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Beyond tulips and daffodils

Time to plan something different in your spring garden

Looking for something different to add to your spring garden? Try fritillaria. Varieties of this old-fashioned spring-flowering bulb, which puts forth interesting bell-shaped hanging blooms in middle

Garden - Jennifer Fishburn

Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2006 12:00 am

Sage advice to cut thyme

Tips for harvesting fresh herbs

By Jennifer Fishburn

As a group, culinary herbs are my favorite garden plants. Easy to grow, they require little care, are subject to few insect and disease problems, and generally prefer moderate soil fertility levels. T

Garden - Jennifer Fishburn

Thursday, Aug. 17, 2006 12:00 am

A passion for friendly competition

State fair winners share some growing tips

By Jennifer Fishburn

When I was a child, my mom shared her love for gardening with me. She gardened simply because she enjoyed it and because her garden provided our family with fresh vegetables during the summer and extr

Garden - Jennifer Fishburn

Thursday, Aug. 10, 2006 12:00 am

Fuzzy queen of fruit

Eat a peach. Now.

By Jennifer Fishburn

Peaches and ice cream is my all-time favorite summer treat. Nothing tastes better than a tree-ripened peach, and, thanks to a mild winter and heavy blooms, locally grown fresh peaches are abundant thi

Garden - Jennifer Fishburn

Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2006 12:00 am

Help tomatoes beat the heat

You may love em, but theyre prone to trouble

By Jennifer Fishburn

The most exciting garden event of the summer arrives when juicy, fresh tomatoes are ready for harvest. Last weekend my family and I were delighted to enjoy an armful of this tasty fruit. We ate our to

Garden - Jennifer Fishburn

Wednesday, July 26, 2006 12:00 am

Purple haze

Lavender is fussy about growing conditions

By Jennifer Fishburn

This week, a little behind schedule, the first fragrant purple flowers have begun to adorn the lavender plants in the master-gardener Herb Demonstration garden. Lavender flowers typically appear in Ju

Garden - Jennifer Fishburn

Wednesday, July 19, 2006 12:00 am

Purslane - nuisance or nosh?

Some folks see it as a noxious weed, others as a tasty treat

By Jennifer Fishburn

This weekend, my 4-year-old daughter enjoyed pulling weeds in our herb garden. Because purslane was the only weed in the garden, it was easy for her to differentiate it from the other plants. Common

Garden - Jennifer Fishburn

Wednesday, July 12, 2006 12:00 am

Time to start the fall garden

Hurry, if you want fresh vegetables before the first frost

By Jennifer Fishburn

As you taste your first garden-fresh tomato of the season, thoughts of planting your next vegetable garden may be the furthest thing from your mind. However, now is the time to extend your s

Garden - Jennifer Fishburn

Thursday, July 6, 2006 12:00 am

An evening in the garden

Master gardeners show off their demonstration garden July 13

By Jennifer Fishburn

As summer gets into full swing in central Illinois, some things are inevitable: lack of rainfall, the unsightly destruction caused by Japanese beetles, and, on the plus side, fresh vegetable

Garden - Jennifer Fishburn

Thursday, June 29, 2006 12:00 am

Kiss your ash goodbye

A dreaded beetle makes its first appearance in Illinois

By Jennifer Fishburn

Just two weeks ago, the Illinois Department of Agriculture announced that it had identified an emerald ash borer in Kane County, in the northeast corner of the state. It was not good news. This des