How best to care for the centerpiece of your holiday decorations.
In Birdland we are prepping for winter.
We really don’t need to look much beyond the natural world for a dose of spooky entertainment.
We really don’t need to look much beyond the natural world for a dose of spooky entertainment.
It was a week of little round things.
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We really don’t need to look much beyond the natural world for a dose of spooky entertainment.
We really don’t need to look much beyond the natural world for a dose of spooky entertainment.
Just like that, the tawny wall of corn is gone. And just like that, our view to the woods is unobstructed. We can see the trees at the fence line behind our house. We can see Uncle David’s big rock to the west. The grass waterways on the morning and evening side of our house are visible agai…
October in the Windy City? Yes, please!
Whether you plant in spring or fall, these measures are necessary to ensure successful establishment of woody plants and reduce the effects of transplant shock.
Whether you plant in spring or fall, these measures are necessary to ensure successful establishment of woody plants and reduce the effects of transplant shock.
In Birdland, we had our first frost. I knew it was coming and had a harvest of herbs and squash on my to-do list for the day but lost track of time. In the wee hours, I remembered the plants from the front porch, so I carried in my Norfolk Island pine and the big dish of succulents I planted…
Their symbiotic relationship is a key part of their evolution.
Their symbiotic relationship is a key part of their evolution.
“Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do not iniquity: they walk in his ways. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. O that my ways were directed t…
Almost 12 years ago, a black Lab puppy came to live with us. With her short puppy snout and silky black pelt, she looked so much like a bear with a long tail that Dylan, our middle boy, named her Ursa Minor, Ursula for short.
We all have our favorite landscape plants, many of which have made our lists from years of tried-and-true performance in the landscape and a preferred ornamental presence.
“Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that th…
Fall is the ideal time to plant the cool-season grasses we most commonly use for lawns. These plants thrive in the cooler part of our growing season, putting on the most growth in spring and fall.
“Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in …
I had just fed the dogs and was about to bring in the cat’s dish when a truck came down the lane. “Hush, Cullen,” I said. “It’s just Gayle.” Though why she’d come so early for our walk, I didn’t know. I still needed to get dressed and brush my hair. I would have liked to have a cup of coffee first.
For many gardeners, an entire season of continuously blooming plants is a primary goal. Not only do these fantastic flowers deliver ornate beauty throughout the year, but they are also greatly beneficial to pollinators by providing a continuous food source of pollen and nectar.
“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. F…
In June, I welcomed new gardeners and offered suggestions of some flowering native perennials for adding to your gardens.
Most of us agree that human influence at the landscape level was a point in time at which many native species’ home ranges began to change. But where is the geographic boundary for a native species?
“My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory, the rock of my strength; and my refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times, ye people, pour out your heart bef…
In Birdland, we’ve had deliciously (and unseasonably) cool days. The black-eyed Susans are bursting, and the ghost lilies are fading.
Keep your eye out for bacterial leaf scorch to protect your shade trees.
“Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble, I will call upon thee; for thou wilt answer me. Among the gods, there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. All nations whom thou hast made sha…
Piatt County Master Gardeners doing good things - in many ways - for the community.
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