Start the Best Fruits and Vegetables

Lisa Hilgenberg is horticulturist for the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden. There, she is responsible for some 50,000 plants, including 400 types of edibles. Today she has advice on when and how to get your seedlings started for the Midwest growing season. We also talk about The Orchid Show: Untamed at the Garden.

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“We’re Gardening for the Public.”

Lisa Hilgenberg from the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden prepares for the 2021 season with less uncertainty than in 2020. “The Plant-Based Boss” Elysabeth Alfano returns to talk about innovations in plant-based foods.

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Keep Eating Healthy and Grow Some Food Yourself

Lisa Hilgenberg from the Regenstein Fruit and Vegetable Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden explains how 50,000 plants get maintained during a coronavirus outbreak. Scott Jamieson from Bartlett Tree Experts reports on the kind of essential tree care work that can still be done during a stay-at-home order. Jody Osmund from Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm CSA, Leslie Cooperband and Wes Jarrell from Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery, and Melissa Flynn of the Chicago Green City Market are all working to keep local farmers in business during this crisis.

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It’s the Seed-i-est Time of the Year!

Lisa Hilgenberg, horticulturist for the Regenstein Fruit and Vegetable Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden, has seed choosing and seed starting tips. Lan and Pam Richart from Eco-Justice Collaborative follow up on efforts to protect the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River in Central Illinois from coal ash contamination.

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April 8, 2018 – Anticipation…

LaManda Joy from Peterson Garden Project promotes their annual Organic Edible Plant Sale. Sarah Surroz of Conserve Lake County talks about their new partnership with Openlands. The Chicago Botanic Garden’s Lisa Hilgenberg answers spring veggie gardening questions.

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October 22, 2017 – A Great Lake on the Brink

Mega-horticulturist Lisa Hilgenberg from the Chicago Botanic Garden talks about fall garden work, including planting spring bulbs. Molly Flanagan from Alliance for the Great Lakes and Tony Maas of Freshwater Future report on disappointing progress in the fight against algae in Lake Erie.

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August 27, 2017 – Live from Heirloom Fest at the Chicago Botanic Garden!

Mike and Peggy head to the Chicago Botanic Garden to broadcast live from Heirloom Fest: Tomatoes and More. Horticulturist Lisa Hilgenberg from the Regenstein Fruit and Vegetable Garden joins them to talk about the 50,000 plants under her care.

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August 13, 2017 – Cultivating Resilience

Mike’s taking a couple of days off and Peggy Malecki sits in the pilot’s chair for today’s show. Lisa Hilgenberg, mega-horticulturist at the Chicago Botanic Garden, joins Peggy in-studio as they welcome Michelle Hickey of The Resiliency Institute to discuss using permaculture, growing food security projects and using community engagement to build resilient communities. Then Peggy and Lisa welcome Chicago Botanic Garden plant care specialist Chris Beiser for a lively discussion of late summer gardens, plant problems and yellow jacket wasps.

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Mid-season Form at the Chicago Botanic Garden

Mike and Peggy talk mid-season veggies with Lisa Hilgenberg from the Chicago Botanic Garden, follow up on the Enbridge Line 5 oil pipe which runs under the Straits of Mackinac, and learn about a new study that focuses on the tree canopies in the Chicago region.

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