Marvelous Moon Gardens
Learn which Illinois plants show up for the night shift
How to Grow a Modern-Day Cottage Garden
What is a modern cottage garden, and what are the plants grown there? Compact, colorful, fragrant, informal and utilitarian are all adjectives used to describe cottage gardens.
How to Plant a Shade Garden
Learn the difference between partial shade, full shade and deep shade – and which plants thrive in each.
Fertilizer Facts For Your Garden
Organic or synthetic? Fertilizer facts help gardeners decide which is best for their plants.
Grow a Green Thumb with The Garden Journal: The Essentials
Take the guesswork out of gardening with Liane Doxey’s helpful book, The Garden Journal: The Essentials.
6 Common Gardening Mistakes to Avoid
Avoid some common mistakes we gardeners make that result in a lot of extra work.
Calculating Plants: Use Math to Plan and Grow Your Garden
Dig up those arithmetic skills to help plan a successful garden.
Fruit Trees: Which Varieties Grow Well in Illinois?
If you’re a home gardener who is interested in fruit trees, make sure you pick a species that will do well in the Illinois climate.
Chicago Neighborhood Gardens Grow Veggies, Community Spirit
More than 600 community gardens across Chicago have sprouted green space in urban areas to grow fresh produce in the city.
Protect Your Plants From Frost
Most of the spring plants in your yard and garden require protection when overnight frost is predicted. Here are a few methods for sheltering plants in garden beds.
Rosemary, a Versatile Winter Herb
Rosemary, a perennial evergreen shrub, can easily be grown in a home or garage during the winter months. The key is to make sure the area is cool and moist.
Mulch or Cover Outdoor Plants This Winter
When the temperature drops, don’t forget to take care of your outdoor plants so they will be healthy when spring comes. Here are some tips for protecting your plants in the winter.
The Seasons of a Gardener
During the span of our gardening careers, what piques our interest is constantly evolving. Where are you on your horticultural journey?
Protecting Your Perennials
Caring for your perennials in the cool weather months is key in ensuring healthy buds in the spring. Tips on whether or not to cut back your perennials.
Garden Speak: Understanding Botanary
Have you ever been around a group of gardeners who seem to be talking in a foreign language? Here are some of the more common terms, starting with botanary, which is short for botanical dictionary.
How to Preserve Fresh Flowers
A vase of cut flowers may be beautiful, but they will only last a few days. To enjoy those summer flowers through the winter months, try some of these preservation techniques.
A Brief History of Thyme (and How to Grow It)
Thyme is a hardy perennial in Illinois. There are more than 100 species from which to choose, ranging from a couple inches tall to 15 inches.
Container Garden Excitement
When your only space is a deck or patio, container gardening is for you.
Raised Beds Grow in Popularity
Try building a raised-bed garden, which is simply a garden built on top of your native soil.
3 Ways To Preserve Tomatoes
One of summer’s tastiest gifts is a basket of juicy ripe tomatoes fresh from the vine. With a day’s work and a little know-how, you can enjoy your bounty of summer tomatoes year-round.
Guerilla Gardens Replace Eyesores
Guerilla gardeners take action to clean up – and beautify – their communities.
Lasagna Gardening Layers It On Thick
Lasagna gardening is organic, earth-friendly and most importantly, incredibly easy.
Pinching and Deadheading Your Plants
The gardening methods of pinching and deadheading sound a little mean, don’t they? But while they sound a little harsh, both methods can greatly improve a plant’s appearance.
Growing Asparagus Takes Patience
If you’re starting asparagus in your garden this year, remember that you’ll have to wait three years after planting for your first crop.
