Join us for an upcoming program at The Morton Arboretum:

The Pioneering Prairie Spirit in Landscape Design
Christopher Vernon & Robert Grese, Landscape Historians and Authors
Wednesday, June 20, 2012 - 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, landscape architects in the Chicago region changed the face of landscape design. Join landscape historians Christopher Vernon and Bob Grese to meet the pioneers of the native landscape movement. These experts will share the impact of important landscape architects such as Jens Jensen, O.C. Simonds, (the landscape architect who designed the Arboretum), Frederick Law Olmsted, and others. Join them to explore the research included in their new books, Graceland Cemetery: A Design History and The Native Landscape Reader, and to view and discuss the short film by Darrel Morrison, Designing in the Prairie Spirit, which will be shown at the event. This event is partially underwritten by the Library of American Landscape History and forms a part of the Sesquicentennial Celebration of the Founding of Graceland Cemetery.


Pre-registration is required for this evening event to be held in the Sterling Morton Library. Registration details can be viewed at http://www.mortonarb.org/education.html, by stopping at the Arboretum’s Visitor Center or by calling the Arboretum’s registrar at 630-719-2468.

Color My World … with yellow, red, orange, brown …, Or, Fall Color at The Morton Arboretum!

"The trees are spectacular at The Morton Arboretum!" While I might be prone to making this remark at anytime of the year, at this moment our grounds seem to glow with the vivid colors of autumn. Yellow, red, orange, brown with occasional splashes of purple and magenta – are all part of our fall color palette. As I walk and drive through the grounds, I’m beginning to see more and more leaves changing colors. With plants from over 40 countries, it almost seems like there'll be no end to this beautiful and colorful season!
Interested in learning more about color on our grounds? Our very own Color Scout has previewed some colorful Arboretum destinations for you in his weekly color report. Curious why and how leaves change colors? Find out in Why Leaves Change Color. Interested in reading and sharing some colorful stories? Visit the Sterling Morton Library to check out:

• Leaf Man or Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert


• The Garden in Autumn by Allen Lacy


• Autumn Leaves by Ron Lanner


• Sketching Outdoors in Autumn by Jim Arnosky


• Pumpkin Heads! By Wendell Minor


• Songbird Journeys : four seasons in the lives of migratory birds by Miyoko Chu


• On the Wing : American birds in migration by Carol Lerner


• Living on the Wind : across the hemisphere with migratory birds by Scott Weidensaul


• Autumn across America by Edwin Way Teale

Go for a walk, scramble through the fallen leaves and immerse yourself in an autumn world filled with a kaleidoscope of colors at The Morton Arboretum. Whether you’re looking for some information on plants to select for superb fall color, sharing an autumnal story or wanting to read a little more in-depth about this vivid season, the Sterling Morton Library has a host of resources awaiting you!

Fall into the Sterling Morton Library!

During the coming months, there are a number of noteworthy events at The Morton Arboretum including the following programs to be held in the Sterling Morton Library:

N732 - Green Fire : Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time
Thursday, September 22, 2011 – 6:30-9:00 p.m.
In his book, A Sand County Almanac, conservationist Aldo Leopold laid out the key insight that was the culmination of his life's work: a shared responsibility for the health of the land we inhabit. Explore Leopold's personal journey and the threads that connect to his legacy today through an intimate screening of the new documentary Green Fire.
Join us for a dessert reception preceding the film, and stay afterwards to discuss the film, Leopold, and his groundbreaking work with Leopold biographer Curt Meine, author Jim Ballowe, and more.

A411 - A Fascination with Flight
Saturday, September 24, 2011 – 1-4 p.m.
From the time we are quite young, the feathered creatures that perch high up in the trees and then take flight capture our imaginations. Meet artists such as Audubon, Fuertes, and Jaques, who took this fascination a step further and made their careers painting birds and helping us to see and understand them in a new way.

N 733 - A Trek Across the Chicago Wilderness
Thursday, November 3, 2011 - 7-8:30 pm.
In June 2009, Jack MacRae walked across Chicago Wilderness, from Chiwaukee Prairie in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, to Warren Woods in Berrien County, Michigan. Over 15 days he walked approximately 240 miles, visiting over 50 preserves, parks, and natural areas. Join Jack on his journey as he describes his walk and shares his experiences in prairies, sand dunes, forests, flatwoods, savannas, rivers, ponds, wetlands, ravines, and one great lake.

