Over the past several weeks, our fall color has peaked here in central Illinois. The stunning bright red to pink hues of red maple (Acer rubrum) were exceptional this year. Who could miss the rainbow of color from sweet gums (Liquidambar styraciflua), covering yellows to orange-...
The annual ritual of fall garden cleanup can be a toilsome, yet rewarding task. After racking up piles and piles of leaves, it is really nice to see some green grass poking through as one last gasp of summer. Cutting back the old, dead stems from garden beds can create a more manicured look for...
This time of fall, most of our native, deciduous vegetation is turning beautiful autumn colors and nearing the annual leaf drop that occurs before winter. In the next few weeks all of our native vegetation will drop the leaves that have worked so hard to produce energy all year. However, one non-...
Fall is an excellent time to reflect on the past growing season and look toward next spring’s gardening opportunities with the lessons from this year in mind. I often look back with spite on the insects and pathogens that caused problems or ruined crops, but there is one aspect of our gardens that...
On a cold, dreary day with misting rain last week a group of Master Gardeners met at the Idea Garden, in the University of Illinois Arboretum, for a ritual that has occurred for many years. Each year, most plants in the “Tropicals Section” of the Idea Garden are removed from the ground and...
One of the most glorious aspects of fall is bringing in the apple harvest. Every year around harvest time I wonder when exactly to pick my apples, which raises some questions. What does the apple maturity chart say for this variety? Has the weather this year impacted fruit quality? They taste...
Have you ever wondered what the earth looked like when the dinosaurs roamed? Humans didn’t realize that we have a living fossil among us that offers a glimpse into the past until the 1940s when the dawn redwood tree (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) was “discovered” by scientists in China. ...
Throughout the fall season, garden centers are filled with a beautiful selection of mums (short for chrysanthemums). It is a wonderful time to plant these attractive, fall blooming plants, but some consideration should be given when planting in fall. Many folks plant mums and don’t actually do...
It’s beginning to be that time of year again, when our vegetables gardens become less productive and most of the season’s bounty has been realized. Before you begin to look toward next year’s plans, why not consider planting something for the winter season? A hard-working cover crop is the...
In recent years, a new gardening phenomenon has gained popularity in the US, but it gets its roots abroad. Keyhole gardening is a technique that was developed in Africa, for use in dry, arid climates with low soil fertility. It has proven to be such an effective, sustainable method of small scale...
