The last few summers the Morton Arboretum has had a "BIG" exhibit to bring people outdoors and celebrate nature. There's been frogs, giant bugs, giant lego statues, and life size origami. And this year, a Troll Hunt! The Trolls are the design of Danish artist Thomas Dambo. These 15- to 30-foot-tall, and one 60-foot long, sculptures … Continue reading Troll Hunt!
Tag: morton arboretum
Nature Walk on Earth Day
It was a beautiful day for a walk, so I headed out to the Morton Arboretum to walk and celebrate Earth Day. Spring flowers were in abundance! Here's what I saw: White Trout Lily (Erythronium albidum) Immature plants produce a single leaf and no flower, while mature plants produce a pair of leaves and a … Continue reading Nature Walk on Earth Day
Enjoying a Glorious Spring Weekend
We have had a crazy spring to say the least! Temperatures all over the place, snow, rain, sleet, you name it we've had it. But this weekend was truly a glorious one and made us forget all the bad stuff Mother Nature has thrown at us the last few weeks (or maybe months). In between … Continue reading Enjoying a Glorious Spring Weekend
Beautyberry Bushes–Did They Survive The Winter?
Last year, I wrote about buying three Purple Pearls Beautyberry Bushes (Callicarpa x NCCX1) at the Morton Arboretum Plant Sale. I had seen them the fall before in the parking lot there and thought they were just stunning with all those amazing, unusual purple berries (see Purple Beautyberry Bush). I had to plant them in my yard! For a first year … Continue reading Beautyberry Bushes–Did They Survive The Winter?
Making My Own Pumpkin at the Pumpkin Patch
During the Morton Arboretum Pumpkin Patch this year, my friend Susan and I signed up for a Glass Pumpkin Workshop where we would learn to make our own pumpkin paperweight. So on a drizzly, cold October morning, six of us gathered by the demonstration tent to learn how to work with molten glass to create our own … Continue reading Making My Own Pumpkin at the Pumpkin Patch
Visiting the Pumpkin Patch 2014
A couple of weeks ago, it was time to visit the Glass Pumpkin Patch at the Morton Arboretum again. This has become one of my favorite fall things to do. The weather wasn't great, but at least on the day I went it wasn't raining. I also had the chance to make my own glass … Continue reading Visiting the Pumpkin Patch 2014
Visiting the Morton Arboretum Annual Plant Sale
For me, the yearly Morton Arboretum Arbor Day Plant Sale is like sending a kid into a candy store. So many wonderful plants to pick from, some special ones that can be pre-ordered by members, and others that everyone can just go and select. Many of my best plants have come from there. Back in early February, still in the … Continue reading Visiting the Morton Arboretum Annual Plant Sale
Trips Down Memory Lane
One of the things I've really enjoyed while blogging is having my memory jogged by reading other blogs. For example, reading about lichens and mushrooms on another site brought back memories of when I was in high school and my family went to a huge Audubon gathering in the Allegheny State Park called the Allegheny Nature … Continue reading Trips Down Memory Lane
Winter Visit to the Morton Arboretum
The other day, before the polar vortex descended into the Chicago area, Steve and I went out for a walk and lunch at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL. The Arboretum is a real local treasure where we can always find something interesting every time we visit. Today we walked around one of the very … Continue reading Winter Visit to the Morton Arboretum
Purple Beautyberry Bush
A couple of weeks ago, I was at the Morton Arboretum for the Glass Pumpkin Patch. In the parking lot, right next to the car was the most gorgeous bushes with brilliant purple berries on it. Thankfully, the Arboretum does a great job in labeling everything, and I could find the tag telling me what … Continue reading Purple Beautyberry Bush