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Pollinator Habitat

Sunflowers symbolize summer, elevate garden displays and double as a snack for wildlife

Nothing says summer like a brightly blooming sunflower (Helianthus annus). Often considered a weed in a farmer's field, many homeowners find joy filling their landscape and gardens with these majestic giants. The colorful, sunny blooms elevate a garden display and double as a snack for you and your garden wildlife.   Once a common crop among Native American tribes, sunflowers are now grown for their ornamental and commercial value. Certain kinds of sunflowers are grown as food (for...
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Support the Monarchs-Plant Native Milkweeds

Roadsides and ditches are drawing the eye of humans and butterflies alike as common milkweed plants (Asclepias syriaca) return to the summer scenery. While this plant proves unpopular for its weedy habit, it is a necessity for the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) as the sole food source of the monarch caterpillar. The good news is, with twenty-two species of milkweed native to Illinois, every gardener can find a favorite alternative to common milkweed. No matter the size,...
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Celebrate National Pollinator Week!

Thank a pollinator for that warm cup of coffee in your hands, or for that chocolate sundae you indulged in the other day. National Pollinator Week is June 21-27; celebrate pollinators and support their health this year. Did you know that that pollinators like bees and butterflies, provide 1 out of 3 bites of food we eat? Over 80% of flowering plants are pollinated by these small, but busy animals. Just like us, and all animals,...
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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 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...
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Stop signs for home landscaping

With everything going virtual this year, Illinois’ Master Gardener conference followed suit, hosting only one speaker. So she must have been good. Recipient of the National Medal of Science in 2014, May Berenbaum is department head of Entomology at the University of Illinois.  She is well known for her research on honeybee colony collapse disorder and her outreach programs including the...
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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 (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...
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Break bad fall garden cleanup habits

Are you ready for a break from the garden? Breaking some old habits in your usual fall garden clean up could make a huge difference to butterflies, moths, bees, and other beneficial insects that overwinter in the Illinois landscape, and be a more environmentally sound practice. Bad habit 1 - Removing all fallen leaves The first habit to break is removing all the fallen leaves from your landscape. Leaves provide insulation for overwintering insects, plus organic matter and nutrients that would...
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Fall planted bulbs welcome bees with early spring bloomers

Get your gardens buzzing next spring by planting bee-friendly bulbs and spring bloomers this fall. Bumblebee queens, honey bees, and solitary bees start emerging from their winter homes ready to feast on the landscape as early as March. Feed them from your garden by planting a mix of crocus, snow drops, Siberian squill, grape hyacinth, bluebells with spring flowering hellebores and primroses to ensure many sources of nectar. Crocus and snow drops are a favorite gardener's...
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