Herbs have been touted by gardeners as some of the easiest and most rewarding plants to grow in the garden. Did you know that some herbs grow best in the cooler season of spring? Cilantro and parsley can be planted by seed or transplants now. Cilantro and Parsley should be planted in rich but well...

Each year, the month of May is Monarch Month in Illinois to honor our official State Insect. Despite our efforts to honor our butterfly friend, the annual count of Monarchs recently saw a 53% decline in a one-year period, and the Monarch will be considered for inclusion on the Endangered Species...

In the last article, we talked about starting seeds indoor with limited resources. A lot of seed can be started outdoors during the month of April. Carrots can be planted by seed starting April 10. Carrot seed is so small that inevitably you must thin your seedlings, which can be quite a tedious...

Starting seed at home is easy, even with limited materials. Seeds Some of you may have already gotten your seed order for the spring, but the procrastinating gardener that I am will force me to explore last year’s seeds stash. Horticulturists typically keep their seed stash in a refrigerator to...

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...

Free time on your hands? Avoiding social spaces, but need some time outside? First, remember that just because you're outside, the virus can still spread. If you're working with more than one person: Maintain minimum distance of six (6) feet between you and others in the area. Do not...

Walking through any garden can be calming, educational, inspiring, energizing, or a combination of all of these. A new trend in gardening is creating intentional gardens; gardens with a specific purpose, like a sensory garden.  Sensory gardens are areas designed to...

Cicada Killers and the Great black wasp may have already started menacing gardener. However menacing they are in their façade, they are just simply trying to get some nectar from the flowers. About this time of year, inquiries from the public start to flood Master Gardener ran help desks because...