Gardeners Corner

Gardeners Corner is a quarterly newsletter from the Illinois Extension team of horticulture experts. Each issue highlights seasonal recommendations and how-tos that will make your houseplants, landscape, or garden shine in any season.

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Winter 2022-23

 

Past Gardeners Corner topics are available at go.illinois.edu/gardenerscorner.

  • Fall 2022: Grassy weeds becoming more common in lawns, keep plants hydrated going into fall, extend the season with fall flowers, plant fall salad greens, prepare trees for severe weather, store summer-blooming bulbs overwinter, try growing a loofah sponge, create a sensory garden

 

  • Summer 2022: Microclovers making a comeback as lawns grow in biodiversity, To outsmart weeds in the garden, take multiple approaches, Support pollinators with cheerful viola flowers, Feed your community by safely donating homegrown fruits, vegetables, Tips for harvesting garden vegetables, Create backyard paradise with tropical plant garden, Overwhelmed by garden produce? Pickle it!, Leaves of three? Keep poison ivy out of the home landscape, Taking time to select plants for difficult growing conditions helps long-term success, Native prairie grasses create distinct, breezy aesthetic in home landscape. 
  • Spring 2022: Plant with confidence with 2022 All-America Selection Winners, What is pelleted seed, Start an indoor kitchen garden, Flavor your meals with low-maintenance homegrown herbs, Scale up your garden’s health with fish emulsion fertilizer, Early blooming spring ephemerals flowers welcome warmer weather, Give caterpillars a chance with soft landings under trees, Grow curly willows, Magnolia blooms, beetles are nature’s spring flower odd couple, Prevent floods with rain friendly landscaping
  • Winter 2021-22: Keep worms warm for winter vermicomposting, Watering trees, shrubs in the fall and winter is a balancing act, DIY bottle terrariums make great holiday gift, Low-maintenance, winter blooming holiday cacti are gift that keep on giving, Poinsettias add a rainbow of color options to holiday décor, Give Christmas trees a second life after the holidays, Use DIY kokedama moss balls to grow houseplants, Plant cover crops at home for healthier soils, Garden catalog season gives gardeners chance to explore, shop for next year's seeds, Trim trees, shrubs in the dormant season for stronger, healthier plants
  • Fall 2021: Plant asters for unique display of fall color, Small bees attracted to small flowers, Tips for planting balled-burlapped trees for long-term health, success, Some trees weather wet soils, floods better than others, Fall is for feathered friends, fireplaces, Healthy gardens start with sensible soil testing, Proper maintenance extends lifespan, save money on garden tools, Don't rake fall leaves, recycle them

 

