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A plant of many colors: Virginia bluebells. Purple and blue bluebell flowers.

A plant of many colors: Virginia bluebell

With the arrival of warmer weather in the spring, we start to see signs of new life in our landscapes. Birds begin singing, our landscapes start turning green again, and spring ephemeral plants start to emerge. Among the spring ephemerals in Illinois, one of the most captivating and commonly...
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Homegrown bouquets: three species for your garden bunches of colorful flowers on display at a market

Homegrown bouquets: three species for your garden

We live in a fast-paced world. From food to information to travel, what took our grandparents hours, days, or weeks to obtain, we can have in seconds and minutes. Fresh produce and plant material are no different. Carrots, berries, melons, and bananas are available year-round in the local grocery...
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A lilac bloom emerging during a snowfall

How Does Warm Winter Weather Affect Plants?

So far, the month of February 2024 has been mild. As I write it is currently 75 degrees Fahrenheit (F) outside and I am using all my willpower to stay inside and type out this article. In addition to fighting the urge to clean up the garden, some people have been concerned about how the warm winter...
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Proper pruning is an act of love young woman pruning tree with pruners

Proper pruning is an act of love

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I want to share one of my great horticulture loves with you all…pruning. I love the idea of it, the exercise of pruning, the science of it, and the potential it has for significantly improving the health and longevity of woody plant material. Since trees are large...
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A seedling surrounded by computer icons

Exploring A.I.’s Role in Gardening Advice

You may be wondering, “What does artificial intelligence (A.I.) have to do with gardening?” Let’s say you have a gardening question. Before the internet, perhaps you reached out to your Illinois Extension office for an answer. With the internet, you could search for your question but had to wade...
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How to prune flowering shrubs for more blooms. Forsythia shrub covered in bright yellow flowers.

How to prune flowering shrubs for more blooms

Have you ever seen a lilac bush that only blooms at the very top, or maybe not at all? Perhaps you’ve seen or have a forsythia bush that doesn’t bloom nearly as prolifically as it once did. This often happens due to a lack of or improper pruning. When done correctly, pruning can help flowering...
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Garden trends for the new year flower filled garden with wooden seating area stone pathway and brick element with plants draping over

Garden trends for the new year

The internet is a wild place full of an endless amount of information, ideas, opinions, advice, arguments, and more. Tangled in this web, it will come as no surprise that my favorite spaces are those that relate to plants. I’ve been known to have many, many pages open in my browser window that...
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