Jennifer Fishburn

Tip of the week Lawn mower blades should be sharpened at least two times a year, April 1 and September 1. A sharp blade will make a clean cut, decreasing stress on the plants. If you use your mower to mulch leaves, sharpen the blade again in late October. Some gardeners sharpen their blades after […]

It’s that time of year again: 90-degree-plus temperatures, accompanied by the snap, crackle, and pop of grass under your feet. Strolling through Conservation World last Sunday at the Illinois State Fair, my family complained of thirst. How did the plants feel? A thirsty plant will wilt, and then lose its leaves. Most plants benefit from […]

Tip of the week Regular watering and mulching can help prevent blossom-end rot on tomatoes and peppers. Prevalent during periods of high humidity, blossom-end rot is revealed in small, sunken black areas near the end of the fruit. Are you stuck with bushels of tomatoes and peppers? How about making salsa? One of my favorite […]

Tip of the week If your petunias, impatiens, or other annuals are starting to look straggly and have few flowers, cut them back 6 to 8 inches after flowers have decreased to encourage compact growth and promote a second flowering. Also water and fertilize. It’s never to early to start planning for next year’s garden. […]

Tip of the week To view the best free garden display in central Illinois, drive through the Illinois State Fairgrounds in the next couple of days. The other day I almost lost my one-year-old daughter–she had walked into the garden where the weeds were tall. I had to face up to the chore I’d put […]

While there is no perfect flowering perennial, the daylily comes close. Classified in the genus Hemerocallis, which in Greek means “beautiful for a day,” the plants may produce flowers for several weeks, but each flower lasts for only a single day. Daylilies are tough, long-lived plants. Tall orange daylilies are a familiar site along roadsides […]