Garden – Jennifer Fishburn

Dahlias, cannas, caladiums, and gladiolus make great additions to our gardens, but the bulbs of these summer bloomers have trouble with Illinois’ harsh winters and need special attention in the fall. By digging and then storing tender bulbs in a warmer area for the winter months, you can save your bulbs from year to year, […]

You may plant an evergreen tree in your back yard in July expecting to see it looking perky in the middle of winter, but think again. Newly planted evergreens are more prone to dehydration through the winter, but with a little extra care your new tree will live to see spring. “Winter can be harsh,” […]

The gardening season is winding down, but there’s still a lot to do. “Early fall is a great time for lawn renovation,” says Ron Wolford, a horticulture education with the University of Illinois Extension. “There is less competition with weeds, and grass germinates quickly because of warm soil temperatures and cool fall weather.” To renovate […]

Until the end of World War II, most gardeners saved their own vegetable and flower seeds because high-quality seeds were not always readily available. Today, affordable high-quality seeds are available at garden shops and in seed catalogs everywhere, and most gardeners prefer to buy fresh seeds each year from a reliable company. However, a few […]

Looking for something different to add to your spring garden? Try fritillaria. Varieties of this old-fashioned spring-flowering bulb, which puts forth interesting bell-shaped hanging blooms in middle to late spring, range in height from 1 to 4 feet. Most fritillaria prefer a sheltered garden location in a partially shaded area. The unusual flowers will draw […]

Fall provides a great opportunity to review garden performance and plan for next season. “After the long, hot days of summer, the cool crisp days of fall are always welcome. Many perennial gardens reach their glory in the summer and then slowly fade away,” says Barbara Bates, a horticulture educator with the University of Illinois […]

As a group, culinary herbs are my favorite garden plants. Easy to grow, they require little care, are subject to few insect and disease problems, and generally prefer moderate soil fertility levels. They also add fragrance and beauty to the garden. Many herbs, such as lavender, sage, and purple basil, are ornamental and work nicely […]

When I was a child, my mom shared her love for gardening with me. She gardened simply because she enjoyed it and because her garden provided our family with fresh vegetables during the summer and extra produce for canning or freezing. Although I now enjoy gardening, as a small child I saw it as a […]

Peaches and ice cream is my all-time favorite summer treat. Nothing tastes better than a tree-ripened peach, and, thanks to a mild winter and heavy blooms, locally grown fresh peaches are abundant this year. Peaches, known as the queen of fruit, rank second in popularity to the apple. A medium-sized peach is a healthy treat […]

The most exciting garden event of the summer arrives when juicy, fresh tomatoes are ready for harvest. Last weekend my family and I were delighted to enjoy an armful of this tasty fruit. We ate our tomatoes with a little salt, with white gravy, and in BLT sandwiches. Our passion for tomatoes is shared by […]

This week, a little behind schedule, the first fragrant purple flowers have begun to adorn the lavender plants in the master-gardener Herb Demonstration garden. Lavender flowers typically appear in June and July, but the plants in the demonstration garden, located on the Illinois State Fairgrounds, were planted this spring and are therefore flowering later in […]