Good Growing

Talking all things horticulture, ecology, and design.
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Latest Episode

Holly isn’t just a festive decoration; it’s a plant with a rich history that can be incorporated into almost any garden.

Ep. 176 Native Grasses in the Prairie and Your Yard | #GoodGrowing

This week on the Good Growing podcast Ken and Chris chat with Erin Garrett about native grasses and how to use them in our landscapes. Erin is a Natural Resources, Energy, and Environment educator with University of Illinois Extension who is a wealth of knowledge on native grasses and all...
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Ep. 175 Eating periodical cicadas | #GoodGrowing

Are you an adventurous eater or interested in eating insects? You’re in luck! Many places in Illinois are awash in periodical cicadas, and while we usually think of them as food for birds and small mammals, humans can eat them too. Check out this week’s Good Growing Podcast to learn how you...
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Ep. 174 Monarch Butterfly Science w/ Dr. Andy Davis | #GoodGrowing

This week on the Good Growing podcast we learn about monarch butterfly science from a leading scientist in the field of monarch butterflies, Dr. Andy Davis from University of Georgia. We learn some hard truths and ask do the monarch butterflies really need to be saved? What roles should humans...
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Ep. 173 Answering Common Lawn Questions | #GoodGrowing

This week on the Good Growing podcast Ken and Chris look at some common lawncare questions. What can you do about growing grass in the shade? Does crabgrass preventer go down when the forsythia bloom? And more!

Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/ZM0sWiPKlTs

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Ep. 172 Growing fruit in containers | #GoodGrowing

Do you want to grow your own fruit but have limited space? Growing fruit in a container may be the solution for you! On this week’s Good Growing Podcast, we welcome back Bruce Black to talk about how we can grow fruit in containers, what fruit works best in containers, and more. 
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Ep. 171 Periodical Cicada Preparation, Protecting our baby trees! | #GoodGrowing

This week on the Good Growing Podcast Ken has to work hard to contain his excitement for the upcoming periodical cicada emergence. Meanwhile, Chris has been building defenses to protect his newly planted baby trees. What do you need to know about the upcoming emergence of periodical cicadas?...
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Ep. 170 Gardening at night: Creating gardens to enjoy at night | #GoodGrowing

Do you enjoy spending your evenings outdoors? On this week’s Good Growing Podcast, we talk about how you can create a garden to be enjoyed at night. Learn about night-blooming plants that can be incorporated into a ‘night/moon’ garden, landscape lighting, insects that come out at night, and...
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April is Pond Management Time! Talking aerators, duckweed, and vegetated buffers | #GoodGrowing

This week on the Good Growing Podcast we rewind back to when we sat down in person with Duane Friend to discuss pond management. For this Gardenbite episode, we look specifically at aerators in ponds, duckweed, and having taller vegetation around ponds and in the drainage channels leading into...
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Gardenbite: Managing bagworms at home | #GoodGrowing

Have you had problems with bagworms in your landscape? Bagworms are troublesome insects that can make evergreens and other plants rather unsightly. Learn about the lifecycle of bagworms and how we can manage them, including how planting flowers can help.

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Ep. 169 Growing Perennial Vegetables, Asparagus, Rhubarb & More | #GoodGrowing

This week on the Good Growing Podcast Ken and Chris talk about perennial vegetables that we can grow here in Illinois. Many of the preparation and care instructions match with each crop and we describe those during our first crop, asparagus! We also chat about rhubarb, artichoke, chives, and...
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