Mike McCurdy

A plant you might expect to find in the desert Southwest is native to central Illinois. And it's easy to grow, edible and might have medical benefits.

The first instinct with exposed tree roots is to cover them up. But is that the right instinct? Or could doing nothing be the best option?

The American lawn uses too much water, often gets too many chemicals, and takes up too much space and time. But most of us love the look of a green carpet surrounding a home.

Substances obtained from plants are found in lots of products, including food, drinks, and cosmetics.

Like with anything, there are myths and truths to planting and caring for trees.

GLT's Mike McCurdy and Illinois State University's Patrick Murphy bust some myths and give out solid advice in this latest episode of GLT's Grow.

GLT's Grow is your source for gardening advice and down-to-earth tips. Murph and Mike are ready to take on all your gardening questions, so submit yours today.

Generations of children have watched eagerly as dads and moms have built tree houses. Not all parents have made the best choices in constructing these pint-sized perches or even choosing the right tree to use.

It's always better to work smarter instead of working harder.

In this episode of our gardening podcast Grow, Illinois State University's Patrick Murphy and GLT's Mike McCurdy field a listener question about clay and the answer may save her some time.

GLT's Grow is your source for gardening advice and down-to-earth tips. Murph and Mike are ready to take on all your gardening questions, so submit yours today.

Tax time is here. Bloomington-Normal residents are sitting down to do their taxes or lugging their W-2s and other documents to their accountants, as the April 15 filing deadline looms.

This winter has been a tough one with some record cold temperatures. But there may be a benefit to gardeners. The cold might kill off some invasive insects and plants.

There all kinds of ways a gardener could get hurt, from sprains and strains to even more serious injuries.

We’ve all seen initials, maybe surrounded by a heart, carved into a tree. The tree survives, but we also all know carving your initials into a tree is wrong.

Hear what directions landscaping and gardening might take in 2019.

In this episode of our gardening podcast Grow, GLT's Mike McCurdy talks with Illinois State University's Patrick Murphy about new trends.

GLT's Grow is your source for gardening advice and down-to-earth tips. Murph and Mike are ready to take on all your gardening questions, so submit yours today.

The first day of winter is here. It's the solstice. That means there are still weeks ahead of below-freezing temperatures and frozen earth.

Giving a houseplant as a gift raises a number of questions, such as what kind of plant to give? Is the person receiving it even capable of caring for it?

It will take years for California to recover from this season's wildfires. In this edition of the GLT gardening podcast Grow, Mike McCurdy and Illinois State University Patrick Murphy talk about what role forest management may have played in stoking the flames.

GLT's Grow is your source for gardening advice and down-to-earth tips. Murph and Mike are ready to take on all your gardening questions, so submit yours today.

You can lend a helping hand to neighborhood wildlife with some extra food and water this winter—and in return enjoy the variety of feathered and furry friends that come for a visit.

If you go for real over fake, this edition of GLT's gardening podcast on Christmas trees is for you.

At the top of kids list this Halloween, or the parents who raid the candy haul, is chocolate.

Coffee may jump to mind when thinking about drinks we consume originating from plants. But tea is more widely consumed.

That morning cup of coffee has a backstory.

In this edition of GLT's gardening podcast Grow, GLT's Mike McCurdy and Illinois State University’s Patrick Murphy talk about domestically produced beans and some of the trouble coffee growers are facing due to climate change.

The letters in words you're reading right now were designed by someone, maybe a team of someones. In the digital age, designing fonts and typefaces has never been easier. Simply choosing a font for your document is as easy as clicking on a pull down menu, and among the choices will be typefaces designed by a Bloomington native.

The season is changing, and that means there's a new seasonal to-do list for anyone with a green thumb.

There's not a lot of in between on squirrels. People either think they’re annoying rodents or think they're cute critters and like to have them around.

How to save a tree and choosing a replacement tree are the two listener questions Illinois State University’s Patrick Murphy and GLT's Mike McCurdy try to answer in this edition of our gardening show Grow.

In some settings, trees are ubiquitous. In fact, it's hard to see the trees for the forest. But some trees earn more respect than others.

There are a lot of reasons for wasted food, the least of which is children pushing away before forking some broccoli.

If you see a tree with yellowing leaves and it’s missing branches in the center, it could be an oak in trouble.

It’s not unusual for gardeners to move or transplant a shrub, tree, or plant from one location to another. But seeing that plant thrive after it’s moved is another matter.

The word “homemade” usually denotes wholesome or delicious, like homemade pie. But when it comes to homemade herbicide, pesticides, or other remedies, just as much caution is needed as with the commercially produced chemicals.