H734 - Jens Jensen, Frank Lloyd Wright, and My Small Garden
Thursday, December 1, 2011 – 7-8:30 p.m.
What can you do in a small garden? Join author Cathy Jean Maloney as she takes you on a virtual tour of her own historic cottage with a garden designed by renowned landscape architect Jens Jensen. Designed ca. 1907 for the gardener of a large estate, this Frank Lloyd Wright home was landscaped by Jensen. Discover the enduring influences of the Jensen/Wright collaboration and how Maloney and her family enjoy the naturalistic, small-space garden today.

Pre-registration is required for all of these events. Registration details can be viewed at http://www.mortonarb.org/education.html or by stopping at the Arboretum’s Visitor Center.

Hope to see you at one or more of these programs that will be presented within the Sterling Morton Library!

Independence Day Holiday

The Sterling Morton Library will be closed Saturday-Monday, July 2-4, in celebration of Independence Day. We will reopen to the public on Tuesday, July 5th.

Wishing you a safe and happy holiday!

The Sterling Morton Library is typically open Tuesday – Friday from 9-5 and Saturday from 10-4.

New Library Exhibit!

Jens Jensen: Landscapes for People

June 28, 2011 - September 1, 2012

Drawing on the strengths of the Jens Jensen collections in the Sterling Morton Library, this exhibit features landscape drawings, archival photographs, and modern color photographs to introduce visitors to Jensen’s philosophies as laid out in his 1939 book Siftings. The exhibit demonstrates how Jensen’s naturalistic, prairie-inspired style of landscape design has established him as a major figure in American landscape architecture and focuses on what Jensen always intended his landscapes to be for: people. His landscapes thus emerge not only as sites of aesthetic beauty but as expressions of Jensen’s theories of the social impact of landscape architecture.

This exhibit is presented in conjunction with Festival of the Architecture Book, 1511-2011.

Art in the Service of Science: The Guild of Natural Science Illustrators Exhibit

Scientific illustrators are artists in the service of science. They use scientifically informed observation, combined with technical skills to accurately portray a subject. Accuracy and communication are essential. The skilled scientific illustrator can clarify and emphasize important details, and reconstruct broken specimens on paper.

Join us in the Sterling Morton Library from February 15 - June 4 for an exhibit featuring the original artwork of these talented artists. Explore subjects from land to sea, including plants, insects, birds, fossil reconstructions and more! The paintings and drawings on display are created through a variety of mediums, ranging from century old techniques used to illuminate manuscripts to digital paintings created entirely on the computer.

The library is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday.

To learn more about the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, visit www.gnsi.org.

Leafing Through the Pages - 2011

The nominations have been presented! The ballots have been cast! The votes are in! During 2011, participants in Leafing Through the Pages, the book/film discussion group of the Sterling Morton Library, will be viewing, reading and discussing the following works:

• January 13 – The Curious Mister Catesby – Viewing of the film will begin at 10 a.m. with the discussion to follow.
• February 10 – Egan, Timothy. The big burn : Teddy Roosevelt and the fire that saved America, 2010.
• March 10 – Muir, John. A thousand-mile walk to the Gulf, 1916.
• April 14 – Lisle, Laurie. Portrait of an artist: a biography of Georgia O'Keeffe, 1997.
• May 12 – Biggers, Jeff. Reckoning at Eagle Creek : the secret legacy of coal in the heartland, 2010.
• June 9 – Freinkel, Susan. American chestnut : the life, death, and rebirth of a perfect trees, 2007.
• July 14 – Carson, Rachel. Silent spring, 1962.
• August 11, 2011 – Wulf, Andrea. The brother gardeners : botany, empire and the birth of an obsession, 2009.
• September 8 – Lewis, Charles. Green nature/human nature : the meaning of plants in our lives, 1996.
• October 13 – Plotkin, Mark J. Tales of a shaman’s apprentice : an ethnobotanist searches for new medicines in the Amazon rain forest, 1993.
• November 10 – Stegner, Wallace. Beyond the hundredth meridian : John Wesley Powell and the second opening of the west, 1954.
• December 8 – Greenfield, Amy Butler. A perfect red : empire, espionage, and the quest for the color of desire, 2005.
  
  Meeting the second Thursday of each month from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. in the Sterling Morton Library of The Morton Arboretum
  
  Join us for a morning of spirited conversation, discussion and dialogue!

Snowfall at the Arboretum!

As we receive our first significant snowfall of the season, the beauty of the Arboretum’s winter landscape shines. With little wind, today’s gently falling snow seems to outline every branch, twig and nuance. During our winter months, the intrepid visitors to the Arboretum will find lots of opportunities to study the architecture and structure of our plant collections. Hikers, skiers, snowshoers and walkers will be rewarded with spectacular views of our winter landscapes -- along with plenty of opportunities to discover how plants and animals adapt to the cold. What a remarkable place and time to learn more about our winter world!

