Keep Growing SUMMER 2015
Member Magazine and Program Guide
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OFFICERS
Robert F. Finke, Chair Timothy A. Dugan, Vice Chair, Science & Education John L. Howard, Vice Chair Thomas E. Lanctot, Vice Chair, Government Affairs Catherine M. Waddell, Vice Chair, Nominating & Governance Nicole S. Williams, Vice Chair, Finance & Investment Susan A. Willetts, Vice Chair & Immediate Past Chair, and Chair, Audit
Peter M. Ellis, Secretary Sophia Shaw, President and Chief Executive Officer
DIRECTORS
Brayton Alley, ex officio Courtney Berlin Sharon Brady Neville F. Bryan John H. Buehler Kimberly Burt, ex officio Michael J. Busch Susan Keller Canmann David R. Casper Robin Colburn John C. Connery II Peter R. Crane John V. Crowe Jill M. Delaney James W. DeYoung Anthony L. Farino Peter B. Foreman Steve Fradkin Thomas C. Freyman Dorothy H. Gardner Steven J. Gavin Nancy Gidwitz Ellis M. Goodman John K. Greene Charles V. Greener Joseph P. Gromacki William J. Hagenah Caryn L. Harris Robert D. Hevey, Jr. Thomas B. Hunter III Jane Irwin Gregory K. Jones Todd Kaplan M. James Leider Benjamin F. Lenhardt, Jr. Laura M. Linger Daniel I. H. Linzer Alec Litowitz Anne Loucks Josephine P. Louis Molly C. McKenna Michael J. McMurray Barbara J. Metzler, ex officio William E. Moeller Homi B. Patel George A. Peinado Janet Meakin Poor Anne Pramaggiore Toni Preckwinkle, ex officio Bob Probst Arnold Randall, ex officio Susan L. Regenstein John Rugel Ryan S. Ruskin Robert E. Shaw Tom Skilling Maria Smithburg Harrison I. Steans Pam F. Szokol Collette Taylor Richard L. Thomas
LIFE DIRECTORS
Marilynn B. Alsdorf J. Melfort Campbell Barbara Whitney Carr Gary P. Coughlan Suzanne S. Dixon Thomas A. Donahoe Ralph F. Fujimoto James J. Glasser Florence S. Hart Pamela K. Hull Posy L. Krehbiel Bill Kurtis Donna La Pietra Mary Ann S. MacLean Robert H. Malott Mary L. McCormack Mary Mix McDonald Jeanine McNally Peter H. Merlin Jane S. O’Neil William A. Osborn John E. Preschlack Anne O. Scott David Byron Smith Susan Stone Howard J. Trienens Ernest P. Waud III Arthur M. Wood, Jr.
We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life.
Dear Garden Member, When the Chicago Horticultural Society created the Chicago Botanic Garden more than 40 years ago, it launched not only what would become one of the world’s great living museums but a leader in horticulture, plant science and conservation, education, and urban agriculture. Today, as it leads the Garden in a model public-private partnership with the Forest Preserves of Cook County, the Society has far exceeded the vision of its founders. I can only imagine how gratified and amazed they would be to see the fruit borne from the seed of their idea. This year, the Society celebrates its 125th anniversary, and I hope you will join us as we honor the occasion in a variety of ways. Read more about the anniversary in this issue of Keep Growing, on page 20. You’ll find much more inside these pages as well, including articles about the tenth anniversary of our joint graduate program offered with Northwestern University, the beautiful and functional Skokie River Valley, a new Windy City Harvest urban farm, and prairie research. One thing you will notice during your visits to the Garden this summer is that construction crews are busily building something—two somethings, in fact. At the north end of the Garden, on the Regenstein Foundation Learning Campus, the Education Center and Garden (near the Grunsfeld Children’s Growing Garden) is taking shape following its recent groundbreaking on April 23. When completed in 2016, the Learning Campus will provide a place of environmental learning unlike any other—inspiring, teaching, and training nature-lovers and the next generation of plant scientists, educators, and conservationists. To the south, near the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center, the nursery for the emerging Kris Jarantoski Campus is well underway and should be completed by this fall. The new nursery is the first piece of construction to begin on the Jarantoski Campus, which will enable the Garden to maintain and even redefine the horticultural excellence for which it is known. Both projects are part of the Garden’s ten year-strategic plan, “Keep Growing,” launched in early 2010. Read more about them at chicagobotanic.org/ projects. If you would like more information on supporting this important endowment and capital initiative, please contact Patty Shanahan, director of planned and major gifts, at (847) 835-6838. Now, as we head into another summer, I eagerly anticipate all the season has to offer at the Garden, and know that as a Garden member, you do, too. Thank you for supporting this magical place through your membership. I hope you enjoy its many benefits in every season.
Sophia Shaw President and CEO We would like to hear from you! Please direct comments or questions to editor@chicagobotanic.org.
Antiques & Garden Fair
Summer 2015 Features 2 Letter from the President and CEO Anniversaries and new construction 6 World Environment Day Fascinating fun at the Garden on June 6 8 Evenings Music for all tastes, all summer long 11 Summer at the Garden Festivals, tastings, special weekends, and more 20 Garden’s Progenitor Celebrates 125 Years Happy Anniversary, Chicago Horticultural Society! 22 Nature, Evolution, and Our Future Guest column by Peter Crane, Ph.D. 24 Graduate Program Marks Ten Years First Ph.D.s awarded this year 28 Investing in Plant Scientists Harris Family Foundation leads the way 30 Introducing Penny Kohlmeyer Meet a Garden volunteer extraordinaire 32 Get Ready, Get Set, Grow! New Windy City Farm launches 34 Mysterious, Enchanting, and Purple Coneflower key to solving reproduction mystery 36 The Skokie River Corridor Behind its beauty is a story 38 Ask the Experts Reluctant lilacs, container options, avoiding bulbs 80 This Season in the Garden Lush summer color combos and many willows
Lena broom (Cytisus ‘Lena’) 3 chicagobotanic.org
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Keep Growing
Summer 2015
The Chicago Botanic Garden is one of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County. The Chicago Botanic Garden is smoke-free.
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Keep Growing is a registered trademark of the Chicago Botanic Garden and is a copyright of the Chicago Botanic Garden. No portion of this magazine can be used without written permission.
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72 Teacher and Student
Keep Growing (USPS 130) is published four times per year by the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL 60022-1168. Volume 6, Issue 3, May 2015. Periodical Postage Paid at Glencoe, IL, and at an additional entry office in Pontiac, IL. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Keep Growing, Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL 60022. Carol Abbate Wendy Griffiths Amy Spungen James Frost and Will Haffner Fran Sherman and Renee Tawa Julianne Beck, Nina Koziol, Jeff Link, Tracy Marks, Helen K. Marshall, and Rochelle Rubinoff Bill Bishoff and Robin Carlson
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ON THE COVER
A summer day dawns, illuminating the Heritage Garden. Dedicated to Carolus Linnaeus, who established binomial nomenclature as the system of naming plants, the Heritage Garden is modeled after Europe’s first botanical garden in Padua, Italy, the Orto Botanico, founded in 1545. chicagobotanic/org/explore/heritage INSIDE COVER SPREAD
The Krasberg Rose Garden is home to more than 200 varieties of roses, including old garden roses (also called antique or heirloom roses), hybrid tea roses, floribundas, miniatures, grandifloras, climbers, shrubs, and several other types. chicagobotanic.org/explore/rose
Violetta gladiola (Gladiolus x hortulaus ‘Violetta’)
Gill credit line
Exhibits. Page 18
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World Environment Day
World Environment Day As Local As It Gets
The annual event is called World Environment Day for its global reach, but it’s also the time to Saturday, June 6 think about what’s happening in our own backyards. This year at the Chicago Botanic Garden, we set aside Saturday, June 6, to celebrate World Environment Day, the United Nations Environment Programme’s principal vehicle to encourage worldwide awareness of and action for the environment. In past years, people in more than 100 countries have participated by watching World Environment Day videos on huge digital screens in New York City and elsewhere, by hugging trees in Katmandu, Nepal, and joining in a range of other creative and eclectic observations.
A keynote presentation focusing on food and urban agriculture kicks off the day. Keynote speaker Danielle Nierenberg, cofounder of Food Tank, a global food policy think tank, will be joined by a panel of some of the Chicago area’s leading food entrepreneurs and innovators. WGN-TV chief mete- Danielle Nierenberg orologist Tom Skilling, a Garden board member, will be at the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center talking to scientists and visitors about weather and climate change, and what the Garden is doing to mitigate problems associated with them. New this year, an entertainment stage with environmentally themed, family-friendly performances will enliven the Esplanade at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. It’s also the day to get an insider’s look at the work that the Garden’s scientists, graduate students, and interns are doing in research projects around the world. “You get virtually an all-access pass at World Environment Day,” said Webber. “You can meet the scientists who work in the laboratories at the Plant Science Center and in field research locations locally and around the world. Their research informs plant and habitat conservation on a local, national, and international level. You can meet horticulture
staff who care for the Green Roof Garden and take an active role yourself through the Garden’s Plants of Concern program.” Visitors can also take home a free butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) plant, while supplies last. The flowers of this native plant provide an important nectar source for butterflies—especially monarch butterflies. Horticulturists will share all kinds of sustainable gardening practices from watering effectively to ecofriendly lawn care to how to raise vegetables organically—like the ones in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden. Ongoing family drop-in activities, including “Rainbow Garden Search” and “Plant Parts,” will take place in a variety of locations. Other activities will include a Farmers’ Market stand run by participants in the Garden’s Windy City Harvest program. The stand will feature fresh, organically grown produce harvested from the Fruit & Vegetable Garden and our urban agriculture farm sites. For ideas on how to use the farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, see what Chef Cleetus Friedman is cooking with the Garden Chef Series, at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. at the Fruit & Vegetable Garden’s open-air amphitheater. Windy City Harvest staff will also be on site with tips and techniques for vermicomposting, growing edibles in containers, and more. Admission to World Environment Day is free; regular parking fees apply. Activities and programs take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The keynote presentation is from 10:30 a.m. to noon; preregistration is required, and a fee applies. The Garden trolley will provide shuttle service from the Glencoe Metra station from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Electronics, Plastic Plant Container Recycling, and Vase Drive 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in parking lot 4
Visitors may recycle electronics, plastic plant containers, and even vases between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Visit chicagobotanic.org/wed for an approved list of items.
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World Environment Day
At the Garden, the emphasis is on what people can do in their daily lives and at home to help protect the environment. Activities and demonstration topics will include “What’s the Current Buzz with Bees?,” “Attracting Pollinators to Your Garden,” and “Prairie Enhancement and Management.” “It’s a day when people of all ages and from all walks of life can get excited about science, nature, and gardening, and explore how they can positively impact the planet,” said Kristie Webber, director of interpretive programs. “Usually, in our everyday lives, we don’t stop to think about the importance of bees and butterflies as pollinators or what it means to landfills when we throw away a plastic bottle after one use.”
Summer Evenings
Summer Evenings
Are Music to Your Ears “Summertime, and the livin’ is easy…” So goes the Gershwin aria in the opera Porgy and Bess, and so goes this delightful time of year at the Chicago Botanic Garden. On most nights of the week, the Garden’s Summer Evenings programs fill the air with complimentary music, with an appreciative audience relaxing on blankets or kicking up their heels when they can’t resist the pull of the tunes any longer. For those who prefer a daytime concert, the Garden offers Tuesday Morning Music. With a variety of musical genres for all ages and musical tastes to choose from, you are sure to find the perfect concert for you, your friends, and your family. Picnicking is allowed in specified areas during the evening concerts. You may bring your own picnic fare or stop by the Garden View Café and nearby Garden Grille to choose from a wide array of food and drink options. Here is what you’ll find this summer: Monday Carillon Concerts are at 7 p.m. from June 8 through
Wednesdays appeal to the younger set, with Dancin’ Sprouts
September 7. Take a tour of the 48-bell Theodore C. Butz Memorial Carillon; guided tours are every 15 minutes from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on concert evenings. The first concert of 2015 commemorates everyone whose lives or special occasions have been honored and celebrated through a tribute gift to the Chicago Botanic Garden. Last fall the Carillon—a Garden icon—was renovated, with the smaller bells removed for refurbishing and the entire structure painted; deteriorated parts were replaced, and the keyboard was restored. The result is glorious, in tone and appearance. (The restoration was made possible by the Theodore C. Butz Memorial Carillon Endowment Fund.)
performances from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. from June 10 through September 2. The evening becomes even more magical for children when they visit the Model Railroad Garden: Landmarks of America, which stays open late and is free for Garden Plus members on Wednesdays. Kids won’t want to miss Miss Jamie and the Farmhands, Poochamungas, and more delightful performers this season. A focus on environmental themes will be featured at many programs, and there will be two concerts geared for children with sensory differences (common in autism).
Tuesdays mean Music on the Esplanade from 6 to 8 p.m.;
come earlier in the day as well, for an hour-long classical Tuesday Morning Music program beginning at 10 a.m. Both
Tuesday music programs run June 9 through September 1. The first Music on the Esplanade concert kicks off with the Redmonds, who play everything from Patsy Cline to the Lumineers. Check the schedule online to see when other performers take the stage, including bluesman David Specter, the Shamrock Ragsters, Rio Bamba, and more.
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It’s hot, hot, Hot Summer Nights on Thursdays, with diverse high-energy performances from 6 to 8 p.m. from June 11 through September 3. Prepare to jig with the Boils, polka/ waltz/folk dance with the Fantastic Toe Trippers Orchestra, and groove with the New Candy Store Prophets. Visit chicagobotanic.org/evenings for all dates, times, and performers. Summer Evenings are made possible through the generosity of NorthShore University HealthSystem and Make It Better. Tuesday Morning Music is generously supported by NorthShore University HealthSystem.
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Summer Events
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Summer Events
Farmers’ Market First and third Sundays of the month, May 3 through October 18, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Take advantage of ripe raspberries, farm-fresh brown eggs, and other treats of the season at this bimonthly event, held rain or shine on the Esplanade. The event features local, sustainable farmers and producers including the Garden’s Windy City Harvest, which sells fresh vegetables, herbs, and honey grown on local farms. chicagobotanic.org/farmersmarket
Model Railroad Garden: Landmarks of America Open daily from Saturday, May 9, through Sunday, October 25, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; until 8 p.m. on Wednesdays from June 10 through September 2, weather permitting. Train and garden enthusiasts of all ages return year after year for the delightful sights and sounds of miniature trains chugging through tunnels, across bridges, and past U.S. landmarks; all are handcrafted with natural materials, including pinecone scales, seedpods, gourds, and acorn caps. More than 5,000 tiny trees, shrubs, and flowering plants recreate the topographical landscape of America. Tickets are $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, $4 for children ages 3 to 12, and free for children under 3. Members receive a $1 discount per ticket. Admission is free for Garden Plus members on Wednesdays. A ten-visit pass is $40 for members and $45 for nonmembers. Bank of America customers: Buy one enrty ticket with any Bank of America identified credit/debit card and get one ticket free (equal or lesser value; on-site purchases only). chicagobotanic.org/railroad Generously supported by Bank of America
Garden Chef Series Saturdays and Sundays, May 23 through October 4, 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. Last year’s featured presentations included crowd-pleasers such as herbed baguette panzanella salad and Mediterranean braised eggplant. You won’t want to miss this season’s demonstrations, featuring fresh, local produce. Noted chefs prepare dishes in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden kitchen amphitheater—and hand out the recipes. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Look for the chef calendar at chicagobotanic.org/chef.
Hello, Summer! Longer days mean more time for fun—and more time to stop and smell the roses. Drop by for these popular summer events and spend the day—and evening—at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
Generously supported by Food Network Magazine
(continued) chicagobotanic.org 11
Summer Events Butterflies & Blooms May 23 to September 7, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting Butterflies & Blooms is returning for another season of enchantment. This live exhibition of butterflies and moths features species native to South America, Asia, North America, and Africa, as well as to Illinois. For the 2015 season, the 2,800-square-foot white mesh enclosure is located on the Annex Road, as you head out from the Visitor Center toward McDonald Woods. The fee for adults is $6 and $5 for seniors. Children ages 3 to 12 are $4; under age 2 is free. Members receive $1 off each ticket, and Garden Plus members are free on Wednesdays. For safety reasons, strollers and tripods are not allowed in the exhibition. chicagobotanic.org/butterflies
Grapevines & Wines Thursday, May 28, 6 to 8 p.m. Raise a glass to an evening by the lake and vibrant spring bulbs at this tasting event. Wines from around the world will be available for tasting at McGinley Pavilion, on the shores of the Great Basin. Pick your favorite and enjoy wine by the glass for purchase, along with light fare. Tickets bought in advance are $25 for members and $30 for nonmembers. If available, tickets purchased on the day of the event are $28 for members and $33 for nonmembers. chicagobotanic.org/wines
Art Festival
Hello, Summer! continued
Saturday and Sunday, July 4 and 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Member Preview on Friday, July 3, 4 to 7 p.m. This is an event for garden and art lovers alike. More than 100 juried artists exhibit botanic-themed or -made art for sale including photography, paintings, ceramics, cement, metal, fiber, wood, jewelry, and much more. Free talks are offered at selected times and booths. Bring budding artists to the Family Drop-in Activity tent for special projects. Members are invited to shop early on July 3 from 4 to 7 p.m. This show was rated among the top ten in the country by Sunshine Artist magazine. chicagobotanic.org/artfestival
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Summer Events Antiques & Garden Fair
Farm Dinners Wednesdays, July 15, August 12, and September 2, 5 to 8 p.m. Interested in fresh, organic, sustainably grown produce? The Farm Dinners celebrate the connection between midwestern farmland and the locally grown food we love to eat with a one-of-a-kind meal prepared by award-winning chef Cleetus Friedman, served with style in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden. The event includes appetizers, cocktails, a garden tour, and a conversation with the chef, farmers, and beverage producers. Tickets are $220 per person and are available for purchase at chicagobotanic.org/farmdinners or at the Visitor Center. Generously supported by BMO Harris Bank
Herb Garden Weekend Saturday and Sunday, July 25 and 26, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. What kind of herbs will you grow for bruschetta or grilled meat and vegetables this summer? If you’re an expert in search of ideas or if you’re just getting started, drop by the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden to talk with Garden staff, volunteers, and outside experts. The weekend features displays, demonstrations, and kids’ activities on growing and using a variety of kitchen garden herbs. Take home a summer savory herb seedling to get started (while supplies last). Selected vendors will be on-site selling herbal products, and special herb-related items will be available for purchase in the Wheelbarrow Shop. chicagobotanic.org/calendar/event/herb_garden_weekend
Kite Festival Saturday and Sunday, August 8 and 9, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Watch stunt-kite performances set to music by the internationally renowned Chicago Fire Kite Team and then…go fly a kite! Join a kite-making workshop or bring your own kite to fly in a designated area. Snacks will be available for purchase. The event is held weather permitting. chicagobotanic.org/calendar/event/kite_festival
Hello, Summer! continued
Heirloom Tomato Weekend Saturday and Sunday, August 22 and 23, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Before summer gets away, take the time to learn how to grow and use heirloom tomatoes in purple, orange, yellow, and other hues. Take part in seed-saving demonstrations, along with other activities, displays, tours and more; you’ll get a tomato resource sheet with seed sources and recommendations to take home. chicagobotanic.org/calendar/event/heirloom_tomato_weekend
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Summer Calendar
Between June 6 and Labor Day, the Garden is open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Garden View Café hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, and the outdoor Garden Grille is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, weather permitting. The Garden Shop is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Plant Information Service hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; closed holidays.
Mondays Carillon Concert Tours from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. followed by 7 p.m. concert, June 8 through September 7 Tuesdays Tuesday Morning Music 10 to 11 a.m., June 9 through September 1. Music on the Esplanade 6 to 8 p.m., June 9 through September 1.
May
Wednesdays Dancin’ Sprouts 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., June 10 through September 2.
Ongoing
Thursdays Hot Summer Nights 6 to 8 p.m., June 11 through September 3. Saturdays and Sundays Garden Chef Series Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden, 1:30 and 2:30 p.m., May 23 through October 4. Sundays Farmers’ Market 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the first and third Sundays of each month, May 3 through October 18 Garden Trolley Service to Glencoe Metra Sundays only; 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; beginning May 10 through September 6. The trolley is wheelchair accessible. Daily Butterflies & Blooms 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, May 23 to September 7, weather permitting; fee applies. For the 2015 season, the white mesh enclosure is located on the Annex Road, as visitors walk from the Visitor Center toward McDonald Woods. Model Railroad Garden: Landmarks of America 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, May 9 through October 25, weather permitting; special hours until 8 p.m. on Wednesdays only from June 10 through September 2; fee applies. Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden Family Drop-In Activities 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through August 30. Tram Tours offering a 35-minute narrated tour of the main island of the perimeter of the Garden, April 25 through October 25. The Grand Tour winds its way around the perimeter of the Garden, providing a breathtaking overview of the Garden’s 385 acres. The Bright Encounters Tour provides an intimate view of many gardens. Trams are wheelchair accessible. Visit chicagobotanic.org/tram for pricing and schedule. Garden Plus members receive free tickets for tram tours, Butterflies & Blooms, and the Model Railroad Garden every Wednesday throughout the season.
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Exhibition: Chicago and Its Botanic Garden: The Chicago Horticultural Society at 125 daily through August 16, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Joutras Gallery. Rare Book Exhibition: Keep Growing: The Chicago Horticultural Society’s 125th Anniversary daily through August 16, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, until 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Discovery Programs in the English Walled Garden, Malott Japanese Garden, and Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through October 4. Model Railroad Garden daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, May 11 & 18 Story Time in the Lenhardt Library 10 to 11 a.m. Friday & Saturday, May 15 & 16 Members-Only Behind-the Scenes Tour of the Production Greenhouses 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; preregistration required; fee applies. Saturday, May 16 Teacher Program: Art, Nature, and Science for Early Childhood 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; preregistration required; fee applies. Spring Garden Walk: Trees for Chicagoland Landscapes 1 p.m.; meet at the What’s in Bloom Cart in front of the Visitor Center. Scout Late Night: Whooo’s Out There? 6 to 8:30 p.m.; preregistration required; fee applies. Saturday & Sunday, May 16 & 17 Midwest Bonsai Society Spring Bonsai Exhibition 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Malott Japanese Garden Children’s Festival 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sunday, May 17 Farmers’ Market 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Library Talk on Rare Book Exhibition: “Keep Growing: The Chicago Horticultural Society’s 125th Anniversary” 2 p.m. Thursday, May 21 Free Talk: “Why Are Gardens Important?” by Ben Lenhardt, chairman of the Garden Conservancy and member of the Chicago Botanic Garden Board of Directors 2 to 3 p.m.; preregistration required. Saturday, May 23 Garden Chef Series begins 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through October 4. Butterflies & Blooms opens, daily through September 7, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; fee applies. Free admission for Garden Plus members on Wednesdays. Saturday & Sunday, May 23 & 24 North Shore Iris & Daylily Society Iris Show & Sale 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 28 Grapevines & Wines 6 to 8 p.m.; preregistration required; fee applies. Saturday, May 30 Aquatic Drop-In Activities begin, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends and Wednesdays through August 30. Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden Family Drop-In Activities begin, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through August 30. Nature Nights: Woodland Walk 5 to 7:30 p.m.; preregistration required; fee applies. Saturday & Sunday, May 30 & 31 Northern Illinois Hosta Society Show & Sale 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
May 2 to August 16 Chicago and Its Botanic Garden: The Chicago Horticultural Society at 125 Lecture by author Cathy Jean Maloney July 23, 2 p.m.
Lenhardt Library Exhibition
Calendar &&Garden Antiques FairFair Antiques Garden
Chicago Horticultural Society 125th Anniversary
April 25 to August 16
June Ongoing Exhibition: Chicago and Its Botanic Garden: The Chicago Horticultural Society at 125 daily through August 16, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Joutras Gallery. Rare Book Exhibition: Keep Growing: The Chicago Horticultural Society’s 125th Anniversary daily through August 16, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, until 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Discovery Programs in the English Walled Garden, Malott Japanese Garden, and Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through October 4. Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden Family Drop-In Activities, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through August 30. Saturday, June 6 Monthly Photo Walk 9 a.m.; meets in Alsdorf Auditorium. Electronics and Plastic Plant Container Recycling and Vase Drive 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. World Environment Day 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; keynote presentation is 10:30 a.m. to noon.
Tuesday, June 9 Tuesday Morning Music begins, weekly through September 1, 10 to 11 a.m. Music on the Esplanade begins, weekly through September 1, 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 10 Dancin’ Sprouts begins, weekly through September 2, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
“Keep Growing: The Chicago Horticultural Society’s 125th Anniversary” Lecture on May 17 at 2 p.m., Lenhardt Library See page 20 for details.
Health Through Horticulture Demonstrations: Aromatic Herbs 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Buehler Enabling Garden Thursday, June 11 Hot Summer Nights begins, weekly through September 3, 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday & Sunday, June 13 & 14 Ikebana International Show 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, June 15 Camp CBG begins; preregistration required; fee applies. Saturday, June 20 Nature Nights: Nature’s Music 5 to 7:30 p.m.; preregistration required; fee applies.
Nature Nights: Woodland Walk 5 to 7:30 p.m.; preregistration required; fee applies.
Saturday & Sunday, June 20 & 21 Father’s Day Weekend Canoe Adventure 9 a.m., 11 a.m., or 1 p.m.; preregistration required; fee applies.
Sunday, June 7 Farmers’ Market 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sunday, June 21 Farmers’ Market 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Malott Japanese Garden Family Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Malott Japanese Garden Family Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Monday, June 8 Carillon Concerts begin, by commemorating everyone whose lives or special occasions have been honored and celebrated through a tribute gift at the Chicago Botanic Garden; weekly through September 7, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.; tours (every 15 minutes); 7 to 8 p.m. concert.
