The Illinois Dunesland Garden Club (IDGC) 2023 FREE Garden Tour will have 7 gardens this year. The gardens are all different and range from shabby chic, to mixed flowers and vegetables, a new garden just starting out, a fabulous “she shed,” with raised beds, recycled and refurbished items, to a bit of local signage and … Read more
Native plants often have a reputation for being “aggressive”, “thuggish”, or “weedy”. Sometimes this reputation is earned. Common milkweed, for example, is great for monarchs, but can be a real pain for a gardener to try to control (only plant this particular variety if you have lots of space and an informal style!). And it … Read more
As the days get warmer, I start dreaming about a summer vacation. Often, my family will pack up and set off in our pop-up camper to stay a few nights in one of our national or state parks. The natural places in our country hold so much beauty! This year we probably won’t be heading … Read more
Want to go Native? Are you ready to plant some native plants, but aren’t sure where to start? Here are some beautiful native plant alternatives to common nursery plants. Instead of: Forsythia — try Spicebush (lindera benzoin) instead! This beautiful shrub has yellow blooms in early spring before leafing out. The leaves and stems are very … Read more
If you click on the image below, you will be taken to the annual flower seed sowing PDF and you can print directly from there. Good luck and happy planting!
Trees and shrubs are not growing and dormant so it’s the best time to prune. You are doing easy, manageable pruning. Leave the extensive, large scale pruning to later in the season or to an expert (arborist). Good pruning keeps your trees and shrubs attractive, healthy and less susceptible to injury or disease. What to … Read more
To protect our precious plants and our environment we look for safe and natural ways to garden. Oil-based pesticides are an effective and ecologically friendly way to handle many insect pests and even some diseases. Various oils have been used for centuries. They remain an important tool to manage certain pest problems (e.g. scales, aphids, … Read more
Although we hope winter is on the wane, several more inches of snow are possible. Believe it or not, we should be grateful for snow! It not only insulates plants from cold but also from early warmth that could trick them into growing too soon. Consider it a down jacket for your precious plants. We … Read more