Encouraged to take a snowy walk at the Arboretum or through your own neighborhood? Stop by the Sterling Morton Library and peruse some of these resources to guide your winter quest:

• Bark : the formation, characteristics, and uses of bark around the world photographs by Kjell B. Sandved ; text by Ghillean Tolmie
• A guide to wildflowers in winter : herbaceous plants of northeastern North America by Carol Levine
• Life in the cold : an introduction to winter ecology by Peter Marchand
• Season of promise : wild plants in winter by June Carver Roberts
• Studies of trees in winter : a description of the deciduous trees of northeastern America by Annie Oakes Huntington ; with an introduction by Charles Sprague Sargent
• Tree bark : a color guide by Hugues Vaucher
• Trees in a winter landscape by Alice Upham Smith
• Trees in winter : their study and identification by Albert Francis Blakeslee and Chester Deacon Jarvis
• Weeds in winter written and illustrated by Lauren Brown
• Winter : an ecological handbook by James C. Halfpenny, Roy Douglas Ozanne
• Winter world : the ingenuity of animal survival by Bernd Heinrich

The Sterling Morton Library is open Tuesday through Friday from 9-5 and Saturday from 10-4.

Happy 150th birthday, Jens Jensen!

Today, September 13th, marks the 150th anniversary of Jens Jensen’s birth! Festivities and events are planned internationally to celebrate this remarkable year. The Clearing in Ellison Bay, Wisconsin is celebrating not only the sesquicentennial of Jensen’s birth, but also the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Clearing. The Jens Jensen Legacy Project of the Chicago Park District has a flotilla of special events celebrating this anniversary year. Celebratory events continue across the ocean with additional events and a conference planned in his native country, Denmark.

Interested in learning more about Jensen? Consider stopping by the Sterling Morton Library and reading some of these selected writings about Jensen, his work -- including the creation of the Clearing:
Grese, Robert E. Jens Jensen : maker of natural parks and gardens, 1992.
Eaton, Leonard K. Landscape artist in America : the life and work of Jens Jensen, 1964.
Fulkerson, Mertha. The story of the Clearing : a Door County legend, 1972.
Bachrach, Julia Sniderman. Inspired by nature : the Garfield Park Conservatory and Chicago’s West Side, 2008.

Find out more about Jensen through his own thoughts and words in Siftings (published in 1939) and The Clearing, “a way of life” (published in 1949). Find out more about Jensen through the eyes of his great grandson, Woody Wheeler, in this essay about Jensen's contributions and work.

In addition to these previously mentioned sources, the Sterling Morton Library has extensive collections relating to the life and work of Jensen. Landscape plans, photographs, correspondence and other assorted documents create a rich resource for researchers and others interested in this “landscape architect, maker of parks, [and] conservationist.”

Over the coming weeks, visit some of the landscapes familiar, preserved, created and revered by Jensen -- and celebrate his important legacy!

“The plains speak of freedom—earth and sky meet on the far horizon. There is nothing to intercept the vision from the infinite.”

-- Jens Jensen in Siftings

May T. Watts Reading Garden is closed!

The May T. Watts Reading Garden of the Sterling Morton Library is closed for maintenance (power washing, tuckpointing and sealing) of the Library’s walls. The Garden will reopen when this project is completed. While the project is scheduled to take several weeks, no official reopen date has been determined due to the vagaries of our weather.

Stay tuned for more information as this project progresses!

A Season of Joy : 2010-2011 Chamber Concert Series

Each year, The Morton Arboretum presents a wonderful Chamber Concert Series at the Thornhill Education Center. Founded in 1980, the Series strives to present a diverse palette of performers, instruments and composers. Join us for our 2010-2011 season and revel in the performances of:

Sunday, November 7, 2010 – 2:15 p.m.
Ensemble Chaconne

Sunday, December 5, 2010 – 2:15 p.m.

Fifth House Ensemble

Sunday, January 9, 2011 – 2:15 p.m.

Third Coast Percussion

Sunday, February 6, 2011 – 2:15 p.m.

Elmhurst Symphony Strings

Sunday, March 6, 201 – 2:15 p.m.

Solaire Quartet

All concerts are presented in the Arbor Room of the Thornhill Education Center. After each performance, a reception in the adjoining Founder's Room offers the opportunity to enjoy conversations with the artists and fellow audience members in the splendor of the original library of the Arboretum's founder, Joy Morton.

Individual and series tickets are on sale now.

