Articles filed under Gardening

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Apple expert shares tips on growing trees Mar 1, 2015 6:48 PM
Daily Herald report Warm weather and planting season might seem like a pipe dream as we come out of one of the coldest Februarys in history, but green thumbs were thinking spring Sunday at the Garfield Farm Museum’s 28th annual Antique Apple Tree Grafting Seminar. Apple tree expert Dan Bussey led the seminar, which taught participants hoping to grow apple trees in their yards the important grafting process that is key to having any success.
Plan now for bird-friendly habitat all year Feb 26, 2015 5:00 AM
By Tim Johnson Winter is a good time to plan to make your garden bird-friendly all year long. It takes more than feeders, birdhouses, a birdbath and some flowers. Birds need a complete habitat that includes food, shelter, nesting areas and perching spots.
Streamwood taking orders for parkways trees until Feb. 27 Feb 24, 2015 5:36 PM
Daily Herald report The village of Streamwood is offering residents a discount on parkway trees that will be planted for the spring season. Eight species are available, starting at $120. The village and residents split, 50/50, the cost of the trees.
Timing is perfect for starting seeds indoors for annuals Feb 24, 2015 6:00 AM
By Tim Johnson It’s not too soon to begin growing seeds of annuals that get off to a slow start, such as pansies, violas, snapdragons and lobelia. While garden centers will offer many favorite flowers as transplants, when you start plants from seed the choices are seemingly endless.
Finding beauty in the cold light of day Feb 21, 2015 7:00 AM
By Adrian Higgins For restless gardeners, the next four weeks offer a window for sowing spring peas. Common garden peas, snow peas, snap peas — all will take to the frigid soil like ducklings to water. They also face their own infant perils: Freshly sown peas can prove a delectable snack to squirrels as well as chipmunks perking up from their winter lethargy.
Bartlett taking orders for replacement trees Feb 17, 2015 5:05 PM
Daily Herald report The village of Bartlett is taking orders on a first-come, first-served basis for new trees that will replace those removed because of the destructive emerald ash borer. Homeowners and the village split the cost of the replacement program. This year, Bartlett is offering a larger number of trees and more species.
Yesterday’s seeds ... and tomorrow’s crops Feb 14, 2015 7:00 AM
By Adrian Higgins The days are lengthening, and gardeners are getting twitchy. My green-fingered friends are doing a lot of plant planning and seed ordering while trying hard not to start things yet, although that day is almost here. Here, that is, for cool-season veggies that can go out as transplants before the last frost and with protection.
Winter winds can damage plants Feb 8, 2015 1:01 AM
By Mary Boldan Q. How does wind chill affect garden plants?
Succulent houseplant delivers indoor color Feb 7, 2015 7:00 AM
By Tim Johnson Kalanchoe is a succulent houseplant grown for its small bright flowers. Native to Madagascar, it can be commercially grown so it flowers in the colder months.
How to keep those cut flowers looking their best Feb 17, 2015 6:00 AM
By Tim Johnson To keep cut flowers fresh, place them in room-temperature water as soon as possible. With a sharp knife or pruners, make an angled cut at least 1 inch from the end of each stem. Remove all foliage that will be below water level.
Seed catalogs offer a mailbox full of promises Feb 6, 2015 6:34 AM
By Barbara Damrosch The seed catalogs now filling the mailbox and piling up on the desk catch us at a time of optimism. At the start of the year we tend to forgive the last one’s disappointments, and we’re ready for another go at the garden’s blank slate. All those colorful photos cheer us on, and the persuasively written pages seem to read our minds, promising success with crops that might have let us down before.
Coral bells get ringing endorsements Feb 5, 2015 6:00 AM
By Adrian Higgins With their lush clumps of ruffled leaves, striking foliar patterns and a general air of vigor and health, coral bells are eye candy in the garden center. Hence, the market has been flooded with too many varieties of heuchera. Nothing, it seems, exceeds like excess.
When the catalogs are stacked as high as last summer’s corn Feb 2, 2015 6:01 AM
By Barbara Damrosch The rollout of the seed catalogs started early this year. High Mowing, the first horse out of the gate, arrived just before Thanksgiving, well before any enthusiasm for next year’s garden could be sparked. After the garden has been put to bed and the yard tidied up, it seems more important to declutter the house — winter’s best indoor sport.
Colorful blooms inspire gardeners during monochrome months Feb 2, 2015 7:11 AM
By Deborah Donovan You might find a new plant more exciting than the L.A. Dreamin' hydrangea this spring, but for many gardeners it's hard to top a shrub that blooms both blue and pink without soil amendments. It's the time of year when every new flower, tree or vegetable found online, in a newspaper article or catalog looks terrific, gives our home curb appeal and never wilts.
Prune now for healthy shrubs and trees Feb 4, 2015 6:14 AM
By Tim Johnson Winter is a good time to prune trees and shrubs. From now until new growth begins in spring, overgrown deciduous woody shrubs can be heavily pruned to rejuvenate them.
How to choose best container for starting seeds Feb 1, 2015 1:01 AM
By Mary Boldan Q. Should I start seeds in cells, flats or pots?
Got sun? Indoor herbs can thrive on winter windowsills Jan 30, 2015 6:01 AM
By Katherine Roth During this season of short, dark days, indoor herb gardens offer welcome greenery and fragrance, as well as adding zest to cold-weather stews and soups. “In the winter, even indoor plants won’t be doing much, but an already established herb plant can thrive quite happily in a sunny window,” said Sonia Uyterhoeven, who teaches herb gardening at the New York Botanical Garden.
Attract your favorite birds with right feed Jan 27, 2015 6:00 AM
By Tim Johnson If you wish to attract birds to your garden, it is important to know what species are in your area and their food preferences and feeding habits.
Compost solutions for the kitchen Jan 27, 2015 6:01 AM
By Barbara Damrosch The compost pile is almost like a family member that deserves to be fed. If the pile is well managed, feeding it is a painless ritual. This means taking out the bucket of kitchen scraps every day or two, before they begin to call attention to themselves.
‘Lucky bamboo’ may be lucky, but it’s not bamboo Jan 21, 2015 6:01 AM
By Lee Reich The New Year is still young so let’s continue to welcome it in — with some lucky bamboo. At this time of year, this plant appears in supermarkets and plant stores across the country. It may or may not be lucky, but bamboo it ain’t.