Grow

Many college or universities offer the opportunity to tour their campus to learn about the various plantings and absorb some inspiration.

When a beloved tree suffers a blow, we naturally want to do what we can to save it. And when a nasty storm has partially uprooted a tree, we instinctively want to find ways to hoist it up and anchor it back down to the ground. But is that the right thing to do?

The lack of physical space should never be a barrier to growing things. Grow host Patrick Murphy said people living on slopes, in urban areas or folks in townhomes who have little outdoor space can still enjoy planting a small space garden.

Mosquitoes are hogging the headlines. With warmer weather comes the threat of mosquitoes, bringing not just a possibility of an annoying bite, but the possibility of the Zika virus. The CDC has issued an alert for travel to areas, such as Brazil, where the Zika virus is spreading. Zika is only one disease that can be spread by mosquitoes, and when large populations taking up residence in your yard, they can be a terrible nuisance -- and even dangerous. *Patrick Murphy, host of GLT's Grow, noted

A great way to go for boffo curb appeal is to carefully consider how you combine color in your yard. *Patrick Murphy, host of GLT's Grow noted colors change constantly in our yards, depending on the light and angle of the sun. How the sunlight hits leaves in the morning versus the afternoon can really change the hue. *Consider the color of your tree trunks when selecting and planting new trees. Tree trunks can be gray, brown, off white and more. *The background in your yard can help you

When a tree doesn't thrive in one spot, we can try transplanting it to another. Sounds simple, right? Well, it isn't, as host Patrick Murphy explains on this edition of GLT's Grow. *Curtis from Missouri transplanted a small quaking aspen tree this past fall. Now that it's spring, it doesn't appear to be leafing out. Curtis is concerned the transplanting may have killed his tree. *Murph says transplanting that particular tree is a challenge, but is not an impossibility. The aspen grows in

Tomato season is fast approaching! Let's start thinking about starts and which ones you should put in your garden. Lee and Nick from Wendell Niepagen's Greenhouses and Garden Center stopped by the GLT studios to chat with Murph and Laura about some new tomatoes to try. Plus, they share some care tips to ensure a great crop of 'maters. *Lee says there's 80 varieties of tomatoes at Niepagen's. *Nick suggests trying the Azoychka tomato, which is an heirloom variety from Russia. It's a 10-ounce

One of the most important elements of a great yard and garden is healthy soil. In this edition of GLT's Grow, host Patrick Murphy talks about the different types of soil and why you should get your soil tested to better understand how it can work best for you. *Soil has orders, similar to the genus in species in all living creatures. * The U.S. Department of Agriculture has an organization called The Natural Resource Soil Conservation Service, which surveys soil across America. *Soil is ever

Whether you're short on yard space or just looking for a way to give back to your town, a community garden could be a great fit for you. *Grow host Patrick Murphy said most community gardens are for growing all sorts of edibles. Fruits and veggies are very popular. *Community gardens can be private, some are public. *There's some simple etiquette to participating in a community garden: you've got to work to reap the benefits of the garden's harvest. *Plant what you want to eventually eat, but

You can make the world a more beautiful place, honor a loved one or organization or help create a living laboratory by taking part in a donor tree program. Patrick Murphy talks about the Illinois State University Donor Tree Program, and how you can find a donor tree program near you to put some roots in the ground and make the future a little greener. *There are donor tree programs everywhere. The National Arbor Day Foundation has suggestions. *Universities and municipalities and churches have