Anything you leave outside is bound to get weathered, whether it’s a ceramic pot, a pair of shears, or even the leaves on a tree. While a tree can shed old leaves and grow new ones, your garden pots won’t magically renew themselves. They need to be cleaned and...
Leafy trees get most of the praise in the summer, while evergreens stand modestly in the background. In comparison to their leafy cousins, evergreens seem subtle, hard to get to know, and even boring. But when you take a closer look, these stalwarts of the tree world...
Bulbs are those beautiful perennials that grow from a fleshy root, bloom each year, and die back to the root. Some bulbs are “hardy,” which means they survive our winter. Others are “tender,” meaning they won’t overwinter in Illinois without some help. Which ones are...
A healthy tree in our yard does more good for us than we can imagine, but when it starts to show signs of decay, it becomes a major hazard. Sometimes a tree can be saved by pruning off the problem. Other times the whole thing needs to come down. So how do you tell if...
Refreshing, easy-to-grow, and abundant—that’s garden zucchini for you, as well as all summer squash. With only a few plants, you’ll have your fill of zucchini cake, baked zucchini, and fresh salad all summer long. The main challenge is knowing when to harvest summer...
Do you notice yellow leaves on your trees or shrubs? It’s not fall yet! They may be turning from a lack of water, disease, insects, or a nutrient deficiency—or it might be a case of “iron chlorosis.” It sounds quite technical, but really, it just means your plant is...
