Every gardener has a favorite plant—or plants. These prized possessions may offer unmatched multi-season beauty, survive tough conditions, or be a rare plant that you have searched the garden centers every year to find. Your connection with a special plant is unique. The joy of this plant cannot be replicated, but it could be enhanced by sharing landscape space with a ‘Plant of the Year’. Garden and plant associations use rigorous criteria to recognize favorite garden plants that are also...

Imagine a warm summer’s evening in the not-too-distant future. A glance out the back door reveals something exciting: the fruit trees, shrubs, or canes that the family planted in spring 2023 are ready for their first harvest. This winter, find a good nursery catalogue to make that dream a reality.   While summer annuals are the most popular edible garden plants, perennial fruits are gaining in popularity. According to USDA consumer data from 2019, the average person eats 10 pounds of apples, 5...

Gardening in the shade can be challenging. Few plants grow their best in low light conditions, and the plants that do often lack gorgeous blooms. If a lawn of large-leaved hostas is letting you down, experiment with uniquely textured foliage and distinct blossoms offered by shade-loving plants. You’ll be eager for a retreat from the heat to enjoy the additions in your summer shade garden.  When planting your shade garden, consider the type of shade (morning vs. afternoon) and the duration of...

With the anticipation of spring and returning pops of color, you may find your forsythia and lilac shrubs are a bit lackluster from improper management. The early-blooming and free-flowing forsythia, if managed like a hedge, portrays a strict military appearance, complete with a crew cut and almost flowerless display. Prompted by their massive sprawling nature, many gardeners and homeowners attempt to tame these beasts by midseason, relegating next season’s blooms to the compost pile. With...

With over 400,000 species of plants in the world, one might wonder which ones are the best to grow in your garden or landscape. Many plant associations select a “Plant of the Year” using rigorous criteria to highlight plants they feel are deserving of the title. Consider these plants when planning your garden or looking for something new to grow this year. In 2022, Viola has earned the top spot as Herb of the Year as recognized by the International Herb Association. Members of the genus Viola...

I don’t know about others, but I myself am fighting a case of the winter blues. My happy place is in the garden, looking at my growing plants—not snow! As you daydream about your spring and summer garden, consider planting some unorthodox plants that are fueling a growing agricultural trend in the Midwest—agroforestry. There are a few different definitions of agroforestry floating around, I am partial to the following, the mixing of annual and perennial crops in a well thought out way. Here’s...

Hostas are among some of the most cherished perennials of all time, creating a lush pallet of bright greens, muted greens, chartreuse greens, variegated greens and creams, and blue-greens. This fall, some are displaying a vibrant yellow lighting up the landscape. They come in miniature versions to lofting leaves as tall as a small child. Hostas are commonly described as ''fabulous foliage plants" by the industry, but some of their blooms can be exceedingly showy, exceptionally fragrant and...

Sun-loving, season-long blooming, low maintenance, dependable and pollinator-friendly. Sound like a perfect perennial to add to your garden?   Calamint (Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta), selected as the Perennial Plant Association’s 2021 plant of the year, is a garden-favorite of many gardeners. The association votes to showcase a low-maintenance plant with multi-season interest, that’s relatively pest-free, and can be grown in a wide range of climates. Native to Europe and the...

A few years back, Illinois gardeners learned that there is more to monarch decline than a lack of milkweed to support larvae, or habitat destruction in their overwintering home. Another contributing factor is a lack of floral resources for adult monarch butterflies to make the journey in the fall. University of Illinois Extension pushed a campaign to plant more of these fall...

When thinking of fall bloomers for your garden, everyone's usual go-to is the mum, but don’t rule out the gorgeous asters sitting next to the mums. There are 180 species of aster, many of which are native to Illinois. New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) and aromatic aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) are two easy-to-find favorites. Asters grow best in full sun to partial shade areas with well-drained soils. They are perennials in the garden but need atleast six weeks in the...

Connie Kostelc has been a Master Gardener volunteer for University of Illinois Extension in Livingston County for the last 22 years. When gardening for edible plants, Connie uses the French intensive raised bed method. Connie says the look of a French Intensive raised bed garden is different than the conventional raised bed garden. Conventional raised bed gardens use wood boards placed above the ground a foot or two high and filled with soil or compost from an outside source. In a French...

If you have a vigorous perennial that has been in the garden bed for more than a few years, or it is starting to choke out some other plants and no longer looking healthy, then it may be time to divide. Plants that need to be divided cannot support healthy foliage and flowers. Some perennials like to be divided yearly (chrysanthemum); some can go three to five years without division; some can go much longer. Some do not require division at all, like butterfly weed with the taproot, or baby’s...

While designing a perennial flower bed, remember to add personal favorites, and throw out “garden design rules” that don’t fit your vision. Some of the plants I choose are favorites because they are tough, dependable, and beautiful. blue false indigo (Baptisia australis) Native to Illinois and deer and rabbit resistant, the 3 to 4 foot tall blue-green foliage adds great color and texture to the garden. It grows best in full sun and moist, well-drained soil. But once...

Are you ready to take your butterfly gardening status to the next level and allow some of your beautiful plants to be eaten by caterpillars? Choosing the right plants, some care and voila caterpillars. I am not only altering the habitat of my backyard for the greater good, I will have some more willing specimens for my Instagram posts. The most grown caterpillar food in our gardens are milkweeds for monarchs and parsley for black swallowtails. By adding a few more native shrubs, perennials,...

Planting perennials can bring you wonderful surprises and inspiration for future garden design. This year I am raving about my nodding onion (Allium cernuum). I planted them randomly throughout the pollinator garden in my front yard, not knowing a lot about them. During the spring and early summer, they were neat little tufts of dark green linear foliage. However, for the past few weeks, they have sent up several flower scapes per plant, and presented an umbel of tiny pinkish white flowers....

The Perennial Plant Association is proud to announce the 2020 Perennial Plant of the Year®! Aralia ‘Sun King’ is a fabulous high-impact perennial that brings a bold pop of glowing color and texture to the shade or part shade garden. It's a secret that just Perennial Plant Association (PPA) members know! PPA members can annually nominate 2 perennials for consideration. The top 5 nominees are put on the ballot. PPA members vote for the Perennial Plant of the Year® each summer. Aralia ‘Sun King’...

Originally published by Kelly Allsup on February 11, 2020. Asparagus goes great with hollandaise sauce, has a nutty flavor when eaten raw (wash it first, and cut off the lower third), and is always a welcome treat at a restaurant. With a little patience and some planning, you can grow loads of asparagus each spring. Growing Requirements Full sun is required. Poor drainage in your asparagus patch will promote disease issues in the roots. Some growers emphasize the...