The Garden Scoop 2026

Houseplants are a great way to keep the gardening season alive year-round, especially during the long and cold winter months. It's safe to say that “there is a houseplant for everyone,” given the wide range of sizes and shapes available. From towering fiddle-leaf fig trees to numerous tiny...

I have always marveled at pinecones and the seeds of other conifers. Whether I was picking them up for a “collection” as a kid or watching them dangle in the treetops more recently, these exotic-looking, seed-housing structures are often a point of interest for native Illinoisians like me. ...