Garden Help Desk

Are you interested in starting an organic or natural garden in your backyard? Here are some helpful tips. Ditch the "blue" stuff You know… the stuff that prides itself on working "miracles" in your garden. Your plants do not need this to be fruitful. Instead feed with compost, fish emulsion,...

Eighteen elements are considered essential for plant growth. Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are primarily supplied by air and water. Plant roots absorb the remaining 15 elements from the surrounding soil. These elements are divided into three groups based on their relative abundance in plants: Primary Nutrients (or Major Nutrients, Secondary...

Perennials: High Tolerance Sea Thrift Armeria maritima Karl Foerster Reed Grass Calmagrostis acutifolia ‘Karl Foerster’ Helen Allwood Pinks Dianthus pulminarius x allwoodii Blue Lyme Grass Elymus arenarius Fountain Grass Pennisetum alopecuroides Perennials: Moderate Tolerance Powis Castle Artemisia Artemisia absinthium x Powis Castle Silver Mound Artemesia Artemesia schmidtiana ‘Silver Mound’ Elijah...

Rabbit and deer are frequent pests in Northern Illinois gardens. While the below list represents plants they generally avoid, it is important to keep in mind that as food supplies dwindle, rabbits and deer will begin to eat things they normally would not. Rabbit Resistant Plants In general, rabbits are...