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A monarch butterfly upside down on a New England Aster Flower.

The Monarch Mystery: Exploring population declines and rebounds

September 23, 2024

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....

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Discovering the Common Evening Primrose

August 18, 2024

The Garden Scoop

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...

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Native Rose Vervain adds color and blooms to your garden

May 4, 2024

The Garden Scoop

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...

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Seed Stratification: How to get seeds from native perennials to grow

March 24, 2024

The Garden Scoop

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...

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Bring spring alive, fill the gap with native shrubs

March 9, 2024

The Garden Scoop

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...

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How many natives should I plant?

January 20, 2024

The Garden Scoop

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...

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Witch Hazel: A late-blooming beauty with fascinating history

November 25, 2023

The Garden Scoop

Flowers are getting fewer and further between as the fall season transitions to winter. In my garden, aromatic aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) is about the last blooming plant that is still hanging on to some flowers after starting to bloom almost a month ago. However, one native...

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Burning bush threatens migrating birds

November 4, 2023

The Garden Scoop

Some years ago, it was shocking to learn that one of my favorite ornamental shrubs, burning bush (Euonymus alatus), is invasive. It took a while for this news to sink in, and after seeing it invade woodlands across southern Illinois, I finally came to terms with the bad news....

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Monarch butterflies migrating through Illinois

October 14, 2023

The Garden Scoop

Migratory species across North America are on the move as the fall season progresses toward winter. Right now is the ideal time to observe bird migration, with many uncommonly observed species moving through our area on their way to the tropics. I’ve always marveled at the sheer...

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Tropical Milkweed with bees and a fly on it.

Tropical milkweed could threaten monarchs

July 22, 2023

The Garden Scoop

As interest in planting milkweed has grown among gardeners focused on supporting Monarch butterfly populations, many of us have been watching garden centers for milkweed plants. This interest has sparked demand for easy-to-propagate milkweed species that can offer maximum garden beauty with a...

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