Backyard biodiversity

Beautify your landscape while supporting wildlife with native plants

Early in the 20th century, Jens Jensen, the landscape designer of Springfield’s Lincoln Memorial Garden, and groups such as the Friends of Our Native Landscape and The Prairie Club, began extoll

Fall gardening activites

Although summer may be drawing to a close, gardening time is far from over, said a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator. “Fall is the ideal time for some kinds of planting a

Be energywise and economize. Winterize.

A good place to start reducing your carbon footprint is at home. If you make a few tracks around the house in areas you rarely tread, you might be surprised at what you find and how much you can save

Soil test this fall

Testing the soil in a vegetable garden is quickly done, and the benefits are long-term. University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator Richard Hentschel said that if the soil is right, gardene

Financing a home improvement project

After years of funny financing and few limitations on loans, banks and other lenders have tightened up their lending policies. As a result, homeowners considering a home improvement project might need

Cool color from cabbages and kales

The summer growing season has not been kind to gardens, noted a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator. “Hot temperatures, dry soils, pots that needed watering two or three times

Seven inexpensive ways to update a home now

Often buying a home opens up a bottomless pit of opportunities for projects and improvements. While some homeowners engage in different repairs and fix-ups out of necessity, many others like to freshe

Give your trees a good drink

While our landscapes received a good drink of water in September, we need more rain. The most important investment in your landscape is trees and shrubs. Trees and shrubs entering winter without adequ

Conserve water with rain barrels

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, lawn and garden watering makes up nearly 40 percent of total household water use during the summer. One way to reduce outdoor water usag

Sleep on it

Try before you buy for a great night’s sleep

Do you toss and turn? Do you wake up stiff and sore? Have you slept better elsewhere? It may be time for a new mattress – and finding the perfect fit requires a test drive.    We

Home sweet ‘green’ home

When Harv Koplo and Annette Chinuge met at Sangamon State University during the 1970s they had no idea their interest in preserving the earth would lead them to become pioneers for sustainable living

Beat the heat with less air conditioning

It doesn’t seem possible, but 60 years ago people survived without air conditioning. Not only did they survive, but they may have even enjoyed life more, since they actually went outside in summ

New and recommended flowers and vegetables

There seems to be an award for everything, whether it is for the best picture, best actor, best country music video or best automobile for 2013, and gardening is no exception, said a University of Ill

Grow spinach, tasty, cool and easy

The arrival of yellow daffodils, green lawns and garden fresh salad are sure signs of spring. Leafy greens are among the easiest vegetables to grow, according to a University of Illinois Extension hor

Rain barrels save dollars and make sense

The drought of 2012 took a great toll, not only on the plants in the garden, but also on the gardener’s wallet. “It was tough for some gardeners to decide which plants to water and which t

Another dry gardening season?

Gardeners were really glad to see the cooler weather and some rainfall at the end of the 2012 gardening season. The question is whether 2013 will be any better, said a University of Illinois Extension

Green lighting

Ways to cut costs and save energy

Starting in July, the U.S. Department of Energy has new regulations to upgrade old, inefficient, mercury-laden fluorescent light bulbs. About 500 million of the lights, called T12, need to be replaced

Green houses

How to make your home greener, save money and improve your health

Homeowners can’t escape to-do lists – weekend chores, long-term DIY projects, or even plans and designs for building a dream home from the ground up. A growing number of homeowners are add

Recycling opportunities grow

Better yet, don’t buy it in the first place

Abby Walden believes that before Springfield residents start to consider recycling their trash, they should first be aware of the goods they are purchasing.“Products that cannot be reused, you s

Feeding the soil builds sustainable lawns

Spraying chemical fertilizers and pesticides on lawns is like giving kids junk food, says landscape designer Cathy Bilow. They’ll be invigorated for a while, but eventually they’ll crash a