Dwarf Irises Begin to Bloom


Meet Katharine Hodgkin, a dwarf iris that is blooming now in the rock garden area of the Landscape Garden. The ethereal powder blue of this 4- to 8-inch-tall hybrid of Iris winogradowii and Iris histroides is beautifully etched with darker blue markings and shows a splash of lemon yellow on the “falls” — the three lower petals of the iris flower that may either hang down or flare out. Learn about this plant and more on our weekly bloom highlight page. http://www.chicagobotanic.org/inbloom/highlight.php

What’s in Bloom This Fall

Boyce Tankersley, Director of Plant Collections, takes us on a tour of the Garden to see some fall highlights. We saw the cascading mum hayracks over the Visitor Center Bridge, vibrant color combinations in the Circle Garden, developing colors on the roses in the English Walled Garden and fall color developing on trees throughout the Garden. Visit http://www.chicagobotanic.org/inbloom before your visit for a list of what’s currently in bloom. Also don’t forget to visit the What’s in Bloom Cart outside the Visitor Center for more highlights.

What’s in Bloom on June 1

Boyce Tankersley, Director of Plant Documentation, tells us about some of the flowers we saw blooming on the first meteorological day of summer at the Chicago Botanic Garden. We saw echium in the Heritage Garden, a very rare jade vine in the Tropical Greenhouse, allium in the West Flower Walk and poppies in the English Oak Meadow. Come see us soon or visit http://www.chicagobotanic.org/inbloom for updates on what’s in bloom.