Gardening at Home
Grow your own with a victory garden this summer
Updated March 14, 2025
Whether you have some extra time at home and are looking for a new hobby or need to supplement your pantry out of necessity, gardening is a great way to stay physically active, enjoy the outdoors and reward yourself with healthy produce. For nearly 80 years, Americans have been gardening during challenging times. During World […]
Be aware of red flags when sourcing seeds this spring
Published February 26, 2025
MetroParks’ gardening pros are raising a red flag when it comes to AI-generated and retouched photos of plants that online stores and marketplaces may be promoting – such as purple watermelon and tie-dyed sunflowers. While many plants are catchy and colorful, shoppers can be easily tricked into buying seeds that don’t yield promised results. For […]
How to add native plants to your yard this fall
Updated September 17, 2024
Don’t put away your gardening tools as the weather begins to cool: Native trees and shrubs thrive when planted in the fall since they’ve adapted to our climate. Many of the trees’ natural changes, such as losing their leaves in autumn, ensure they enter dormancy before the coldest weather arrives and stay dormant until spring. […]
MetroParks Monthly: Programs & Events for September
Updated August 28, 2024
Below you’ll find a list of programs and events for all ages, from children to lifelong learners, in addition to MetroParks must-dos, sustainability tips and information on what’s growing in the parks this month. Take a deeper dive into your areas of interest by signing up for MetroParks’ email newsletters and following Five Rivers MetroParks […]
Keep on growing: Second season in the garden
Updated August 15, 2024
Hot weather crops, such as peppers and tomatoes, are getting ripe and popping up left and right in your garden. In case you were thinking about winding down, think again: You can keep the gardening fun going into fall with cooler-season vegetables and herbs.
April Gardening: Native Plant Sales, Aullwood Garden 100th Anniversary, and more
Updated April 21, 2023
Spring is here and what a spring it is! Plants emerging and/or blooming long before their normal time, extreme temperature fluctuation, and bright sunny days that tease us to go outside and start gardening now! The “new normal” of our changing climate also has implications for when to plant and how quickly plants will grow […]
Prepare for Spring Gardening Season This Winter
Published January 13, 2023
Winter is a crucial time for gardeners. It’s a time to regroup from the previous season and prepare for the coming spring. Taking advantage of off-season educational resources, tool maintenance, and time for planning is a must. There are many gardening blogs that can offer up tips and ideas for gardening DIY projects. Check out […]
New Year’s Resolution Tips: Eating Healthier
Updated January 13, 2023
Eating a healthier diet is a frequently mentioned New Year’s resolution. With prices at the grocery store increasing, growing your own fresh produce is a great way to put that healthy goal within reach, while also getting out to enjoy fresh air and physical activity. Growing fresh produce doesn’t seem like something that would be […]
In Appreciation of Goldenrod
Updated November 8, 2022
Fields of bright yellow goldenrod blooms are common this time of year and add not only a great deal of beauty to the early fall landscape, but they are an indispensable ecosystem plant for our region. The sunny blooms of the goldenrod (around 22 species statewide) can be found in forest, prairie, meadow, and urban […]
Our Favorite Fall Pumpkins and Squash
Published October 20, 2022
Picking out pumpkins and decorative squash is a fun way to celebrate the beauty and variety of the vegetables that this season provides. There are so many shapes and colors and lumps and bumps! Many of the squash grown for decoration are dual purpose- they’re pretty, delicious, and depending on the variety, can be stored […]
