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The Secret of Great Gardening Soil

A recent popular Facebook post shows a gardener starting to prepare her soil, despite being surrounded by mounds of snow. "Once spring is here gardeners start to get excited about planting; almost too excited," states University of Illinois Horticulture Extension educator, Kelly Allsup. Experienced...
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Kale is Cooler than Broccoli

Cool Kale Our Local Foods and Small Farms Educator, Bill Davison, says "kale is at least 30-40 percent cooler than broccoli. The reasoning behind this prevailing statement is the ease in which it is grown and how ornamental it can be", explains University of Illinois Extension...
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Growing Perennial Vegetables to Save Garden Dollars

Growing Perennial Vegetables to save the Garden Dollars The National Gardening Association has said a $70 investment can yield more than $650 worth of produce. "Most of this investment is needed to buy seeds and transplants of annual food crops like beans, tomatoes, peppers and...
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Growing America's Favorite Tuber-The Potato

America's Favorite Tuber Early April through middle of April is the ideal time to plant America's favorite tuber, the potato. "Growing potatoes can be an easy gardening activity while producing delicious dishes that cannot be recreated with a store bought potato," says Kelly...
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Lovely Lavender

Lavender has long been a much-loved blooming herb in the garden and should be planted more for its aromatic and culinary properties states University of Illinois Horticulture Educator, Kelly Allsup. Lavender has been used for perfumes and essential oils in aromatherapy, cooking and disinfectant,...
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Rose Rosette or Witch's Broom by Sonja Lallemand

As spring marches on, rose lovers and rose enthusiasts alike begin the annual ritual of uncovering the rose garden to assess winter damage, clean the beds, and start the tedious task of pruning as the plants come out of dormancy."The keys to effective cultural control when growing great roses with...
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Spring Gardening Tips by Ron Wolford

Gray, cold winter days may seem endless, but soon the weather will be warm, tulips and daffodils will bloom, and grass will be green: sure signs of spring. "Grab your trowel and get ready for spring with the following tips," said Ron Wolford, a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator...
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How many caterpillars does a Chickadee need?

This spring, if you live in North America, put up a chickadee nest box in your yard. If you are lucky, a pair of chickadees will move in and raise a family. While they are feeding their young, watch what the chickadees bring to the nest: mostly caterpillars. Both parents take turns feeding the...
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1950s Gardening

Clotheslines, raising chickens and goats, heirlooms, growing fruits and vegetables, canning and seed saving the way our grandparents did is back in style. "We are channeling an old-fashioned style of gardening in 2015, with an emphasis back on small-farm ideals," says University of Illinois...
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Winter Snow and Ice Damage To Trees by Candice Miller

Here in the northwestern corner of Illinois, we got about 15 inches of snow this past weekend. This amount of snow definitely causes some road and travel problems, but what does that much snow mean for trees and shrubs? It means there is a lot of weight on the branches! Especially this...
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