These days, the best way to see the lingering fall colors is by looking at the ground.  Most of our trees have dropped their leaves, but color remains at ground level in the fallen foliage or in smaller landscape plants that still retain their autumnal hues. This year, I have been really...

As the gardening season winds down, it’s a great time to reflect on the past year and look toward the future.  Soil tests are a great way to put some data and insight behind decisions for next year. I often test in fall under the assumption that my tests will account for the past year’s...

Several years ago, we had an extra pawpaw tree (Asimina triloba) after all the plants were distributed at the East Central Illinois Master Naturalist’s Annual Native Tree and Shrub sale. Since this poor tree had no home, we decided to plant it outside one of the staff entrances at the...

The signs of this year’s historic cicada hatch are still around, although all of our periodic cicadas are now quietly underground, feeding away on tree roots for the next 13 years.  After piles of molted shells and dead adult cicadas earlier in the summer, we are now seeing their signature on...

Throughout the summer, I talked to quite a few people who were concerned about the low numbers of monarch butterflies this year.  Some of this concern was sparked early in the year when we learned that the overwintering monarch population in Mexico was measured at near all-time low numbers....

Early 2024 features some excellent, once-in-a-lifetime natural events.  If you missed the solar eclipse in April, get ready for a rare ecological event about to unfold in the coming weeks.  Whether we want to experience it or not, we’ll be immersed in a mass emergence of periodical...

In recent weeks, I have noticed an unfamiliar yellow flower around central Illinois.  It seems to be everywhere I go from ditches and roadsides to local natural areas or even around public gardens.  With its prevalence along my routine travel paths, such as the I-72 or I-74 corridors, I’d...

Magnolias are some of the most popular ornamental trees across the US.  Known for spectacular flowering displays, they come in various shapes and sizes, from smaller shrub-sized plants to medium-sized shade trees.For the most part, these trees are usually a pretty safe bet in Illinois gardens...

From time to time, there is a plant you may stumble across and bring home to try in the garden that far exceeds expectations and becomes a new “favorite.”  Rose vervain (Glandularia canadensis), also commonly referred to as rose verbena, has played that role in our garden space in the...

Based on our updated frost-free dates, most of the risk of spring frost has nearly passed, and it's time to start thinking about planting cold-sensitive vegetable crops.  Tomatoes are perhaps one of the most popular warm-loving plants in the home vegetable garden.  With their time in the...

If you’ve been out and about in central Illinois this past week, you’ve probably noticed quite a few things in bloom. Early blooming plants are easy to spot since most of the rest of the landscape is bare now, and most plant lovers are anxiously awaiting the arrival of spring, with anything...

This year has certainly hosted an interesting spring, with bouts of summer-like weather followed by freezing temperatures and frost warnings.  From the emerging wildflowers in woodlands to daffodils and tulips in the home landscape, there is no shortage of spring blooms to stimulate gardeners...

Seed starting is a widespread indoor gardening activity this time of year.  It can be a great way to satisfy your gardening desires while waiting for spring to happen, but not all seeds are the same in their startup requirements.   If you’ve ever tried to start seeds from native...

Spring is nearly upon us and the plant world is beginning to wake up, with hints of the growing season popping up daily.   A variety of early-blooming garden plants are on display right now, from snow crocus (Crocus sieberi) to daffodils (Narcissus spp.). The spectacular spring...

Gardeners considering the wildlife or ecological value of their plant selections have a lot to consider these days.   New information is emerging constantly about the perceived or proven value our landscape plants may provide for wildlife.  While the field of restoration ecology has...

Roots are always underfoot, whether it’s a forest or prairie, your yard, or a local park; these all-important plan structures fill the upper layers of soil and quietly do their work to support the plant world.  Since they are often “out of sight, out of mind,” there are many common...

The USDA Plant Hardiness Zones have long been a standard in communicating plant suitability across the US.  Everyone from gardeners and growers to scientists and crop insurance adjusters use these designations to make plant decisions every day.  However, the geographic range of these...