Friday, June 26 Teacher Program: Exploring East and West 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; preregistration required; fee applies. Saturday, June 27 New Member Day 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday & Sunday, June 27 & 28 Sogetsu School of Illinois Ikebana Exhibition noon to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday
World Environment Day Saturday, June 6 Electronics and Plastic Plant Container Recycling and Vase Drive See chicagobotanic.org/wed for an extensive list of approved items. New this year, you may recycle vases and small baskets that can hold flower arrangements. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., parking lot 4
Keynote Presentation: “The Food Scorecard: Local and Global” Keynote speaker Danielle Nierenberg, co-founder of Food Tank, a global food policy think tank, will be joined by a panel of some of the Chicago area’s leading food entrepreneurs and innovators. 10:30 a.m., Regenstein Center; fee applies
Activities 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Garden-wide
Garden Trolley Service for World Environment Day 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., from the Glencoe Metra station Visit chicagobotanic.org/wed for additional details and to purchase lecture tickets. See article on page 6.
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Calendar
July Ongoing Exhibition: Chicago and Its Botanic Garden: The Chicago Horticultural Society at 125 daily through August 16, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Joutras Gallery. Rare Book Exhibition: Keep Growing: The Chicago Horticultural Society’s 125th Anniversary daily through August 16, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, until 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Discovery Programs in the English Walled Garden, Malott Japanese Garden, and Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through October 4. Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden Family Drop-In Activities, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through August 30. Saturday, July 4 Monthly Photo Walk 9 a.m.; meets in Alsdorf Auditorium. Saturday & Sunday, July 4 & 5 Art Festival, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Member Preview on Friday, July 3, 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, July 5 Farmers’ Market 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Malott Japanese Garden Family Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, July 6 Double-Discount for Garden Plus members in the Garden View Café beginning at 5 p.m. Friday, July 10 Teacher Program: Native Gardens 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; preregistration required; fee applies. Saturday, July 11 Nature Nights: Nature’s Music 5 to 7:30 p.m.; preregistration required; fee applies.
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Saturday & Sunday, July 11 & 12 Wisconsin-Illinois Lily Society Lily Show noon to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
August
Wednesday, July 15 Farm Dinner 5 to 8 p.m.; preregistration required; fee applies.
Exhibition: Chicago and Its Botanic Garden: The Chicago Horticultural Society at 125 daily through August 16, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Joutras Gallery.
Friday, July 17 Teacher Program: Fruits and Vegetables 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; preregistration required; fee applies. Saturday, July 18 Nature Nights: Harnessing the Flame 5 to 7:30 p.m.; preregistration required; fee applies. Saturday & Sunday, July 18 & 19 North Shore Iris & Daylily Society Daylily Show & Sale 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, July 19 Farmers’ Market 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. New Member Day 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Malott Japanese Garden Family Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, July 23 Lecture and Book Signing by Cathy Maloney, author of Chicago and Its Botanic Garden: The Chicago Horticultural Society at 125 2 to 3:30 p.m.; preregistration required; fee applies. Friday, July 24 Teacher Program: Heritage Garden 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; preregistration required; fee applies. Saturday & Sunday, July 25 & 26 Cactus & Succulent Society of Greater Chicago Show & Sale 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Herb Garden Weekend 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Ongoing
Rare Book Exhibition: Keep Growing: Chicago Horticultural Society’s 125th Anniversary daily through August 16, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, until 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Discovery Programs in the English Walled Garden, Malott Japanese Garden, and Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through October 4. Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden Family Drop-In Activities, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through August 30. Saturday, August 1 Monthly Photo Walk 9 a.m.; meets in Alsdorf Auditorium. Nature Nights: Harnessing the Flame 5 to 7:30 p.m.; preregistration required; fee applies. Saturday & Sunday, August 1 & 2 Garden Clubs of Illinois District IX Show noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday Sunday, August 2 Farmers’ Market 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Malott Japanese Garden Family Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, August 3 Double Discount for Garden Plus members in the Garden View Café beginning at 5 p.m. Friday, August 7 Teacher Program: Sensory Gardens for Early Childhood 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; preregistration required; fee applies.
Calendar
Saturday & Sunday, August 8 & 9 Kite Festival 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Gardeners of the North Shore Show noon to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Wednesday, August 12 Farm Dinner 5 to 8 p.m.; preregistration required; fee applies. Wednesday – Sunday, August 12 – 16 Health Through Horticulture Demonstrations: Garden Tea 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Buehler Enabling Garden Friday – Sunday, August 14 – 16 Mid-America Bonsai Show & Sale noon to 5 p.m. show Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. sale Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Saturday, August 15 New Member Day 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nature Nights: Seed Scatter 5 to 7:30 p.m.; preregistration required; fee applies. Saturday & Sunday, August 15 & 16 Malott Japanese Garden Summer Festival 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, August 16 Farmers’ Market 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, August 22 Student Photography Exhibition: Focusing on Nature: Student Botanical Photography Exhibition through September 27, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Joutras Gallery. Saturday & Sunday, August 22 & 23 Heirloom Tomato Weekend 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ikenobo Ikebana Society of Chicago Show 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday & Sunday, August 29 & 30 Bromeliad Society of Greater Chicago Show & Sale 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Looking Ahead Harvest Weekend Maximize the season’s bounty by learning tips and techniques for harvesting, preserving, and storing produce. Enjoy displays, demonstrations, and kids’ activities and shop among vendors. Dates are Saturday and Sunday, September 19 and 20, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden.
American Craft Exposition The American Craft Exposition, one of the country’s leading fine craft shows, has moved to a new location at the Chicago Botanic Garden Friday through Sunday, September 25 to 27. In its 31st year, this highly competitive juried show and sale of fine craft features one-of-a-kind, handcrafted artwork and luxury collections from the country’s leading craftspeople. The benefit preview party is on Thursday, September 24. Fee applies.
Fall Bulb Festival Raise a glass of cider to sweater weather, crimson leaves, and family fun at the fall market, festival, and bulb sale. Vendors will sell kettle corn, roasted nuts, and other treats at the festival, which features live music, a straw bale maze, and a picture-ready gourd tower on Friday to Sunday, October 2 to 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (The bulb sale on Friday is for members only, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) Sponsored by NorthShore University HealthSystem
Autumn Brews: Seasonal Beer Tasting in the Garden Celebrate fall Oktoberfest-style on Thursday, October 8, from 6 to 8 p.m., with 2-ounce tastings of seasonal, locally brewed beers. Some featured beers will be available for purchase by the bottle or glass, along with light fare. Advance tickets are $25 for members and $30 for nonmembers. Day-of tickets are $28 for members and $33 for nonmembers.
Roadside Flower Sale Shop one-of-a-kind natural plant and dried flower arrangements made by volunteers, using flowers, pods and grasses from the Chicago Botanic Garden. Choose from wreaths, potpourri, notecards, and more. The sale is Friday through Sunday, October 23 to 25, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Burnstein Hall.
HallowFest: A Garden of Good… and Evil Once again, this event will creep into the Garden to help our visitors celebrate Halloween with activities for the entire family. Look for ghost trains, spooky lights, and more on Saturday, October 24, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., and Sunday, October 25, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. And don’t forget to stop by the Spooky Snack Shack for complimentary treats. Advance tickets are $14 for members and $19 for nonmembers. Day-of tickets are $17 for members and $22 for nonmembers.
Spooky Pooch Parade It’s not too early to start thinking about a Halloween costume for your dog and/or you. Competition will be tough—last year’s best horticultural interpretation winner was “Corndog,” also known as Mookie, a Yorkie/Pomeranian mix, who was hand-colored and hand-trimmed to look like an ear of corn. Prizes will be awarded in several categories on Saturday, October 31, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Preregistration is required; a fee applies. For more information and pictures of last year’s winners, visit chicagobotanic.org/dog/howloween14.
Fine Art of Fiber The area’s oldest, largest, and most unique fiber arts event will include an exhibition of quilts, needle arts, knitting, weaving, wearable art, dolls and jewelry. A boutique will offer a similar variety of items for sale at Regenstein Center, Friday through Sunday, November 6 to 8, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Other activities will include fashion shows and demonstrations. Opening night is Thursday, November 5, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Visit fineartoffiber. org for more information.
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Celebrate with Us The Chicago Botanic Garden commemorates the 125th anniversary of the Chicago Horticultural Society, which created the Garden and manages it today The roots of the Chicago Botanic Garden run deep. Ground was broken in 1965 and the Garden opened in 1972, but its underpinnings can be traced to 1890, when the Chicago Horticultural Society was founded. To celebrate the Society’s 125th anniversary, the Garden is featuring two special exhibitions, lectures, and the launch of a commemorative book, Chicago and Its Botanic Garden: The Chicago Horticultural Society at 125.
The Society shaped the future of Chicago through a series of public-private partnerships. During the 1890s, the Society included many influential businessmen who were also avid gardeners. “At that time, local civic leaders helped individual nurserymen do research,” said Cathy Jean Maloney, a Chicago-area garden historian and author. “This was well before the days when big companies could do their own plant research.” Maloney spent more than two years researching and writing the commemorative book.
“The Chicago Horticultural Society The Society hosted nationally has always been a dynamic organizarecognized flower and horticultural tion that responded to the needs and Site of the future Chicago Botanic Garden shows, including the World’s interests of the public at all stages of Columbian Exposition Chrysanits history,” said Kris Jarantoski, the themum Show, held in conjunction Garden’s executive vice president and with the world’s fair in 1893. Spectacular arrangements of director. “And so it continues to this day by connecting cut and potted flowers were also displayed alongside artpeople with beauty and plant collections from around the work and sculpture at the Art Institute of Chicago. world in its botanic garden, educating the public about food growing and ecosystems, and studying our native flora.” “It was the marriage of flowers and horticulture with artistry,” Maloney said. “Wealthy individuals would send 20 chicagobotanic.org
To observe the anniversary, a special exhibition will take place at the Garden from May 2 through August 16. “There are old hand tools and seed catalogs from the Garden’s archives,” Maloney said. “It will also highlight the major challenges of growing plants from the early days and before the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 to the victory garden era through the present.”
Chicago Horticultural Society
floral specimens by railroad from as far away as New York. For people in the Chicago area, that was astounding.” One fall flower show in 1899 drew more than 15,000 visitors.
Join Us for the Celebration Joutras Gallery Exhibition
An exhibition with the same title as the book takes place in the GarChicago and Its Botanic den’s Joutras Gallery Garden: The Chicago from May 2 through Research for the exhibition, lectures, and book was conducted at Horticultural Society at August 16, featuring several institutions including the University of Illinois–Chicago and 125 will be available Society artifacts from the Chicago History Museum, at local historical societies, and within for $35 at the Garden 1890 through the presthe Garden’s Lenhardt Library. The library maintains a Chicago Shop in mid-June. ent. Join Cathy Jean Horticultural Society archive that encompasses 250 feet of shelves Maloney, author of and cabinets and includes newspaper clippings, letters, and other Chicago and Its Botanic ephemera, but the gem, according to library director Leora Siegel, is Garden: The Chicago a Society ledger filled with the spidery, elegant penmanship practiced by the Horticultural Society at 125 for a disVictorians. “We have some printed materials of early Society meetings that are just cussion of the book and exhibition on wonderful,” Siegel said, “but our magnificent ledger covering 1890 to 1904 is the Thursday, July 23, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. prize.” A recent grant will allow the ledger and other fragile documents to be Preregistration required; fee applies. digitized so that they will be freely accessible online. “The 125th anniversary is a wonderful time to celebrate the people who advanced the Society and its accomplishments throughout its history—and the impact that the Society has made on the Chicago area and the world,” Jarantoski said. You won’t want to miss it!
Fun Facts Chrysanthemum hybrids—the flower fad of the 1890s—featured prominently in the Chicago Horticultural Society flower shows. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed many greenhouses in the city. “By 1900, the Chicago area was identified as having the most acreage under glass,” said Cathy Jean Maloney, garden historian and author. American Harry Gordon Selfridge, the famed London retailer, was once a member of the Chicago Horticultural Society. Many Society members were involved with the creation and early management of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, which was established in 1914. Many people don’t realize that the Garden is owned by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County and managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society. An early mission of the Chicago Horticultural Society was to find and develop a permanent headquarters and garden center to serve the Chicago area. The Society’s Woman’s Board was established in 1951 to help build membership for the Society, and it further pledged to sponsor new programs, activities, and fundraising projects. The Board’s extensive work continues at the Garden today.
Lenhardt Library Exhibition and Lecture
The Lenhardt Library features four rare book exhibitions each year. From April 25 to August 16, the library will present Keep Growing: The Chicago Horticultural Society’s 125th Anniversary, which will complement the exhibition in the Regenstein Center’s Joutras Gallery. “Our exhibition focuses on Chicago-area flower shows, which is a significant part of the book,” says Leora Siegel, library director. Join her in the library for a free lecture on May 17 at 2 p.m.
State of the Garden Address On Thursday, October 1, the 2015 State of the Garden Address will include remarks by Cathy Jean Maloney about the 125th anniversary.
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Guest Editorial
Guest columnist and Garden board member Peter Crane, Ph.D., explains how looking to the past to help us understand the present sharpens our view of the glories of nature
Glorious Mysteries in the World of Plants Popular culture moves in strange ways. Since the release of the eponymous movie, the idea of a “bucket list” has quickly become part of our modern vernacular. My botanical bucket list includes plants like the ancient bristlecone pines of Nevada and the cobra-lilies of northern California. Recently, in the Peruvian Amazon, I checked off my list the giant Amazonian waterlily. I’ve seen it many times before; it is grown all over the world. But coming across it in an Amazonian backwater, untended by people, is quite a different experience. Plants like Amazonian waterlilies, bristlecone pines, and cobra-lilies have a presence. Even brief contemplation invokes a sense of wonder, and sometimes an emotional, even spiritual, connection. These charismatic plants are tangible expressions of the glory and mystery of nature. And paradoxically, that sense of mystery is undiminished by scientific understanding. As Einstein once said, “What I see in Nature is a magnificent structure that we can comprehend only very imperfectly, and that must fill a thinking person with a feeling of ‘humility’.” The Amazonian waterlily is one of the botanical wonders of the world, but look closely and every plant has its own mysterious life story full of evolutionary twists and turns. Whether in the garden, in the forest preserve, or along the roadside, even the most inconspicuous weed is a twig atop the gnarled and much-ramified tree of life. Every plant is a living expression of the vicissitudes of thousands, often millions, of years of history.
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The giant Amazonian waterlily (Victoria amazonica), with its magnificent leaves beautifully arrayed like giant solar panels in the tropical sun
Over the past three decades the evolutionary tree of plant life has come into clearer focus, as we have learned more about living plants, including about their genomes. We have also learned more about plants of the past by exploring their fossil record. There is still much that remains beyond our grasp, but scientists at the Chicago Botanic Garden are at the forefront of current research, including efforts to integrate information from fossils and living plants toward a more complete understanding of plant evolution. And viewing the world’s plants through an evolutionary lens only accentuates our sense of wonder. The leaves and the flowers of the Amazonian waterlily are massively increased in size and complexity compared to those of its diminutive precursors, which begs further questions about why and how such dramatic changes occurred. To borrow a phrase from Darwin, “There is grandeur in this view of life.” Such perspectives, rooted in deep history, emphasize the power and glory of evolution over vast spans of geologic time, as well as its remaining mysteries. In the face of rapid contemporary environmental change, they also underline the need for enlightened environmental management. Looking to the past to help us understand the present sharpens our view of the glories of nature. It also reminds us of our place in the world, and the value of humility as we together influence the future of our planet. Renowned botanist Sir Peter Crane is the Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. Dean, Yale University School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and former director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Dr. Crane received the 2014 International Prize for Biology, administered by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, for his work on the evolutionary history of plants. The award, created in 1985, is one of the most prestigious in the field of biology.
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Antiques & Garden Fair
Plant Biology and Conservation Program Celebrates its Ten-Year Anniversary and Graduates its First Two Ph.D.s
“I think it is an extremely unique program—a nurturing, community driven, collaborative environment in which to learn. I can’t imagine having gone anywhere else.” — Rebecca Tonietto, Ph.D. candidate
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Science
In May 2015, Rebecca Tonietto and Paul Hartzog became the first two graduates to earn their doctoral degrees from the Chicago Botanic Garden’s plant biology and conservation program with Northwestern University. Both candidates credit the program, now in its tenth year, with nurturing their research interests through field work and lab investigation, providing exceptional faculty mentorship, and giving them the freedom to pursue original questions about which they are passionate. The graduate program had also conferred 50 master’s degrees by the end of May. The graduate program, directed by associate conservation scientist Nyree Zerega, Ph.D., began in 2005 as a partnership between Northwestern University and the Garden, intended to leverage the assets of each to offer a master’s degree in plant biology and conservation. At the time, Northwestern lacked a plant biology department and the Garden sought to expand its education and training efforts in plant conservation science through a professionally oriented master’s program. “We knew how to run a graduate program and grant degrees, but we didn’t have subject-matter experts,” said Daniel Linzer, Ph.D., provost of Northwestern University and professor of molecular biosciences. “It was an ideal partnership, which expanded our work in biology, anthropology, and other fields.” The program accepted its first cohort of Ph.D. students in 2009, the same year the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center opened. Recently, the program added a one-year internship-based master’s degree in land management and conservation to its offerings. (Left) Rebecca Tonietto, Ph.D., is studying the effects of tallgrass prairie restoration on native bee communities. (Top) The Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center is home to the Chicago Botanic Garden’s graduate program in plant biology and conservation, offered in partnership with Northwestern University.
What’s the Buzz? Tonietto’s research focuses on bees—specifically, the effect tallgrass prairie restoration is having on native bee communities. At research sites throughout northeastern Illinois, she collects them—more than 6,000 to date—in fine nets or small, condiment-sized cups painted ultraviolet colors and filled with soapy water. After washing and drying the captured bees, she does the delicate work of classifying them with the aid of a tea straw and a microscope in the Plant Science Center’s Abbott Ecology Laboratory. She then works with expert taxonomists to identify the bee species. Many of the collected bees are preserved in the Garden’s Nancy Poole Rich Herbarium. For her master’s work in the program, Tonietto documented bee species new to green roofs in Chicago, traced the occurrence of Old World bee species, and compared bee communities of Chicago green roofs, parks, and prairies. For her doctoral work, she investigated how tallgrass prairie restoration in former agricultural fields is affecting native bee communities and their diversity, abundance, and community composition.
Delving Deep While Tonietto’s research involves the collection and study of bees, Hartzog’s is rooted in the measurement of something equally important if perhaps less tangible—nitrogen. Hartzog’s dissertation, which includes analyses of 270 soil, water, and plant extract samples collected from 10 locations in southern Wisconsin wetlands, sheds light on the complex relationships among invasive species, land restoration, and denitrification. By comparing denitrification in undisturbed sedge meadows, restored wetlands, and plant communities invaded by reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea), Hartzog is learning how these distinct plant communities perform, or fail to perform, important ecological services that support biodiversity, mitigate water pollution from fertilizer runoff, and sustain suitable habitat for rare and endangered species. “If we restore wetland area where it has been lost, we can offset the effects of fertilizer from farmland; wetlands (continued) chicagobotanic.org 25
Antiques & Garden Fair Paul Hartzog, Ph.D., studies denitrification potential of soil samples extracted from 10 different wetlands in southern Wisconsin.
provide conditions for bacteria to live and be happy,” Hartzog said. “Through denitrification, these bacteria convert biologically available nitrogen from wetlands into a gas that returns to the atmosphere.” Conservation scientist Dan Larkin, Ph.D., one of 14 Garden scientists with a faculty appointment at Northwestern University, mentored Tonietto and Hartzog. Both graduates credit him for being a consistent source of inspiration, advice, and encouragement. Going forward, Tonietto plans to enter academia, teaching at a university and conducting research. Hartzog plans to transition out of academia into more of an industry role, and is exploring options relating to data science and consulting. Graduates from the master’s degree program in plant biology and conservation also pursued projects for which they have a passion. Alicia Foxx, now in the doctoral program, studied invasive species in the Colorado Plateau. Byron Tsang, is a project manager and ecologist with the Chicago Park District, investigated environmental factors that affect the reintroduction of two native woodland legume species in the Garden’s McDonald Woods. As part of her master’s thesis, Tracy Misiewicz did field work in a rainforest in Cameroon to 26 chicagobotanic.org
learn about the reproductive ecology of the plant species Dorstenia ciliata. Misiewicz went on to get her Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley, and works as a science project specialist for the Organic Center, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C. Eighty-four percent of graduate-program alumni have gone on to jobs in the field of plant biology, including as a natural resources coordinator for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, a collections and research assistant at Chicago’s Field Museum, and an energy analyst at the U.S. Department of Energy. The graduate program continues to gain recognition as it moves into its second decade. In early 2015 two current Ph.D. students, Elliot Gardner and Aleks Radosavljevic, received prestigious Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grants from the National Science Foundation—two of only 100 awarded nationally each year. Support for the Plant Biology and Conservation Program is provided by the Shaw Family, the Harris Family Scholars Fund, the Robert D. Hevey, Jr. and Constance M. Filling Graduate Fellowship, the Mary R. Ginger Research Fellowship, Joyce E. Chelberg, Stephen and Elaine Lewis, and other generous donors.
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Science
The Harris Family Foundation— Investing in Plant Science and Scientists Before there was a graduate program offered in partnership between the Chicago Botanic Garden and Northwestern University, there was the concept—an inspired idea that arose during a dinner conservation between the then-president and CEO of the Garden, Barbara Carr, and Northwestern University provost Daniel Linzer, Ph.D. This year, following a decade of thoughtful planning and hard work, the flourishing graduate program in plant biology and conservation marks its tenth anniversary (see article, page 24). The thriving Garden–Northwestern program owes much of its success to key supporters such as the Harris Family Foundation. Founded by Neison and Bette Harris and a leader in the Chicago philanthropic community since the 1970s, the Harris Family Foundation has spurred the launch, growth, and viability of dozens of organizations and initiatives, especially in the arts and education, as well as the areas of family mental health and child development. But plants and plant science have long been a passion of the Foundation and its leaders as well. Bette Harris was drawn to the Chicago Botanic Garden since its earliest days. Her involvement grew into a decade of service on the Woman’s Board of the Chicago Horticultural Society from 1994 until her passing in 2005. “She had a reverence for the Garden’s natural beauty,” recalled granddaughter Pam Szokol, who helps to guide Foundation giving. Both she and Caryn Harris are Garden board members; Pam’s uncle, King Harris— Caryn’s husband—and her mother, Katherine, shared their mother Bette’s admiration for the Garden’s splendor, and respect for plant biology and conservation. As King noted in 2005 in a Chicago Tribune article, Bette was fascinated with the world around her. “It got us all interested in the natural world,” he said. 28 chicagobotanic.org
Early in the development of the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center, the Foundation endowed the Harris Family Scholars Program, a fellowship program for master’s degree candidates. The Garden’s reputation and the singularity of its graduate program inspired the Harris Family Foundation’s lead support, according to Szokol. “It was unique—offered nowhere else in the Chicago area,” she said. “The work of the Garden, and its foresight to develop this innovative and urgently needed graduate program, aligned beautifully with our desire to seed educational programming.” “Our Foundation is very proud of this endeavor,” Szokol continued. “The caliber of students is so rewarding, as is the quality of the education they are receiving. We are confident that this Garden–Northwestern partnership will make an impact in local, national, and international communities—not only today, but for generations to come.” The Foundation also funded the establishment of the Harris Family Foundation Plant Genetics Laboratory in the Plant Science Center, which opened in 2009. The Plant Genetics Laboratory contains the equipment scientists use to extract and sequence DNA as they investigate such topics as the genetic diversity remaining in fragmented plant populations and the wild crop relatives of underutilized food crops.
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Volunteers
Meet Penny Kohlmeyer, Volunteer and Donor Extraordinaire “I have to be honest,” said Chicago Botanic Garden volunteer and donor Penny Kohlmeyer with a laugh, “my mother and brother were the avid gardeners in my family. I never shared their interest, though I love a beautiful garden.” Kohlmeyer relishes the creative aspect of designing an aesthetically pleasing garden, which she did for her Winnetka home landscape. On a larger scale, she appreciates the beauty of the Garden and the diversity of its plants—and she has a personal understanding of the depth and breadth of its extensive collections. Penny and her husband Glenn have volunteered thousands of hours at the Garden since 2000. What enticed this reluctant gardener to dedicate her time and talents to the Garden, and to encourage her husband to get involved as well? A suggestion from a friend. “She helped collect oral histories from Garden staff and assured me I would not have to dig in the dirt to play a role here,” explained Kohlmeyer. “My friend convinced me there was a broad selection of nongardening volunteer opportunities in which I could use my writing and training experience.” Before coming to the Garden, Kohlmeyer developed and implemented employee training programs at Continental Bank, and spent many years volunteering on the board of the Winnetka Historical Society, where she cofounded and edited the organization’s outreach newspaper. Kohlmeyer is an enthusiastic and accomplished baker who delivers weekly treats to appreciative Garden staff and volunteers, so she was delighted that her first volunteer assignment at the Garden was working at a lecture by Julia Child. 30 chicagobotanic.org
In addition to special events work, during her 14 years as a volunteer Kohlmeyer has led a team of volunteers responsible for the Garden’s Bloom Cart display, and researched and documented procedures for several volunteer jobs in Living Plant Documentation. She is also a member of the team that maintains and updates the “What’s in Bloom” section of the Garden’s website. During the past three years, she has helped research and write plant descriptions for the Garden’s smartphone app— GardenGuide—which features photos and detailed information about the Garden’s collection of nearly 2.6 million plants, plus ten audio tours of select Garden displays. Time and again, Kohlmeyer’s supervisors applaud her extraordinary attention to detail, precision, and timeliness (along with her tantalizing tiramisu). In addition to joyfully committing their time to the Garden, the Kohlmeyers are steadfast donors. They regularly contribute to the Garden’s Annual Fund, and since their donations are matched by BMO Harris, the company from which Glenn retired, their gifts are increased by 50 percent. Penny and Glenn have included the Garden in their estate plans as members of the Garden’s Heritage Society, and have also made gifts to the Blooming Campaign and in memory of Penny’s mother, brother, and mother-in-law. With enthusiasm and efficiency, Kohlmeyer juggles myriad volunteer commitments and has operated her beloved brother’s New Mexico-based botanical products business since his death eight years ago. Busy as she is, she always finds time for the Chicago Botanic Garden. “I love the people and the place,” said Kohlmeyer. “The Garden is a beautiful living museum, and it’s a pleasure to help share educational and interesting information with our visitors.” Visit chicagobotanic.org/donate/ to learn of the many ways to support the Chicago Botanic Garden.
