Blog Archive

Over the Garden Fence 2026

queen anne's lace flower head

The confusing carrot family

Over the Garden Fence
Every family is full of characters—the fun one, the pretty one, the difficult one, etc.  The Umbellifer family has that, too.  While carrots are the life of the party—sweet, crunchy, and great with ranch, other members like poison hemlock are better appreciated from a distance.  Who...
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tick on a grassy plant

Feeling “tick”-ed off?

Over the Garden Fence
May is Lyme Disease Awareness month, so now is a great time to learn more about its host and how to protect your family from tick bites.  What are ticks?Ticks have eight legs and belong to the arachnid family, related to spiders.  Because their primary source of food is blood from animals...
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soil with vegetables and garden gloves

How to prepare a vegetable garden bed

Over the Garden Fence
Spring has officially sprung in northern Illinois, and with it comes the excitement and opportunity of a new gardening season. Before seeds and transplants make their way into the ground, taking time to properly prepare your garden bed can set the stage for healthier plants, higher yields, and...
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various microgreens growing in nine trays

Microgreens are a big deal

Over the Garden Fence
Have you seen microgreens on the menu of a fancy restaurant and wondered what they were?  Or maybe you saw them over the summer at a farmers’ market but passed them up because of the hefty price tag.  It turns out, with the right setup, you can have this fresh, nutritious add-on all year...
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view of trees looking up in winter

“Exploding” trees? Probably not

Over the Garden Fence
Much has been in the news lately about “exploding trees”, caused by the extreme cold temperatures.  But is this something to be worried about?  Can trees explode?The short answer is, yes, but it’s very rare.  More likely is a loud popping noise caused when trees crack due to the...
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