Horticulture Blogs

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...

Peppers are a staple for many summer gardens, yet high heat combined with humidity can challenge plant performance. While peppers are often considered heat‑loving crops, extreme or prolonged high temperatures can cause more problems than productivity. Recent growing experiences highlight how...

From decorating and carving pumpkins to visiting a pumpkin patch, pumpkins bring excitement during the fall season for people of all ages. Carving jack-o’-lanterns is a common tradition amongst families for fall fun, but where should they go after they start to deteriorate? Pumpkins thrown into...

While Halloween might be a few months away, it’s already spooky season in the woods!  Today, I’ll be introducing you to Monotropa uniflora, also known as Ghost Pipe or Ghost Plant, a plant that is ...

Sometimes a walk to the mailbox can yield pleasant surprises—a birthday card from Grandma, a letter from a faraway friend.  But sometimes there are not-so-nice surprises. Reports are starting again from area residents about mystery seeds they didn’t order showing up in their mailboxes....

May is finally here, when Spring has sprung and homeowners are rushing to get the garden ready. As gardeners start their season, consider something new this year: edible flowers. Integrating edible flowers into gardens and cuisines are growing in popularity amongst home gardeners and chefs and can...

From homemade pesticide applications to adding eggshells to the soil, gardeners are always looking for natural alternatives to current gardening practices. Over the past few years, there has been an influx of gardeners adding eggshells, coffee grounds, and dish soap to their gardens to improve soil...

Hot summer days may be slowly coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean the growing season has to! Fall crops are a staple in the Midwest, which helps farmers and gardeners prolong the short growing season in Northern Illinois. Cool season crops like broccoli are commonly grown in the Spring and Fall...

Hot summer days may be slowly coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean the growing season has to! Fall crops are a staple in the Midwest, which helps farmers and gardeners prolong the short growing season in Northern Illinois. Cool season crops like broccoli are commonly grown in the Spring and Fall...

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...