Over the Garden Fence 2023
During the holidays, there are a few plants that seem ubiquitous, even if only during the month of December. But have you ever wondered why we “deck the halls with boughs of holly” or kiss under the mistletoe?
Holly
Holly (Ilex sp.) is a group of almost 500 species of both deciduous and...
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December showers may not bring holiday flowers in Illinois, but houseguests, neighbors, and friends just might! One of the most recognizable of these gift plants is the Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima).
A native to Mexico, the English-known Poinsettia was known to the Nahuatl and Aztecs...
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October just left us with blistery cold snowy reminder that the growing season is over. Now we can turn our focus to our families, friends, and neighbors to celebrate the holidays together. When I think of November two things come to my mind - turkeys and cranberries. Americans consume nearly 400...
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Fall is now in full swing with temperatures reaching down to the 30s at night and Halloween just around the corner. As we prepare our landscapes and gardens for a long winter’s nap, don’t let those seasonal blues get an early start. Why not start a plant project with your family or to give to a...
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The fruits of our summer labors have been ripening with more fruits and vegetables ready for harvest. Overplanting is a common problem and it is a struggle to get the longest life out of the harvest.
Most of us end up with more produce than we can use. Neighbors, friends, coworkers, food pantries...
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While they may sound like something out of a fever dream,
jumping worms are not only real, but a nightmare for gardeners. These highly invasive creatures are a scourge on our forests and gardens and are easily spread when sharing plants from...
Gardening, like many life skills we learn as we grow up, is generally cultivated from our families, whether with our parents, grandparents, guardians, neighbors, or community group. Gardening is a life skill because it allows you to grow food for yourself and your family and incorporates many...
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Many people struggle to grow plants in the shade. I’ve often heard, “Nothing will grow there!” Never fear, though, there’s a plant for every space.
Learn your conditions
You wouldn’t put a fish in the desert and expect it to survive. Plants, too, have preferred environments. A...
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Summer is the prime time to enjoy the sweet treat of strawberries (Fragaria species). While we’re approaching the Fourth of July, believe it or not, there is still time now to plant them for future enjoyment.
Plan your patch
June-bearing strawberries provide one large crop of bigger berries and...
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Approximately 35% of our food crops depend on pollinators to produce what we like to eat, according to the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service. Everyone knows that honeybees are excellent pollinators, but they’re not the only ones visiting our flowers. While honeybees were imported from...
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Summer is in full swing, even if we still have to break out the light jackets in the evenings. It’s so nice to see my flower beds really starting to hit their stride. The first coreopsis is peeking out with the promise of a spectacular show in a week or two. The coneflower heads...
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