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MY SUN DAY NEWS

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Sun City in Huntley
 
News & Features Columnists Editorials Hang Your Hat Obituaries My Huntley News

June 1, 2023

Gardeners Forum

#Plantsdothat

Sometimes it seems that negativity surrounds us. News outlets consistently report on the number of shootings the previous 24 hours, online posts glorify what in the past would have been considered by some inappropriate behavior and forecasters doom and gloom with respect to the weather and inflation. As humans our behavior tends to lead us to complain more than we express our gratitude. With all of this pessimism it is immensely gratifying to know that there is a group that works incredibly hard to support creativity and innovation as it relates to environmental, social and economic issues.

An interview with the Huntley Park District

For almost 60 years, the Huntley Park District has been a true community treasure. The 28 acres donated by Mr. Edwin Deicke in the 1960’s has grown to 175 acres that currently make up 15 parks. Tens of thousands of people of all ages have enjoyed spending time in the parks as well as facilities such as Cosman Cultural Center and Stingray Bay. Wesley Peete, the Director of Parks and Facilities, has graciously agreed to share some of his knowledge about the parks with our readers.

The root of the matter: the importance of quality soil

A strong foundation is important in many aspects of life. Giving children a strong foundation in the form of family helps them as they transition into adulthood. Sleeping on a mattress that is comfortable gives us the foundation at night for rest so that we may have prosperous day. Our homes literally rely on a strong foundation for their integrity.

Top 10 gardening trends of 2023

Recently, Chris, my husband, and I enjoyed breakfast at a new restaurant: Maple and Hash in Pingree Grove. While the food was delicious, what I liked even more was that it felt like we were experiencing a new trend in dining. The exposed beam ceilings, painted farm silhouettes, and a coffee bar were all beautiful and welcoming. For an hour or so on a Saturday morning we were part of a refreshing change.

How to care for your avian neighbors

Recently our family grew by 4 paws. Annie, an English Springer Spaniel puppy joined our household. She has taught me just how beautiful the frost is on the ground as the sun is rising, to appreciate the joy in running through 4 inches of freshly fallen snow and to listen, really listen when birds are chirping nearby. She is acutely away of noises, that frankly, I would not really even hear. This has brought a greater appreciation of all of the birds in our area, even during the winter.

Birds play a substantial part in keeping our ecosystem healthy. They pollinate plants, disperse seeds, control pests, act as an early warning system for the spread of disease, distribute nutrients, protect wetlands and much more. So much more that they are considered crucial for people and the planet to thrive. Preserving bird diversity helps everyone.

Secret garden: how tiny plants can reinvent your indoors

Caring for houseplants has always been a bit of a struggle for me. This winter, I have tried to educate myself as to how to care for them properly. Thankfully I found the book Tiny Plants: Discover the joys of growing and collecting itty-bitty houseplants by Leslie Halleck. It is a mix of beautiful pictures, funny observations and wonderful advice. For this column, I am interviewing the author. 

Let’s do ‘Plants’ for $400

For this column, I thought it might be fun to have a gardening themed trivia game.

Tree of life: remembering loved ones through nature

Recently the world stopped, or at least slowed down, to mourn the loss of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. Her death, and indeed her life, was a tribute to those around the globe whom she served. It is estimated that 11.4 million people in the United States alone watched her funeral on television. It was the single most watched event in television history.

It’s not easy being green

As a business owner, mom, and wife, my days can be quite busy. Each day is filled with errands, meeting with homeowners, consulting with employees, working in the office and working around the home. One business that I frequently stop in has an ‘easy’ button very close to the counter. It is so tempting to grab the button and just for a moment pretend that by pressing that button, my day would suddenly become less stressful and less hectic.

Room with a view: gardening to give your window a glow-up

On Monday, March 23, 2020, Barbara Duriau started a Facebook group. Our world was quickly becoming very narrow because of the pandemic related lockdowns. Barbara took a picture of the view from her apartment in Amsterdam, Netherlands and posted it on the ‘View from my window’ Facebook group. Within 23 days, over 1 million people were posting pictures that were taken from their own windows. By day 34, 2 million people were able to virtually travel to France, Italy, Australia, Spain, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, Monaco, and Vatican City because they were part of the Facebook Group ‘View from my window.’ As is frequently the case, I was a bit late to the party.

