture assistant working in the Landscape Demonstration Garden. Shortly thereafter, he was promoted to Grounds department …
Type: Staff bio
