Home and Garden

FILE – This 2009 electron microscope image provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a large group of Gram-negative Salmonella typhimurium bacteria that had been isolated from a pure culture. (Janice Haney Carr/CDC via AP, File)

Salmonella outbreak is linked to backyard poultry, CDC says

By Mike Stobbe

May 5, 2025 at 5:12 p.m.

Two cases were identified in Missouri, and one each in Florida, Illinois, South Dakota, Utah...

Customers shop at the Clarendoon Hills farmers market in 2017, in downtown Clarendon Hills. This season's farmers markets start May 15. (Chuck Fieldman/Pioneer Press)

Clarendon Hills farmers market to return with new produce anchor

By Chuck Fieldman

May 5, 2025 at 4:37 p.m.

The Clarendon Hills farmers market is set to return May 15 and return each Thursday...

Bob Zeni, of La Grange Park, displays some of the thousands of heirloom tomato plants he grew in this 2019 photo. Zeni, who calls the operation Chicago Tomato Man, said he will distribute about 15,000 tomato seedlings this year. (Diane Dachota/Pioneer Press)

Landmarks: Chicago Tomato Man shares love of ‘real’ produce thousands of plants at a time

By Paul Eisenberg

May 5, 2025 at 3:37 p.m.

La Grange Park resident Bob Zeni's alter ego, Chicago Tomato Man distributes, 15,000 heirloom tomato...

When you plant a tree, double-check that the root flare, the point where the trunk curves out into the roots, is at the level of the surrounding soil and no lower. Planting a tree too deeply can keep it from surviving. (Jeffrey Ross/The Morton Arboretum)

Take care when planting for a healthy tree

By Beth Botts

April 19, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Here are some tips from the Morton Arboretum Plant Clinic for planting trees and shrubs.

Consider buying materials, such as mulch, in bulk for larger areas to save money. (RJ Carlson/Chicago Botanic Garden)

Calculate your garden needs for savvy shopping

By Tim Johnson

April 13, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

The garden buying season is about to begin in earnest, and with a few calculations...

If you prune roses in springtime to remove dead wood and improve air circulation, it will bring you beautiful blooms this summer with less risk of disease. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Get your rosebushes ready for beautiful bloom

By Beth Botts

April 12, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Here are some tips from the Plant Clinic for a spring rose tune-up.

When Magnolias are infested with scale, the leaves turn black from a sooty mold that grows on the clear sticky liquid that the insects secrete. (Julie McCaffrey / Chicago Botanic Garden)

Should I spray my trees after magnolia scale infestation?

By Tim Johnson

April 6, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Many gardeners had issues with magnolia scale last year, and it’s a pest to watch...

Sargent’s cherry (Prunus sargentii) is a small spring-flowering tree that is more likely to thrive in the Chicago area than Japanese flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata). (John Hagstrom/The Morton Arboretum)

For cherry blossoms, choose carefully

By Beth Botts

April 5, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

The Japanese cherry trees that bloom in a cloud of pink in Tokyo and Washington,...

Jim Irwin lets out his chickens from his backyard coop in Chicago's Albany Park neighborhood on March 17, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Backyard chickens might not crack high egg prices, but Chicago-area owners say they’re worth it

By Joseph States

April 6, 2025 at 7:44 p.m.

With egg prices so high and Chicago and many suburbs allowing people to raise hens,...

It may take one to four weeks for branches to bloom. (RJ Carlson/Chicago Botanic Garden)

How to force branches to bloom indoors

By Tim Johnson

March 30, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Some good plant choices for forcing branches indoors include magnolias, lilacs and viburnum.

The silvery, fluffy hairs of pussy willow buds insulate the flowers inside against cold in early spring. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Pussy willow can grow in a sunny, moist site

By Beth Botts

March 30, 2025 at 2:29 p.m.

Pussy willow can be part of a home landscape if you have a site with...

To keep from compacting your garden soil, avoid digging while soil is wet from spring rains or thawing snow. Compacted soil can stunt plants’ growth. (Beth Botts/The Morton Arboretum)

Delay digging to save soil

By Beth Botts

March 23, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

It can be hard to resist on a sunny spring day, but don’t start digging...

These two spades are my favorites — one is lightweight with a fiberglass handle and the other is medium-weight and all metal. (Tim Johnson/Chicago Botanic Garden)

Looking for a garden upgrade? These tools could help.

By Tim Johnson

March 22, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Most home gardeners do not pay enough attention to selecting and maintaining their gardening tools.