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Perennials

Yellow flowers on green and purple leaves

Beyond hostas in your shade garden

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...
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Two photos side-by-side: Left, little bluestem in fall; right, purple and yellow violas

Garden worthy 'Plants of the Year'

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...
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A single ripening asian pear hangs among green leaves.

Add Agroforestry Plants to Your Garden

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...
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calamint and Echinacea

Perennial plant of the year: Calamint

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...
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butterflies on sedum by Candace Hart

Sedum is a reliable fall food source for foraging butterflies

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...
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aster, purple with yellow centers. credit: pixabay.

A different fall-blooming beauty

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 (...
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full season french intensive garden

French intensive gardens root well in Central Illinois

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...
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brilliant red-orange oriental poppy pixabay

Divide and Conquer in Fall

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...
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plox from pixabay

Favorite Perennials For the Sun

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...
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silvery checkerspot by kathy dumler

Advanced butterfly gardening

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...
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nodding onion

Designing Around Specific Colors and Plants

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...
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Aralia cordata 'Sun King' Photo credit Janet Draper

The 2020 Perennial Plant of the Year with Martha Smith

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...
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male asparagus ferns on left, female asparagus ferns with seed on the right

How to Achieve Asparagus's Perpetual Harvest

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...
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