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Windy City Harvest Helps PCC Austin Community Farm Take Root Something is growing in a food desert on Chicago’s West Side. A farm designed, built, and managed by Windy City Harvest for the PCC Austin Family Health Center began operation in the spring to help provide more of what the challenged Austin neighborhood lacks—ready access to produce that is fresh, affordable, and nearby—and enable the center’s patients to more easily fill the prescription for healthy living they receive in the examination room: eat more fresh vegetables. Spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, and other produce grown at the farm will be sold on-site. The project finds Windy City Harvest, the Chicago Botanic Garden urban agriculture and jobs-training program, partnered with an urban health provider, PCC Community Wellness Center, in paired missions of feeding communities and improving the health of those living in them. The Austin location is one of the PCC system’s 11 Chicago-area centers. “We needed to come out of the four walls of our medical center and look at ways to give back to the community, get the community involved, explore ways to change the environment, and let people learn about gardening,” said Bob Urso, PCC president and CEO, explaining the project’s genesis. Funding comes from a $350,000 Humana Communities Benefit grant awarded to PCC Wellness Community Center by the Humana Foundation. The farm’s groundbreaking took place in October on a grassy vacant lot a few steps from PCC’s modern LEED Gold-certified building at Lake Street and Lotus Avenue. Called the PCC Austin Community Farm until neighborhood residents choose a permanent name, the 32 chicagobotanic.org
8,000-square-foot site comprises more than 20 raised beds that include plots where eight families each year can grow food for their own use, a hoophouse (similar to a greenhouse), and a small outdoor seating area surrounded by fruit trees for gatherings and relaxation. Housing flanks the 50-foot-wide, fenced-in farm on two sides, with a parking lot on the third and more homes across the street. Trains rumble by on the Chicago Transit Authority elevated tracks a half block away. The farm’s seasonal coordinator is Windy City Harvest’s Brittany Calendo, whose role dovetails with her background in public health and social work. “It’s exciting to look at the farm as a away of promoting health and preventing disease rather than just treating symptoms,” she said. Plans include monthly workshops on nutrition and gardening for neighbors and patients led by Windy City Harvest and PCC. “Preventive medicine is some of the best medicine,” agreed Humana spokesperson Cathryn Donaldson. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with PCC on this important initiative.” Looking ahead, Urso said he will know the farm has achieved success when he meets patients who say they feel healthier and whose chronic conditions are under control after learning to eat better. While it is among Chicago’s poorest neighborhoods, “Austin is beautiful,” Tyrise Brinson said of the people in the place where she grew up and lives now. Although no one believes the project can by itself meet the area’s produce needs or change lifelong eating habits overnight, “It breaks cycles within the community,” Brinson said. “It’s the beginning of a chain of beautiful events to come.”
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Orchestrating Synchrony in the Prairie
This summer, in a small patch of prairie surrounded by the expansive corn and soybean fields of western Minnesota, Stuart Wagenius, Ph.D., senior scientist at the Chicago Botanic Garden, feels right at home. He has studied these fragmented natural areas for the past 20 years. When he began his doctoral research there in 1995, Dr. Wagenius took the first step toward what would become a lifetime fascination with the prairie and the local species of purple coneflower, Echinacea angustifolia. He has returned to expand upon his research every summer since, bringing along prospective young scientists who are eager to learn.
Wagenius’s ingenuity and extensive data on the species come together in the NSF project. He is studying several key elements that impact reproduction: the distance between plants, their genetic compatibility, and how much their flowering overlaps (flowering synchrony). Then, he will develop a sophisticated mathematical formula and software program to help understand how these three factors influence reproductive success in Echinacea, other plant species, and even animals. With this new information, Wagenius will develop management recommendations for purple coneflower, and software that can be used by other researchers.
The long-lived purple coneflower plants are full of mysteries that enchant and fascinate Wagenius, who has pursued a progressive chain of research questions to better understand—and perhaps save—them.
“I have a feeling this is going to be pretty valuable for many plants,” said Wagenius. “Echinacea is a really good model system to develop this for because we have so many plants mapped and we’ve developed techniques for assessing their timing and compatibility. That’s not really developed for other species, so our tools will help other people do that.”
“At the moment, we’re really concerned about the pollination of the purple coneflower out in Minnesota,” he said. Over the years, the scientist has seen the plants struggle to reproduce in the face of various environmental challenges, a factor that is critical to their ability to persist. “Essentially, we’re trying to figure out why they are not getting pollinated,” he said. For this purpose, Wagenius is hard at work on a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded project, for which he and his team are examining the reproductive conditions and experiences of the coneflower.
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He expects his findings will naturally extend beyond botany. “The general idea of mating synchrony and compatibility is also relevant to other organisms, including insects and fish,” he said. In the field, Wagenius and his team map the location of newly flowering plants using high-tech GPS units and survey equipment. They also use maps to locate and check up on plants that were mapped in previous years. If a
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plant flowers that year, the researchers return every two days to monitor its flowering progress. In total, about 1,300 plants are monitored each summer. For an Echinacea angustifolia plant to reproduce successfully, Wagenius explained, it must flower at the same time as other plants, be located close enough to other actively flowering plants so that pollinators can carry pollen between them, and receive pollen with which it is genetically compatible. As he inspects his study plants in the field, Wagenius hopes to find the three factors working in synchrony to promote successful reproduction. However, Wagenius has found that plants in small, isolated prairies receive little compatible pollen and don’t always flower at the same time. In addition to collecting data in the field, the researchers also take samples from the plants for study in the lab. Last summer, the first of field work for this three-year NSF study, they collected 193 plant heads, each with about 150 fruits. In the fall, as they do every year, a dedicated team of volunteers gathered around a long table in a laboratory at the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center to clean and count the seeds from those heads. They used a variety of tools, from the lowtech, dull pencil that helps them extract fruits from the head, to the high-tech digital X-ray machines that facilitate a deeper look, to computers that help count the number of seeds they find. All of the data helps Wagenius characterize circumstances that promote reproductive success. “With that information we can then offer recommendations,” he explained. Suggestions might address how often a controlled burn should be conducted on a prairie to promote flowering, or whether managers should restore corridors and manage for prairie size. When Wagenius visits the prairie, he returns the seeds from his lab work to the exact location from which they came, sprinkling them at the base of the plant with the same level of care and attention he has shown for the species throughout his career. “I focus on one species, but that is just a scientific decision,” he noted. “I love all the plants out there—and the whole prairie. I think the more we understand it, the better we can manage the remaining prairie. And the more people learn about the prairie and its plants, the more excited they get.”
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Antiques & Garden Fair The Skokie River Corridor
A River Runs Through It “Across from Evening Island, adjacent to the pedestrian path, is one of my favorite vantage points of the Skokie River. Here, visitors can admire the river corridor up close. On sunny days the surface glistens as water flows over gravel. Lucky visitors may see a heron taking wing after it feeds on the aquatic insects living in the gravel. Downstream, the river meanders, its banks bordered by plants. The view and experience are captivating.” — Joan O’Shaughnessy, Chicago Botanic Garden senior ecologist for river and prairie ecosystems Among the Chicago Botanic Garden’s four natural areas is a one-mile stretch of the Skokie River that flows along its western perimeter. Its beauty and diversity today seem timeless, but the Garden’s Skokie River Corridor—as it is now called—has undergone significant changes over time. Originally a meandering stream fed by groundwater, the river was part of a large marsh and prairie complex of diverse sedge meadow and wet prairie communities that supported abundant wildlife. In the 1900s, pressure mounted to drain the Skokie Marsh for development—to address flooding, abate mosquitos, and remove smoke that emerged from smoldering peat. Eventually the river was dredged and straightened, creating a channel that deflected water off the land, but also eliminating the rich shoreline habitats and associated wildlife. In 1994, the Garden began a project to enhance this stretch of river. Senior ecologist Joan O’Shaughnessy started her job at the Garden that year, and she has led the project’s team 36 chicagobotanic.org
ever since. A primary goal was to improve water quality by stabilizing the stream banks with plants, reducing the amount of soil deposited in the stream. The team planted willows (Salix spp.) and blue-fruited dogwood (Cornus amomum), along with prairie cord grass (Spartina pectinata), to hold the soil. By avoiding expensive hardscape materials, the project demonstrated affordable and effective stabilizing techniques that homeowners could use on riverfront property. The team also secured coir (a fiber from coconuts) rolls along both banks and into the water, placing aquatic plants within the material, and strategically situated boulders within the river. Both techniques resulted in gravel, sand, and silt being deposited in the channel, creating an inviting habitat for aquatic insects like dragonfly and damselfly nymphs. The coir-secured aquatic plants created a meandering waterflow more similar to that of the original river. The Skokie River enhancement project also called for creating a 12-acre vegetative buffer along the river (eventually
Along the Skokie River Corridor, approximately 200 species of native plants are growing. The corridor is breathtaking every season of the year: golden and wine hued in autumn; peaceful and snow covered with a frozen river in winter; and bursting and buzzing with life and color in spring and summer.
increased to 22 acres) of wetlands, prairie, and savanna. One challenge was selecting plant species that can survive frequent flooding, flourish even in clay-compacted soils during hot periods, and outcompete invasive plants—particularly reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea). Through experimentation, O’Shaughnessy found native species like blue-joint grass (Calamagrostis canadensis) and lake sedge (Carex lacustris) that can survive these conditions. The high-quality wetlands that resulted are the project’s greatest triumph and may be enjoyed today by visitors walking along the Dixon Prairie path at the river’s south end. A bigger challenge has been establishing a tallgrass prairie and oak savanna in the river’s “engineered” (bulldozed and thus compacted) soils. Such soils impede root development—and so do meadow voles. These small rodents are abundant along the river, and tallgrass prairie grasses are
their favorite snack. Management techniques such as burning established native grasses in the fall, which remove vole cover, have helped. After 20 years of determined effort by its Garden team, the Skokie River Corridor’s successful enhancement is apparent in the thriving habitats that have, literally and figuratively, taken root. Today, the Corridor offers the many visitors who walk beside it a glimpse of landscapes and plant communities that existed before European settlement. “The Skokie River Corridor enhancement has come a long way over the last two decades,” said O’Shaughnessy. “We plan to continue our work to revitalize the river communities and provide visitors with a visual treat, as well as information about habitat enhancement and management in urban river systems.”
Life along—and in—the Corridor Summer visitors, look for different hues of tallgrass prairie plants along the Skokie River Corridor: prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum), compass plant (Silphium laciniatum), wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), and ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata), to name a few. Monarch and pearl crescent butterflies will be fluttering about in their quest for nectar and plants for laying eggs. You will also see as many as 14 species of dragonflies and damselflies, including the exquisite ebony jewelwing damselfly. The river and lakes provide habitat for the nymphs of these species. You’ll also see birds such as blue-winged teal ducks, sandpipers, hawks, and woodcocks, and animals drawn to the river, like minks. Within the river are crayfish and mussels, and at least nine species of fish. Another river creature you may spot is a Skokie River Corridor team member, clad in hip waders, working to remove invasive purple loosestrife. Don’t forget to wave! chicagobotanic.org 37
Ask the Experts
Ask the Experts Do you have a question for our horticulture experts in Plant Information Service? If so, contact them at plantinfo@chicagobotanic.org or call (847) 835-0972. Visit chicagobotanic.org/plantinfoservice for more Q & As, gardening tips, and conservation topics. Q. Why didn’t my lilac shrubs bloom this year? A. If your lilacs do not bloom, there are two likely causes. First, they may be growing in too much shade. Lilacs need at least six hours of direct full sun to bloom well. If tree canopies have grown overhead, they may not be getting as much sun as in previous years. Second, you may be pruning at the wrong time. Prune lilacs immediately after flowering to avoid cutting off next year’s flower buds, which form in summer of the previous year.
Q. I’d like to plant unusual containers that will provide long-season color. Do you have any suggestions? A. Gardeners sometimes forget that some of the best color isn’t always derived from blooms, but from foliage. Start with some colorful foliage plants such as red false dracaena (Cordyline) and red fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’) that will bloom until frost and provide winter interest, and chartreuse or red ornamental sweet potato vines (Ipomoea batatas) that will trail nicely off the sides of your containers. Sun coleus is grown in a multitude of patterns and colors of lime, bronze, cream, white, pink, and red. The colorful foliage of fancy-leaved caladiums will work well in shade locations. And don’t forget that the fruit of ornamental pepper plants (Capsicum) offers many shapes 38 chicagobotanic.org/plantinfo
and colors of orange, red, yellow, and purple with both green, dark red, almost black foliage. Shorter cultivars of spider flower (Cleome) bloom in shades of rose, pink, purple, and white and may even reseed. For unusual color, plant blue African lily (Agapanthus) that will last through
late summer. The blooms of lavender spur flower cultivars (Plectranthus) will work well in shadier containers. Even though tropical plants are pricier than annuals, they provide unusual, colorful blooms that will last all season and can be overwintered indoors to use next year. Q. I want to work in my garden beds but don’t know what to do with my spring-blooming bulbs. Help! A. Work around the bulbs, whose foliage will remain after the blooming ends. Bulb foliage should be allowed to brown naturally, as foliage left after blooming allows the plant to photosynthesize, providing nutrients for next year’s blooms. Gardeners often plant other perennials near spring bulbs to hide their unsightly post-bloom foliage. Flowering stems of perennials that are finished blooming should be cut back all the way down to the basal foliage (bottom leaves) to prevent the plants from wasting energy on setting seeds.
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www.chicagobotanic.org
Adult Education: Regenstein School
Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School Adult Education An extensive schedule provides a wealth of choices; instruction by Garden staff and experts in their field ensures every class, workshop, or symposium is an exceptional learning experience.
Embrace Organic Gardening This Summer What better way to embrace the summer than to learn about organic gardening? This year, begin a journey into seasonal organic vegetable gardening in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden. Taught by Fruit & Vegetable Garden horticulturist Lisa Hilgenberg, this practical new series of classes combines lectures and demonstrations to support home vegetable gardeners over the course of three bountiful seasons of growing and harvest. “This series is taught seasonally so that people can become familiar with the appropriate techniques for everything from proper watering to post-harvest handling,� said Hilgenberg.
40 Visit chicagobotanic.org/education/adulted for a current schedule.
Learn about growing vegetables appropriate for the summer, such as tomatoes, squash, okra, cucumbers, and beans. Nutrient-rich soils are the foundation of a productive organic garden, and students discover how to build healthy soils as they explore gardening techniques such as composting, cover cropping, and crop rotation. Classes explore the best approach to dealing with animals and pests and focus on supporting a healthy ecosystem.
The Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden is home to classes on organic gardening.
Adventure, Travel, Plein-Air Painting! Tuesday & Wednesday, June 2 & 3 See page 53.
New! Scaling Up: Lessons Learned from Large-Scale Ecosystem Restoration Efforts A Janet Meakin Poor Symposium Friday, June 12 See page 42.
Father’s Day Canoe Adventure Saturday, June 20, or Sunday, June 21 See page 51.
The Thorny Side of Roses—Pests and Diseases Tuesday, June 30 See page 45.
New! Summer Celebration and Retreat at Mettawa Manor Wednesday, July 8 See page 55.
New! Market Basket Workshop 2 Tuesdays, July 21 & 28 See page 55.
New! Chicago and Its Botanic Garden: The Chicago Horticultural Society at 125 Thursday, July 23 See page 46.
New! Wire Jewelry Basics 3 Tuesdays, July 7 – 21 See page 55.
Backstage Pass: Secrets of the Garden Wall Saturday, September 19 See page 46.
Visit chicagobotanic.org/school/registration_policies for information on registration procedure and policy. 41
Adult Education: Highlights
Highlights
Adult Education: Regenstein ProfessionalSchool Programs
Professional Programs Professional development opportunities and inspiration are yours here at the Garden. Landscape design, horticulture, and conservation professionals and others are welcome to attend these outstanding programs.
New! Scaling Up: Lessons Learned from Large-Scale Ecosystem Restoration Efforts A Janet Meakin Poor Symposium Scientists and policymakers are increasingly calling for large-scale restoration of degraded lands, viewing ambitious efforts as vital for global biodiversity conservation. However, ecological restoration has tended to operate at relatively small spatial scales— as has the research that informs restoration practice, such as plot-level field experiments. This symposium will investigate examples of large-scale restoration efforts from around the world. Some of the questions that will be explored include: How do opportunities for biodiversity support and ecosystem-services delivery differ at the landscape scale? What factors constrain the effectiveness of large-scale restoration efforts? How can adequate resources and institutional support be maintained to see large projects through to completion? What scientific gaps become limiting as we try to scale up restoration? Lunch is on your own. Please bring a sack lunch or visit the Garden View Café. $59 nonmember; members receive 20% discount $29 with student ID, call (847) 835-6801 to register at this rate Friday, June 12, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Alsdorf Auditorium
Learn about restoration of degraded land at the Garden.
SketchUp Fundamentals
The Planted Landscape, from Concept to Choices
Professionals in the landscape architecture, construction, and related industries choose SketchUp because it’s the most intuitive, most cost-effective tool of its kind. This course will help participants with SketchUp commands and with developing their own 3D models. Personal laptop required; software available to download from web at no cost. Try our intensive workshop to get the basics and fundamentals. ALSA CEUs available.
The specific planted choices and selections within a landscape and garden are informed by the site, program, context, and story. This program will outline, define, and communicate applications of planting design within comprehensive site and landscape design. The session will involve classroom discussion along with physical site landscape tours and observations of planted landscapes. The elements of site and client information, site observation, design process, and comprehension within the planted landscape and gardens are keys to the performance and establishment of landscape and gardens. Lunch is on your own. ASLA CEUs available.
Gary Lehman, RLA, G Studio $99 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Friday, July 17, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Linnaeus Room
Lake and Pond Shorelines: Controlling Erosion and Enhancing Habitat
The Art & Practice of the Quick Design Sketch: Charrette Drawing for Designers Join Bruce Bondy, architectural illustrator and charrette drawing specialist, for an in-depth exploration of techniques for producing quick design sketch drawings. We will use multiple approaches to create a basis for our sketches: working from photos, sketch up massing models, self-generated perspectives, and simple 3D (axonometric) forms. It is recommended, but not required that students have previously taken his Drawing & Visualization Skills for Designers workshop. ALSA CEUs available. Bruce Bondy, principal, Bondy Studio $179 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Friday, July 10, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Linnaeus Room
Seeing too much algae, muddy water, and shoreline erosion at your clients’ property? Creating resilient and ecologically functional landscapes along urban lakes and ponds can be a difficult challenge for landscape designers and installation contractors. Over the past 15 years, the Garden has added a half million native plants along our shorelines. Using these national award-winning efforts as a case study, we’ll explore in depth how the thoughtful use of native plants and innovative structural measures can yield waterside landscapes that elicit a broadly accepted aesthetic appeal while enhancing fragile water edge habitats. Part of the class will be spent outdoors. ASLA CEUs available. Bob Kirschner, director of restoration ecology, Chicago Botanic Garden, and Heidi Natura, RLA, ALSA, LEED AP, founder and partner, Living Habitats $59 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Thursday, July 23, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Alsdorf Auditorium This course is presented with support from the Woman’s Board of the Chicago Botanic Garden.
42 To register, visit chicagobotanic.org/school or call (847) 835-8261.
Gregory M. Pierceall, professor emeritus, Purdue Landscape Architecture $119 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Friday, August 14, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Linnaeus Room
Drawing & Visualization Skills for Designers ART, GDC elective In this hands-on workshop, you will receive instruction and coaching as you work with an architectural illustrator with more than 20 years of experience. Topics include perspective, entourage, landscape illustration, master copies, analytical drawing, light and shadow, quick sketch techniques, and rendering skills. This class is ideal for certificate program students, landscape architects and designers, architects, planners, botanical illustrators, and landscape drawing and painting enthusiasts. ASLA CEUs available. Bruce Bondy, principal, Bondy Studio $179 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 2 Fridays, September 11 & 18, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Seminar Room, Plant Science Center
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Adult Education: Weekend Regenstein Gardener School
Bonsai Workshops Bonsai: Intermediate—The Next Step If you understand the basic concepts of bonsai and want to further your understanding and technical skills, then this class is for you! Each session in this six-week course includes a brief lecture, hands-on experience with your trees, and a review and critique of work done in each session. Chris Baker, curator of bonsai, Chicago Botanic Garden $229 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 6 Tuesdays, June 16 – July 28, 6 – 9 p.m. (no class July 14) Production Headhouse
Bonsai Specialty Series In this series we will be covering topics and skills that will lead you from the beauty of displaying trees in winter right up to repotting and refining trees for display in the spring. These hands-on workshops will be interactive, fun, and of course, educational. Register for all three sessions at once and save ten percent. All sessions taught by Chris Baker, curator of bonsai, Chicago Botanic Garden
New! Bonsai Planting Slab Workshop Ever have trouble finding just the right container or slab for a tree or group of trees you have? Well then this is the session for you! In this session you create your own custom bonsai slab suitable for planting trees. Bring your imagination and creativity and leave with your very own custom slab. All materials included in the fee. $69 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Wednesday, June 24, 6 – 9 p.m. Production Headhouse
Weekend Gardener Series
Mulches and Compost
Are you a new homeowner baffled by your landscape? Are you a beginning gardener who wants to learn basic horticultural skills? This series answers gardening questions and introduces techniques for gardening success. Each course investigates a different topic related to your own lawn and garden.
Composting duplicates nature’s recycling process, turning leaves, grass clippings, yard trimmings, and kitchen scraps into dark, nutrient-rich humus. Learn how to select and set up a compost bin or pile, what materials can be composted, how to use compost, and techniques to ensure the best results. You will also learn about the types of mulches available and why mulching is vital for a healthy and vigorous garden.
Gardening for Birds and Butterflies
Rachel Catlett, horticulturist $37 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Saturday, July 18, 1 – 3 p.m. Annex 1
Join Sheryl DeVore for a discussion of annuals and perennials that will attract birds and butterflies to your garden. Discuss what plant qualities are helpful, the importance of plant location, and other garden elements that can lead to beautiful results. An indoor presentation will be followed by a short walk to view examples of plants discussed in class. Dress for the weather, as part of class will be outdoors. Sheryl DeVore, author, Birds of Illinois, and chief editor, Meadowlark, journal of the Illinois Ornithological Society $37 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Saturday, July 11, 9 – 11 a.m. Seminar Room, Plant Science Center
New! Shade Gardening Basics Shade gardening can present many challenges, but they can be overcome. Learn what to look for when selecting plants (in addition to hosta) for the shade garden and how to evaluate the shade in your garden to manage it successfully. Turn your shade into a garden asset! Sharon Yiesla, horticulturist, owner, Sharon Yiesla Horticultural Presentations $37 nonmember, members receive 20% discount Saturday, July 11, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. Lakeside Room, Visitor Center
Wild World of Weeds Join us for an exploration of some of the most common weeds of the Midwest! You will learn the basics of weed identification, life cycles, and methods of control. In addition, Tom Soulsby will give you a close-up look at what has been discussed and help you practice identifying weeds. Thomas Soulsby, horticulturist, Chicago Botanic Garden $37 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Saturday, July 25, 9 – 11 a.m. Linnaeus Room
Bonsai Basics Learn the horticulture of bonsai and the art and philosophy behind it. Discover what bonsai is and the history, fundamental aesthetic elements, and basic styles of this art. Chris Baker will also touch on tools, wiring, soils, fertilizers, and year-round care. A walk to view part of the Garden‘s Bonsai Collection is included. Chris Baker, curator of bonsai, Chicago Botanic Garden $37 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Sunday, July 26, 1 – 3 p.m. Design Studio
New! Tropical Bonsai Workshop The heat of the summer is the perfect time to repot, prune, graft, and do all kinds of work on your tropical bonsai. This session will have a brief discussion on care, species types, soil, feeding, and lots of information about growing tropical bonsai. The remainder and majority of the session will be spent working on your trees. All levels of experience are welcome. $49 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Wednesday, July 22, 6 – 9 p.m. Production Headhouse
New! Preparing Your Trees for Fall and Winter Storage In this session, we will discuss the steps necessary to prepare your trees for the fall and winter seasons. Proper feeding, pruning, and winter storage options for both temperate and tropical bonsai will be covered. Students are encouraged to bring trees for late summer to early fall work. $49 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Wednesday, August 19, 6 – 9 p.m. Horticulture Conference Room, Rice Plant Resource Center
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The Weekend Gardener Series inspires homeowners with ideas for their own gardens.