Interview with Meredith Simpson: Oudulf Garden

As the 10th largest state in the United States, Michigan possesses a large amount of natural resources. From wetlands to sand dunes, from forests to lakes and rivers all are just waiting for us to explore and enjoy. One of the state’s natural resources is called Oudolf Garden.

To bee or not to bee?

Tonight, like most nights, Chris, my husband, made us a delicious dinner. A fresh salad and chicken quesadillas were enjoyed by my daughter, my son and me. Strawberry Baked Alaska, compliments of my daughter, Sarah were served for dessert. This morning we enjoyed coffee and fresh baked blueberry muffins for breakfast. While we all appreciate each other’s time and talents in the kitchen, none of it would be possible if not for the bees and other pollinators. The tomatoes, blueberries, strawberries, cucumbers, green peppers, jalapeños and even the coffee that nourish our bodies were only harvested after pollinating insects helped to produce them.

Weeding between the lines: How to cultivate your lawn

After the drought last year, the rain this year has been a welcome relief. With the rain, though, has come a proliferation of weeds throughout planting beds and lawns. Although I don’t abide by the belief that a lawn has to be completely free of weeds, a well-kept lawn and maintained planting beds do enhance the look of a property and lead to more enjoyment from its owners.

There are no strict guidelines of what is a weed or what is an acceptable plant. A plant that is growing where it is not wanted is considered a weed. Weeds, when given the opportunity, multiply, often stealing nutrients and moisture from the soil, from other more desirable plants. They can crowd out good plants resulting in the stunted growth of the good plants.

Reducing your utilities bills naturally

Natural gas prices are at an all-time high. In May of 2021, the average price of natural gas in Northern Illinois was 53 cents per therm. By May 2022, that price had risen to 111 cents per therm. This is a 109% increase. ComEd recently proposed a 199-million-dollar rate increase for 2023. We depend upon natural gas to heat our homes, electricity to run our appliances, and our utility bills continue to escalate.

What’s new in 2022

New, for many, represents exciting, different, a chance to try again. A new haircut just waiting to be admired, a new page in the calendar ready to be filled in or even simply a bright new day just waiting to be enjoyed. 

Each year brings a whole new set of plants that are introduced to gardeners across the United States. Hybridizers devote years and indeed sometimes their entire lives developing new plants.

Home harvest: saving some green by farming your own food

A recent trip to the grocery store left me feeling completely unfulfilled and concerned about the future. What should have been a 15-minute dash into the store to get a few essentials (i.e. milk, eggs, cereal, salad and honey) lead me to recalibrate my life choices. I noticed the eggs were more expensive than usual, but put them into the cart anyway. I drew the line, though, at purchasing a $7 jar of honey. I wasn’t trying to purchase Manuka honey or even honey comb. I simply wanted a small jar of clover honey to enjoy on toast the next morning for breakfast. While staring at the yellow price sticker on the shelf, I simultaneously realized while I could afford to spend that much on honey, I certainly wasn’t going to.

‘Scape plan: How to create a sustainable environment

Our time is finite. We have absolutely no control over the amount of time in each hour, day, week, month or year. What we can control is how we spend that time. As the author of this column and a landscape professional I can honestly tell you the less time I spend working in my yard the better. I would rather spend time enjoying my yard rather than working in it. Sustainable landscaping is a pathway towards less work and more joy.

Spring lawn-care tips

Joy is found in many places. Making a child smile, cleaning a home, and guessing the Wordle word on the third try all make my day a bit brighter. For many, the sense of satisfaction and joy that follows having a lush green lawn is one of nature’s great pleasures. Achieving a healthy lawn is certainly not easy and can require almost year-round care. Today’s column will address items that can and should be done now to minimize problems in your yard and maximize your chance of success at achieving a picture-perfect lawn this year.

Spring-cleanup gardening tips

Pre-covid, my husband and I regularly hosted parties celebrating holidays, birthdays, and graduations. Friends and family gathered for lively conversation, good food, and lots of laughter. After everyone would head home, my husband and I began the process of cleaning up. Although now I regularly go to sleep with a few dishes in the sink, the idea of waking up and spending several hours cleaning motivated me to just get it done. Sleeping in the next day was the reward.

