Category: Home & Gardening

How to feed to help, not hurt, wild birds

Feeding birds responsibly by first keeping backyard bird feeders clean goes a long way in preventing illnesses such as salmonellosis in feeder birds, a central Illinois biology professor said. Anthony “Tony” Rothering, professor of biology, mathematics and sciences at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Illinois, is aware of a recent salmonellosis outbreak in common…


Make learning fun with garden kits

Summer is a big deal for everyone, especially for kids. It is a time where they are out of school, where there are no worries of school work, assignments, and they can go out to do what they want. For you, summer is a time where you can get more into gardening. Expand and research…


Xeriscaping—a more sustainable gardening solution

To have and maintain a lush green yard and garden there are many things to consider, fertilizer, herbicides, pests, and most importantly, water. Watering your plants and yard can be the single most expensive part of having a yard or garden. But in some places watering can be the hardest one to maintain. In many areas…


Watering methods for your indoor or outdoor gardens

  While being an active gardener is fun, life can get in the way of active gardening life. Understandably, you can get busy, and sometimes something as simple as watering your garden can be forgotten. Even if you have drought-tolerant plants or a garden that needs little tending too, watering is still vital to plant…


Hearty plants that endure during a drought

Summer is finally among us and this means that heatwaves and drought are coming to many parts of the country. Because of this many plants and gardens will be affected due to this sudden change of weather. With summer heat and sun, the need to keep our plants, gardens and flowers watered increases dramatically. Planting…


Tactics to deter unwanted pests from your home

No matter whether a region is rocky and arid, humid and sandy, or lush and mossy, critters abound. And as long as they leave well enough alone (i.e. hearth and home and shed, etc.) peace prevails. It is when creepy, crawly or slithery, slimy wildlife gets too close for comfort to human dwellings that territorial…


Pretty with Plusses—Indoor plant life proves beneficial in manifold ways

Getting outdoors, as well as bringing the indoors in, became a major focus with the onslaught of a global pandemic. People who may not have ever dipped a pinkie finger into wet soil, were suddenly trying out their green thumbs. And while outdoor plants are beneficial for various reasons, indoor plants are increasingly sought after…


Raising Rabbits—These furry friends also have a fickle side

In one scene from the 2006 British film, “Amazing Grace,” about William Wilberforce and John Newton, Wilberforce, a young British parliamentarian, picks up a large brown pet rabbit from a chair and carries it around while his friend, Prime Minister William Pitt, jokingly suggests the rabbit would make a fine meal. While rabbits have been…


Bee Healthy—bees are more friend than foe

Sure they sting, but – like most living creatures – honey bees were created with a built-in defense mechanism. Without that stinger, they would not be able to defend themselves while nectar is collected from flowers and stored inside honeycombs, ultimately resulting in an age-old substance considered “liquid gold” and “food of the gods” since…


Best indoor plants for novice gardeners

Not all of us were born with a green thumb, or perfect memory. We forget to water our plants, or we get so busy and we might lose a few innocent plants —but don’t fret, there are plants out there that are more durable, more hearty and more forgiving of forgetful beginners. If you’re looking…