Join Sheryl DeVore for an introduction to native plants. Learn how to identify and successfully grow these natives in your garden, where you can observe them in their natural habitat, and which nonnative plants pose a threat to a native landscape. An indoor presentation will be followed by a short walk to view native plants growing at the Garden. Dress for the weather, as part of the class will be outdoors. Sheryl DeVore, author, Birds of Illinois, and chief editor, Meadowlark, journal of the Illinois Ornithological Society $37 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Saturday, August 8, 9 – 11 a.m. Seminar Room, Plant Science Center
Fall Garden Care Proper garden care in the fall helps ensure healthy plants the next spring. Learn techniques for taking care of your lawn, trees, shrubs, and perennials, including fall fertilizing, mulching, cutting back plants, and protecting plants from winter winds and animal damage. Pointers will be given for fall planting of woody plants and spring-flowering bulbs. Tim Johnson, director of horticulture, Chicago Botanic Garden $37 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Sunday, August 23, 1 – 3 p.m. Linnaeus Room
Preparing Your Lawn for Fall If your lawn isn’t all you would like it to be, invest some time this fall so you can have a healthy and lush lawn next year. Learn the basics of lawn renovation and how to prepare your lawn for winter. Tom Fritz will discuss and demonstrate proper techniques for installing sod, seeding and overseeding, and aerating and fertilizing—all aimed at revitalizing your lawn. Dress for the weather, as part of the class will be outdoors. Tom Fritz, plant health care specialist, Chicago Botanic Garden $37 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Saturday, September 12, 10 a.m. – noon Seminar Room, Plant Science Center
New! Shrub Selection Basics Is it time to add a new shrub to your garden? Not sure how to get started? Learn what to look for when selecting the right shrub. We’ll discuss the specific characteristics of several shrubs that require less maintenance, while adding visual interest to your garden. Sharon Yiesla, horticulturist, owner, Sharon Yiesla Horticultural Presentations $37 nonmember, members receive 20% discount Saturday, September 19, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. Seminar Room, Plant Science Center
Horticulture Horticulture courses help students acquire the information and techniques needed to grow ornamental plants and maintain a healthy garden or lawn.
Tea and Health Since ancient times, plants have been used as catalysts for vitality and health. Tea has long been cherished in eastern cultures for its medicinal properties. Come learn about the latest studies championing tea as an antioxidant-rich, amino-acid powerhouse that helps our bodies function. In class we will taste the teas and discover the medicinal properties of the elixir of a long life. Jordan Scherer, tea industry expert, entrepreneur, enthusiast $45 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Saturday, May 30, 1 – 3 p.m. Linnaeus Room
New! World Environment Day Keynote: The Food Scorecard: Local and Global The Chicago Botanic Garden celebrates World Environment Day with a keynote presentation focusing on food and urban agriculture. Keynote speaker Danielle Nierenberg, cofounder of Food Tank, a global food policy think tank, will be joined by a panel of some of the Chicago area’s leading food entrepreneurs and innovators. We will close the panel session with time for audience questions. Danielle Nierenberg, cofounder of Food Tank $12 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Saturday, June 6, 10:30 a.m. – noon Alsdorf Auditorium
Summer Containers at the Garden Enjoy a tour featuring the summer containers at the Garden. Then prepare a warm-season mixed container suitable for a sun or partial shade location. Your container may include annuals, perennials, herbs, and decorative foliage. Please bring gloves. Heather Sherwood, senior horticulturist, Chicago Botanic Garden $87 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Tuesday, June 16, 10 a.m. – noon or 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Annex 2
New! The Power of the Organic Landscape Garden Why choose to grow your garden organically? Join us as we discuss the reasons for adopting natural, earth friendly methods to grow beautiful, healthy gardens. Learn the keys to successful organic vegetable and ornamental gardens, how to protect trees without chemicals, and how organic efforts affect more than just your backyard. Weather permitting, a walk will follow the lecture. Gilbert and Lesley Bruce Smith, ISA certified arborists and owners, Arborsmith, Ltd., and Verd and Jeanne Nolan, author and owners, The Organic Gardener, Ltd. $37 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Wednesday, June 24, 6 – 8:30 p.m. Alsdorf Auditorium
The Thorny Side of Roses: Pests and Diseases Roses are universally loved, but pests and diseases can temper the excitement of even the most passionate rose enthusiast. Tom Soulsby will review common rose pests and diseases and share tips with you on diagnosis and control. He will also dig deeper into how prevention, proper garden maintenance, and plant selection are the best first steps toward a healthy rose garden that resists pests and diseases before they take control. Thomas Soulsby, horticulturist, Chicago Botanic Garden $37 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Tuesday, June 30, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
Succulent Wreath Create a living wreath of succulent plants for your home or outdoors. You will fill a wire wreath frame with moss complete with succulent cuttings that root in the wreath. This will be a small but full wreath that can be used as a tabletop arrangement or as an outdoor decoration for a door or fence and will last for years, given proper care. Please bring a box to take home your completed wreath. All other materials are included in the fee. Michelle Maestre, container gardener $129 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Tuesday, July 7, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Annex 2
Perennial Garden Care and Maintenance In this hands-on workshop, you will learn the fundamentals of good gardening techniques. Included will be organic and practical methods used to keep a perennial garden in peak condition. Learn how and when to deadhead, pinch back, stake, weed, fertilize, mulch, and water, and to recognize and minimize some common pests and diseases. Dress for the weather, as part of the class may be outdoors. Rachel Catlett, horticulturist $59 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Tuesday, June 23, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Annex 2
Visit chicagobotanic.org/school/registration_policies for information on registration procedure and policy. 45
Adult Education: Horticulture Highlights
Native Plant Primer
Adult Education: Horticulture Regenstein School
Organic Lawn Care Want a beautiful lawn without using chemicals? Join us as we discuss safe, effective, nontoxic practices for creating and maintaining a healthy lawn. Topics will include turf culture, proper mowing, aerating, watering, and fertilizing. Gain all the tools needed to become competent at managing your lawn in an environmentally friendly way.
Horticulture Explore the Garden in classes that will help your own garden!
Lynn Bement, The Organic Garden Coach $37 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Wednesday, September 16, 9 – 11:30 a.m. Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
Backstage Pass: Secrets of the Garden Wall
Hands-on Gardening: Summer Pruning
Hands-on Gardening: Mulching and Edging
Today’s pruning of your trees and shrubs will define how they grow for years to come. Learn which cuts to avoid, which cuts are essential, and which cuts are a matter of your personal style. Class size is limited.
Improper mulching can do far more harm to plants than not mulching at all. Learn how much mulch is enough, where to spread it, and the best material to use, as well as how to edge your garden for a professional look.
The Garden Wall and Berm zips by in a flash for drivers on the Edens Expressway. Yet there is so much to see out there, horticulturally speaking. Now you have the opportunity to join a select few to tour this highly visible, yet virtually inaccessible, jewel in the crown of the Chicago Botanic Garden. Did you know that this wall is more than a mile long? Join us and discover the secret gardens along the Garden Wall. Register early—space is limited. Save September 27 as a rain date.
Dave Cantwell, horticulturist, Chicago Botanic Garden $49 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Saturday, August 1, 8 – 10 a.m. Annex 3
Dave Cantwell, horticulturist, Chicago Botanic Garden $39 nonmember, members receive 20% discount Saturday, September 19, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Meet at Visitor Center
The Organic Vegetable Garden in Autumn
The Sustainable Garden
The end of summer doesn’t mean the end of home-grown vegetables. Discuss and practice how to get the most out of the growing season by adding coolseason vegetables to your fall garden. Learn about variety selection, mulching, and extending the season.
Learn how to create a garden that has the capacity to endure and the ability to replenish itself. We will discuss water usage, irrigation techniques, storm water management, and water storage. Plant choices, composting, mulching, and hardscape choices will also be covered.
Dave Cantwell, horticulturist, Chicago Botanic Garden $49 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Saturday, July 18, 8 – 10 a.m. Annex 3
New! Chicago and Its Botanic Garden: The Chicago Horticultural Society at 125 Join author and garden historian Cathy Jean Maloney in an engaging look at the 125 years of Chicago Horticultural Society history. Discover how the Society helped influence green space in the Chicago area, and see vintage images of flowers and landscapes. Join Maloney after the lecture as she introduces the exhibit, Chicago and Its Botanic Garden: The Chicago Horticultural Society at 125. A book signing will follow. Cathy Jean Maloney, author and garden historian $19 nonmember, members receive 20% discount Thursday, July 23, 2 – 3:30 p.m. Linnaeus Room
Bucktown Fiesta in Rick Bayless’s Garden and Restaurant Be part of an unforgettable, behind-the-scenes experience. We’ll start the morning by touring chef and host of the PBS television show Mexico—One Plate at a Time Rick Bayless’s private organic garden with his professional gardener, Bill Shores. This 800-squarefoot production garden not only supplies fresh herbs and vegetables to their restaurants but also serves as the set for many of the episodes filmed. Afterward, add some spice to the day by dining in Frontera Grill’s private party room. Lunch will be a deliciously comprehensive spread of Mexican food created with gourmet herbs and organic vegetables, including appetizers, entrees, and desserts. Transportation is provided.
Lisa Hilgenberg, horticulturist, Fruit & Vegetable Garden, Chicago Botanic Garden $37 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Saturday, August 8, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. Fruit & Vegetable Learning Center
Lynn Bement, The Organic Garden Coach $37 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Wednesday, September 30, 1 – 3 p.m. Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
Autumn Containers at the Garden
Winter Containers at the Garden
Take a Garden walk to view the Garden’s fall containers. Then create a cool-season mixed container with a variety of plants suitable for a full-sun or partial-shade location. Your container may include annuals, perennials, herbs, decorative foliage, cool-season vegetables, ornamental grasses, a decorative vine, and gourds. Please bring gloves.
Explore the winter containers at the Garden and learn ways to extend your own containers into the winter season. Then prepare a container with fresh-cut evergreen boughs and berried or brightly colored branches. Please bring gloves and pruners.
Heather Sherwood, senior horticulturist, Chicago Botanic Garden $87 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Tuesday, September 8, 10 a.m. – noon or 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Annex 2
Bill Shores, professional gardener $179 nonmember, members receive 20% discount Wednesday, July 29, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Meet at Visitor Center
46 To register, visit chicagobotanic.org/school or call (847) 835-8261.
Heather Sherwood, senior horticulturist, Chicago Botanic Garden $87 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Tuesday, December 1, 10 a.m. – noon or 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Annex 2
One-stop registration online. It’s so easy! Register for classes, camps, kids’ programs, yoga, and more!
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Adult Education: Horticulture
Horticulture Certificate of Merit Program
Healthy Gardens
Gardening Techniques: Session D
OPC elective
PGL 1, PGL 2, GDC requirement
Organic Pests and Disease
Would you like to create a landscape that is more resistant to insect and disease challenges? Come learn how to build up your soil organically. Regardless of whether you are starting from scratch with new construction or working with an older, existing landscape, come explore a guaranteed approach to building your soils in a healthy, environmentally friendly, and sustainable way! The School’s CEUs=0.25
Discover professional gardening through a combination of lecture and hands-on learning activities. Focus on acquiring solid gardening skills, learn about a variety of techniques, and develop the ability to determine best practices. Summer shrub pruning, maintenance of annual and perennial plantings, watering, and fertilization techniques will be covered. Due to the compact nature of this course, students are only allowed one excused absence if they wish to complete for a grade.
OPC elective Are you looking for an environmentally friendly and sustainable way to treat pest and disease challenges in your garden? Come learn about handling common pest and disease issues that you may encounter in your ornamental plantings and vegetable garden. You will come away with possible new ways to observe and identify what might be “bugging” your landscape and corrective steps that you can take to minimize or eliminate the issues. The School’s CEUs=0.25 Lynn Bement, The Organic Garden Coach $62 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Wednesday, June 3, 6:30 – 9 p.m. Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
New! Meet the Cultivars: Deciduous Trees OPC elective You’ve studied the species, now join us as we delve into the many cultivars of deciduous trees. We will discuss their desirable characteristics and how they differ from the species. This class will provide valuable information for those needing to select the perfect tree for their next design project or home garden. The School’s CEUs=0.3 Mark Zampardo, Ph.D., horticulture educator, Chicago Botanic Garden $74 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Saturday, June 6, 1 – 4 p.m. Linnaeus Room
Introduction to Grading and Drainage PGL 2 and GDC requirement
Lynn Bement, The Organic Garden Coach $62 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Wednesday, June 10, 6:30 – 9 p.m. Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
Growing Vegetables and Herbs
Lynette Rodriguez, owner and horticulturist, A Finer Touch $312 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 6 Saturdays, June 20 – August 1, 7:30 – 10:30 a.m. (no class July 4) Annex 2
MGC requirement Whether you have a large garden plot or a cozy city lot, you will discover new vegetable and herb varieties and creative ways to integrate them into your landscape. Learn appropriate growing conditions, average planting times, effective harvesting procedures, as well as common diseases and pests. Please dress for the weather. Lisa Hilgenberg, horticulturist, Fruit & Vegetable Garden, Chicago Botanic Garden $224 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 6 Tuesdays, June 16 – July 28, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. (no class June 30) Fruit & Vegetable Classroom and Saturday, July 11, 9 a.m. – noon Off-site farm visit
Plant Health 2 PGL 2, GDC requirement Plant Health 2 will build upon Plant Health 1. There will be a series of in-depth pest walks in the field (insects, diseases, weeds, and animals). These walks focus on common landscape pests, monitoring techniques, pest identification, and management techniques. Other class topics include site assessment, soil testing, fertilization, and understanding pesticides. Students will have the opportunity to design a basic plant healthcare program. Prerequisites: Botany 1, Plant Health 1, and Botany 2. Limited enrollment. Tom Tiddens, plant health care supervisor and certified arborist, Chicago Botanic Garden; Kathie Hayden, manager, plant information service, Chicago Botanic Garden $337 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 6 Tuesdays & 6 Thursdays, July 7 – August 13, 6 – 8 p.m. Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
See page 52 for details. Tony Wasemann, ASLA, senior landscape designer, Scott Byron & Co. $337 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 8 Wednesdays, June 10 – July 29, 6:30 – 9 p.m. Design Studio and 2 Saturdays, July 11 & 18, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
One-stop registration online. It’s so easy! Register for classes, camps, kids’ programs, yoga, and more!
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Learn to grow tomatoes and more at the Garden.
Adult Education: Horticulture Regenstein School
Herbaceous Perennials
New! The Facts Beyond NPK
OPC, PGL 1, PGL 2, GDC requirement
OPC elective
Information presented in this course will focus on ornamental qualities, identification techniques, cultural practices, and landscape uses of more than 60 herbaceous perennials. Plants studied will include favorites such as astilbe and hosta, in addition to lesser-known plants including meadow rue and toad lily. Prerequisite: Botany 1.
Understanding relationships in the soil food web, the role of microorganisms, and the nutrients plants depend on, can dramatically change your practices. Find out how you can make your landscapes more resistant to disease, drought, and pests, while decreasing your costs and improving the health, vitality, and resilience of all the plants you grow. The School’s CEUs= 0.3
Jill Selinger, manager, adult education, Chicago Botanic Garden, and William Moss, horticultural educator $287 nonmember, members receive 20% discount 7 Tuesdays, July 14 – August 25, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Alsdorf Auditorium Garden Walks (select one) 6 Thursdays, July 16 – August 20, 9 – 11 a.m. or 6 Saturdays, July 18 – August 22, 9 – 11 a.m. *Optional study CD $20
New! The Best of Woody Plants OPC elective In the core class Deciduous Trees, we study approximately 250 woody plants. Join us as we zoom in and discuss the best of the group for the Chicago area. We will also cover species and cultivars that may be less common but are worthwhile landscape plants for our region. The School’s CEUs=0.2 Mark Zampardo, Ph.D., horticulture educator, Chicago Botanic Garden $62 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Saturday, July 11, 9 – 11 a.m. Linnaeus Room
Soils for the Gardener OPC elective Soil amendments are confusing. What to use, when to use? Organic or inorganic? For your beds, turf, or containers? We will look at carbon to nitrogen ratios and roles of different microorganisms in the soil. There will be a discussion of succession to understand bacterial and fungal properties needed for optimal plant growth and of the nitrogen cycle along with soil organic matter, the relationship of plant roots to soil biology, and how to enhance nutrient cycling in the garden for best growth of your plants. The School’s CEUs= 0.3 Lynn Bement, The Organic Garden Coach $74 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Thursday, August 6, 9 a.m. – noon Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
Small landscapes benefit from columnar trees.
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One-stop registration online. It’s so easy! Register for classes, camps, kids’ programs, yoga, and more!
Lynn Bement, The Organic Garden Coach $74 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Thursday, August 27, 9 a.m. – noon Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
Soil Basics, Intensive Session MGC, PGL 1, PGL 2, and GDC requirement Soil is an irreplaceable natural resource that affects plant selection and growth. Learn to maintain healthy soil; use compost, fertilizers, soilless and potting mixes, and other amendments. Discover how water cycles through a garden and affects soils and plants. Begin to appreciate the circle of life within our soils. Ellen Phillips, horticulture educator $337 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 3 Saturdays, September 5 – 26, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (no class September 12) Annex 2
New! Columnar Trees for Small Landscapes OPC elective As landscapes become smaller, the need for large shade is reduced. Most species of trees have cultivars that were developed to be narrow to meet the needs of the small-space garden. Learn what characteristics make this group of specialized trees so popular and how to include them in your next design. The School’s CEU=0.2 Mark Zampardo, Ph.D., horticulture educator, Chicago Botanic Garden $62 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Wednesday, September 9, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Lakeside Room, Visitor Center
Botany 1 OPC, MGC, PGL 1, PGL 2, and GDC requirement Why, botanically speaking, is a tomato a fruit? What is the difference between a fern and a moss? Come join us in Botany 1 to learn the answers to these questions and more! In this course we will explore subjects such as the importance of plants to our lives; plant taxonomy and classification; and the life cycles, distinguishing features, diversity, and identification of major groups of plants. Ellen Phillips, horticulture educator $337 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 6 Mondays & 6 Wednesdays, September 16 – October 28, (no class September 23), 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
OPC elective Daffodils are among the cheeriest signs of spring. Whether you call them daffodils, narcissus, jonquils, or paperwhites, they are all members of the genus Narcissus. Learn how you can incorporate these into your landscape for a fall planting that will bring life to your spring garden next season. The School’s CEUs=0.25 Jill Selinger, manager, adult education, Chicago Botanic Garden $62 nonmember, members receive 20% discount Saturday, September 19, 1 – 3:30 p.m. Seminar Room, Plant Science Center
Spring Bird Walk Join bird expert Alan Anderson to explore the best spots in the Garden for locating late-winter bird residents and the early migrants of spring. Each walk is one to two hours long. Dress for the weather, and bring binoculars and a field guide, if you have one. Alan Anderson, research committee chairman, Chicago Audubon Society $19 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Saturday, May 23, 7:30 – 9 a.m. Meet at the Visitor Center
Conifers and Broad-leaved Evergreens OPC, PGL 1, PGL 2, GDC requirement This course covers more than 60 outstanding conifers and broad-leaved evergreens for the Midwest. Students will learn identifying characteristics, cultural requirements, and landscape uses of conifers and broad-leaved evergreens ranging from shrubby dwarfs to towering trees. Prerequisite: Botany 1. Mark Zampardo, Ph.D., horticulture educator $287 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 7 Tuesdays, September 29 – November 10, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Alsdorf Auditorium Garden Walks (select one) 6 Thursdays, October 1 – November 5, 9 – 11 a.m. or 6 Saturdays, October 3 – November 7, 9 – 11 a.m. *Optional study CD $20
The Chicago area contains a wide range of plants and animals living in different types of natural communities, from woodlands to wetlands, from prairies to savannas.
Introduction to Bird-Watching If you want to become a birder, join this class to learn the basics. On Thursday, you will learn about binoculars, how to use a field guide, and the field marks used to identify common birds of the Chicago area. During the Saturday bird walk, participants will try out their newly acquired skills. Bring binoculars, if you have them, and dress for the weather. Jim Steffen, ecologist, Chicago Botanic Garden $74 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Thursday, May 28, 6:30 – 9 p.m. Annex 2 and Saturday, May 30, 7:30 – 9 a.m. Meet at McDonald Woods Entrance Shelter
Bird Walk: Summer Nesting Birds at the Barbara Brown Nature Reserve
Adult Education: Nature Highlights Studies
Nature Studies
A Host of Golden Daffodils and More
Join us as we look for and study the nesting birds of the Garden. We’ll spend time learning how to identify their territorial songs and how to perform a nesting bird survey. We will start out at the Barbara Brown Nature Reserve, which has good variety of nesting birds and is a place most visitors to the Garden do not normally visit. We will also check out nesting birds of the prairies, as well as herons, shorebirds, and waterfowl. Dress for the weather, and bring binoculars and a field guide, if you have one. A map will be sent. Alan Anderson, board member, Chicago Audubon Society $19 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Saturday, June 13, 7:30 – 9 a.m. Meet at Barbara Brown Reserve, Chicago Botanic Garden
Father’s Day Canoe Adventure How’s this for a unique way to spend part of Father’s Day? In partnership with Friends of the Chicago River, the Garden invites you to participate in a rare opportunity to canoe the lakes of the Chicago Botanic Garden. Herons, ducks, small fish, and maybe even a few turtles and frogs will greet you as we explore their watery habitat. No experience with canoeing is necessary; instruction, canoes, life jackets, and paddles are all provided. Please choose one of the start times that are scheduled. You’ll enjoy a full hour canoeing the lakes of Chicago Botanic Garden. Be sure to register early, as this event always sells out! Saturday, June 20, 9 a.m., 11 a.m., or 1 p.m. or Sunday, June 21, 9 a.m., 11 a.m., or 1 p.m. $57 per person; members receive 20% discount Children must be at least 5 years old to participate Maximum three participants per boat Additional details upon registration
Bird Walk: Fall Migration
Nature Studies Try bird-watching at the Garden.
Take a walk in the Garden and learn to identify birds in their sometimes-confusing fall plumage. Earlier bird walks will highlight warblers, vireos, and flycatchers, while later ones will feature ducks, sparrows, and hawks. Dress for the weather and bring binoculars and a field guide if you have them. Alan Anderson, research committee chairman, Chicago Audubon Society $19, nonmember; members receive 20% discount Saturday, August 29, 7:30 – 9 a.m. Meet at Visitor Center
Prairie Plant Identification in the Field Learn to identify individual prairie species and the most common plant families. After a brief discussion, Dave Sollenberger will lead you on a tour of the Garden’s Dixon Prairie to view many of the plants in the field. There will be some instruction and practice using taxonomic keys, and good field guides will be recommended. Please dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes to walk the prairie. A map will be sent. Dave Sollenberger, seed conservation specialist and ecologist, Chicago Botanic Garden $74 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Thursday, September 10, 8 a.m. – noon Seminar Room, Plant Science Center
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Adult Education: Garden Regenstein Design School
Garden Design With a variety of courses ranging from site analysis and construction to garden art and history, students learn the principles of garden design and how design relates to the environment.
Why Are Gardens Important? Benjamin Lenhardt, chairman of the Garden Conservancy and a member of the Board of Directors of the Chicago Botanic Garden, will show more than 250 slides of beautiful gardens around the world while giving a brief history of gardens, beginning with the Garden of Eden. Lenhardt will then talk about the various roles gardens play in everyday life, farming, and business, while providing beauty and comfort. He will conclude with a description of the Garden Conservancy’s efforts to save and share outstanding American gardens for the education and inspiration of the public. This event is cosponsored by the Garden Conservancy. Benjamin F. Lenhardt, Jr. Free program Thursday, May 21, 2 – 3 p.m. Pullman Room, Regenstein Center
New! Rain Garden Design for Your Property Do you want to manage minor water problems, such as pooling of water, runoff from roof or driveway, and foundation seepage with an optimally sited rain garden or rain swale? If so, this workshop is for you. Bring a photo of your “problem” and a plat of survey for your property in order to design a solution for your property and help local flooding problems by installing a rain garden. Julia Bunn, landscape designer and owner, The Spirited Gardener, Inc. $45 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Saturday, August 1, 9:30 a.m. – noon Linnaeus Room
Garden Design Certificate of Merit Programs Introduction to Grading and Drainage PGL 2 and GDC requirement Apply knowledge and skills toward a working understanding of basic grading and drainage concepts as they relate to design. Discussions and projects will include basic earth forms and drainage patterns in residential landscapes. Prerequisites: Graphics, Introduction to Professional Practice, Principles of Garden Design. Tony Wasemann, ASLA, senior landscape designer, Scott Byron & Co. $337 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 8 Wednesdays, June 10 – July 29, 6:30 – 9 p.m. Design Studio and 2 Saturdays, July 11 & 18, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
Plant Health 2 PGL 2, GDC requirement Plant Health 2 will build upon Plant Health 1. There will be a series of in-depth pest walks in the field (insects, diseases, weeds, and animals). These walks focus on common landscape pests, monitoring techniques, pest identification, and management techniques. Other class topics include site assessment, soil testing, fertilization, and understanding pesticides. Students will have the opportunity to design a basic plant healthcare program. Prerequisites: Botany 1, Plant Health 1, and Botany 2. Limited enrollment. Tom Tiddens, plant health care supervisor and certified arborist, Chicago Botanic Garden; Kathie Hayden, manager, plant information service, Chicago Botanic Garden $337 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 6 Tuesdays & 6 Thursdays, July 7 – August 13, 6 – 8 p.m. Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
Elements of the Garden Join Timothy Lally, ASLA, for this series of classes that explore the different landscape elements of a garden—walks and pathways, decks, patios, fences, latticework, lighting, water features, and art in the garden. Basic design considerations of each element will be covered in the classes.
New! Fences and Latticework in the Garden From picket to basket weave, shadowbox to post and rail, we will discuss various types of fences and determine which design best suits the style and architecture of your home. We will compare the different types of materials used in fencing, including wood, metal, and vinyl. Lattice used in fencing, trellises, and screening partitions will also be explored. Tim Lally, ASLA, PLA, principal, Timothy Lally Design $37 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Monday, August 10, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Lakeside Room, Visitor Center
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Garden Design Color texture, and layout influence a garden’s design.
Planting Design GDC requirement Apply knowledge and skills developed in previous design courses toward a working understanding of planting design. Weekly discussions and individual projects will focus on basic elements of planting design, including an understanding of color and texture, plant combinations, planting bed layout, installation techniques, and maintenance practices. Prerequisites: Four OPC core courses, Graphics, Introduction to Professional Practice, Principles of Garden Design, and Hardscape Basics. Julie Sajtar, CA, ISA, Designer, Craig Bergmann Landscape Design $337 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 9 Wednesdays, September 9 – November 11, 6:30 – 9 p.m. (no class September 23) Design Studio and 2 Saturdays, October 10 & October 31 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Design Studio
One-stop registration online. It’s so easy! Register for classes, camps, kids’ programs, yoga, and more!
