In last week’s blog, I covered the basics of site selection for a new vegetable garden. Finding the best location in your yard, or understanding that containers may be the winning option is a really important part of setting up your growing space for success. I would like to continue the...
As the local food movement has grown in popularity, an interesting subset of “foodies” have emerged that forage in nature for their dinner. Many native, wild plants are edible and these folks seek them out in our forests, prairies, and sometimes even our yards.
One plant that is often a target...
With an increased amount of time at home these days, there is an increased interest in gardening. It is such a great way to get outdoors and get some exercise while growing some neat and interesting plants.
For many, the start of a new gardening experience can be stressful. Still, I encourage...
Trees represent some of the most long-lived vegetation in the landscape. As such, these perennial, woody plants are also some of the highest valued plant material in our yards, parks, and urban areas. Tree identification is an important first step in understanding the care of these invaluable...
Warming spring weather is often enough motivation to get many of us out looking for the first blooms of the growing season. In my home garden, snow crocus (Crocus sieberi) is about the only plant that has started to show life over recent days, reaching full bloom sometime earlier this week. If...
Spring is a time of an awakening plant world full of blooms and endless possibilities for the coming growing season. It’s a time that many of us think about updating our landscaping, making it the most popular time of year to plant trees and shrubs.
When you combine the mild temperatures and...
Over the past 200 years or so, orchids have went from a mysterious and challenging plant, barely sustained in cultivation, to a fixture in many homes and businesses. Today, easy-care varieties of these beautiful flowering houseplants can be purchased just about anywhere, including the supermarket...
The late winter is often a time of anticipation for spring flowering, when many gardeners watch for the first signs of early blooming bulbs. However, one unique woody plant is currently in full bloom putting on the first flower display of spring in the Illinois landscape.
Witch hazel is the...
There is a growing body of research supporting the use of native plants in landscaping to preserve local biodiversity and sustain native wildlife populations. Currently, much of our urban plant composition is not comprised of native species, based on the general public’s historical preference for...
Broad-leafed and evergreen holly species have long been a symbol of Christmas and other winter holidays and traditions. The dark green, prickly foliage combined with contrasting bright red berries can really be a show stopper in the winter landscape providing both ornamental beauty and food for...
