Who’s ready for Spring?? I can hear you all! Me! Me!! Me!!! There’s no better way to pick up your spirits and dance into the joys of Spring, than Gardening.
Whether you’ve never touched trowel to earth, only have room for a flower box, have a lifetime green thumb or anywhere in between – spring can be your favorite season if you plan to plant.
Where to start? Always with the Zone Chart. It’s the scientific way to know when and what you can safely plant in Illinois. In fact, our Chicago Zone has been revised in recent years. What climate change?
You can find this and a vast amount of information at: www.chicagobotanic.org
Another site which is hugely helpful: https://extension.illinois.edu/global/gardening-resources
Once you know your zone, have perused these websites and looked at what little tasks you can do and when – you’re on your way.
Check-out the many catalogs online, order some seeds and starter soil. No other supplies are needed, aside from a sunny window.
My one tip is: pansies. These sweet-faced annuals love our cool wet springs. Plant them in flower boxes, along a path to your door or anywhere you can see them every time you look out the window or (dare I say) walk out your door.
No matter how long we’re keeping our “physical distance” from one another, we can garden. Keep the faith! We will get out to one of our local garden centers during the 2020 growing season eventually.
Whether you dream of lettuce and kale or pretty, fragrant flowers – spring is a perfectly perfect time to Garden.
Soil-tipped thumbs up!
By Dara Salk
Forward Chicago 