Throughout history, plants and images of plants have been woven into the arts—painting, literature, and photography. The beauty of botanical arts courses is that they encompass a wide variety of topics, from photography to calligraphy, botanical illustration to papermaking. In introductory and higher-level courses, students have the opportunity to express their creative flair while sharing time with others in an enjoyable setting.
New! Expressive Drawing Expressive drawing will concentrate on the use of light, line, shape, texture, color, and mark making using a variety of mediums. Students will enhance their drawing skills and perception through techniques to capture their subjects or location. Students may render subjects realistically or work more abstractly capturing the mood, movement, or impression of their subject. We will look at examples other artists’ work. This class is for beginners and advanced students interested in enhancing their skills. We will spend time both in the classroom with natural subjects and in greenhouses and outdoors as weather permits. A supply list will be sent. Diane Dorigan, artist and educator $299 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 6 Thursdays, May 28 – July 2, 9 a.m. – noon Design Studio
Garden Mosaic Tile Stepping Stone In this one-day workshop, create a one-of-a-kind mosaic and ceramic tile stepping stone with handmade tiles of butterflies, leaves, and insects by artist Janet Austin. Mosaic techniques of design, adhesion, cutting, and grouting are covered in making this durable outdoor gem for your garden path. Ready to take home at the end of the day! Please bring a sack lunch or plan to visit the café during the lunch break. Janet Austin, artist $124 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Thursday, May 28, 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Annex 2
Calligraphy and Floral Decoration Learn the art of beautiful writing and the flourishes of botanical illustration: it’s a match made in heaven! Beginners, start with the basics of calligraphy and floral decoration for invitations and cards. More experienced students, polish your skills and complete a project. A supply list will be sent. Judith Joseph, artist and educator $249 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 5 Thursdays, May 28 – June 25, 12:30 – 3:30 p.m. Design Studio
David Dallison on location in the Philippines.
New! The Sky in Watercolor
Rejuvenated Jewelry
Skies are among the most important elements of landscape painting. They create mood, drama, light, and emotion. Learn to express a vast variety of dynamic clouds, sunsets, and foggy days using techniques like wet-in-wet, and dry-brush. We’ll study how each type of sky, its mood and its light, has an effect on simple elements of landscape, and makes your landscapes stand out of the crowd.
Inspired by the little treasures you save and love, we will cleverly combine old and new elements to create spectacular jewelry. Bring your special and sentimental keepsakes, single earrings, buttons, charms, chains, family photos, and found objects and let Bonnie Arkin inspire your creativity. We can create wonderful new designs from vintage treasures. You will learn to solder, wire wrap, and string. Arkin has many examples to share and resources for treasure hunting. A supply list is given at the first class, but you can start collecting treasures now!
Frances Vail, art instructor $379 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 8 Mondays, June 1 – July 20, 9 a.m. – noon Design Studio
Adventure, Travel, Plein-Air Painting! Two-day watercolor workshop Capture the magical beauty of the great outdoors through plein-air painting. Feel the excitement, energy, and ambiance of real light and learn how to translate these elements into great paintings. Whether you are a beginning or intermediate-level artist you can take your ability to the next level. David Dallison will share the skills he has developed as a professional painter for 26 years and will present helpful practical advice on technique, composition, and equipment. He will also share his specific color palette and methods for building up a painting through composition, tone, color, and layering. In addition, you will learn how to develop a lightweight, portable system that will allow you to paint anywhere, anytime. Lunch is on your own. A supply list will be sent. David E. Dallison, professional artist $199 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Tuesday & Wednesday, June 2 & 3, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
Bonnie Arkin, artist and designer $149 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 6 Tuesdays, June 2 – July 7, 7 – 9 p.m. or 6 Tuesdays, July 14 – August 18, 7 – 9 p.m. Annex 1
Mosaic Workshop Discover the joy and beauty of mosaic art in the pique assiette tradition. Pique assiette, or “broken plates,” incorporates a wonderful blending of color, form, and texture. This mosaic folk art can be found in many cultures and is popular today as a way to recycle a favorite piece of china or broken heirloom. Work under the guidance of Bonnie Arkin to complete a unique mosaic from shards of china, ceramic, or glass. A supply list is given at the first class, but you can start collecting dishes now! Bonnie Arkin, artist and designer $149 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 6 Thursdays, June 4 – July 9, 7 – 9 p.m. or 6 Thursdays, July 16 – August 20, 7 – 9 p.m. Annex 1
Classes are subject to change. For the most current listings visit chicagobotanic.org/school.
Visit chicagobotanic.org/school/registration_policies for information on registration procedure and policy. 53
Adult Education: Botanical HighlightsArts and Humanities
Botanical Arts and Humanities
Adult Education: Botanical RegensteinArts School and Humanities
Pop-Up Paper Bugs: Workshop 1 Let’s celebrate our garden heroes! Create a whimsical collection of pop-up and movable bug cards, featuring a honeybee, a firefly, and a cricket, and learn about the fundamentals and materials of pop-up engineering. No experience is necessary, but binding and/or sewing skills will speed your progress. All tools are supplied for this workshop, but feel free to bring your own if you prefer working with them. Shawn Sheehy, pop-up engineer and author $62 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Sunday, June 7, 1 – 4 p.m. Lakeside Room, Visitor Center
Pop-Up Paper Bugs: Workshop 2
New! Studying Works by Master Artists to Learn Sound Drawing Skills Architectural illustrator and academically trained fine artist Bruce Bondy will teach various skills to effectively study and copy old master drawings (and some new) to improve your drawing skills. We will do exercises both in and out of class using several media and approaches, including Bargue plate copies, old master copies, photo reference, and hybrid copying techniques. This class can be adapted for fine artists and designers. Bruce Bondy, principal, Bondy Studio $129 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 3 Tuesdays, June 16 – 30, 6:30 – 9 p.m. Lakeside Room, Visitor Center
Let’s celebrate our garden heroes! Create a whimsical collection of pop-up and movable bug cards, featuring a moth, a ladybug, and a dragonfly, and learn about the fundamentals and materials of pop-up engineering. No experience is necessary, but binding and/or sewing skills will speed your progress. All tools are supplied for this workshop, but feel free to bring your own if you prefer working with them.
Beginning Landscape Watercolor
Shawn Sheehy, pop-up engineer and author $62 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Sunday, August 23, 1 – 4 p.m. Lakeside Room, Visitor Center
Patsy Welch, artist and educator $237 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 6 Wednesdays, June 17 – July 22, 1 – 3:30 p.m. Design Studio
What could be a better spot to paint watercolor landscapes than the Chicago Botanic Garden? Beginners will learn various watercolor techniques, from washes to dry brush. Above all, we will relish the luxury of painting outside in the midst of such a stunning array of landscapes. A supply list will be sent.
Farmers’ Market Bouquets Join Liz Rex and learn how to select flowers and other materials from a farmer’s market. Using flowers from a local market, you will then create your own floral arrangement. The principles you learn will then apply to flowers from your local market or even your own garden! Please bring pruners and a small box for your finished arrangement. All other materials are included in the fee. Liz Rex, horticulturist, Chicago Botanic Garden $62 nonmember, members receive 20% discount Thursday, July 2, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
Chicago Botanic Garden members receive a 20 percent discount on classes.
Personalized Natural Perfume Workshop Create a personalized natural aroma at this beginner-level workshop while learning about plant origins and distillation. Sample fragrant oils will be provided from around the world, including American clary sage, Egyptian jasmine, French lavender, Italian bergamot, and more. Choose a unique combination of oils for the instructor to blend into your own signature scent. Fee includes a .25-ounce bottle of custom natural perfume to take home.
Fiber Arts Workshops Come learn while hearing stories of a knitter, shepherd, and small business owner! Natasha Lehrer, of Esther’s Place Fiber Arts Studio in Big Rock, Illinois, will share her love of fiber arts and inspire you to create! Register for both sessions at once and receive a 10 percent discount.
Silken Luminaries
Jessica Hannah, natural perfumer and interdisciplinary artist, J. Hannah Co. $74 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Saturday, June 20, 10 a.m. – noon Linnaeus Room
Paint a silk canvas with dyes and your fingertips and then transform a simple glass vessel into a dazzling display of playful light, colorful shadows, and silken ambiance. This class is a fun way to introduce yourself to dyeing! Set this out on your summer patio table to enjoy the garden and soft candlelight.
Formulating Perfumes with Natural Essences
$62 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Wednesday, June 24, 9 a.m. – noon Lakeside Room, Visitor Center
Dive deeper into the world of scents in this workshop, where you will learn perfume structures, plant origins, and their historical context. You will blend two unique perfumes during our time together, improving your skills and olfactory recognition as we analyze each blend. Fee includes two .25-ounce vials of custom natural perfume to take home. No preliminary perfuming experience is necessary. Class size is limited to eight. Jessica Hannah, natural perfumer and interdisciplinary artist, J. Hannah Co. $165 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Saturday, June 20, 1 – 5 p.m. Linnaeus Room
New! Forest Fantasies in Fiber Make fun nature-inspired felt! Create a little brown bunny while learning how to form the wool into a 3-D shape, then layer on colors to make a very realistic felt creation. We will also make whimsical mushrooms that are a sweet addition to your fairy gardens, indoors or out! With soft colors, these mushrooms “sprout” from walnut shells. Wonderful for beginners to felting, as we will teach you all the skills to needle felt adorable creations just like these! $49 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Wednesday, June 24, 1 – 4 p.m. Lakeside Room, Visitor Center
54 To register, visit chicagobotanic.org/school or call (847) 835-8261.
Kurtis Conservation Foundation
Create beautiful linoleum block botanical notecards. Choosing images from botanical illustrations for inspiration, you will learn how to transfer your drawing to the linoleum, practice cutting the linoleum, and print the cards using stamp pads to create multicolor images. A detailed supply list will be sent.
The Kurtis Conservation Foundation (KCF) has invited the Chicago Botanic Garden to offer courses set on the extensive grounds of the Foundation and at Mettawa Manor & Gardens, built in 1927 and now the part-time residence of Bill Kurtis and Donna LaPietra. KCF and Mettawa Manor offers 75 acres of land with formal gardens, woodlands, ponds, and prairie, giving students exciting and diverse learning experiences.
Kathe Stoepel, graphic designer $129 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 2 Tuesdays, July 14 & 21, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. Design Studio
Enjoy a state of relaxation and reconnecting with nature through activities like breathing exercises, gentle yoga, journaling, and meditation. All are welcome. Dress comfortably in weather-appropriate, loose clothing and bring lots of water, as the retreat will be outdoors. Lunch is provided. A supply list and map will be sent.
New! Wire Jewelry Basics Learn the basics required to create beautiful handmade wire jewelry. Each session will teach you how to create new components that add much depth and character when incorporated into a piece of jewelry. Don’t worry if your sample pieces aren’t perfect at the end of class. You will likely need further practice at home to refine the skills you have learned. After this class, you will have learned to create some fabulous pieces of jewelry at home. Your instructor is an accomplished artist and teacher who creates stunning jewelry art using these same wirework techniques. A supply list will be sent prior to class. Phyllis Kaplan, artist and designer, Metamorphyliss $125 nonmember, members receive 20% discount 3 Tuesdays, July 7 – 21, 1 – 3 p.m. Lakeside Room, Visitor Center
Watercolor: Painting the Natural World This course addresses ways to express the beauty of nature in watercolor. Each week will focus on a specific technique, such as ways to mix greens or show natural textures, with a goal of a more satisfying painting experience. In the last two weeks, we will focus on such landscape techniques as how to use composition, color, and focus to create the impression of a beautiful natural place. A supply list will be sent. Judith Joseph, artist and educator $379 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 8 Thursdays, July 9 – August 27, 12:30 – 3:30 p.m. Design Studio
New! Summer Celebration and Retreat at Mettawa Manor
Steve Nakon, director, Whole Journey Northwest Yoga $125 nonmember, members receive 20% discount Wednesday, July 8, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Mettawa Manor, Kurtis Conservation Foundation
Watercolor in Plein Air at Mettawa Manor New! Market Basket Workshop Weave this beautiful and functional market basket using flat and round reed. You will learn plain weave, twining, and lashing techniques to form the base, weave up the sides, and cap off the edge of this traditional basket design. All materials are included in the fee. Limited to ten students. Natalie Boyett, owner, The Chicago Weaving School $162 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 2 Tuesdays, July 21 & 28, 12:30 – 4:30 p.m. Design Studio
Build your confidence and capture the magical beauty of the great outdoors through plein air painting. David Dallison will present practical advice on technique, composition, and equipment. He will share his specific color palette and methods for building up a painting through tone, color, and layering. You will learn how to use bold, fluid, loose, and detailed methods for painting in watercolor. Lunch is provided. A map and supply list will be sent. David Dallison, professional artist $125 nonmember, members receive 20% discount Thursday, September 10, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Mettawa Manor, Kurtis Conservation Foundation
Scenic Photography Workshop at Mettawa Manor The morning begins with orientation and basic overview of photographic concepts after which students will be at liberty to capture images. Informal discussion will be held during lunch on the terrace. Students who enroll in this workshop should have a working knowledge of their camera’s controls and lens settings. Use of a tripod is strongly encouraged. Lunch is provided. A pre-class checklist and map will be sent. Jack Carlson, certified professional photographer $125 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Thursday, September 17, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Mettawa Manor, Kurtis Conservation Foundation
One-stop registration online. It’s so easy! Register for classes, camps, kids’ programs, yoga, and more!
Visit chicagobotanic.org/school/registration_policies for information on registration procedure and policy. 55
Adult Education: Highlights
New! Linoleum Block Notecard Workshop
Adult Education: Botanical Arts & Humanities
Sketchbooks as an Artist Resource Explore examples of several artists’ sketchbooks from throughout history while developing your own. Sketchbooks can be collections of ideas, experiments, studies, notes, ephemera, and inspiration. In addition to exploring other artist’s sketchbooks, we will develop a variety of techniques to create and enhance your own sketchbook as a resource. Participants will be sketching natural subjects in pencil, fine permanent marker, watercolor pencil, watercolor, water-soluble pen, and water-brush. This class is suitable for beginning through advanced students whether you use your sketchbook for studies and to work out problems, as a travel journal, or as art in a finished state. Diane Dorigan, artist and educator $299 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 6 Tuesdays, September 1 – October 6, 9 a.m. – noon Design Studio
Advanced Frame Loom Weaving In this class we examine the many possibilities of creating woven forms using a simple frame loom. Students will experiment with the techniques of tapestry and plain-weave, and then explore ways of creating surface, image, and text within a woven form to create independent projects. Students will be exposed to both contemporary and historical artworks and will participate in skill-building demonstrations to broaden their technical skills. Requirements: Beginning Frame Loom Series or consent of the instructor. Pamela Feldman, artist and educator $499 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 10 Wednesdays, September 9 – November 18, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. (no class September 23) Design Studio
New! Natural Dyes Color Mixing Class Students will learn how to make a range of colors by mixing just six different natural dyes that are both light- and wash-fast. We will begin by reviewing the mordanting process and then learn about the properties of each of these dyes and how to combine them in the dye bath. Students will work with their own materials to create a color book of samples. A supply list will be sent to students two weeks before the beginning of class. Open to all levels. Pamela Feldman, artist and educator $499 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 4 Thursdays, September 17 – October 8, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
Botanical Arts Certificate of Merit Program
Close Focus Pastel ART elective or ART requirement, expressive track Whether painting a single botanical subject or a complex still life, pastel is a perfect medium for expressing the beauty of the subject. Your style can be either loose or detailed. In this class we will explore color, composition, and intention. Prerequisite: Botanical Drawing1
Drawn from Nature: Annual Student Botanical Arts Exhibition
Marlene Hill Donnelly, scientific illustrator, Chicago Botanic Garden and The Field Museum $199 nonmembers; members receive 20% discount 4 Sundays, July 12 – August 2, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Design Studio
Watercolor 1
Registration deadline: Monday, July 27
ART requirement
Get your paintbrushes ready and your pencils sharpened! Registration is now open for the 2015 Drawn from Nature: Student Botanical Arts Exhibition. Students of all levels are welcome, but you must register and submit your entries by July 27 to participate. Please review detailed information on requirements, procedures, and submission due dates prior to registration. The exhibition opens in the Joutras Gallery on Saturday, October 3.
Students will build skills, starting with basic color mixing and paint-handling exercises. Students will progress to rendering textures and form in color and using paint-layering techniques to achieve a naturalistic style. Prerequisite: Botanical Drawing1 and Color Mixing
chicagobotanic.org/education/adulted/exhibitions/ botanical_art
Nancy Halliday, freelance artist and naturalist $287 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 6 Tuesdays, July 21 – August 25, 6 – 9 p.m. Design Studio
Pen and Ink 1 ART requirement, traditional track
New! Color Pencil on Film ART elective Colored pencil on film allows a different approach, using the translucency and luminosity of the film to make a subject glow. Unique opportunities to layer add to the subtlety and color nuancing. The school’s CEUs=0.8 Marlene Hill Donnelly, scientific illustrator, Chicago Botanic Garden and The Field Museum $160 nonmembers; members receive 20% discount Saturday, June 20, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Saturday, June 27, 1 – 4 p.m. Design Studio
This studio class will examine pen-and-ink drawing with the study of natural botanical forms, shapes, and dissections. We will study the use of a variety of pen-and-ink techniques (stipple, cross-hatching, contour-line, and combinations); the execution of black-and-white elements to create value, tone, and texture (such as leaf venation, stem texture, and shading); and create positive and negative tones to create depth and dimension. Prerequisite: Botanical Drawing 1. Heeyoung Kim, freelance artist, CPSA $287 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 6 Thursdays, July 23 – August 27, 6 – 9 p.m. Seminar Room, Plant Science Center
Botanical Drawing 1, Fall Session
Outdoor Sketching
ART requirement
ART requirement
Strong drawing is the cornerstone of botanical art. In this class, we will work in pencil, covering the fundamentals of proportions, line, tone, dimensionality, and expression. We will work from live specimens, flowers, seeds, and fruit.
Learning how to make quick studies in the field is an important skill. You will gain the experience to create these sketches, complete with notes on field conditions, colors, plant measurements, and textures, for a complete work-up in the studio. Please dress for the weather. Folding chairs are provided. In case of inclement weather the class will draw in the Greenhouses. $287 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 6 Saturdays, June 27 – August 8, 9 a.m. – noon (no class July 4) Design Studio
56 To register, visit chicagobotanic.org/school or call (847) 835-8261.
Marlene Hill Donnelly, scientific illustrator, Chicago Botanic Garden and The Field Museum $349 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 8 Saturdays, September 5 – October 24, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Design Studio
Adult Education: Photography Highlights
Botany for Botanical Artists ART requirement and FPC requirement, nature and wildlife track This class is designed with the botanical artist in mind. The focus will be on the visual aspects of botany rather than the study of internal features and processes. This class will distill the terminology of botanists into an understandable and useful form. Lectures and demonstrations will explore the considerable variation that occurs among common vascular plant parts including flowers, stems, leaves, and roots. Botanical characteristics of a few locally common plant families will also be covered. Dave Sollenberger, seed bank manager, Chicago Botanic Garden $224 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 5 Thursdays, September 10 – October 15, 6 – 8:30 p.m. (no class September 24) Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
Pen and Ink 2 ART requirement, traditional track This studio class will cover advanced pen-and-ink techniques and composition in botanical documentation and illustration. We will draw advanced plant forms and their parts, developing sound linear and tonal concepts, communicating accurate botanical information, and learning the aesthetics of botanical drawing and composition. Students will work using both a crow quill (dip pen) and technical drawing pens. Prerequisites: Botanical Drawing 1, Pen and Ink 1.
Photography Discover the joy of nature and garden photography with the Garden as your studio! Advance your artistic and technical skills in classes and workshops for students of all levels led by outstanding photography professionals.
Heeyoung Kim, freelance artist, CPSA $287 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 6 Mondays, September 21 – November 2, 6 – 9 p.m. (no class October 12) Design Studio
This studio class is open to all levels and will feature a short lecture and demonstration each week illustrating a principle that pertains to all media. Select plant materials will be provided for the session. The School’s CEUs=1.5 Marlene Hill Donnelly, scientific illustrator, Chicago Botanic Garden and The Field Museum $212 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 5 Sundays, October 11 – November 15, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (no class October 25) Design Studio
Limited mobility should not impede your pursuit of this engaging hobby. Learn the basics of working with your camera, along with ways to adapt your equipment and methods to compensate for your physical disability. The first class will focus on camera basics in addition to specific suggestions for adaptive devices. The following two classes will combine classroom instruction with field experience. The instructor will contact each student in advance of the class to assess individual needs and answer questions. Requirements: Digital camera (no phones or iPads, please). Class size limited to eight students. Note: A limited number of ECVs (motorized scooters) are available for rental at the Garden; reservations should be made in advance by calling the Information Desk at (847) 835-8208. Manual wheelchairs are also available at no charge. Jack Carlson, certified professional photographer $119 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 3 Mondays, June 8 – 22, 10 a.m. – noon or 1 – 3 p.m. Lakeside Room, Visitor Center
Open Studio, Fall Session ART elective
Intro to Photography for Persons with Limited Mobility
Focusing on Nature: Annual Student Botanical Photography Exhibition August 22 – September 27
Opening Reception Friday, August 21, 6 – 8 p.m. Joutras Gallery, Regenstein Center The exhibition features outstanding works by students and instructors of the Regenstein School photography classes. Visit chicagobotanic.org/school/exhibitions/ photo_gallery.php for images previous shows.
Focus on Photography Certificate of Merit Program Garden and Travel Photography The best souvenirs of your trip are photographs of the buildings and gardens you visit no matter where your travels take you. Combining buildings and gardens often presents a challenge. Learn how to create lead-lines in addition to using light, angle, and time of day to optimize your pictures. Classes will be held at the Garden and other locations. A checklist and syllabus will be sent before the first class. Prerequisite: Beginning Photography or general camera competence. Requirements: Digital camera (no tablets or cellphones, please) and tripod strongly encouraged. The School’s CEUs=12 hours Jack Carlson, certified professional photographer $225 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 4 Fridays, May 29 – June 26, 9 a.m. – noon (no class June 19) Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
Visit chicagobotanic.org/school/registration_policies for information on registration procedure and policy. 57
Adult Education: Photography Regenstein School
Photoshop 2
New! Zen & the Art of Photography
Portraits in the Garden
FPC elective
Acclaimed photographer Douglas Beasley will talk about how photographs can better reflect our own experiences and beliefs, including spiritual beliefs, rather than be a mere testimony to where we went and what we saw. Through examples from his past work, including images from his book, Earth Meets Spirit, and from his extensive worldwide travels, he will show how photographs can have more meaning, more depth, and can go well beyond a travelogue.
FPC elective
Douglas Beasley, Douglas Beasley Photography $27 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Friday, June 12, 6:30 – 8 p.m. Linnaeus Room
Dianne Kittle, fine art photographer $260 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 6 Tuesdays, June 16 – July 21, 6 – 8:30 p.m. Design Studio
Take the next step and learn even more about Abobe Photoshop. This more advanced class will further your knowledge of selections and layers, allowing you to do some serious photo enhancement and manipulation. We will tackle some interesting projects such as black and white with color accents, old photo restoration, and abstract art creation. Requirements for the course are a laptop computer with Adobe Photoshop Elements or Adobe Photoshop CS5 installed and a digital camera. Prerequisite: Photoshop 1, or approval of instructor. The School’s CEUs=10 hours Iris Allen, freelance photographer and instructor $187 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 4 Mondays, June 1– 22, 1– 3:30 p.m. Design Studio
Learn the art of portrait-making in the garden. Develop a style of design and connection using the tools of the digital SLR, flash, and ambient light. We will study and practice the styles of famous portrait makers including Cartier Bresson. Capture moments with meaning in your portraits. A digital SLR with aperture priority and tripod will be required for class. The School’s CEUs= 15 hours
Beginning Digital Photography FPC requirement
Black and White Photography: A Study of Shadows and Texture
This course will help beginners and enthusiasts grasp the techniques and principles of photography. Participants will explore the basics of photography, including image composition rules, how the camera works, proper exposure, and the functions of lens aperture and shutter speed. Some minimal photo processing will also be covered. Course requires a digital SLR camera. No previous experience is required.
