Go behind the scenes to see what it takes to put together the 10,000-square-foot Wonderland Express exhibition. Heather Sherwood, Senior Horticulturist, plants a six-foot poinsettia sphere to be displayed in the Temperate Greenhouse during the exhibition.
Tag: garden
Wonderland Express Holiday Wreaths
Many of the wreaths you see outside the Wonderland Express exhibition were designed by the Garden’s own horticulturists. We stopped by to watch them put together their wreaths for the display. See their completed wreaths as well as many wreaths designed by local florists and garden centers when the exhibition opens on November 27. To learn how to make your own, see our list of holiday decorating classes at chicagobotanic.org/school/holiday.
Rainwater Glen with Bob Kirschner
Bob Kirschner tells us how the Rainwater Glen that surrounds the Plant Science Center functions to preserve water quality at the Garden.
Creating Coneflowers
Here at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Dr. Jim Ault has developed and introduced many plants, including a series of coneflowers: Orange, Mango, and Pixie Meadowbrite. Jim works with plants that are native to the Midwest and are adapted to this environment, creating new plants that can enhance a primarily native garden. We talked with him about some of the coneflowers he is looking to introduce in the next few years, and how he goes about the breeding process.
Green Roof Garden plants in waiting…
It’s finally going to happen! Check out the many varieties of plants that will soon be planted in the Green Roof Garden. They are patiently waiting in the shade of mature trees near the building until important monitoring equipment arrives. The Green Roof Garden will be a living laboratory outfitted with equipment to monitor moisture levels in the growing media, wind velocity and light levels as well as temperatures in the air, in the various layers of the plantings, and inside the building.
We need this equipment so scientists can monitor the insulation benefits of green roofs as well as plant health, aesthetics, and survivorship of plants in various depths of growing medium. The data we collect will help us recommend plants that are low-maintenance, absorb rainfall (lessening runoff into storm sewers) and keep the building below warm in winter and cool in the summer (lessening energy use), while providing an aesthetic retreat.
Keep posted for the arrival of the equipment and the planting!