Bring birds close to home by gardening for feathered friends
URBANA, Ill. — People plant gardens for food, flowers, and function, but planting for the birds can be beautiful and beneficial to the environment. What if instead of storebought bird seed in a feeder, gardens could include a buffet of different foods for birds while also being a beautiful...
Tips for getting landscape plants through summer
URBANA, Ill. — While much of the work done in the garden happens in the spring, that doesn’t mean growers can coast through summer. Supplemental watering, weeding, and managing pests will go a long way to keep landscapes growing through the summer.WaterAs the...
To survive the summer heat, choose plants built for the sizzle
URBANA, Ill. — Summer can be a scorcher, but by selecting the right plants, a landscape can still look sultry all summer long.Both trialed and native plants can tolerate the heat. Trial plants are evaluated throughout the season for heat tolerance and can be planted in the ground or...
Provide resources to pollinators in any space with container gardens
URBANA, Ill. — Supporting pollinators has become increasingly important as concerns over pollinator population decline are more evident. The good news is that even small spaces can provide resources for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Container gardens are one solution for...
Gardening for a hummingbird's travels
URBANA, Ill. — Hummingbirds are unlike any other bird. Spanning the Americas with over 330 species, hummingbirds belong to Trochilidae, the second-largest bird family in the world. However, only the ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) inhabits the Midwest....
Add a dash of herbs to spice up floral bouquets
URBANA, Ill. — Cultivating a cut flower garden filled with favorites can be a fun family project that can become budget-friendly gifts for everyone. Adding herbs to a garden and bouquets will create a unique, personal touch to designs. Fresh herbs look and smell amazing and will be long-lasting...
Explore the 2024 All-America Selection flower and vegetable variety winners
URBANA, Ill. — While the rain, thunderstorms, and snow replenish the soil moisture, winter can still bring the blues. To welcome the spring season, check mailboxes for the new garden catalogs and start spring garden planning. When planning, remember to leave room for the spontaneous buys when...
Get inspired to get growing at regional garden days
URBANA, Ill. — Imagine picking fresh fruit off a tree in your backyard. Or snipping fresh herbs from a potted plant growing on your windowsill for a family meal. Gardening is an adventure, and each spring is a new opportunity to grow.
Whether your garden is a few houseplants by a window...
Check-in your bee hotel to support pollinator research
URBANA, Ill. — Bee hotels buzz with activity, but is it the right kind? A graduate student at University of Illinois is researching bees and needs help, in the form of donated used bee hotels, from the public to understand if these man-made nests are helping or harming bee populations in...
Bloom in the winter with gift of amaryllis bulb kit
URBANA, Ill. — The gift of gardening is an experience anyone can appreciate this holiday season. Take the stress out of shopping this holiday season and give a blooming amaryllis kit that brings the beauty of nature indoors.
Poinsettias are beautiful, popular holiday plants, but the gift...
Learn to preserve flowers from home gardens and special occasions
A great way to enjoy flowers with family and friends is to harvest and preserve them. The popularity of dried and pressed flowers has turned an old hobby into a renewed interior design and art trend. Use everlasting flowers to create everlasting memories. If you are interested in learning...
Tips for extending the garden’s growing season
URBANA, Ill. — Harvest season in a vegetable garden doesn’t have to end so soon. Stretch growth with techniques that extend the typical growing season past the point where crops would normally be grown outdoors.
Protection from frosts can happen at either end of the growing season. A...
Four Seasons Gardening series ushers in the fall season with care
URBANA, Ill. — As seasons shift, take care and fall into gardening with ease. Find healing, growth, and how adding a little planning keeps the mind going and growing.
Explore how to keep the season alive with tips for dividing perennials, continuing self-growth, and healing with time...
Butterflies can eat to live, live to eat in a balanced garden
URBANA, Ill. — A favorite thing about visiting gardens in the summer is catching sight of a butterfly enjoying nectar from a brightly colored zinnia or a monarch caterpillar munching on a milkweed leaf. When designing a butterfly garden, expand and balance plant selection to provide more than...
Build drought-tolerant gardens this fall for next summer’s blooms
URBANA, Ill. — Many Illinois gardens are entering the fall stressed from the lack of summer rains combined with scorching hot temperatures. These conditions easily stress some plants; however, many plants quickly adapt to hot, dry conditions. Drought-tolerant plants are not only tough and...
Make flowers and memories last forever with drying for design
URBANA, Ill. — A great way to enjoy flowers with family and friends is to harvest and preserve them. The popularity of dried and pressed flowers has turned an old hobby into a renewed interior design and art trend. Who has not pressed that lucky four-leaf clover between a couple of pages of...
Master Gardener program offers online training options
URBANA, Ill. — For 48 years, University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners have measured success by gardens planted, insects identified, produce harvested, and the millions of hours volunteers have logged by helping others learn to...
Care for perennial gardens with 3 proven pruning methods
URBANA, Ill. — Pruning perennial flowers takes a garden from looking fair to well-kept. Deadheading, cutting back, and pinching are all pruning techniques that can keep perennial plants looking well cared for and healthy.
Pruning perennials is a complex topic because different...
Take a break from the summer heat: Enjoy Four Seasons Gardening series
URBANA, Ill. — Summer is a time of growth and exploration. While spring-planted flowers and vegetables are growing, take a break between waterings to learn something new from the vast world of gardening.
Explore the global impact of sunflowers, discover summer-blooming trees, and...