FPC fundamental course, fine art and nature and wildlife track Students will explore the creation of photographic images beyond color, looking into the shadows and textures that lay beneath nature’s color spectrum using plants and objects found at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Tonality and dynamic range will be included as well as the potential of depth of field. The Zone System of shooting in black and white will also be discussed. Digital SLR cameras are mandatory. The School’s CEUs=12.5 hours Tobin Fraley, photographer $239 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 5 Tuesdays, June 2 – 30, 9:30 a.m. – noon Design Studio
Photographing Butterflies and Blooms FPC elective Join Jack Carlson for a rare opportunity to capture the colorful world of the Butterflies & Blooms exhibition. This intermediate- to advanced-level class meets before the exhibition opens to the general public, so cameras and tripods are most welcome. Participants should have a working knowledge of camera controls and lens settings. Close-focusing/macro lens and tripod strongly suggested. We will meet for a brief orientation, and then proceed to the exhibition. The School’s CEUs=2.5 hours Jack Carlson, certified professional photographer $59 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Thursday, June 4 or 25, 7 – 10 a.m. or Saturday, June 6 or 27, 7 – 10 a.m. Lakeside Room, Visitor Center
New! Zen & the Art of Photography Workshop FPC elective This weekend workshop will revitalize your photography practice by exploring your relationship to your subject, your camera, and yourself. Through photo exercises, assignments, and daily field trips, we will learn to deepen our visual awareness while clarifying our approach, making image making both more personal and more meaningful. This workshop provides a unique opportunity to rethink our expectations of what it means to see. We will work on cultivating simplicity and making more powerful photographs, supporting the notion that a photograph is not taken but made. We become stronger visually by becoming more in touch with our inner selves and then use that awareness to deepen our connection with our subject, whether it’s a person, place, or thing. The power of intuition fueled by the proper balance of contemplation and decisiveness (be mindful/act now) will be explored. Attention will be paid to lighting, composition, depth of field, and exposure issues. Much practical advice will be given in these areas, but more importantly, you will practice using this information to make more powerful and meaningful images. The School’s CEUs= 18 hours
Who should attend? Participants should have a working knowledge of their camera; the creative process of image making will be emphasized over the mechanics of camera use. Open to all degrees of experience, but better suited to those looking to expand their creativity and vision. Douglas Beasley, Douglas Beasley Photography $374 nonmember; members receive 20% discount + $20 materials fee Friday, June 12, 6:30 – 9 p.m. Saturday & Sunday, June 13 & 14, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Linnaeus Room
58 To register, visit chicagobotanic.org/school or call (847) 835-8261.
Jack Carlson, certified professional photographer $225 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 4 Wednesdays, June 24 – July 15, 6 – 9 p.m. Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center or 4 Sundays, August 9 – 30, 9 a.m. – noon Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
The Fine Art Water Portfolio FPC fundamental course, fine art track Water, the essence of life, will be our canvas for creating artistic images. With your SLR on shutter speed priority, we will freeze patterns of design formed by water. You will learn to isolate images reflecting the water’s surface. Using slow shutter speed, polarizers, and neutral density filters, you will direct your camera to paint works of water art. Students will be given the opportunity and direction to develop a fine art portfolio worthy of exhibition or blurb book. Class will include lecture, critique, and time in the Garden. Dianne Kittle, fine art photographer $225 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 6 Mondays, June 29 – August 10, 1 – 3:30 p.m. Lakeside Room, Visitor Center
Intermediate Digital Photography
Water and Reflections
FPC fundamental course, fine art track
FPC elective
FPC elective
This intermediate-level class will be spent applying photographic techniques to create a portfolio of abstract fine art photographs. You will go beyond nature as reality and learn to see the outdoors in patterns. Using design concepts, students will craft creative images with a mood and message. A review of technical SLR tools, in addition to developing your creative eye, will help you capture abstracts of your very own. Class will include lecture, critique, and time in the Garden.
Having learned the basics of digital photography in the introductory course, students are ready to move on to more artistic endeavors. Seeing, thinking, and acting are the next steps in learning to identify, then capture, an impressive image. Students will use lead lines, selective manual focus, and appropriate aperture settings to enhance their photos. Prerequisite: Beginning Digital Photography or the consent of the instructor. The Schools CEUs=12 hours
With more than 81 acres of water at the Garden, these areas and the reflections they create can easily become an image subject. Students will acquire the skills and practice needed to photograph water features with reflection and varied light levels. The School’s CEUs = 12 hours
Dianne Kittle, fine art photographer $299 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Monday – Thursday, July 6 – 9, 8 a.m. – noon Lakeside Room, Visitor Center
New! Photographing the Malott Japanese Garden FPC elective The Malott Japanese Garden looks good in any light and in any season. Whether it’s an aerial perspective of all three islands or isolating a portion of one, this new class will concentrate on how best to photograph all aspects of them in the clean clear light of early summer days. The School’s CEUs=12 hours Jack Carlson, certified professional photographer $225 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 4 Saturdays, July 11 – August 1, 7– 10 a.m. Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
Jack Carlson, certified professional photographer $225 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 4 Wednesdays, July 22 – August 12, 6 – 9 p.m. Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center or 4 Sundays, September 13 – October 4, 9 a.m. – noon Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
Photographing Summer Sunsets FPC elective Long shadows cast by the setting sun make wonderful images when included in a natural photograph of the garden. Students will learn how to set camera controls when the sun is a major subject in the frame. The School’s CEUs=12 hours Jack Carlson, certified professional photographer $225 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 4 Thursdays, July 23 – August 13, 6 – 9 p.m. Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
Photoshop 3 FPC elective Take your Photoshop skills to the next level and learn some more exciting editing techniques. This class is project-oriented, learning black and white with color accents, HDR, panorama, and people extraction. There will also be more digital photography tips. Requirements for the course are a laptop computer with Adobe Photoshop Elements or Adobe Photoshop CS5 installed and a digital camera. Prerequisite: Photoshop 1& 2, or approval of instructor. The School’s CEUs=10 hours
Photographers improve their techniques and learn about light, water, and reflection.
Adult Education: Photography Highlights
New! Abstracts in Nature – Summer Intensive
Jack Carlson, certified professional photographer $225 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 4 Tuesdays, August 4 - 25, 8 – 11 a.m. Design Studio
Beginning Digital Photography FPC requirement See details on page xx Jack Carlson, certified professional photographer $225 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 4 Sundays, August 9 – 30, 9 a.m. – noon Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
Photoshop I FPC requirement option The Chicago Botanic Garden is a spectacular place to take photographs. Make your photographs even better with Adobe Photoshop Elements—a user-friendly photo editor that uses the same concepts as the full version of Photoshop. Learn how to make your images better through the use of selection tools, layers, and smart brushes. Play with some artistic options that can inspire abstractions. Requirements for the course are a laptop computer with Adobe Photoshop Elements or Adobe Photoshop CS5 installed and a digital camera. Iris Allen, freelance photographer and instructor $187 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 4 Mondays, August 10 – 31, 13:30 p.m. Design Studio
Iris Allen, freelance photographer and instructor $187 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 4 Mondays, July 13 – August 3, 1 – 3:30 p.m. Design Studio
New! Photography Tips and Techniques: Focus and Filters FPC elective Certain subjects call for manual focusing. Take the guesswork out of knowing when and how to use manual focus in any situation. Filters are available in a wide variety of sizes, type, and strengths. Learn which filter type will be best suited for the scene you wish to photograph. Bring your camera and lens. The School’s CEUs=3 hours Jack Carlson, certified professional photographer $59 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Sunday, July 19, 9 a.m. – noon Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
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Adult Education: Regenstein School
Lightroom 1 FPC requirement option Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 is professional-grade processing software designed to help photographers manage and edit their images. In this course, you will learn Lightroom 4 setup, workflow, file management, processing, and image exporting. You’ll also learn to tag, name, size, and sharpen your images. Students will be guided from the shoot and image download, through the develop module to the final output of a slideshow set to music. We will create a workflow process that can be used as a standard of organization for the photographer. A personal laptop with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 or 5 installed is required, or you may choose to download the 30-day free trial of Lightroom from Adobe’s website on the first day of class. Dianne Kittle, fine art photographer $239 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 4 Tuesdays, August 11 – September 1, 1 – 4 p.m. Design Studio
Lightroom 2 FPC elective In this course, you will polish your editing workflow, file management, and increase your processing skills in the Develop Module. You’ll also learn to create slideshows and publish your images to the Internet directly from Lightroom. A personal laptop with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 or 5 installed is required. Prerequisite: Lightroom 1, or approval of instructor. The School’s CEUs=12 hours Dianne Kittle, fine art photographer $239 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 4 Tuesdays, September 8 – 29, 1 – 4 p.m. Design Studio
Intermediate Photography Portfolio Workshop FPC requirement, fine art track The Garden will serve as a natural laboratory as we explore a variety of photographic techniques to take you from an ordinary snapshot to botanic art. Heavy emphasis will be put on finding your own artistic style while advancing your photographic skill set and beginning to create your own botanic art portfolio. This course is designed for intermediate photographers. You will walk away with your own set of professionally produced images. Digital SLR cameras are mandatory. Dianne Kittle, fine art photographer $374 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 8 Tuesdays, September 8 – November 3, 9:30 a.m. – noon (no class October 6) Lakeside Room, Visitor Center
Photography Practice nature photography in the Garden’s 385-acre laboratory.
Textures and Patterns in Nature Photography
Intermediate Digital Photography
FPC fundamental course, fine art and nature and wildlife tracks
FPC elective
Develop your artistic vision by using natural and artificial light to discover textures and patterns at the Chicago Botanic Garden. With your SLR camera’s flash, flashlights, the sun, and other light sources, you will capture textures to create a 3D world showing the rhythm of nature. This intermediate class will include an opportunity to use strobe lighting, light tables, and backdrops for the study of textures in composition. Class will include lecture, critique, and time in the Garden. Dianne Kittle, fine art photographer $225 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 6 Wednesdays, September 9 – October 28, 1 – 3:30 p.m. (no class September 23 or October 7) Lakeside Room, Visitor Center
Botany for Botanical Artists FPC requirement, nature and wildlife track See details on page 57. 5 Thursdays, September 10 – October 15, 6 – 9 p.m. (no class September 24) Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
New! Photography Tips and Techniques: Using Natural Light FPC elective Photography is all about controlling light. Learn which camera and lens settings are best for capturing images in any light or shadow area. Bring your camera and lens. The School’s CEUs=3 hours Jack Carlson, certified professional photographer $59 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Saturday, September 12, 9 a.m. – noon Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
60 To register, visit chicagobotanic.org/school or call (847) 835-8261.
See details on page 59. Jack Carlson, certified professional photographer $225 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 4 Sundays, September 13 – October 4, 9 a.m. – noon Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
Photoshop 2 FPC elective Take the next step and learn even more about Adobe Photoshop. This more advanced class will further your knowledge of selections and layers, allowing you to do some serious photo enhancement and manipulation. We will tackle some interesting projects such as black and white with color accents, old photo restoration, and abstract art creation. Requirements for the course are a laptop computer with Adobe Photoshop Elements or Adobe Photoshop CS5 installed and a digital camera. Prerequisite: Photoshop 1, or approval of instructor. The School’s CEUs=10 hours Iris Allen, freelance photographer and instructor $187 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 4 Mondays, September 28 – October 19, 1 – 3:30 p.m. Lakeside Room, Visitor Center
Adult Education: Wellness Highlights& Fitness
Wellness Discover the many possibilities offered at the Chicago Botanic Garden for nurturing and healing the body, mind, and spirit.
New! Remember to Rest! Herbal Garden Remedies for Health and Peace In a busy world, the cornerstone of any health plan is remembering to integrate periods of rest throughout the day. These periods can range from moments to minutes so that we deal efficiently and effectively with the stress energy generated from creativity and crisis alike. In this workshop you will experience techniques that promote rest while engaging in an active lifestyle. Learn how to select, prepare, and apply herbal garden recipes and remedies, such as infusing a tea, preparing a footbath, and simmering a syrup that will calm the spirit, comfort the body, and soothe the mind. Dr. Martha M. Libster, board-certified advanced practice holistic nurse and herbal medicine expert $37 nonmember, members receive 20% discount Thursday, May 21, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. Fruit & Vegetable Learning Center
Tea and Health See details on page 45. Jordan Scherer, tea industry expert, entrepreneur, enthusiast $45 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Saturday, May 30, 1 – 3 p.m. Linnaeus Room
Fizzy Drinks: Healthy, Probiotic-rich Alternatives to Soda Are you looking for healthy ways to quit the soda habit? In this class, Tamara Mannelly will demonstrate several different recipes for making healthy, probiotic-rich, fizzy drinks that your whole family will enjoy! She will have plenty for you to taste and will show you how easy it is to make these in your own home! You will take home notes, recipes, and a kombucha SCOBY (to make your own kombucha tea... one of the recipes she will demonstrate). Tamara Mannelly, MEd, HHC, certified healing foods specialist and holistic health coach $49 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Tuesday, June 9, 10 a.m. – noon Lakeside Room, Visitor Center
Fitness Walks
Tai Chi Classes
Maximize the benefits of walking for exercise by learning about proper posture, muscle strengthening, and stretching. The Chicago Botanic Garden’s outdoor environment is a unique alternative to a health club, offering fresh air and a place where beautiful scenery changes weekly. All fitness levels are accommodated. Dress for the weather; wear comfortable clothing and walking shoes. The incremental multisession pass allows the walker to choose which sessions to attend during the season.
Tai chi’s fluid movements make the Chicago Botanic Garden an ideal location for classes. People of all ages and physical conditions can learn these movements. Tai chi is best practiced in loose clothing and stocking feet or comfortable flat shoes. On occasion, when weather permits, class will occur outdoors in one of the beautiful areas of the Garden. One-time class trial fee: $20.
Esther Gutiérrez-Sloan, certified personal trainer and president, SALSArobics, Inc.
This course will introduce students to Sun-style tai chi chuan with a few Yang-style concepts as well. Sun-style is the most modern form of tai chi and the movements are very gentle in nature. We will focus on basic principles to improve your balance and relaxation, and also increase your range of motion and reduce stress. This class of gentle movements is recommended for beginners and provides you with a solid foundation for choosing future studies. No previous tai chi experience is required, and all are welcome.
# of Sessions Nonmember Fee (members receive 20% discount) 4 Sessions $63 nonmember 8 Sessions $119 nonmember 12 Sessions $166 nonmember Drop-in Rate $15 Saturdays, April 11 – November 14, 8 – 9 a.m. Meet at Visitor Center
Tai Chi for Beginners: Sun-Style
Gordon Lock, instructor $187 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Summer Semester: 10 Tuesdays, June 9 – August 25, 8 – 9 a.m. (no class August 4 & 11) Burnstein Hall or Fall Semester: 10 Tuesdays, September 1 – November 10, 8 – 9 a.m. (no class September 22) Burnstein Hall
One-stop registration online. It’s so easy! Register for classes, camps, kids’ programs, yoga, and more!
Visit chicagobotanic.org/school/registration_policies for information on registration procedure and policy. 61
Adult Education: Wellness Regenstein & Fitness School
Tai Chi for Beginners: Yang-Style
Tai Chi: Intermediate Sun-Style
Tai Chi: Advanced Yang-Style
This course will introduce students to Yang-style tai chi chuan with a few Sun-style concepts as well. Tai chi from the Yang family is a beautiful, slow-moving meditation in motion. We will focus on basic principles to improve your balance and relaxation, and also increase your range of motion and reduce stress. This class of gentle movements is recommended for beginners and provides you with a solid foundation for choosing future studies. No previous tai chi experience is required, and all are welcome.
Further your study of the Sun form of tai chi. Consistent practice of tai chi helps us to relax from the fast pace of multi-tasking and recognize the moment at hand. The movements help to reconnect us to mind-body awareness and restore harmony and balance into our daily routines. Tai Chi for Beginners or some tai chi experience is recommended.
This course continues with in-depth study of the Yang style for students who have completed the intermediate class level and feel comfortable advancing. Some qigong exercises, such as the Eight Pieces of Brocade, will also be practiced. In session we will emphasize the ABCs—alignment, breathing, and concentration.
Gordon Lock, instructor $187 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Summer semester: 10 Wednesdays, June 10 – August 26, 8 – 9 a.m. (no class August 5 & 12) Burnstein Hall or Fall semester: 10 Wednesdays, September 2 – November 11, 8 – 9 a.m. (no class September 23) Burnstein Hall
Gordon Lock, instructor $187 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Summer semester: 10 Wednesdays, June 10 – August 26, 9:15 – 10:15 a.m. (no class August 5 & 12) Burnstein Hall or Fall semester: 10 Wednesdays, September 2 – November 11, 9:15 – 10:15 a.m. (no class September 23) Burnstein Hall
Gordon Lock, instructor $187 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Summer semester: 10 Tuesdays, June 9 – August 25, 9:15 – 10:15 a.m. (no class August 4 & 11) Burnstein Hall or Fall semester: 10 Tuesdays, September 1 – November 10, 9:15 – 10:15 a.m. (no class September 22) Burnstein Hall
Visit chicagobotanic.org/school Chicago Botanic Garden members receive a 20 percent discount on classes.
Wellness Tai chi, walking, and yoga enhance wellness at the Garden.
Tai Chi: Advanced Sun-Style This course continues with in-depth study of the Sun style for students who have completed the intermediate class level and feel comfortable advancing. Some qigong exercises, such as the Eight Pieces of Brocade, will also be practiced. In session we will emphasize the ABCs—alignment, breathing, and concentration. Gordon Lock, instructor $187 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Summer semester: 10 Thursdays, June 11 – August 27, 8 – 9 a.m. (no class August 6 & 13) Burnstein Hall or Fall semester: 10 Thursdays, September 3 – November 12, 8 – 9 a.m. (no class September 24) Burnstein Hall
Tai Chi: Intermediate Yang-Style Further your study of the Yang form of tai chi. Consistent practice of tai chi helps us to relax from the fast pace of multi-tasking and recognize the moment at hand. The movements help to reconnect us to mind-body awareness and restore harmony and balance into our daily routines. Tai Chi for Beginners or some tai chi experience is recommended. Gordon Lock, instructor $187 nonmember; members receive 20% discount Summer semester: 10 Thursdays, June 11 – August 27, 9:15 – 10:15 a.m. (no class August 6 & 13) Burnstein Hall or Fall semester: 10 Thursdays, September 3 – November 12, 9:15 – 10:15 a.m. (no class September 24) Burnstein Hall
62 To register, visit chicagobotanic.org/school or call (847) 835-8261.
The Yoga Flow series combines movement linked to the breath, working the body and engaging the mind. This is a more exhilarating, challenging Flow series for students who have taken Beginner Flow or have comparable experience. Steve Nakon, Whole Journey Summer semester: $150 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 8 Tuesdays, June 30 – August 18, 8 – 9 a.m. or 8 Thursdays, July 2 – August 20, 9 – 10 a.m. or 6 – 7 p.m. Linnaeus Room or Fall semester: $187 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 10 Tuesdays, September 15 – November 17, 8 – 9 a.m. or 10 Thursdays, September 17 – November 19, 9 – 10 a.m. or 6 – 7 p.m. Linnaeus Room
Gentle Yoga and Meditation
Yoga Classes Yoga is an ancient practice that unites body, mind, and spirit. For all sessions, wear comfortable clothing (sweats, shorts, or yoga pants) with socks or bare feet. Yoga mats are required. It is also suggested that you bring a towel with you, as well as a sweatshirt for cool-down. All yoga classes last approximately 60 minutes. If your class is scheduled to occur on a holiday date you observe, please speak with the instructor regarding attending a make-up class. One-time class trial fee: $20.
Gentle Yoga A series of yoga poses and breathing exercises designed and adapted for a tranquil, relaxing yoga experience. In this course, we will take a gentle, restorative approach to the practice. All students are welcome. Come and enjoy a sense of peace and balance. Steve Nakon and Patricia Nakon, Whole Journey Summer semester: $150 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 8 Mondays, June 29 – August 17, 9 – 10 a.m. or 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Linnaeus Room or Fall semester: $187 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 10 Mondays, September 14 – November 16, 9 – 10 a.m. or 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Linnaeus Room
Introductory Yoga This is a course for the newer student focusing on yoga movement and breathing basics. We will investigate how the principles of yoga help support health and well-being. All are welcome. Join us as we explore the yoga basics. Steve Nakon, Whole Journey Summer semester: $150 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 8 Wednesdays, July 1 – August 19, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. or 7 – 8 p.m. Linnaeus Room or Fall semester: $187 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 10 Wednesdays, September 16 – November 18, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. or 7 – 8 p.m. (no class on September 23) Linnaeus Room
All levels of fitness and experience are welcome in this class, which will include meditative movement and contemplative stillness. We will focus on the breath and relieving stress. Steve Nakon, Whole Journey $187 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 10 Wednesdays, September 16 – November 18, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Linnaeus Room
Yoga Master Class
Yoga Flow Beginner
This class is designed for the student who is looking for a deeper understanding of the principles of movement and alignment. Join us for engaging practices in a welcoming, accepting, and encouraging environment. Be ready to explore your whole body through carefully designed sequences, gaining understanding of movement in more depth and detail. Don’t miss the opportunity to emerge from this experience with a new knowledge set, a deeper understanding of your practice, and a stronger relationship with your essential self. Class size is limited so sign up soon.
The Yoga Flow series combines movement linked to the breath, working the body, and engaging the mind. This is a moderately challenging course for students with some yoga experience.
Steve Nakon, Whole Journey $125 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 5 Fridays, October 23 – November 20, 9 – 10:30 a.m. Linnaeus Room
Steve Nakon, Whole Journey Summer semester: $150 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 8 Tuesdays, June 30 – August 18, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. or 6 – 7 p.m. Linnaeus Room or Fall semester: $187 nonmember; members receive 20% discount 10 Tuesdays, September 15 – November 17, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. or 6 – 7 p.m. Linnaeus Room
Wellness programming is generously supported by NorthShore University HealthSystem.
Visit chicagobotanic.org/school/registration_policies for information on registration procedure and policy. 63
Adult Education: Highlights
Yoga Flow Intermediate
Youth & Family Programs
Youth and Family Programs Early positive experiences in nature or other plant-rich environments can foster a lifelong appreciation of the natural world. That is why, with the support of the Guild of the Chicago Botanic Garden, we are deeply committed to engaging families and children of all ages with a year-round schedule of professionally designed, age-appropriate programs held throughout the Garden.
Drop in and Get Growing! Spectacular and spontaneous—that is summer at the Chi-
The complimentary, hands-on activities require no regis-
cago Botanic Garden. Fun, flexible, and free drop-in pro-
tration. Activities are designed for children ages 2 to 10
grams abound all season long, guided by Youth & Family
and their caregivers, but all are welcome.
Programs staff. These experiences plant nature-loving seeds that take root and grow throughout a lifetime. The array of drop-in programs provide an ideal way to share in experiences for the whole family that are both educational and entertaining. At the Elizabeth Hubert Malott Japanese Garden, on the first and third Sunday of each month, kids can participate in everything from decorating koi kites to listening to Japanese folktales. There are activities every day at the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden—pop in and start to learn about worms, compost, plant parts, and more. Participate in open-ended discovery and learn about water habitat conservation, plants, and aquatic animals—all in the beautiful setting of the Native Plant Garden. 64
chicagobotanic.org/forfamilies
Visit chicagobotanic.org/forfamilies for a current schedule.
Summer Nature Explorer: Reading and Activity Program
Free Programs
Join the fun and earn prizes with the summer reading program! Read books in the Lenhardt Library and play at Family Drop-in Activities. For details and to sign up, visit the Lenhardt Library in the Regenstein Center. All ages are welcome to participate.
Discovery Backpacks Enliven your family’s Garden visit using tools to identify and observe plants and animals. Check out one of our free Backpacks, available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Information Desk in the Visitor Center.
Malott Japanese Garden Children’s Festival Learn about children’s celebrations in Japan during this special weekend of activities. Listen to shakuhachi and koto harp music, enjoy traditional folktales, and watch a tea ceremony. Kids of all ages can make projects to celebrate Girls’ Day and Boys’ Day. Design a kimono paper doll, create a miniature carp kite, construct an origami samurai helmet, and more at family-friendly hands-on stations.
May 30 – August 30
Malott Japanese Garden Family Sundays Drop by the Elizabeth Hubert Malott Japanese Garden for hands-on activities related to Japanese arts and culture. Practice using chopsticks, rake miniature dry gardens, make Japanese kites, and more. The free activities vary each time.
Malott Japanese Garden Summer Festival
Youth & Family Programs
Family Programs
Learn about the summer festivals (matsuri) celebrated in Japan during this special weekend of activities. Listen to taiko drum and koto harp music, enjoy traditional folktales, and watch a tea ceremony. Kids of all ages can make projects to celebrate summer — make fish prints, create a paper fan, design a kite, and more at family-friendly hands-on stations. Saturday, August 15 & Sunday, August 16 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Visit chicagobotanic.org/forfamilies for more information.
Sundays, June 7 & 21, July 5 & 19, August 2, and September 6 & 20 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Saturday, May 16 & Sunday, May 17 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden Family Drop-in Activities Get close to nature and discover where food comes from and how plants grow. Pollinate flowers, dissect seeds, see roots growing, compost with worms, create a rainbow for healthy eating, and more. Activities vary from week to week. Daily, May 30 through August 30 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Weekends, September 5 through 27 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Aquatic Family Drop-in Activities Visit the Native Plant Garden, and explore the plants and animals in aquatic habitats. Use scientific tools to look at tiny critters living under water, find out what makes water plants different from land plants, and more. Activities vary from week to week. Saturdays, Sundays & Wednesdays, May 30 through August 30 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Parents and children delight in craft activities at the Garden.
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Youth & Family Programs
Fee-based Programs Nature Nights Bring a picnic dinner and spend an evening in the Garden! Children ages 4 to 10 and their families will explore different areas of the garden and enjoy a variety of discovery-based activities. Each Nature Nights also includes a tram ride, a planting project, and s’mores around the campfire. 5 – 7:30 p.m. $26 nonmember per child Garden Plus members receive a 20 percent discount Dessert is provided. Visit chicagobotanic.org/naturenights or call (847) 835-6801 for more information. Woodland Walk May 30 or June 6 Giant oak trees, trillium, and deer all call the woods their home. You and your child will discover what makes a habitat, search for signs of woodland animals, examine plants found in the woods, and take home a woodland plant.* Nature’s Music June 20 or July 11 The chirp of crickets, the honk of geese, and a frog’s song are all examples of nature’s music. Explore Evening Island to learn how insects and animals use this music to communicate. Create a musical instrument out of natural materials and take home a plant that will help you make music at home.* Immersive experiences in nature are at the center of Youth & Family Programs at the Garden.
New! Harnessing the Flame July 18 or August 1 Learn about the importance of fire to Native American culture and everyday life. Find out how we use it here in our woods and prairie. See a traditional way to start a fire, make a fire starter to take home, and pot up a prairie plant.* New! Seed Scatter August 15 or September 5 Seeds can’t walk, but they sure can get around! Hitchhiking, exploding, and parachuting are just a few ways that plants spread their seeds. Learn how and why seeds need to scatter, make a seed bomb so you can scatter your own seeds, and take home a plant with an interesting dispersal method.*
*Don’t forget to bring a picnic dinner!
