What is it about dahlias?

When it comes to showstoppers, Shakespeare may have elevated the rose to star status with his line, “Of all the flowers, methinks a rose is best.” But what is it about dahlias that has attracted so many fans and admirers? In our effort to describe the joys of dahlia gardening, members of Central States Dahlia Society … Continue reading What is it about dahlias?

How to Grow More Amazing Dahlias Than Your Neighbors

Get ready for an explosive burst of color September 9-10 at the annual American Dahlia Society National Show at the Chicago Botanic Garden. More than 2,000 flowers in the dahlia family will be on display in a wide variety of colors, sizes, and forms.  Dahlias are indigenous to Mexico, where they were grown by the Aztecs, who … Continue reading How to Grow More Amazing Dahlias Than Your Neighbors

Create a Tropical Paradise with These Hardy Perennials

It’s officially summer in Chicago, and you’ll start to notice a plethora of begonias, impatiens, marigolds, cannas, dahlias, and elephant ears, all planted for a temporary taste of the tropics. If you’ve dreamed about creating an exotic vacation look at home, but wanted to reduce your yearly investment in annuals, consider pairing them with tropical-looking … Continue reading Create a Tropical Paradise with These Hardy Perennials

The Fruits of our Labor—Alice is Fruiting!

Alice the Amorphophallus, our titan arum (or corpse flower) is fruiting! Alice is on display at a new location in the Tropical Greenhouse here at the Chicago Botanic Garden so that all of our visitors may come see the beautiful, dark orange fruit that is developing. As many of you know, we manually pollinated Alice’s flowers on the morning of September … Continue reading The Fruits of our Labor—Alice is Fruiting!

Top Gardening Trends for 2015

The start of a new year prompted us to ask experts here at the Chicago Botanic Garden what they expect to see in 2015. Their predictions might help you anticipate problems, promote pollinators, and add interest to your own patch of green. What’s likely to trend? Rainwater management, cumulative stress problems, corresponding color schemes, new compact … Continue reading Top Gardening Trends for 2015