Most tree and shrub species can be successfully planted in the fall, from October until the ground freezes, or in the spring. At these times of the year the tree is dormant or going dormant. Before you select your new tree, be sure you know where you’re going to plant your purchase. Ask yourself the […]
Jennifer Fishburn
Unit Educator, Horticulture University of Illinois Extension www.extension.uiuc.edu/sangamon
Posted inSpecial Issues
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 horticulture educator. “You are sure to enjoy the best-tasting salad with greens that you have grown,” promised Jennifer Fishburn. “Spring greens such as […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
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 usage and conserve water is to collect rainwater. A rain barrel is a system that collects and stores rainwater. A typical half-inch rainfall will […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
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 adequate soil and tissue moisture become more susceptible to low temperature injury or rapid fluctuations between warm and cold. Symptoms of drought stress […]
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Plant rhubarb for decades of desserts
Some of my favorite spring vegetables include lettuce, spinach, asparagus and rhubarb.One of my favorite spring desserts is a slice of warm rhubarb pie with ice cream. Rhubarb, Rheum rhabarbarum, is a cool-season perennial vegetable that was introduced to the United States at the end of the 18th century. Rhubarb was first cultivated in the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Fall is time to care for your tools
After the garden is cleaned up and put to bed for the winter, it is a great time to give your tools some attention. Ideally garden tools should be cleaned, sharpened and hung in the correct place after every use. However, I think most gardeners are like myself, use the tool and be happy that […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Until it rains, water your trees
Second place is usually considered to be a good thing. But placing second for the driest August in history isn’t a good thing. With only a few days left in August, the Springfield area had received less than 1/4 inch of rainfall for the month. We need rain! We could ask for a miracle and […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Home-grown tomato time!
The most exciting garden event of the summer is picking the first red, juicy ripe tomatoes. This passion is shared with many gardeners as tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables grown in the home garden. I commonly get asked, “What is the best tomato to grow?” The answer will be different for everyone. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
A Garden Walk with Master Gardeners
A collection of 122 different hosta plants, an extension vegetable garden, a Japanese-inspired backyard with bamboo fencing, a low-mow yard and a pond with a waterfall are all features of an upcoming Springfield-area garden tour. Sangamon-Menard Unit Master Gardeners invite you to a Garden Walk on Saturday, June 25, 2 to 7 p.m. Most of […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Save the planet, and hassle, with native prairie plants
Native plants and grasses can be welcome additions in the landscape, adding beauty, movement and sound. By planting an expanded area of native grasses, or by mixing grasses with shrubs and flowers, gardeners can reap environmental benefits, including less watering, less need for fertilizer and herbicides, resistance to invasive species and attraction to birds. First […]
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Green ideas for the garden
Going green isn’t just about hybrid cars, compact fluorescent light bulbs or low-flush toilets. It’s for the garden, too. Environmentally friendly ideas from recycling milk jugs into patio furniture to growing your own food are the hot topics in garden shows across the country, providing new ways for many Americans to make their gardens a […]
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Worm your way to great soil with composting
Years ago friend of mine spent a fall day driving around Springfield collecting bags of leaves. Sounds crazy when most homeowners can’t wait to get rid of the leaves that pile up on their yards, but she turned these leaves into “black gold.” She put the leaves in a garden area that was mostly clay […]
