Let’s take a closer look at what we can do to promote pollinators in our yards that can be done without spending a lot of time or money.

The Lombard Garden Club will host Bill Karges, who will present “All About Hydrangeas” at noon Nov. 14 at the Lombard Community Building, 433 E. St. Charles Road.

Like it or not, there are a few gardening chores left before shutting down for the year and starting to plan next year.

Kendall County volunteer and Oswego resident Tom Kopacz earned a 2025 Outstanding Illinois Master Gardener Award.

Pumpkins thrown into landfills are never broken down and release greenhouse gases, accounting for over one billion pumpkins thrown out every year.

When it comes to our health, times have really changed – but a Tampico woman would like to change them back to a time when nature would nurture us, and she’s offering an oasis where people can do just that: a retreat where they can regroup, relax and recharge.

An autumn garden can display a variety of colors, textures, and gradients to set a festive and fun mood.

The Green Gate Garden Club is a group of roughly 20 women who are behind many of the gardens and floral landscaping around Crystal Lake.

If you are looking for a single groundcover for the entire area, here are three plants that are native to the Chicago region and can thrive in sun to shade.

Milkweed is not only the preferred food of the Monarch caterpillar, but it is the ONLY food it will eat. One can easily see that many milkweed plants are needed for her 300 to 500 eggs and caterpillars.

The conference held in Springfield earlier this month, marked the 50th anniversary of the Master Gardener program and honored recipients of the annual Master Gardener Awards in three categories.

Nancy Kuhajda, horticulture educator with the Illinois Extension serving Grundy, Kankakee and Will Counties, will teach the classes.

Extend the garden season by learning how to harvest flower seeds and gaining tips on where to start to reclaim runaway landscapes with the Four Seasons Gardening webinar series

Trinity Services began in 1950 when a group of parents started a school for their children, who had developmental disabilities and no options for education. By 2017, Trinity Services had become a statewide organization with 1,200 employees and a $56 million budget.

No matter what you harvest, get everything in place ahead of time before you begin drying herbs, pickling vegetables, and canning food for the future.

It's never too late to plant a tree and other woody plant as long as the hole is pre-dug, according to Nancy Kuhajda, Illinois Extension horticulture educator serving Grundy, Kankakee, and Will Counties.

Let's discuss some of the biggest offenders to home gardens and how to control them without using poisons, which have far-ranging consequences on other, unintended victims.

The garden club's September meeting in Oswego will focus on practicing sustainable fall cleanup chores at home and more.

The Lombard Garden Club will host the “Language of Flowers,” a program given by Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh on , at 1 p.m. Aug. 22.

When planning a shady retreat, pay close attention to the existing soil conditions. Choosing these local beauties not only bolsters regional biodiversity but should also be a priority over introducing non-native species.

There are a number of animals that feel very exotic to me, here in Northern Illinois: platypuses, lions, capybara, and armadillos. At least one of those may not be so exotic for much longer.

As August approaches, it is important to scout for any heat stress symptoms in the garden to make proper production decisions to avoid crop loss and damage.

Monotropa uniflora, also known as Ghost Pipe or Ghost Plant, a plant that is more vampire than ghost. A perennial plant, it grows in wooded areas in small clusters that only reach about 4- to 8-inches tall.

A fascinating and immersive dive into a magnificent period of Japanese art and culture is as close as Glen Ellyn.

Bringing forth the freshest flavors of the season is the motivator at Bothwell Farms, offering its own retail locations in Manhattan and New Lenox, and delivering its produce to farmers markets in Will, Grundy and suburban Cook counties.

Reports are starting again from area residents about mystery seeds they didn’t order showing up in their mailboxes. Simply put, the danger is in the unknown.

Garden enthusiasts are invited to stroll through seven private gardens, peruse vendors and explore the museum grounds during the Kankakee Kultivators Garden Club’s annual Garden Tour & Artisan Faire on Thursday, June 26, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners will celebrate their 50th anniversary with free community garden tours on Saturday, June 29 in Henry, Toluca and Ottawa.

The baton at Benoit Greenhouses, a longtime, family-owned operation in Kankakee, has been passed to the next generation as the business celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

Morton Arboretum unveils its latest whimsical sculptures, while classical orchestras and choirs along with a Taylor Swift tribute shake up the musical scene, native plants buoy the environment and a walking murder mystery takes a Japanese twist.

May Fest will bloom at Cantigny, while Wheaton separately plays host to a mac-and-cheese festival. Concerts will showcase folk and classical artists, while the game's afoot for "Miss Holmes Returns."

Art in Wilder Park and Lilac Time lead off festival fun, and there's also a DuPage and Cook lineup of hit rock bands, classical gems, kite flying and history tours.

There are many ways to support pollinators and other wildlife in home landscapes, according to University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator Nicole Flowers-Kimmerle.

The upcoming meeting of the Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners will focus on how to use rainwater in gardening.

The original peace pole garden at the Joliet church was installed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and dedicated on April 21, 2002.

Concerns over rising food prices and food security have sparked a strong interest in home gardening. Community gardens sold out spaces early this year.

Annual banquet is May 5

The Lombard Garden Club’s lilac sale, the Lilac Village, will be held from noon to 7 p.m. May 8 at Lilacia Park.

Following these steps can help trees recover from winter damage, boost their health, and promote strong roots and lush leaves throughout the spring and beyond.

Sale to be in the Polo High School's FFA greenhouse.

As spring creeps closer and closer, gardeners start to get the itch to go outside and start digging in the dirt.

Join keynote speaker, experienced landscape designer and horticulturalist Kim Hartman as she unveils the secrets to shade-loving plants – including fresh and exciting new options – to transform your garden into a stunning sanctuary.

Learn the do’s and don’ts for birdhouses and bird feeders at a Forest Preserve District of Will County webinar Wednesday, Feb. 26.

Winter reminded us this week it is still here for awhile, but Illinois Extension is reminding gardeners it is never too early to start prepping for spring.

The University of Illinois Extension says its new Four Seasons Gardening webinar series will begin on Feb. 11 with two new winter sessions.

There are some steps to try to get perennial potted plants through the tough winter months and enjoy them again come spring.

The University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener program marks 50 years this year. In 2023 alone, 2,358 active volunteers invested 165,508 hours of service to improve the well-being of their environment and their local communities.

Students and volunteers started building the greenhouse in June.

Nancy Kuhajda, whose served for more than 22 years in Will County as an Extension program coordinator, now moves into the role of horticulture educator serving local communities.

Learn how to plan before you plant to extend your home garden veggie harvest.