Instead of power raking your lawn this spring, try these best mowing practicesPower raking can be too much for your lawn, but aerating it once a year is a good practice, as is keeping the grass slightly longer than you'd expect when mowing. May 17, 2022
Trees can be surrounded by flowers, mulch in your garden — but not raised planters. Here’s why.Planting flowers around your tree is a good idea, but raised planters can damage a tree's roots and cause serious harm. Here are alternatives. May 15, 2022
Use trunk flare to determine how deep to plant a new treeMany trees and shrubs are planted too deeply in lawns and gardens. Use the trunk flare instead of the root ball in calculating the depth of your planting hole. May 14, 2022
Before digging in your garden or yard, here’s how to get utility lines marked for freeBefore digging in your yard or garden, free services in Chicago and Illinois will mark where your gas, electric, cable and water utility lines are underground. May 07, 2022
Chicago’s Tomato Man on mission to help others rethink the plant by offering more than 100 varieties of heirloom tomatoesBob Zeni has more than 4,000 heirloom tomato plants in a greenhouse that stretches as far as one city block. May 02, 2022
Remove — by hand or herbicide — invasive lesser celandine that can take over lawnsDig out or use an herbicide to eradicate lesser celandine (Ficaria verna), invasive spring ephemeral perennial plant that shows up in lawns and gardens. May 01, 2022
A guide to planting trees that will leave you confident about survival, longevityPlanting a tree correctly will determine whether it survives and how long it will live. April 30, 2022
How to prevent pooling water in your yard, gardenTo correct drainage problems in the garden, consider tile drains or grading the landscape or yard. April 24, 2022
Tips for finding healthy plants at the garden centerRoots will tell you a lot about health of plant, so look under the hood when shopping for house plants, trees and shrubs. April 23, 2022
Already seeing green? It’s still safe to prune some shrubs in early spring While experts recommend pruning shrubs in winter, when you can better see branches, you can still trim some shrubs in early spring if you're careful. April 17, 2022
Divide and conquer those encroaching garden perennials in AprilMost perennials are best divided in spring when they are showing a couple inches of growth, so April this is a good time to do it. April 16, 2022
What to know about rascally rabbits feasting on your shrubs Rabbits can eat plant buds and prevent shrubs and other garden plants from blossoming in the spring. Here's how to keep them away from your spring-flowering plants. April 10, 2022
Spring cleaning: Cut perennials back before new growing seasonIt is generally best to cut perennials back before they begin growing in spring to avoid damaging new growth, but if you get to it later just be more careful. April 09, 2022
Weed early and often to make summer gardening a breezeTackling garden and lawn weeds in early spring, when they first appear, can reduce the amount of weeding required later in the growing season. April 03, 2022
How-to guide on growing plants from seeds this springA step-by-step guide to growing your garden from seed, which opens the door to plant varieties not available at a garden center. April 02, 2022
Can you dig it? Maybe. But Chicago gardeners risk soil damage if they till too early in the season Gardeners who dig in the soil too early in the spring risk hard-to-correct problem that makes it difficult for trees and other plants to thrive. March 27, 2022
Trees losing vigor? They might be planted too deep Trees planted too deep can cause girdling roots, a condition that can cause its decline and even death. Here's how to fix the problem. March 26, 2022
How to protect plants that sprout on a warm Chicago day in MarchMarch is too early for plants in Chicago gardens, with highly volatile spring weather ahead. Freezing temperatures can damage some plants. March 20, 2022
How to extend the life of an indoor Norfolk Island pine and other tropical houseplants with air layeringThe Norfolk Island Pine eventually outgrows its interior space and that's when you need to carefully consider how to give it new life. March 19, 2022
Bud breaks will soon hit as plants emerge from winter dormancy to welcome springThe moment the bud scales first spread apart is called bud break. The unfurling leaves make springtime visible to us in a dramatic way. March 13, 2022