Order online: https://mortonarb.obsres.com/Info.aspx?EventID=7
Call: 630-725-2066, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m

Stop by the Arboretum's Visitor Center

Celebrate the beauty and magic of winter, music and the Arboretum -- at an upcoming concert!

Articles of note in the Sterling Morton Library : July’s offerings

These are some recent articles that can be found within the journal collection of the Sterling Morton Library. Please visit the Library to discover the incredible botanical and horticultural resources that await you! If you are unable to visit the Library and interested in reviewing one of these articles, I would be delighted to help you at rhassert@mortonarb.org.

• Brock, W.A. and S.T. Carpenter. Interacting regime shifts in ecosystems: implications for early warnings. Ecological Monographs, v. 80, no. 3, p. 353-367.
• Duncan, Anne. Beyond the basic herbs. Fine Gardening, no. 135, p. 50-53.
• Sachs, Aaron. American Arcadia : Mount Auburn Cemetery and the nineteenth-century landscape tradition. Environmental History, v. 15, no. 2, p. 206-235.
• Schusler, Tania M. and Marianne E. Krasny. Environmental action as context for youth development. The Journal of Environmental Education, v. 41, no. 4, p. 208-223.
• Watson, Gary. The effect of broadcast nitrogen fertilization rates and placement on the growth of green ash trees. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry, v. 36, no. 4, p. 179-182.
• Weber-Turcotte, Katherine. Growing moss in the garden. The Herb Quarterly, no. 124, p. 29-33.
  
  
  

As you may or may not know, the Sterling Morton Library is lucky to have a large archive of landscape drawings, photographs, and correspondence of the noted Midwest landscape designer Jens Jensen. We often aid visitors on their quest for information for their Jensen research projects.

This year is the 150th anniversary of his birth and there are several celebrations taking place all over the world to honor this great man and his work.

If you are in the mood for a trip there is an international conference taking place in Denmark this year. HORTA IN URBE – URBS IN HORTA: International Conference on Landscape Gardener Jens Jensen, Chicago, and the Concept of Nature in City and Park Planning will take place September 16-17 at the Sonderborg Castle in Denmark.

Featured speakers will be:

• Professor Robert Grese, Director, School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan - Jens Jensen and the American Nature
• Michael Schneider, Director , “The Clearing” - Jens Jensen and “The Clearing”
• Lecturer, dr. phil. Malene Hauxner, CU- Life: Jens Jensen, seen in the context of European park
• Catharina Malmberg‐Snodgrass, London- Jens Jensen as park‐and garden architect

If you are interested in learning more about this fascinating opportunity more information can be found here:

HORTA IN URBE – URBS IN HORTA

An Evening of Wicked Plants!

Wicked Plants! The Deliciously Dark Side of the Plant Kingdom

Amy Stewart, Author

In her New York Times bestseller Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities (Algonquin Books, May 2009), Amy Stewart takes on Mother Nature's most appalling creations. It's an A to Z of plants that kill, maim, intoxicate, and otherwise offend. Drawing on history, medicine, science, and legend, Stewart presents tales of bloodcurdling botany that will entertain, alarm, and enlighten even the most intrepid gardeners and nature lovers. Find out which plant killed Abraham Lincoln's mother, which shrub ignited a global war, and what plant has killed 90 million people. From strychnine to castor bean, from poison sumac to monkshood, from carnivorous plants to weeds that spontaneously combust, Stewart introduces an unforgettable cast of characters and tells their tales with her own wicked sense of humor.

Join us in the Sterling Morton Library for a special talk by Amy Stewart on Wednesday evening, August 18, 2010. Prepare to be delighted by the wonders of the plant world, and stay for a book signing with the author after the talk.

August 18, 2010

Sterling Morton Library, 7-8:30 p.m.
The Morton Arboretum
Member Fee - $14.00
Non-member Fee - $21.00

Registration details for An Evening of Wicked Plants with Amy Stewart can be found at: http://www.mortonarb.org/calendar/article/19451/an-evening-of-wicked-plants.html

Independence Day Holiday!

The Sterling Morton Library will be closed Saturday, July 3rd through Monday, July 5th in celebration of Independence Day. We will reopen to the public on Tuesday, July 6th.

Wishing you a safe and happy holiday!

The Sterling Morton Library is open Tuesday – Friday from 9-5 and Saturday from 10-4.

What do these three plays plus an exhibit in the Sterling Morton Library at The Morton Arboretum all have in common?

• Cats
• A Chorus Line
• Mousetrap
• Flora! Illuminated …

They’ve all had their runs extended! We’re delighted to announce that Flora! Illuminated … will be available for viewing during Library hours until January 2011. Please visit in-person or view selections from the exhibit at: http://florailluminated.wordpress.com.

