Field Trip Fridays.. Chicago Botanic Garden

Yesterday, we journeyed up to Glencoe to the Chicago Botanic Garden.  Despite a bit of construction for the Shoreline Restoration Project, the garden still looks gorgeous.  The student gardeners were particularly amazed, stopping frequently to snap photos, smell flowers, and proclaim, "this is so beautiful!"  It really is a magical place.

At the entrance to the Gardens

Having spent a summer working at CBG, I can be a bit of an overambitious tour guide.  In 3 hours, we managed to visit about 10 gardens and take the Grand Tram Tour (Thanks to Shelly and Kathy for the tickets!) around the garden.  We also stopped on the legendary Fruit and Veggie Island to get some inspiration and visit the Science First Campers who are just finishing their first week of camp at the garden.  We also visited the isolated Spider Island, which we decided would be an ideal location for detention, if school were at the Botanic Garden.    

It was also worthwhile to check out the composting systems on the island.  We've had some composting adventures this week (more on that later), so it was great for students to see a demonstration system and hopefully realize that all of that turning of the compost pile will actually pay off!

Today, I returned to CBG for the School Gardening Conference.  Awesome event that is a must for anyone involved at any stages with a school/community garden.  It was a chance to learn from people like Lynn Hyndman, who manages the Dawes Garden after a career as a science teacher.  The Keynote Speaker, Melissa Graham, director of the Purple Asparagus, shared her experiences with bringing a Food Discovery program to Chicago schools.

And, did I mention that I won a potted Nasturtium in the Raffle.. complete with a recipe for stuffed Nasturtium flowers?  Wow, what a day to celebrate!

In the Arid Greenhouse at CBG