Articles filed under Gardening
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Learn, shop and grow: MCC hosts Gardenfest and GardenExpo April 11Mar 08, 2026 10:00 am - McHenry County Gardenfest offers over 20 expert-led sessions on topics like hydroponics, tree selection, and cut flower gardening on April 11 at McHenry County College, featuring keynote speaker Neal Sanders presenting "Gardening is Murder."
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A glossary to help cut through seed-packet jargon and confidently plant indoorsMar 03, 2026 7:17 pm - It’s time to start seeds indoors for your spring garden. But how can you make sense of the jargon on the back of those seed packets? With this handy glossary at your side, you’ll understand what you’re buying and what it needs from you.
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Flower power: Local farmers tap into growing demand for fresh-cut bloomsMar 02, 2026 5:45 pm - When warmer weather returns, people will start heading back to outdoor farmers markets. In addition to fresh meat and produce, bright, colorful cut flowers bundled in bouquets or available for custom arrangements are becoming an eye‑catching addition to the market experience.
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Scarification: The simple seed-starting trick that helps tough-coated seeds sprout fasterFeb 24, 2026 6:14 pm - The hard coating on some seeds makes it difficult for them to sprout. Scarification can help to get them started.
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A kaleidoscope of oddball tomatoes to try as seed-starting season nearsFeb 17, 2026 4:55 pm - Seed-starting time is right around the corner, and that means it’s time to think about tomatoes. There’s a whole kaleidoscope of tomatoes you can grow in your garden.
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How to choose and care for cut flowersFeb 10, 2026 4:07 pm - Valentine’s Day is coming, and cut flowers make a great gift for your special person.
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‘Everyone’s tired of winter’: Chicago Botanic Garden’s annual orchid show offers a colorful escapeFeb 10, 2026 3:52 pm - Outside it’s cold, but it’s warm — and colorful — inside at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s 12th annual orchid show. This year’s theme is “Feelin’ Groovy.”
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The first bloom of the year is here, even if it’s buried in snowFeb 10, 2026 1:23 pm - The first wildflower of the year is already blooming — even if it is still covered in snow. The spiky shoots of the eastern skunk cabbage poke through the mud in mid-January, months before other plants begin to wake up.
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Backyard vegetable gardens are healthy for people and the planet. Here's how to start yoursFeb 10, 2026 12:22 pm - It doesn't get more local, organic and in-season than a backyard vegetable garden.
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The case for keeping your garden dark at nightFeb 10, 2026 12:16 pm - Artificial outdoor lighting negatively affects insects, birds, bats and other small mammals, and it can even make the plants in your garden less productive.