Over the past several weeks, residents in northern Illinois have experienced some unseasonable weather. Warm, spring-like temperatures, thunderstorms, rain, hail, sleet, and snow have been the reality along with 70-degree high days with 20-degree low nights. All of these warm days have woken our...

Every spring, I look forward to the return of the hummingbirds. Their aerial antics around the feeder, zooming by with iridescent flashes of green, red, and white, chasing each other with the precision of a tiny fighter jet – they always brighten my day. When will they return and, more importantly...

Winter is a time to stow away your gardening tools, put your gardens to bed, pack away your gloves and dream of warmer weather, counting down the days until you can start planting again…or is it?  What if I told you that now is the perfect time to not just plan your gardens (especially if you’re...