Heading off to hibernation

Experiencing the seasons is what many homeowners enjoy about living in Northern Illinois. We have very distinctive time periods, and each is filled with equal parts beauty and corresponding chores. While we are winding down our gardening chores, we know that snow and ice will bring their own challenges. There is some comfort in knowing that nature is ever-evolving while it surrounds us with its beauty. As Arthur Rubinstein so perfectly stated, “The seasons are what a symphony ought to be: four perfect movements in harmony with each other.”

Home is where the plants are

The use term ‘Plant Parenting’ has become prevalent over the past five years. It was coined by millennials to describe the caring for houseplants. Although I have tried to adopt it, I really do not like the term. Until a Boston Fern needs me to wake it up repeatedly, make breakfast for it, find its favorite shirt, sign a field trip form, finish packing its backpack, yell at the top of my lungs that the school bus is coming, and cheerfully smile and wave goodbye all before 7:45 a.m., I am not its parent.

Fall-ing in love with an autumn garden routine

Each of the past five mornings, I have managed to convince myself that there is enough toothpaste in the tube that justifies keeping it for one more day. I vacillate; I should throw this out? No, I should keep it. I am literally trying to squeeze the last little useable bit out of this common household item. It seems that as we transition from one season to the next, there is also the desire to get the most out of each season. We often want fall to last as long as possible before the cold harsh reality of winter sets in.

The special treatment: what each plant needs in the upcoming season

Like all moms, I know most of my children’s likes and dislikes very well. Their food preferences though are something that I could never remember. Having three children in three years and three months, many nights I considered it an accomplishment if I simply put something that resembled dinner on the table, much less designed a menu that accommodated their requests. If my daughter felt the need to pick each and every diced tomato out of a casserole, as the saying goes, ‘that’s on her.’ Neither of us was offended and over time they all grew up into healthy adults.  

Fall-ing in love with this season’s favorites

My ‘Grown and Flown’ kids recently all descended on our home at the same time. It was 24 hours of pure bliss! Laughter could be heard echoing through the halls. Friendly bantering between the kids and joking amongst us all was good for our souls. Mary, my daughter, is convinced that her younger brother is our favorite child. While I will freely admit to buying way too many PokĂ©mon cards for him, I don’t think that earns him the status of ‘Favorite Child.’ Although I honestly don’t have a favorite, defending that position is a losing battle. 

Backyard trends of 2021

Early in the pandemic my husband starting cutting our son, Christopher’s hair. It started out of necessity and grew into something that they both enjoyed. As Christopher was preparing to go back for his junior year in college, he decided that he wanted to try something different and go to a hair salon. He read multiple reviews and booked an appointment online with a master stylist. His new trendy look gave him the confidence needed to enjoy in person, on campus classes for the first time in 18 months.

The results are in, gardening is good for you

Saturday night, my husband and I enjoyed a rare and delightful night out at a neighbor’s home. Laughter filled the air while we caught up on each other’s lives. During the evening I noticed a folded newspaper on the coffee table in their living room. I was filled with nostalgia. Reading a newspaper is one of my true pleasures in life.

How to sow the seeds of change

My husband, Chris and I are contemplating downsizing. To him, a smaller house means less maintenance. For me, our home is like a favorite pair of jeans that is now two sizes too big. What was once occupied by our children and their friends, now consists of closed doors and empty hallways. Our children’s birthday parties were precisely timed fun filled parties that routinely included 30 elementary school children. Those were the days. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, they are past and it may be time to move on.

Pesticide precautions

In late May my husband, Chris, spent hours potting up 15 tomatoes in 18” wide containers. He set them around the edge of our patio and began to dutifully care for the plants. By early June, I noticed that the leaves on our tomatoes looked different. Upon further inspection, I noticed that the plants were growing in a curly cue fashion and the leaves were disfigured. Unfortunately, I had seen this before and suspected that the plants were suffering from herbicide drift.

When in drought

There is a park just a few miles north of Huntley that my children and I used to go to frequently when they were younger. Its proximity close to the south branch of the Kishwaukee River makes it prone to flooding. We affectionately refer to it simply as Flooded Park. In previous years, more often than not the entire park would be flooded.