Articles of note in the Sterling Morton Library : May/June’s offerings

These are some recent articles that can be found within the journal collection of the Sterling Morton Library. Please visit the Library to discover the incredible botanical and horticultural resources that await you! If you are unable to visit the Library and interested in reviewing one of these articles, I would be delighted to help you at rhassert@mortonarb.org.

• Brooks, Elizabeth W. and David N. Bonter. Long-term changes in avian community structure in a successional, forested, and managed plot in a reforesting landscape. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, v. 122, no. 2, p. 288-295.
• Colyvan, Mark and Lev R. Ginzburg. Analogical thinking in ecology: looking beyond disciplinary boundaries. The Quarterly Review of Biology, v. 85, no. p. 171-182.
• Cullina, William. Wildflowers as groundcovers. American Nurseryman, v. 210, no. 6, p. 38-44.
• DeVore, Sheryl. Virgin prairie : along Lake Michigan, Wisconsin’s prairie thrives. Wildflowers : the magazine of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, v. 26, no. 4, p. 8-9.
  Great article about the Chiwaukee Prairie!
• Gilman, Edward F., Chris Harchick and Maria Paz. Planting depth affects root form of three shade tree cultivars in containers. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry, v. 36, no. 3, p. 132-139.
• Klein, Carol. Camassias : elegant and tall, these gorgeous plants look lovely in flower beds or growing among long grass. Gardens Illustrated, no. 161, p. 60-67.
  “Blue flowers hold a special place among gardeners. What is it about them that we love so much? Perhaps it is their affinity with the sky or sea?”
• The Nature Artists’ Quarterly - Illustrated and written by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum.
  Always a treat to read this publication and view the artists’ contributions to the Members’ Gallery!

26 Days of Flora! Illuminated...

Monday was the launch of our new online exhibit, 26 Days of Flora! Illuminated... a photoblog featuring most of the artwork in Flora! Illuminated…, the exhibit currently running at the Sterling Morton Library at The Morton Arboretum through June 30, 2010.

We will be posting 26 individual works of art that are currently on display in the library over the next 26 days, and include an additional bit of information to enhance your understanding of each work. Be sure to visit every day!

You can follow us online at: http://florailluminated.wordpress.com/

and also on our brand new Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Lisle-IL/Sterling-Morton-Library/102514733126106

We really need some fans on Facebook to get this online exhibit to catch on, so if you are on Facebook please be sure to go to our page and LIKE us (previously known as "become a fan") so others will know we exist.

After exploring this online exhibit, be sure to visit to the Morton Arboretum to see this colorful and enchanting exhibit in person!

The Sterling Morton Library is open Tuesday through Friday from 9-5 and Saturdays from 10-4.

Happy Arbor Day!

Arbor Day, this remarkable holiday founded in 1872 by J. Sterling Morton, celebrates the importance and wonder of trees. Trees help make a greener, healthier, and more beautiful world. Remember “every tree counts!” Learn how this event is celebrated at The Morton Arboretum. Happy day! Arbor Day is not like other holidays. Each of those reposes on the past, while Arbor Day proposes for the future. -- J. Sterling Morton

A Troupe of Wildflowers

What a spring! It seems like each time I walk on one of the Arboretum trails, I spot a different wildflower. A bevy of bloodroot, a symphony of spring beauties, a cadre of trillium, a throng of Dutchman's breeches – well, you get the picture! Interested in sharpening your identification skills of these remarkable plants? Want to learn more about the folklore and myths related to these springtime ephemerals? Before or after your walk, stop by the Sterling Morton Library and indulge yourself in one of these resources:

• Black, Merel R. Wildflowers of Wisconsin and the upper Midwest, 2008.
• Clemants, Steven Earl. Wildflowers in the field and forest : a field guide to the northeastern United States, 2006.
• Coffey, Timothy. The history and folklore of North American wildflowers, 1993.
• Ladd, Douglas M. North Woods wildflowers: a field guide to wildflowers of the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada, 2001.
• Mahlberg, Paul G. Wildflowers of Door County : Wisconsin's unique floral preserve : a field guide, 2000.
• Martin, Laura C. Wildflower folklore, 1984.
• Sanders, Jack. Hedgemaids and fairy candles : the lives and lore of North American wildflowers, 1993.
• Sanders, Jack. The secrets of wildflowers, 2003.
• Vance, F.R. Wildflowers of the northern Great Plains, 1999.
• Werner, William E. Life and lore of Illinois wildflowers, 1988.
• Yatskievych, Kay. Field guide to Indiana wildflowers, 2000.

Enjoy these days!