About 500 species of birds will migrate through IL. Some will remain here to nest through the spring and summer while others will continue to make their way to Canada’s boreal forest. The Chicago area is an important refuge for the migratory species, many of whom have just flown over the corn belt where places safe […] Continue reading "Is your yard ready for spring migratory birds?"
New Year’s Resolutions West Cook Wild Ones Style –By Byron Lanning New Year’s resolutions don’t always need to be about self-improvement. How about some planet-improvement resolutions? For instance, readers of the New York Times sent in their ideas for resolutions to help the planet. Here are some West Cook Wild Ones’ resolutions for planet Earth. […] Continue reading "New Year’s Resolutions West Cook Wild Ones Style"
Announcing: Recipients of Garden for Nature Grant West Cook Wild Ones launches its 2020 Garden for Nature program by announcing grants totaling more than $4,500 to 14 nonprofit and public organizations in the Chicago area. About the grant and the process: Garden for Nature funds projects mainly in western Cook County that engage young people […] Continue reading "Announcing: Recipients of Garden for Nature Grant"
5 Reasons Why Edible Gardens Need Native Plants by Stephanie W We often get asked if it’s ok to grow natives with edibles, and the answer is yes, as that’s what many of us native gardeners have been implementing with great success. In fact, on a larger scale, many farmers are beginning to experiment with […] Continue reading "5 Reasons Why Edible Gardens Need Native Plants"
Native pollinators are a very important and diverse group of animals with fascinating ecologies; unfortunately, few people are aware of them and their importance because of the media’s focus on honeybees. Despite the many articles written about colony collapse, honeybees are not going extinct. Their issues are not ones of conservation, but instead are ones […] Continue reading "Native Pollinator Garden Basics for the Chicago Region"
West Cook Wild Ones loves science– scientists explain the world to us and impact many parts of our lives. One of these areas is our own yards or landscapes in which we we work or live. Science is telling us that even if we are in an urban area, our yards are incredibly important, providing […] Continue reading "Standing for Science in Your Yard"
Indoor seed starting gives you a jump on the growing season. If you wintersowed your flats outside, and they’ve had enough time outside, you can simply bring them and start the germination process indoors. Or, if you stratified your seeds in your fridge via a medium or paper towel method, you can then sow the […] Continue reading "Indoor Seed Starting"
Putting the Garden to Bed–Wild Ones Style The best time to get ready for next year is now. 1.Get rid of any invasives. 2.As you remove some of these plants, you might bring up hibernating insects like ladybugs and spiders. Tuck them back in the best you can, so they can do their good work […] Continue reading "Putting the Garden to Bed–Wild Ones Style"
Resources to Learn about Harvesting Milkweed Seeds This post provides links to articles that help us with learning about harvesting and sharing milkweed seeds. Many of the tips and tricks are applicable to other types of seeds. If you’ve grown milkweed, your plant is probably developing pods. Rose Milkweed (Ascelpias incarnata) might have already […] Continue reading "Resources to Learn about Harvesting Milkweed Seeds"
What’s in a Leaf Pile? A lot of potential for life is in a leaf pile. Many beneficial (and beautiful) insects overwinter in our yards. For instance, the Katydid (important food source for birds during late summer) and Preying Mantis overwinter as eggs attached to twigs, stems, and/or leaves. Ladybugs and Lacewings also spend the […] Continue reading "What’s in a Leaf Pile, Or Why Not to Do Fall Clean-up"