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Monarch Spring Migration 2019 & I-Pollinate Citizen Science Initiative

March 26, 2019

Spring is a herald of life. Grass flushes green, buds on trees swell with optimism, vegetables ready for planting in the garden emerge from basements crowded in flats. Spring also brings speculation. What will we encounter this growing season? What do the climatologists predict? Are all the...

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A Few Spring Garden Tasks

March 20, 2019

The weather is starting to warm up and the spring peepers are singing. There are going to be a...

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When is the Best Time of Year to Plant Trees?

March 11, 2019

"Spring is better!" "No, fall is better!" "No, spring is better!" "Fall is better!" What you are reading is the debate between two gardeners about when to plants trees. Here's the secret, they're both right and a little wrong, at least here in Illinois. After a long, cold, and snow-laden winter,...

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Seed Starting

March 5, 2019

As spring creeps closer and closer many of us are starting to get the itch to go outside and start digging in the dirt. While it's still too early to do that, it is time to start thinking about starting seeds indoors. If you've never started your own seeds before, there are several advantages to...

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Cover Crops in the Home Garden

February 26, 2019

Cover crops are turning into a popular topic in Illinois. Not only among farmers but also with gardeners. For the past four years, I have incorporated cover crops into my vegetable garden rotation. Cover crops, also called green manures, are a great soil management tool for vegetable gardens and...

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Winter Tree Pruning

February 18, 2019

Before we know it, spring will be here. Before getting too busy planting the garden, make sure to take some time to prune your trees (if they need it). While the old adage may say, "prune when your pruners are sharp", most deciduous trees are best pruned while they are in full dormancy. In this...

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Beyond Impatiens Downy Mildew: What’s next for America’s favorite bedding plant?

February 12, 2019

Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) is one plant I had written off years ago. In my mind, I thought I had seen the last of one of the most popular bedding plants in the nursery trade. Impatiens were fast disappearing from garden centers because of an incredibly infectious disease – impatiens...

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Extreme Cold and Your Plants

January 29, 2019

Being a fan of winter, this weather has been an absolute blast, but even I must admit- darn it's cold out there. One question I have been hearing a lot is "What about our plants?" Well, if you religiously adhere to the USDA cold hardiness zones then you should have nothing to fear. More than likely...

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How to Get Rid of a Mouse in the House

January 16, 2019

Is your house full of visitors that annoy you, eat your food, and can lead to great exasperation and hollering? In-laws and extended family members aside; what I mean are the mice that have decided to move into your home for the winter months. In the wild, these creatures would look for shelter to...

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New Garden Plants for 2019

January 8, 2019

Every year garden catalogs advertise new, exciting varieties of our favorite plants. Sometimes the options can be overwhelming, with each new addition sounding better than the previous. So how do you go about deciding which new variety to select? Fortunately, All-American Selections (AAS), an...

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