  • Summer 2021: School gardens; Watering summer lawns; Plant a salsa garden; Large yard not required to support pollinators; Prevent tomato blossom end rot; Get to know Illinois milkweed; Irrigate gardens to beat summer heat; Our love-hate relationship with dandelions; Hire tree care professional with confidence; Create a bird-friendly yard
  • Spring 2021: Make way for 2021 award-winning All-America Selections plants; Gardening benefits body, mind, wallet; Tips for starting your spring garden off strong; The time is right to plant cool season vegetables; Spruce, Callery pear have no home in landscape designs; Refresh your raised bed soil; Heirloom flowers provide fragrance, beauty, pollinator support; Small-space containers big with new gardeners; Small-batch culinary herbs add flavor to the gardening menu; Planning and designing a native garden; Create a moonlight garden
  • Winter 2020: How to care for a living Christmas tree, Grow a living Christmas tree with Norfolk Island Pine, Picking the perfect Christmas tree starts at home, Perennial plant of the year Calamint a perfect pick for pollinators, Blooming plant ideas for Valentine’s Day, How to create a fruit garden, Preventing fruit tree diseases starts in the dormant season, Winter pruning boosts blackberry and raspberry harvests, Small but mighty microgreens are easy to grow indoors, Keep houseplants happy with simple solutions, Keep poinsettias plentiful long after the holidays
  • Fall 2020: Prolong the shelf life of garden-fresh produce with good harvest habits, Benefit your health and environment by growing your own vegetables, Harvest abundant squash for food, decoration, Hold on to summer with home hydroponics, Harvest milkweed pods; plant Monarch butterfly garden, Bring houseplants indoors before the first frost, Select and plant spring-flowering bulbs now, Plant native perennials in the fall for healthy spring growth, Planting trees boosts curb appeal and benefits the urban environment, Fall flowering witch hazel charms home gardens, Exfoliating bark trees add great appeal, Fall is a great time for planting trees, Select the right tree for fall planting in Illinois, Put fall leaves to work as compost, Fall garden cleanup lays groundwork for a successful spring, How to pick the perfect pumpkin
  • Summer 2020 (PDF): Growing a rainbow vegetable garden, 5 ideas to add shade to your backyard, ‘Annabelle’ hydrangea: A showy shrub with historic roots in Illinois, Drought tolerant plants for the landscape, Growing irises: How to plant, grow and care for iris, When to prune hydrangeas
  • Spring 2020 (PDF): Perennial Favorite Named Plant of the Year, Why You Should Think About Sequence of Bloom, Designing a Sensory Garden, Wildlife-Friendly Gardens, Soil Temperatures for Spring Planting, Protecting Tender Plants from Spring Frost
  • Winter 2019 (PDF): Growing Ferns Indoors, Ice Storms and Tree Damage, Pantry Pests, Maintaining Garden Tools, Make a Statement with Succulent Cacti, How to Manage Winter Houseplant Insects
  • Fall 2019 (PDF): Summer Bulbs: Care and Overwintering Tips, Crop Rotation in Home Vegetable Gardens, Establishing Perennials in the Early Fall, Chrysanthemums Add Fall Color to the Garden, What Can a No-Till Garden Do for You?, Signs of a Dead or Dying Tree
  • Summer 2019 (PDF): Fruit Tree Planting, Install a Rain Barrel This Summer, Garden Design with Native Plants in Mind, Beauty For a Day, Living with Japanese Beetles , The Versatile Elderberry
  • Spring 2019 (PDF): Spring Tree Planting, Tips for Growing Ginger, Add Beauty to the Garden with Cool Season Annuals, Spring Lawn Care, Annual Flowering Vines, 2019 Perennial Plant of the Year
  • Winter 2019 (PDF): Try Worm Composting This Winter, Caring for Amaryllis, Norfolk Island Pine, Winter Watering of Trees and Shrubs, Who is Spending Winter in Your Garden, Houseplant Expectations During Winter
  • Fall 2018 (PDF): Fall Seeding of Lawns, Ornamental Kale At-Home Tissue Culture, Top Perennials for a Fall Cutting Garden, Five Valuable Tips for Fall Lawn Care, Overwintering Tender Plants Indoors, Fall Browning of Evergreen Foliage
  • Summer 2018 (PDF): Taking Care of Spring-Planted Trees, Shrubs, and Evergreens, Pineberries: Pineapple-flavored Strawberries, The Basics of Straw Bale Gardening, Be on the Lookout for Ticks, Conserve Water this Summer, Gardening with Reptiles
  • Spring 2018 (PDF): The Sweet Story of Strawberry Success, Growing Vegetables in Raised Beds, Organic-Based Soil Fertility: A Primer, Kitchen-Scrap Gardening, ‘Millenium’ Allium—2018 Perennial Plant of the Year, The Super-Cool Leaves of Vegetable Greens
  • Winter 2018 (PDF): Choosing and Caring for Your Christmas Tree, Please Help with BMSB Identification in Illinois, Keep Gardening All Winter Long, Understanding Photoperiodism, One Key to Plant Flowering Propagating Houseplants to Expand Your Collection, Caring for Your Houseplants in Winter, Meet Me Under the Mistletoe
  • Fall 2017 (PDF): Keeping Your Vegetable Garden in Shape in the Offseason, Making Your Own Tissue Culture Medium, Soil Testing: A Key to Good Gardening, Garden Preparations for Winter, Tulips: Worth More than Gold!, Consider Edibles for Fall Container Gardens
  • Summer 2017 (PDF): What’s the Buzz About Illinois Bees?, Identifying and Managing Your Garden Weeds Beware of Dangerous Carrots!, Butterfly Weed: Perennial of the Year, School Gardens: Cultivating Produce and Passions, Spice Up Your Landscape with Ornamental Peppers, Tree Foliage Diseases May Look Bad, But They’re Rarely Fatal
  • Spring 2017 (PDF): Top Five Cool-Season Annuals for Containers, Fire Blight of Apples and Pears, How Can I Support Pollinators? Accessible Edible Gardens, Moss Gardening (Yes, You Read That Right), Corriandrum: 2017 Herb of the Year
  • Winter 2017 (PDF): Don’t Toss that Poinsettia: Try a Little After-Holiday Care, Grow Tillandsias for the Holiday Season, Choosing Plants with Winter Interest, Living with Your Houseplants and Their Insect Relatives, Orchids Are Elegant Houseplants, Grow Your Own Birdseed
  • Fall 2016 (PDF): Key Garden Tasks for Fall, Fantastic, Funky Spring-Blooming Bulbs, Daffodils, Narcissus, or Jonquil? Ready Garden Tools and Equipment for Winter, Why Not to Cut Your Perennials This Fall, Handling Your Fresh-Picked Produce 6. Fall Preparation for Vegetable Gardens