It’s a new year, which means a new gardening season will be here before we know it. Check out this week’s Good Growing Podcast as we look back on our most popular episodes and standout moments from 2025. From battling mosquitoes to celebrating pollinator plants like milkweed and mountain mint, we revisit the topics that sparked the most conversation. Plus, we share some of our plans for 2026, from expanding native plantings to growing food and flowers for community donation, and more!

Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-1T-xDTG_W0

Skip to what you want to know:  

  01:30 – Most popular podcasts of 2025

  09:07 – Our favorite episodes and things we learned

  17:43 – Reflecting on the 2025 growing season

  30:53 – Looking ahead to the 2026 growing season

  46:41 – Wrap-up, what’s up next week, and goodbye!

Popular episodes and videos:

Clustered Mountain Mint - Perennial Plant of the Year

Get to Know Asclepias (Milkweed) 2025 plant of the year

Gardenbite: The life and bites of buffalo gnats

Summer Mosquito Control: What Really Works to Keep Bites Away

Vegetable gardening in small spaces

Compost your way: Passive and active composting styles

Chamomile: Discover 2025's herb of the year

Peonies: Beauty, history, and backyard blooms

The cranberry story: Native roots and modern agriculture

Discovering Dogwoods: From trees to shrubs and even groundcovers!

Answering your spring gardening questions

Fall gardening questions answered

Spring beauty in the landscape

Contact us! 

Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu

Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu
Emily Swihart: eswihart@illinois.edu

Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing

Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe

Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

Barnyard Bash: freesfx.co.uk

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