Yes, you can garden now in the Midwest

If you pick up only one copy of Chicagoland Gardening this year, make it the current January/February issue!

Talk about getting your gardening juices flowing. Who would have thought it possible in January, when I usually just stare out the window and wonder which plants put in with such hope will survive until spring.

Who knew. There are all kinds of gardening things you can do in the comfort of your own home. My favorites are the articles on starting seeds. Whether you want to get a special lamp or just pick the best window in your house, buy peat pots and trays or throw some seed-starting mix in an aluminum roasting pan, here are the directions.

And perhaps best of all, there are lists of seeds that are easy to start inside. Start with cabbage, broccoli and kale and for flowers try annual salvia, cosmos and sunflowers.

You also will want to see the chart of the editors' favorite plants for every condition. For example, what grows in dry shade? They recommend obedient plant or physotegia, hellebores, Scotch moss, bottlebrush buckeye tree, wild geranium, epimedium and (the plant even I have trouble killing) lamium.

Let lilies light your home or garden

Here's another way to get into the gardening mood during this not-nice Chicago-area winter.

Barbara Pierson, production manager for White Flower Farm, will talk at 2 p.m. today, Jan. 11, at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Pierson's speech "What The Dutch are Doing: New Lilies from Holland," is free and sponsored by the Wisconsin Illinois Lily Society.

The society will sponsor lectures through the winter and into spring.

The botanic garden's parking fees will apply. For information email Lilygrower82@aol.com, call (847) 733-0071 or visit chicagobotanic.org.

Plan now for your inauguration party

If you're not going to Washington Jan. 20, you might want to host an inauguration party for friends still in the Chicago area.

Even Republicans can huddle together to plan strategy for the next four years.

The President-elect will be busy and won't be able to make appearances in the suburbs of his hometown. If you're interested in a stand-in, this life-size cardboard image is $35 from csnstores.com. A few other folks are available, too, as are various relevant posters.