Little Diggers
Birthday Parties Celebrate your child’s birthday with a garden-themed party! Choose from a variety of themes. All parties include educational, hands-on activities led by Garden staff. Every child takes home a plant plus additional items they’ve created. Parties can be scheduled year-round on Saturday or Sunday mornings or afternoons for children turning 4 and up. Garden Plus membership required. Visit chicagobotanic.org/birthdays or call (847) 835-8275 for more information.
Youth Scouts
Learn about flowers, discover animals, experience the changing seasons, and more! These four-class series for children ages 2 to 4 and caregivers meet mornings, once a month. Each program includes group activities, time for free play, and a planting project. Select Thursday, Friday, or Saturday mornings, September through December.
Scout Badge Programs
Thursdays: 9/10, 10/8, 11/12, 12/10 Fridays: 9/11, 10/9, 11/13, 12/11 Saturdays: 9/12, 10/10, 11/14, 12/12
90-minute programs (ages 6 – 8): Deposit of $120 covers 10 Scouts; plus $10 per additional Scout, due on the day of the program.
9:30 – 10:30 a.m. $79 nonmember per child Garden Plus members receive a 20 percent discount
2-hour programs (ages 9 – 12): Deposit of $170 covers 10 Scouts; plus $15 per additional Scout, due on the day of the program.
Visit chicagobotanic.org/littlediggers to register or call (847) 835-6801 for more information.
Visit chicagobotanic.org/scout or call (847) 835-8239 for more information about these programs.
Scouts will complete badge requirements with challenging activities. Our wide range of scout programs take children throughout the Garden, and can be scheduled after school on Mondays through Fridays and on Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Age
Youth & Family: Family Programs Camp CBG
My First Camp Age 3 Born on or before September 1, 2012
3
$64 nonmember per child per week Garden Plus members receive a 20 percent discount
My First Camp Age 3 Information • Camp meets one Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 9 to10 a.m. or 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. • An adult must accompany each registered child. • To make camp enjoyable and fair to all, do not bring unregistered children, including siblings, to camp. Nursing mothers may call (847) 835-8361 to make arrangements. • Dress for the weather. • Pack a water bottle and nut-free snack daily.
Art & Music July 20, 22, 24
Ages 3 to 8 plus siblings; parents welcome $250 per family (1–2 children), Garden Plus and National Lekotek members receive a 20 percent discount. Additional siblings attend any camp for a discounted rate of $168. No additional discounts apply. August 10 – 14, 9:30 a.m. – noon, or 12:30 – 3 p.m. Children with special needs or disabilities are invited to discover the sights, smells, and fun at the Garden. Lekotek presents a nature-inspired day camp with activities that foster social interactions, motor skills, and outdoor education. Plant the seeds that will grow in your backyard and in your child’s development. Visit chicagobotanic.org/camp/plantplay or call (773) 528-5766, extension 407, to register.
My First Camp Bloomin’ Garden Strollers Ages 6 months – 2 years $25 nonmember per child per week 9:45 – 11:15 a.m. Friday June 19 & 26 July 10, 17, 24, 31 August 7 & 14 Caregivers are invited to join our new social play program. You’ll enjoy a brisk walk through the Garden, talk with a Garden expert, get behind-the-scenes information, and finish your morning with activities designed for our smallest visitors. Every week we will explore a new Garden theme. Camp meets in the Visitor Center.
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chicagobotanic.org/camp
Would you like to spend some time learning, exploring, and bonding with your child in an engaging environment? Welcome to My First Camp! Each camp is offered two different weeks each summer. Choose a 9 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. camp to attend with your child.
My First Camp Age 2 Born on or before September 1, 2013
2
$42 nonmember per child per week Garden Plus members receive a 20 percent discount
My First Garden July 6, 8, 10 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. FULL Small Scientists July 27, 29, 31 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. FULL
Green Sprouts Most children are 4 or 5 and born on or before September 1, 2011
Grades
Camp-n-Play Lekotek
My First Camps
Age
Camp CBG
Fantastic Foods July 13, 15, 17 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. FULL
Jk-K
$210 nonmember per child per camp Garden Plus members receive a 20 percent discount
My First Camp Age 2 Information • Camp meets one Tuesday and Thursday, from 9 to 10 a.m. or 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. • An adult must accompany each registered child. • To make camp enjoyable and fair to all, do not bring unregistered children, including siblings, to camp. Nursing mothers may call (847) 835-8361 to make arrangements. • Dress for the weather. • Pack a water bottle and nut-free snack daily. Art & Music July 21 & 23 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. FULL Fantastic Foods July 14 & 16 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. FULL My First Garden July 7 & 9 9 – 10 a.m. FULL Small Scientists July 28 & 30 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. FULL
Green Sprouts Information Camps meet Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to noon or 12:30 to 3 p.m. • Dress for the weather. • Pack a water bottle and nut-free snack daily.
Bug Brigade June 22 – 26, 12:30 – 3 p.m. August 3 – 7, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL Fun with Physics July 6 – 10, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL July 20 – 24, 9:30 a.m. – noon Garden Expedition July 13 – 17, 12:30 – 3 p.m. August 10 – 14, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL Habitat Hunters June 22 – 26, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL July 13 – 17, 9:30 a.m. – noon July 27 – 31, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL
Salad Science July 6 – 10, 12:30 – 3 p.m. August 3 – 7, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL Sprouting Wizards June 22 – 26, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL July 27 – 31, 12:30 – 3 p.m. FULL Super Seedlings July 13 – 17, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL July 27 – 31, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL
Most children are 6 or 7
1-2
Grades
Green Thumbs
Wildlife Wanderers June 15 – 19, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL July 27 – 31, 12:30 – 3 p.m. FULL
Explorers Most children are 8 or 9
3-4
$210 nonmember per child per camp Garden Plus members receive a 20 percent discount
Explorers Information Camps meet Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to noon or 12:30 to 3 p.m. • Dress for the weather. • Pack a water bottle and nut-free snack daily.
$210 nonmember per child per camp Garden Plus members receive a 20 percent discount
Alfresco Art June 15 – 19, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL July 20 – 24, 12:30 – 3 p.m.
Green Thumbs Information
Botany in the Kitchen June 15 – 19, 12:30 – 3 p.m. August 3 – 7, 9:30 a.m. – noon
Camps meet Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to noon or 12:30 to 3 p.m. • Dress for the weather. • Pack a water bottle and nut-free snack daily.
Art in the Garden June 15 – 19, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL August 3 – 7, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL Expert Wizardry June 22 – 26, 12:30 – 3 p.m. FULL July 27 – 31, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL Explore Your World July 13 – 17, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL August 10 – 14, 12:30 – 3 p.m. FULL Grossology June 22 – 26, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL July 20 – 24, 12:30 – 3 p.m. August 10 – 14, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL Incredible Edibles July 6 – 10, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL August 3 – 7, 12:30 – 3 p.m. FULL Insect Investigation June 22 – 26, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL August 3 – 7, 9:30 a.m. – noon
Camera Craft July 13 – 17, 9:30 a.m. – noon August 10 – 14, 12:30 – 3 p.m. Dirty Jobs June 22 – 26, 12:30 – 3 p.m. July 20 – 24, 9:30 a.m. – noon Forensic Investigators June 22 – 26, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL August 3 – 7, 12:30 – 3 p.m. Garden Caching July 6 – 10, 9:30 a.m. – noon July 27 – 31, 12:30 – 3 p.m. Konnichiwa Japan July 13 – 17, 12:30 – 3 p.m. August 10 – 14, 9:30 a.m. – noon Surviving Outdoors July 6 – 10, 12:30 – 3 p.m. July 27 – 31, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL
Most children are ages 10 to 12
5-7
Grades
Adventurers
$430 nonmember per child per camp Garden Plus members receive a 20 percent discount Adventurers Information Camps meet Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. • Dress for the weather. • Pack a water bottle and nut-free snack daily. • Campers must bring a nut-free lunch that does not require refrigeration.
Art July 13 – 17, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. August 3 – 7, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Chemistry July 6 – 10, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. August 10 – 14, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Cuisine June 22 – 26, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. FULL July 20 – 24, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. FULL Ecology June 15 – 19, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. CANCELED July 27 – 31, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Two-week Camps Rovers Most children are ages 7, 8, or 9
2- 4
Grades
Nature Art June 15 – 19, 12:30 – 3 p.m. FULL July 6 – 10, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL August 3 – 7, 12:30 – 3 p.m.
Treasure Hunt June 15 – 19, 12:30 – 3 p.m. FULL July 20 – 24, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL August 10 – 14, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL
Grades
Mad Scientists June 15 – 19, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL July 20 – 24, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL August 10 – 14, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL
Plant People July 13 – 17, 12:30 – 3 p.m. FULL
Youth & Family: Camp CBG Family Programs
Hidden Treasures June 15 – 19, 9:30 a.m. – noon FULL July 20 – 24, 12:30 – 3 p.m. FULL August 10 – 14, 12:30 – 3 p.m. FULL
$860 nonmember per child per camp Garden Plus members receive a 20 percent discount
Rovers Information Camps meet for two weeks, Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. • Dress for the weather. • Pack a water bottle and nut-free snack daily. • Campers must bring a nut-free lunch that does not require refrigeration.
Create & Grow July 6 – 17, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. August 3 – 14, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Science Explorer June 15 – 26, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. July 20 – 31, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Kinetic Kids July 6 – 10, 12:30 – 3 p.m. FULL
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Youth & Family: Family Programs Camp CBG
CAMP REGISTRATION AND CANCELLATION POLICIES Registration Deadline
Please Do Not Bring To Camp
Membership
Camper Code of Conduct
Registration is open until camps fill or one week prior to the start date of camp. You will receive an automated reply immediately upon completion of your online registration.
Garden Plus and above members receive a 20 percent discount on all Camp CBG programs! Those holding individual Garden memberships will not receive this discount. Please call (847) 835-8215 if you would like to upgrade your membership in order to receive the discount. You will need to provide a member ID number at the time of camp registration. Please note that Garden membership is nontransferable.
Age Limits
Please note the age groupings for each camp group. Campers must be entering the listed grade in fall 2015. We regret that we cannot make any exceptions to this policy. Campers in the Green Sprouts group and above must be toilet trained.
Online Emergency Forms
Camp CBG does not require a medical examination to attend camp; however, we ask that you fill out our Online Emergency Form as soon as you complete your online registration. In order for your child to attend camp, we must have a completed health form on file by June 1, 2015. The form is available on our website.
Extra-Special Attention:
Please let us know on your child’s Online Emergency Form if your child has special needs: i.e. physical, emotional, educational, or medical. Advise us of any severe allergies or chronic illness. This includes information regarding food or airborne allergies. If your child will require special accommodations, please call (847) 835-8361 to discuss prior to registering.
Pick-Up/Drop-Off
Camper drop-off and pick-up take place in our Learning Campus entry drive. You may park and walk your child to camp, or take advantage of our direct car drop-off/pick-up. Details will be communicated via e-mail to all registrants by June 1, 2015. Morning drop-off is 9:15 to 9:30 a.m. Morning pick-up is at noon. Afternoon drop-off is 12:15 to 12:30 p.m. Afternoon pick-up is at 3 p.m. Camp groups will leave the drop-off area promptly at 9:30 a.m. for morning camps and 12:30 p.m. for afternoon camps. If a child misses the departure of his or her camp group, it is the responsibility of the caregiver who brings that child to check in, and then escort the camper to his/her camp location for that day.
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The Garden is NOT responsible for any item lost or broken during camp. Please leave personal video game players, cellphones, and MP3 players/iPods at home.
You will be asked to review the CBG Camper Code of Conduct upon completion of the Online Emergency Form: • Campers will treat their fellow campers, instructors, and volunteers with respect. • Campers will follow directions and stay with their group. Please read and discuss these expectations with your child. In the event that a camper does not follow the Code of Conduct, or his or her behavior endangers other campers or interferes with an instructor’s ability to provide programming, the coordinator of Camp Programs or camp instructor will inform the parent at pick-up or through a phone call. If a second incident occurs, parents may be asked to withdraw their child from camp. Refunds will not be given for behaviorrelated withdrawals.
Cancellation Policy
You may cancel your child’s Camp CBG registration up to two weeks before the first day of that camp. We are not able to give refunds for cancellations with less than two weeks’ notice. Transfers will be granted up to one week before the start of a camp. A ten percent administrative handling fee per child per camp will be assessed for all cancellations. To cancel, please call (847) 835-6801. If your child is unable to attend camp due to medical reasons, you may receive a refund (less a ten percent processing fee) at any time prior to the start of camp by providing a doctor’s note. We are unable to refund for missed days of camp. Camp CBG registration fees are nontransferable. Camps canceled by the Garden because of low enrollment or Garden closure will be automatically fully refunded. The Garden reserves the right to cancel a camp due to low enrollment.
Before and After Care
We are happy to offer before- and after-camp care for your camper. The program will be supervised by Camp CBG staff. Activities will include games, art projects, and gardening. Pack an extra snack for your camper for after care. Fees are per week, and cannot be prorated for partial use; no discount for Garden Plus members is available. Comprehensive guidelines, including late fees, are available on the Camp CBG website. Grades preK to 7 June 15 – August 14 Morning Care: 7:30 – 9:30 a.m.; $50 per week per camper Afternoon Care: 3 – 5:30 p.m.; $63 per week per camper
Lunch
Camp CBG offers a supervised lunch period for Green Sprouts, Green Thumbs, and Explorers campers for $10 per child per week. Pack a nut-free lunch for your child that does not require refrigeration, and we will supervise your child during lunch (noon to 12:30 p.m.) and escort your child to his or her afternoon camp.
Leader in Training
Our Leaders in Training (LITs), ages 13 – 15, will help prepare for camps, assist teachers during the day, and learn life skills that will help them in future job searches and college preparation in our two-week program.
June 22-26
June 28 July 3
July 6-10
July 13-17
July 20-24
July 27-31
August 3-7
August 10-14
9:45 – 11:15 a.m.
Friday Bloomin’ Strollers
Friday Bloomin’ Strollers
NO CAMP
Friday Bloomin’ Strollers
Friday Bloomin’ Strollers
Friday Bloomin’ Strollers
Friday Bloomin’ Strollers
Friday Bloomin’ Strollers
Friday Bloomin’ Strollers
My First Camp
9 – 10 a.m. 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
NO CAMP
NO CAMP
NO CAMP
My First Garden
Fantastic Foods
Art & Music
Small Scientists
NO CAMP
NO CAMP
My First Camp
9 – 10 a.m. 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
NO CAMP
NO CAMP
NO CAMP
My First Garden
Fantastic Foods
Art & Music
Small Scientists
NO CAMP
NO CAMP
Green Sprouts
9:30 a.m. – noon
Hidden Treasures
Sprouting Wizards
NO CAMP
Fun with Physics
Super Seedlings
Mad Scientists
Habitat Hunters
Salad Science
Garden Expedition
Green Sprouts
9:30 a.m. – noon
Mad Scientists
Habitat Hunters
NO CAMP
Nature Art
Habitat Hunters
Fun with Physics
Super Seedlings
Bug Brigade
Mad Scientists
Green Sprouts
12:30 – 3 p.m.
Nature Art
Bug Brigade
NO CAMP
Salad Science
Garden Expedition
Hidden Treasures
Sprouting Wizards
Nature Art
Hidden Treasures
Green Thumbs
9:30 a.m. – noon
Art in the Garden
Insect Investigation
NO CAMP
NO CAMP
NO CAMP
NO CAMP
NO CAMP
Art in the Garden
Treasure Hunt
Green Thumbs
9:30 a.m. – noon
Wildlife Wanderers
Grossology
NO CAMP
Incredible Edibles
Explore Your World
Treasure Hunt
Expert Wizardry
Insect Investigation
Grossology
Green Thumbs
12:30 – 3 p.m.
Treasure Hunt
Expert Wizardry
NO CAMP
Kinetic Kids
Plant People
Grossology
Wildlife Wanderers
Incredible Edibles
Explore Your World
Explorers
Rovers
My First Camp
June 15-19
Adventurers
5-7
Grades*
3-4
Grades*
2-4
Grades*
1-2
Grades*
Jk-K
Grades*
Age
3 2
6 mos to 2 yrs
Time
Age Age
Youth & Family Programs
Camp CBG Schedule
Science Explorer
FULL-DAY TWO-WEEK 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
NO CAMP
Create & Grow
Science Explorer
Create & Grow
9:30 a.m. – noon
Alfresco Art
Forensic Investigators
NO CAMP
Garden Caching
Camera Craft
Dirty Jobs
Surviving Outdoors
Botany in the Kitchen
Konnichiwa Japan
12:30 – 3 p.m.
Botany in the Kitchen
Dirty Jobs
NO CAMP
Surviving Outdoors
Konnichiwa Japan
Alfresco Art
Garden Caching
Forensic Investigators
Camera Craft
9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Ecology
Cuisine
NO CAMP
Chemistry
Art
Cuisine
Ecology
Art
Chemistry
*Grade level as of fall 2016.
chicagobotanic.org/camp
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Teacher & & Student Student Programs Programs Teacher 72
Teacher and Student Programs A caterpillar transforms into a chrysalis before emerging as a butterfly. This will be our education department in spring as we begin a metamorphosis of our learning campus into a new vibrant center of nature discovery. The same standards-based programs will continue during construction, but in alternate locations. We hope you will like the temporary change in scenery and join us in anticipating the beautiful new Regenstein Foundation Learning Campus in 2016.
Growing Plants, Growing Minds: New After-School Program Debuts It’s summer—time for teachers to get growing! The Chicago Botanic Garden is offering a comprehensive teacher professional development program as part of our Summer Garden Series. Sign up for all five workshops (four are within preK to grade 12) or as many as you like. “This is a wonderful way for teachers to learn in-depth about our gardens and talk directly to horticulturists,” said Rebecca Ammann, manager of Teacher & Student Programs. All classes will provide an abundance of activities and ideas that can be applied to the classroom or class garden, as well as tips for getting started and ways to connect gardening to the curriculum. Participants will learn content through experiments and investigations. Classes are from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with a break for lunch. All classes support Next Generation Science Standards, and graduate credits are available. 72 chicagobotanic.org/ctl
For more information, please contact Rebecca Ammann at (847) 835-8253 or rammann@chicagobotanic.org. Teachers learn ways to bring horticulture into their classrooms in professional development classes.
We invite you to increase your understanding of plants and nature, build your repertoire of teaching techniques, and enliven your grades preK – 12 classrooms, while earning professional development and graduate credit. Visit chicagobotanic.org/ teacherprograms for more detailed program descriptions and to register for classes.
New! Summer Garden Series This summer, explore some of our gardens up close! Get ideas and activities for field trips, your classroom, and your school grounds that are connected to the NGSS. Hear from our horticulturists and discover techniques for growing plants at your school. Take home plants related to the gardens you visit! Register for Exploring East and West, Native Gardens, Fruits and Vegetables, and Heritage Garden workshops, pay only $295, and receive 2 optional graduate credits (additional fee).
Exploring East and West East meets West as we explore both the Malott Japanese Garden and English Walled Garden. Learn how culture shaped both types of gardens. Discover science activities connected to each garden including classification, pollination, and plant and animal interactions. Take home a plant related to one or both of these Gardens. NGSS: LS2.A Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems. Friday, June 26, at the Chicago Botanic Garden 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. $85 (20 percent discount for Educator Members) Grade level: K – 12 PD credit: 6
Native Gardens Growing native plants on your school grounds is a great way to have an easy-to-care-for garden that can be used to address the NGSS. Explore the Garden’s Native Garden and ecosystems, learn how to choose and care for native plants, and discover activities to investigate topics including plant and animal interactions, biodiversity, adaptations, and more. Take home a native plant to add to your school or home garden. NGSS: LS2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics; LS4.C Adaptations, LS4.D Biodiversity and Humans. Friday, July 10, at the Chicago Botanic Garden 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. $85 (20 percent discount for Educator Members) Grade level: K – 12 PD credit: 6
Fruits and Vegetables
Sensory Gardens for Early Childhood
Get an in depth look at the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden! Discover how to use vegetable gardens to connect to the NGSS and address topics across the curriculum. Learn about science topics including plant parts, life cycles, pollination, and artificial selection, as well as gardening topics including raised beds, easy-to-grow fruits and vegetables, and composting. Take home a couple of easy-to-grow fruit and vegetable plants. NGSS: LS1: Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes; LS2.A Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems; LS4.B Natural Selection; LS4.D Biodiversity and Humans.
Discover how the Sensory and Buehler Enabling Gardens are great spaces to explore with young children! Learn how to help our youngest learners develop observation skills by using all of their senses to look for patterns, conduct simple investigations in a garden setting, and explore topics such as life cycles and seasons. Get ideas for creating sensory gardens both indoors and out that are easily accessible. Take home some sensory plants for your school garden. NGSS: Science and Engineering Practices: Asking Questions and Planning and Carrying Out Investigations; LS1.A Structure and Function, LS2.A Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, LS4.D Biodiversity and Humans.
Friday, July 17, at the Chicago Botanic Garden 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. $85 (20 percent discount for Educator Members) Grade level: K – 12 PD credit: 6
Heritage Garden The Heritage Garden provides a great space for exploring the great diversity of plant life. Learn how to use this garden to explore the characteristics of major plant families and compare a variety of plants from around the world. Discover ideas for creating similar garden spaces at your school. NGSS: LS4 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity. Friday, July 24, at the Chicago Botanic Garden 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. $85 (20 percent discount for Educator Members) Grade level: K – 12 PD credit: 6
Friday, August 7, at the Chicago Botanic Garden 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. $85 (20 percent discount for Educator Members) Grade level: PreK – 2 PD credit: 6
Weeklong Summer Institute Earth Partnership for Schools Earth Partnership for Schools (EPS) is an in-depth, hands-on curriculum that explores local ecosystems and the creation of a native school garden using cross-curricular activities and lessons. Learn about plant identification, native ecosystems, garden design, habitats, data collection, and more. Registration preference is given to teacher teams of two or more participating staff from a school or school district. For more information and to request registration materials, please contact Becky Ammann at (847) 835-8253, or by e-mail at rammann@ chicagobotanic.org. July 27 – 31 and November 14, at the Chicago Botanic Garden Monday – Friday & Saturday $285 (20 percent discount for Educator Members) Grade level: K – 12 PD credit: 45, Graduate credit (additional fee): 3
Teacher & Student Programs
Teacher Professional Development
Teacher & Student Programs
One-Day Workshops These short workshops emphasize topics and teaching methods that support curriculum standards.
Illinois Department of Natural Resources ENTICE: Introducing Early Childhood Students to the Nature of Summer Summer is a natural time to get young children to explore nature! There is so much to see and learn. Join us to discover what nature can tell us in summer. Take a nature walk and engage in nature play, look for insects and pollinators, learn about animal and plant life cycles, explore how plants and animals get through our often hot and dry summers, and more. Register at https://www.enticeworkshops.com. Saturday, July 11, at the Chicago Botanic Garden 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. $10
Illinois Department of Natural Resources ENTICE: Illinois Prairies Come explore the prairie state! Discover the plants and animals that call the Illinois prairie their home. Learn about their adaptations, life cycles, interrelationships, diversity, and threats to the prairie. Learn how to use this local ecological resource to support the Next Generation Science Standards and connect students to their local environment. NGSS: LS2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics; LS4.C Adaptations; LS4.D Biodiversity and Humans; ESS3 Earth and Human Activity. Register at https://www.enticeworkshops.com. Saturday, October 17, at the Chicago Botanic Garden 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. $10 Grade level: 3 – 8 PD credit: 6
Grade level: PreK – 3 PD credit: 6
Experimenting with Classroom Plants to Explore the NGSS
Small Hands in the Garden: A Workshop for Early Intervention Providers
Growing plants in the classroom provides a variety of ways to address the Science and Engineering Practices as well as many of the Disciplinary Core Ideas from the Next Generation Science Standards. Learn how to help students truly develop an understanding of the scientific process by using plants to set up experiments and comparing results. Explore plant structure and function, adaptations, diversity, interactions and more. Learn about and take home classroom-friendly plants. NGSS: Science and Engineering Practices; LS1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structure and Processes; LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity.
Join us for a fun-filled day open to anyone who works with infants and toddlers. This workshop will focus on the importance of introducing nature and nature play to our youngest explorers. Participate in hands-on learning that will inspire you to incorporate nature play into your daily routine. This class is designed for people who work with infants to three-year-olds, and is adaptable for those who work with preK children. Take home herb plants to use with young children. Wednesday, August 12, or Saturday September 19, at the Chicago Botanic Garden 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. $85 (20 percent discount for Educator Members) Grade level: Birth – PreK PD credit: 6
Illinois Department of Natural Resources ENTICE: Monarch Mania! Just in time for the monarch migration! Learn all about monarch butterflies including their life cycle, keeping them in the classroom, their migration, threats to them, and more. Discover how to make your school a monarch-friendly place and receive butterfly-attracting plants. NGSS: LS2 Ecosystems; Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics; LS4.C Adaptations; LS4.D Biodiversity and Humans; ESS3 Earth and Human Activity. Register at https://www.enticeworkshops.com. Saturday, August 29, at the Chicago Botanic Garden 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. $10 Grade level: PreK – 8 PD credit: 6
Saturday, November 7, at the Chicago Botanic Garden 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. $85 (20 percent discount for Educator Members) Grade level: K – 12 PD credit: 6
Winter Explorations for Early Childhood It might be cold outside, but it is still a great time to get young children out and exploring nature. So much is more visible in the winter from tree branches and bark to birds’ nests and animal tracks. Discover ideas for getting younger learners engaging in winter nature play, using their sense to explore and search for patterns, and conducting simple investigations outdoors. Learn ways to bring nature inside and explore topics like keeping warm in the winter and winter camouflage for when it is too cold to venture out. Take home a plant to brighten your winter classroom. NGSS: LS1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes; LS2.A Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems; ESS2.D Weather and Climate Saturday, December 5, at the Chicago Botanic Garden 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. $85 (20 percent discount for Educator Members) Grade level: PreK – 2 PD credit: 6
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Two-Day Workshop The Sensory Plant Classroom: Learning with the Senses and Seasons A Workshop for Educators Working with Diverse Learners Join us for a two-day workshop on how to engage students with developmental and physical challenges in plant and horticultural explorations that focus on using the senses and investigating the seasons. Learn how to use horticultural therapy and hands-on activities to help students explore topics including, life cycles, seasonal changes, the cycling of matter, and more. Discover how this combination can help you incorporate plant-based activities across the curriculum in a way that fosters multisensory explorations and the development of life skills. Special attention will be given to Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards for special education. Saturdays, October 3 and 10, at the Chicago Botanic Garden 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. $150 (20 percent discount for Educator Members) Grade level: K – 12 PD credit: 15, Graduate credit: 1 (additional fee)
New! Evening Workshop Come to the Garden after school for an evening of fun, learning, food, and drink. Leave with new ideas for exploring science in your classroom.
