Garden – Jennifer Fishburn

A lot of rain falls on impervious surfaces that can’t soak up water. Instead of allowing all of this water to uselessly drain away, home gardeners can create an aesthetically pleasing area that will allow the water to drain back into the ground, away from the house. This is the idea behind a rain garden. […]

Ongoing: Join Project BudBurst Apr 13-Sep 30, Register to become a Citizen Scientist from Project BudBurst. Collect important climate change data on the timing of leafing and flowering in your area, targeting native tree and flower species. For info, visit www.windows.ucar.edu/citizen_science/budburst. The Great Sunflower Project Apr 13-May 31, Watch and record bees at sunflowers in […]

While Washington, D.C. talks about “shovel-ready” projects, few projects are more “shovel ready” than that of vegetable gardening, said a University of Illinois Extension horticulture specialist. “It is now fashionable to vegetable garden and it seems more home gardeners are once again becoming very interested in growing produce at home,” said Greg Stack. The National […]

We have all heard of the three “r”s: reduce, reuse and recycle. There is a fourth “r” of integrated waste management: rot. This “r” also eliminates waste from entering landfills. Rot refers to recycling food waste and other organic material through composting or vermicomposting. By allowing these products to rot into compost, materials are cycled […]

A container garden on your patio, balcony or roof top, a hanging basket or window box, all can be converted from flowers to edibles, said a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator. “Don’t have the space to put in a vegetable garden? Is your large garden too much work but you still want handy fresh […]

Gardening can be a low-cost activity or an expensive hobby. In these difficult economic times gardening is receiving newfound interest. So how can we enjoy gardening without breaking the bank? My mother and grandmother were able to garden on a shoestring while providing an abundance of food. Of course I learned some of these thrifty […]

It’s time to begin thinking about adding new plants to our gardens. One of my favorite colors is blue. Unfortunately there are only a handful of blue-flowered perennials. Recently I had the privilege of attending a program given by Richard Hawke, plant evaluation manager at Chicago Botanic Garden. Richard does comparative evaluation of herbaceous perennials […]

The number of people growing a vegetable garden is on the rise. Some mail order seed companies are reporting a 40 percent increase in sales, while a typical year may see a 15 percent increase in sales. Reasons for this growth spurt include the increase in food prices, food safety issues and concerns for the […]

As temperatures get warmer most of us are starting to dream of the first juicy ripe tomato or the heavenly fragrance of a garden-fresh rose. While we may be ready to get out and garden, it may be a little too early to plant some vegetables and flowers. Understanding the growing needs of plants, and […]

A holiday cactus in full bloom is a great holiday gift. This easy-to-care-for plant generally lives a long life and will easily bloom year after year. In fact I often hear about holiday cacti being passed down from generation to generation as a family heirloom. When selecting a new plant, look for sturdy, healthy green […]

Don’t let recent cool temperatures make you think that the gardening season is over. Fall is a great time to get a few last chores done and get a head start on next spring. Here are a few items to add to your fall garden “to do” list. It’s not too late to plant spring […]