Engineering Explorations with Gingerbread Explore how to support the NGSS Engineering Standards in a fun and unique way: through the construction of gingerbread houses. Get your students testing different building and binding materials, experimenting with shapes and designs for building the sturdiest and tallest structures, and solving construction problems and challenges using a fun and festive medium. Visit the Garden’s holiday exhibition Wonderland Express. Fee includes food and drink. Monday, November 30, at the Chicago Botanic Garden 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. $85 (20 percent discount for Educator Members) Grade level: K – 12 PD credit: 4
Workshops allow teachers to learn about plants from Garden experts.
Teacher & Student Programs
Other Teacher Programs
Real World Science Investigations in the Classroom
New! Online Courses
Project BudBurst
Looking to take a professional development course but cannot make it to the Garden? We are developing new online teacher professional development courses for you to take online at your convenience. Look for these exciting new opportunities on our website starting this fall.
Join students and communities from across the country in collecting plant life-cycle data and entering it into our user-friendly database. Details, curriculum materials for grades K through 12, and data from past years are available at budburst.org. Project BudBurst is a collaboration between the Chicago Botanic Garden and the National Ecological Observatory Network. It is supported by grants from the National Geographic Education Foundation and National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Custom Workshops Explore how to address the Next Generation Science Standards while increasing your understanding of plants and nature, building your repertoire of teaching techniques, and enlivening your classrooms! The Chicago Botanic Garden offers a variety of professional development workshops scheduled specifically for your group and customized to your unique needs. Perfect for teacher institute days, curriculum meetings, or professional development, workshops can be held at your school or at the Garden. Teachers, administrative staff, and parent or neighborhood volunteers can all participate through active learning that models grade-appropriate techniques for integrating plant-based learning into the curriculum. Workshops can explore specific areas of the Next Generation Science Standards or have a broader focus. Suggest your own topic or choose from existing topics customized to your needs including Exploring Nature with Young Children, Classroom Gardening, Botany Basics, Schoolyard Ecology, Experimenting with Plants, Science and Literature, Midwest Ecosystems, and more. Custom workshops are a minimum of two hours long and cost $200/hour for each group of up to 20 teachers. Please call Teacher Programs at (847) 835-8253 for more information or to schedule a custom workshop. The Garden is a CPS Preferred Provider.
Gardening Courses Windy City Harvest offers half-day and full-day workshops on growing plants indoors and outside. It’s a great way to improve your home or school gardening skills. Visit chicagobotanic.org/education/ windy_city_harvest for a complete list of topics and other information.
New! Climate Change in my Backyard This curriculum series integrates student participation in Project BudBurst with investigation of NASA climate data, and uses an earth-systems approach to understanding climate change and its consequences for our environment. The series is aligned with the Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards and is available in three age levels—grades 5 to 6, grades 7 to 9, and grades 10 to 12. Visit chicagobotanic.org/nasa for more information.
Student Field Trips Enrich your students’ educational experience with a visit to the Garden. Choose from a variety of interactive programs that feature plant science and nature topics appropriate for specific grade levels. Guided and self-guided options are available. Visit chicagobotanic.org/fieldtrips for complete program information and to schedule your visit.
Homeschool Groups We welcome you to register for field trips to the Garden. If your homeschool group includes a range of ages, please review our complete program descriptions online and select a program that best matches your group’s grade level and knowledge base.
Guided Programs PreK – K A 1:5 ratio of chaperones to students is required.
Discovering Plants Become a junior botanist as you learn about the roles of plant parts! To experience plant parts in action, students will explore the Garden, the Greenhouses, or the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden. Each student will pot a plant to take home. Fall, Early Spring, Spring
Science with Your Senses Your young scientists will embark on a sensory exploration! Students will learn to use all their senses to make good scientific observations while investigating and comparing the plants and animals they see in the Garden. Each student will pot a plant to take home. Fall, Early Spring, Spring
Trees and Trains (90 minutes) Learn how to identify evergreen tree families by touch and sight. Learn about their unique adaptations to the change in seasons. Visit the enchanting Wonderland Express exhibition to experience the trees and trains. Students will take home a special holiday craft. Holiday
Guided Field Trips Guided programs are led by trained facilitators who will engage your students with hands-on activities aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards and that focus on the plants and habitats found at the Garden. Field trips include outdoor exploration activities, so please dress for the weather. Visit chicagobotanic.org/fieldtrips for more details and to schedule your visit. Programs cost $120 per class. Kindergarten – 12th grade workshops have a maximum of 30 students and preK workshops have a maximum of 25 students. Chaperone to student ratios are dependent on grade level with a limit of eight chaperones per class. Available dates vary with the program. (New: Workshops are 60 minutes long unless otherwise noted.)
Outrageous Orchids Programs (90 minutes) During the Orchid Show, all grade levels can explore the incredible diversity of orchids. Different programs are available for each grade level. Please visit chicagobotanic.org/education/teachers_students for descriptions. Admission to the seasonal Orchid Show is included.
Flower Lab
Butterflies and Bumblebees
A 1:5 ratio of chaperones to students is required.
Why do plants make flowers? As junior botanists, students learn about flower parts and how flowers, with pollinators’ help, produce seeds. Students will pot a flower seed to take home and apply what they have learned as they explore flowers in the Garden.
Discover the wonderful world of pollinators! Students will investigate the various ways flowers attract pollinators and explore pollinator behavior using scientific tools. Each student will pot a plant to take home.
Fall and Early Spring
Spring
The Wonders of Worms and Soil
Water Bugs
What roles do worms and play in an ecosystem? Students will investigate the components of healthy soil and come face to face with common soil-dwelling critters. Each student will leave with a potted plant.
Investigate the amazing creatures living in our waterways! Students will get an up-close look at the organisms that live in the Garden’s lakes and learn how they can tell scientists something about how healthy the water is.
Surprising Seeds Ever wonder how that plant started growing where there are no others like it? As junior botanists, students explore the structures that allow seeds to disperse to new areas. Students will explore the Garden to look for seeds and pot their own seed to take home. Fall and Early Spring
A Walk in the Woods (90 minutes) Students will learn about woodland habitats and survey the Garden’s rare oak woodland using their senses and observational skills. Woodland programs take place outdoors in McDonald Woods. Fall until 10/16
The Wonders of Worms and Soil What roles do worms and play in an ecosystem? Students will investigate the components of healthy soil and come face to face with common soil-dwelling critters. Each student will leave with a potted plant. Fall, Holiday and Early Spring
Trees and Trains (90 minutes) Learn how to identify evergreen tree families by touch and sight. Learn about their unique adaptations to the change in seasons. Visit the enchanting Wonderland Express exhibition to experience the trees and trains. Students will take home a special holiday craft.
Fall, Holiday, and Early Spring
Spring
Butterflies and Bumblebees Discover the wonderful world of pollinators! Students will investigate the variety of structures and methods flowers use to attract pollinators and explore the Garden from the perspective of a pollinator. Each student will pot a plant to take home. Spring
Water Bugs Investigate the amazing creatures living in our waterways! Students will get an up-close look at the organisms that live in the Garden’s lakes and learn how they can tell scientists something about how healthy the water is. Spring
Guided Programs 5 – 6
Guided Programs 7 – 12 A 1:10 ratio of chaperones to students is required. All programs are 90 minutes long.
Water Quality Field Study Investigate what the organisms found in water can indicate about its health! Students will learn to identify organisms that indicate water quality, conducting a chemical assessment, and analyzing what the results mean. Use the data students collect to compare to other waterways. Please prepare your students to be outdoors for the program. Fall until 10/16 and Spring
Biodiversity Field Study
Butterflies and Bumblebees
Pondering the Prairie (90 minutes)
Discover the wonderful world of pollinators! Students will explore the Garden from the perspective of a pollinator and pretend to be bees and butterflies as they help pollinate flowers. Each student will pot a plant to take home.
Students explore the prairie, focusing on plant adaptations and ecosystem interactions by conducting quadrant surveys to compare two prairie types. Prairie programs take place outdoors in the Dixon Prairie.
Investigate the diversity of different areas at the Garden. Students will learn to use systematic sampling techniques and observation skills to collect data about the plants present. By graphing and analyzing the data, students will compare the species richness and diversity of two areas. Use the data students collect to compare to other plant communities. Please prepare your students to be outdoors for the program.
Fall until 10/16
Fall until 10/16 and Spring
Ecosystems and Plant Adaptations
Photosynthesis Lab
Investigate the amazing creatures living in our waterways! Students will get an up-close look at the organisms that live in the Garden’s lakes and learn how they can tell scientists something about how healthy the water is.
Plants can survive and even thrive in challenging environmental conditions. Investigate how plants are adapted to abiotic factors in their environment by comparing and contrasting their characteristics and the conditions in which they live. Students will pot a plant to take home.
Students will explore photosynthesis, investigating how and where it takes place, how plants obtain the materials necessary for it to occur, and its products. Students will use scientific equipment to identify plant stomata and measure the gas exchange.
Spring
Fall and Early Spring
Guided Programs 3 – 4
Plant Propagation
A 1:7 ratio of chaperones to students is required.
Clone a new plant from part of another one! Compare and experiment with some different methods of propagating plants as you learn about various ways plants reproduce. Plant stem cuttings to take home and watch the roots grow.
Holiday
Spring
Water Bugs
Insect Investigations There is more to life in the garden than just plants. Come see the Garden through insect eyes, learn about insect characteristics, and observe unique relationships between plants and insects. Students will pot a plant to take home. Fall until 10/16
A 1:7 ratio of chaperones to students is required.
Fall, Holiday, and Early Spring
Holiday and Early Spring
Teacher & Student Programs
Guided Programs 1 – 2
Teacher & Student Programs
Guided Programs for Children with Special Needs Bring your students to the Chicago Botanic Garden for a customized therapeutic program in the Buehler Enabling Garden outdoor classroom. These one-hour programs provide a guided, structured experience with nature and are designed for youth in grades K – 12 with special needs. All programs are offered in the morning between 10 a.m. and noon, and cost $120 for a maximum of 15 students. Proper ratio of adults to student is required.
Nature Play: Fun with Senses The Buehler Enabling Garden is a safe and comfortable garden where students with sensory processing disorders can experience nature and gardening. Students will be immersed in hands-on activities relating to plants and their sensory properties, have opportunities to increase socialization, and be immersed in a plant rich environment that supports overcoming tactile defensiveness. Wednesday through Friday
Therapeutic Gardening We can customize a program to meet the needs of your group. Please call (847) 835-6801 for more information about how we can serve your group. Monday through Friday If you find it difficult to travel with your students, please contact us to discuss possible programs delivered in your school. Call (847) 835-6801 to learn more about horticultural therapy for your students or to schedule a program.
Self-Guided Field Trips Self-guided field trips allow students to explore while you lead them through the Garden. Register in advance and Garden staff will be available to discuss areas suited for any curricular topic prior to your field trip. Enjoy a prepared Garden activity by reserving a self-guided activity backpack for your group. Year-round Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. $30 per classroom (maximum 30 students) Parking fee waived for a limited number of vehicles
Self-Guided Activity Backpacks Self-guided activity backpacks provide hands-on activities for teachers to lead while visiting the Garden. Reserve activity backpacks to enhance sensory experience in the Sensory Garden, explore Japanese culture and garden design in the Malott Japanese Garden, study plant adaptations in the Greenhouses, or investigate the world of pollinators throughout the Garden. Each backpack includes all supplies for the activities for a group of 30 and can be checked out for either the morning (9 a.m. to noon) or the afternoon (12:30 to 3:30 p.m.). Year-round Monday through Friday
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Additional Field Trip Experiences School Tram Tours Embark on a delightful journey around the Garden. Your tram tour guide will show you things you might not notice on your own and invite you to search for clues to nature’s secrets. Late April through October $2.50 per person Offered at 10:30 and 11:15 a.m., noon, and 12:45 p.m. Grades PreK, K – 2, or 3 – 6 30 minutes Climb aboard for a narrated tram tour around the 2.6-mile perimeter of the Garden. Your tour guide will present highlights and history of this living museum, and share information about our research projects and conservation efforts. Grades 7 – 12 35 minutes
Model Railroad Garden Guide your students around our popular model railroad exhibition, where 7,500 square feet of miniature gardens and unique settings delight students and, chaperones alike. Visit chicagobotanic.org/railroad for more information. May through October $3 per person*
Butterflies & Blooms Summer groups: visit our outdoor, screened butterfly exhibition where students can encounter hundreds of live tropical butterflies from South America, Asia, North America, and Africa, as well as native species from Illinois. Visit chicagobotanic.org/butterflies for more information about Butterflies & Blooms. May 23 through September 7 $3 per person*
Wonderland Express Visit an enchanting winter wonderland with twinkling lights and a magical indoor train. Model trains travel over bridges, under trestles, past waterfalls, and through more than 80 miniature versions of Chicago landmarks. Visit chicagobotanic.org/wonderland for more information about Wonderland Express. November 27, 2015 – January 3, 2016 $3 per person*
The Orchid Show Enjoy an eye-popping walk through the Tropical and Semitropical Greenhouses and Galleries to experience a colorful display of thousands of different orchids. February 13 through March 13, 2016 $3 per person* *The fees noted are for self-guided groups or guided groups that want to visit a special exhibition after the conclusion of their guided program. Guided programs that visit special exhibitions will have the fee included in the program registration cost.
Traveling Plant Science Teacher Enrich your curriculum and have the Chicago Botanic Garden come to you! Choose from a variety of programs that feature plant science topics appropriate for different grade levels, including Terrific Trees, offered in January and February for grades preK and kindergarten. All programs support NGSS, incorporate live plants brought from the Garden to study, and include a plant for each student to keep. January and February $120 per class (maximum 30 students) $100 for each additional class on the same day Schools located more than 20 miles from the Chicago Botanic Garden will be charged a $50 mileage fee.
Terrific Trees Through the use of scientific tools and hands-on exploration, students will discover the important role trees play in forest ecosystems right from their own classroom. Students will pot seeds to keep. PreK – K The following programs can also be brought to your classroom: Garden Groceries (preK – 2) Surprising Seeds (K – 2) Flower Lab (3 – 5) Visit chicagobotanic.org/fieldtrips/outreach for more information about programs and scheduling.
Windy City Harvest
Great Summer Science Experiences for Students
Brighter Futures in a Growing Economy
The Garden is committed to encouraging interest in the natural sciences and promoting careers in botany, horticulture, ecology, and conservation science. The Science Career Continuum offers qualified students in middle school through college a series of age appropriate opportunities to learn about science and conservation at the Garden.
Too often, people faced with limited opportunities find themselves unable to reach their full potential. Through its Windy City Harvest program, the Chicago Botanic Garden offers alternatives to youth and adults based on the growing interest in urban farming. The results we have seen since introducing jobs-training and mentoring programs in sustainable horticulture and urban agriculture have changed thousands of lives.
Science First (Grades 7 – 9)
Science First is a free four-week summer program for Chicago Public School students currently in grades 7 through 9. While enjoying hands-on, nature-based science activities, indoor and outdoor investigations, and exposure to real scientists who work at the Garden, students improve their understanding of the scientific method and careers in science. Transportation and free lunch are provided. CPS teachers are encouraged to share registration materials with promising students. Applications for next summer will be due in April 2016. chicagobotanic.org/sciencefirst
College First (Grades 10 – 11)
College First is an internship and field ecology course for CPS students entering their junior or senior year in fall. Students get paid and earn college credit while studying field ecology, conducting a research project, and working with scientists at the Garden. Students meet monthly during the school year to learn more about preparing for college. Transportation is provided. CPS teachers are encouraged to share registration materials with promising students. Applications for next summer will be due in April 2016. chicagobotanic.org/collegefirst The Science Career Continuum is made possible by the generous support of the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, ITW, Colonel Stanley R. McNeil Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Alvin H. Baum Family Fund, Discover Financial Services, Annette R. Kleinman Revocable Living Trust, Harold M. and Adeline S. Morrison Family Foundation, Sage Foundation, Trillium Foundation, William J. Clancy Foundation, Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust, and the W.P. & H.B. White Foundation.
Research Experiences for Undergraduates
The Garden’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program is a full-time, ten-week research internship for college undergraduates conducting research in plant biology and conservation. Students earn a stipend and money for living expenses while they work with research scientists and graduate students from the Garden and Northwestern University. Professional-development and social activities are also included. Please note that the summer 2016 REU program is contingent on renewal of funding. cbgreu.org The Garden’s REU program is funded by the National Science Foundation.
Windy City Harvest Youth Farm
The Garden’s Windy City Harvest Youth Farm program provides a summer employment opportunity for Chicago and Lake County teens, teaching them how plants are an essential part of a healthy food system and healthy communities. Each year, approximately 90 young people learn how to work as a team to plant, grow, harvest, and market thousands of pounds of sustainably grown produce at one of our four urban farm sites in Chicago and Lake County. These students become directed toward higher education, inspired by the belief that their actions can contribute to positive change for some of the area’s most challenged chicagobotanic.org/urbanagriculture/youthfarm
Windy City Harvest Apprenticeship
The Garden offers a nine-month accredited certificate in sustainable urban agriculture in partnership with Daley College, delivered by Garden staff at the Arturo Velasquez Institute satellite campus. There are currently six urban farm sites where apprentices (certificate students) learn and practice their production skills. To date, 89 percent of the certificate graduates—career changers, entrepreneurs, and people with barriers to employment—have found seasonal and full-time jobs in the local horticulture and urban agriculture industry. chicagobotanic.org/urbanagriculture/apprenticeship
Windy City Harvest Corps
The Windy City Harvest Corps provides opportunities for people with multiple barriers to employment and is intended for both juveniles (ages 17 to 21) and adults who have been involved with the justice system. The Corps provides training and transitional employment in Windy City Harvest operation sites for approximately 30 adults annually. Participants complete the Roots of Success job-readiness curriculum and are encouraged to apply to the Apprenticeship certificate program. chicagobotanic.org/urbanagriculture/corps The success of the Garden’s Windy City Harvest program would not be possible without federal agency grants, City of Chicago funding for transitional jobs, generous private foundation and corporate support, and the collaboration of employment partners such as Midwest Foods, Eataly, and FarmedHere, whose hiring practices consider people who have gone through the justice system.
Major support for Windy City Harvest is provided by the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA as well as the following: anonymous donors, After School Matters, AgriBank and 1st Farm Credit Services, J.R. Albert Foundation, BMO Harris Bank, Brinshore Development, City of Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, Leo S. Guthman Fund, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Kraft Foods Group Foundation, Midwest Foods, Polk Bros. Foundation, Preservation Foundation of Lake County Forest Preserves, SAVOR…Chicago at McCormick Place, Spear Family Charitable Fund, Steans Family Foundation, and the Woman’s Board of the Chicago Horticultural Society. Additional support is provided by anonymous donors, Alvin H. Baum Family Fund, Walter and Karla Goldschmidt Foundation, The Grainger Foundation, George and Amanda Hanley Foundation, The Hillshire Brands Foundation, Kaplan Foundation Fund/Carol and Ed Kaplan, Walter S. Mander Foundation, Prince Charitable Trust, and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Also contributing are the Albers/Kuhn Family Foundation, Laurance Armour Memorial Trust at the Chicago Community Trust, Tom E. Dailey Foundation, State Farm, Walgreens, and Whole Foods Market.
Horticultural Therapy Cultivating Health and Well-being Horticultural Therapy Services
Since 1977, the Garden’s Horticultural Therapy Services Program has supported the establishment of horticultural therapy programs at healthcare and human service agencies serving schools, VA hospitals, people with disabilities, and older adults in the Chicago region. The program serves as a primary regional, national, and international resource for information while offering a full range of professional training opportunities. Also available are consulting services in barrier-free garden design, sensory landscaping, and horticultural therapy program planning. chicagobotanic.org/therapy for more information. Horticultural Therapy is supported by an endowment from the Buehler Family Foundation. Additional support is provided by the Abra Prentice Foundation, After School Matters, Albers/Kuhn Family Foundation, The Field Foundation of Illinois, Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and the Edmond and Alice Opler Foundation, as well as endowments established by the estate of Florence Rantz, the Kenilworth Garden Club, the Julien H. Collins and Bertha M. Collins Fund, and the Helen and Maurice Weigle Fund at the Chicago Community Trust. The Chicago Botanic Garden’s education and community programs are generously supported by The Brinson Foundation, The Hearst Foundations, HSBC, Kemper Educational and Charitable Foundation, United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the Chicago Hive Fund for Connected Learning.
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Teacher & Student Programs
Science Career Continuum
This Season&inGarden the Garden Antiques Fair
This Season in the Garden Kris Jarantoski, executive vice president and director In June, the freshness of spring gives way to the lushness of summer as the Krasberg Rose Garden explodes with color and summer annuals reach their peak throughout the Chicago Botanic Garden. Herbs and vegetables flourish in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden all season long, while exotic, beautiful waterlilies flower in the Heritage Garden. Toward the end of August, summersweet perfumes the Sensory Garden and seven-son flower trees open their white, fragrant flowers that produce beautiful pink fruits in fall. When people think of willows, most think of the elegant, large weeping willows that are a hallmark of the Garden, or those with colorful bark that stand out in winter, like coral embers willow (Salix ‘Britzensis’). However, the Waterfall Garden contains some unique but lesser known willows that have a lot to contribute to the landscape. Dwarf basket willow (Salix purpurea ‘Nana’), found along the middle walk on either side of the stream, has narrow blue-gray leaves and an attractive, rounded form. Rosemary willow (Salix elaeagnos), at the top of the garden next to the pond, looks (not surprisingly) like a large rosemary plant and is easy to grow. Weeping purple osier (Salix purpurea ‘Pendula’), along the upper walk, elegantly arches over boulders next to the stream—much more effective than when grown as a standard. Along the lowest walk at the bottom of the Waterfall Garden, silver creeping willow (Salix repens var. argentea), with silvery-gray leaves and a low growing habit, makes a great woody groundcover. My favorite willow for early spring flowers is rosegold pussywillow (Salix gracilistyla), found on a little island in the stream at the bottom of the waterfall. Evening Island provides a stunning backdrop for carillon concerts during the summer. The perennial plantings along the lawn in the middle of the island have been redone and feature drifts of russian sage, coneflowers, giant hyssop, St. John’s wort, and plume poppies providing exciting combinations, with sumac interspersed for structure. Oranges and purples will set off the Circle Garden this summer. Watch for red cannas and orange-red dahlias playing off similarly colored lantana with a very different texture—all contrasting with purple globe amaranth and agastache, and silver licorice plant. Apricot-colored dahlias, apricot foxgloves, and orange crocosmia will bloom near the fountain, as will orange-salmon globe amaranth and salmon zinnias, along with the dramatic goldenyellow flower spikes of candle bush. Watch for exquisite violet-purple passionflower blooms cascading over the walls near the west stairs. The Fruit & Vegetable Garden is a great place for inspiration on growing herbs and vegetables in unusual ways. This summer, six different oreganos will grow in the vertical wall; sage, lavender, leeks, tuscan kale, and cosmos will be planted in window boxes; and peppers, purple and green kale, and Velour purple French beans will grow in hanging baskets. The Rose Garden pavilion will look different this year, with the usual container groupings replaced by large hanging baskets of ivy geraniums, coleus, and Silver Falls dichondra. The Crescent will welcome visitors to the main island with a light palette of colors and textures, including silver cardoon, blue plumbago, salmon-plumed celosia, lavender-silver echeveria, salmon-pink and yellow lantana, unusual blue trachelium, and pink cosmos. Additionally, hummingbird sage (Salvia guaranitica) will add spikes of light blue flowers. The cultivar ‘Black and Blue’ attracts more hummingbirds to my own garden than any other plant I’ve ever used.
The aptly named hummingbird sage will be among the annuals blooming in the Crescent this summer. This cultivar is ‘Black and Blue’. 80 chicagobotanic.org
Antiques & Garden Fair
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For more information, please visit Keep Growing online. keepgrowing.com
The Chicago Botanic Garden is one of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County.
Building a Better Garden for You Two construction projects are underway at the Chicago Botanic Garden this summer.
Regenstein Foundation Learning Campus On the north end of the Garden, the Education Center and Garden (near the Grunsfeld Children’s Growing Garden) is taking shape on the Regenstein Foundation Learning Campus. The Learning Campus and its components, including the Education Center and Garden, will provide a place of environmental learning for all ages—inspiring, teaching, and training nature-lovers and the next generation of plant scientists, educators, and conservationists. The project is scheduled for completion in 2016.
Kris Jarantoski Campus Nursery On the Garden’s south end, near the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center, the new nursery for the emerging Kris Jarantoski Campus is well underway and should be completed by this fall. The nursery, along the East Road, is the first piece of construction to begin on the Jarantoski Campus, which will enable the Garden to maintain and even redefine the horticultural excellence for which it is known. Both projects are part of the Garden’s ten year-strategic plan, “Keep Growing,” launched in early 2010. Please contact Patty Shanahan, director of planned and major gifts, at (847) 835-6838 to support this important initiative.