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Happy Friday. Close out your work week with a column from WTTW News science and nature reporter Patty Wetli and a preview of Chicago's newest museum. |
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Early spring in the garden is a waiting game. (Credit: Patty Wetli / WTTW News) |
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Patty Wetli: Gardeners, start your engines. It’s time to shift from park into low gear. I know, I know. You really want to go from zero to July. I feel you. I am you. The passing of the solstice, marking the official end of winter (astrologically speaking), turns us into the equivalent of the dudes who bust out their shorts when the mercury hits 40 degrees in February.
I spent a few days last week visiting my parents in central Florida where the landscape was bursting with so much color, it almost hurt my eyes. To come home to what looked like a blanket of brown was actually more depressing than the slap of cold air that greeted us at O’Hare.
I want flowers — now. But we have to be patient for a little longer.
Here’s what experts say about early spring gardening. When it comes to tidying up your flower beds, slow your roll. The leaf litter, dried-out plant stalks and seed heads you left in place last fall are still providing useful habitat for over-wintering insects.
The University of Illinois Extension recommends waiting to rake up the leaves and trim stems until overnight temperatures reach 50 degrees; others put the bar at seven consecutive days of at least 50-degree daytime temps. By either measurement, we’re not there yet.
For planting, one rule of thumb in Chicago has always been to hold off until Mother’s Day, especially for annuals. But go ahead and fill your planters in April with cold-hardy annuals, like pansies, which can tolerate light frost, according to the Chicago Botanic Garden.
If you have existing perennials, April is a good time to divide mature summer- and fall-blooming plants, once they’re 4 to 6 inches tall.
Another tip from the Botanic Garden, which I hadn’t considered before but makes perfect sense: Think long and hard about the positioning of any new perennial you’re planting in early spring — especially ones that call for full sun. Because trees haven’t leafed out yet, a spot might look sunny now, but will be shady come summer.
Tell us: What’s the first thing you do in your garden each spring? |
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The exterior of the National Public Housing Museum. (Courtesy of the National Public Housing Museum) |
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“It’s unlike any museum that you’ve been to,” executive director Lisa Lee told WTTW News at a preview of the new National Public Housing Museum. Founded by residents, it is the first cultural institution to interpret the American experience via public housing, and it’s housed in the last surviving building of the Jane Addams Homes built in 1937. The grand opening this weekend will be a celebration with music, art and a side of social justice.
Storytelling is a key component of the space, and a community-based archive of oral histories is already growing.
Crystal Palmer, vice chair of the museum, grew up in the Henry Horner Homes. She worked on this project through a long gestation period of 18 years.
“Back in the ‘60s families were really close-knit,” Palmer told WTTW News. “I spent a lot of time here because my grandmother, aunts and uncles lived here.” Donated artifacts are embedded across the museum – from LPs and quilts to personal items from a boxing champ and a Supreme Court justice.
The museum is free to the public, but there is a fee to visit the three, fully furnished historic apartments with a tour guide or “museum ambassador.” The apartments include the home of a Jewish family from the 1930s and the home of an African-American family in the 1960s.
The ribbon-cutting of the National Museum of Public Housing is Friday, April 4th at 11am. For a full lineup of activities on the museum’s Grand Opening Weekend, visit them at nphm.org. |
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(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) |
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The month of March saw its lowest homicide total in Chicago over the past five years while the number of people killed through the first quarter of 2025 remained under 100 for the first time since 2020 According to new data from the Chicago Police Department, there were 108 shootings and 35 homicides throughout the city last month, totals which are down 32% and 27%, respectively, over the same month last year.
The 119 shooting victims from last month also marks a decrease of 36% compared to March 2024. Through the first three months of the year, 96 people have been fatally shot in Chicago, which is the city’s lowest total over that span since 2019 and the first time it’s been below the 100 mark in five years. |
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Back in the Day: April 4, 2010 - Rod Blagojevich Fired on ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ |
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Rod Blagojevich was once a rising star in the Democratic Party who had never lost an election but on this day 15 years ago, he was fired from the “Celebrity Apprentice.” Back home in Chicago, he was facing a litany of corruption charges stemming from his time as Illinois governor. In the four episodes it took before he was booted from the reality show, Blagojevich had been comic relief: he was filmed napping during assignments, failing to delegate tasks and properly communicating with his teammates, and was even shown stumped at how to use a MacBook and a cell phone. In that episode, Blagojevich’s team, which includes Poison frontman Brett Michaels and wrestler Goldberg, was to create a “3D infographic about Universal Studios’ Wizarding World of Harry Potter.” The presentation was a mess and Blagojevich fudges the Harry Potter terms, calling the school “Hogwards” and its houses “Slithering” and “Ravencloth.” Donald Trump, the show’s host, criticized the former Governor saying, “Your Harry Potter facts were not accurate,” and later, “Governor, I have great respect for you. I have great respect for your tenacity, for the fact that you just don’t give up. But, Rod, you’re fired.” Trump would eventually commute Blagojevich’s sentence and later give him a full pardon. |
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Nature Calls: This Week’s Outdoorsy Events and Activities |
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Every Friday, WTTW News science and nature reporter Patty Wetli highlights the best ways to get outside.
Earth month is here! We’ve rounded up a few events to kick off the celebration of our favorite planet.
Join a hike through Sagawau Canyon Nature Preserve’s wetlands, observing the flora and fauna that make their home in ephemeral pools. Be sure to bring boots/waders, especially given recent rains. Saturday, 1 p.m., Sagawau Environmental Learning Center in Lemont, ages 13 and up.
Learn about the common nighthawk, an insect-eating machine that’s disappearing from Chicago’s skies. Find out why, and what’s being done to save this important link in the area’s ecosystem. Saturday, 10 a.m. at Big Marsh Park in Chicago; free, but RSVP required.
Dams are being demolished up and down the region’s waterways in order to improve water quality and habitat for aquatic plants and animals. Check out the progress being made at Fullersburg Woods in Oak Brook during a guided hike through the Salt Creek restoration site. Sunday, 1 p.m.; $5 fee, registration required, ages 18 and up.
Stewardship workdays at Chicago Park District natural areas have been set for 2025. Find one near you and become part of this growing community of volunteers.
Looking for ways to lead a more eco-friendly lifestyle? Check out EnviroFest, Saturday, in Portage Park or head to Earth-a-Palooza on Sunday, at Linne Woods in Morton Grove. Both of these family-friend events will promote sustainability and environmental awareness and offer concrete actions people can take to protect the planet.
Don’t forget Trash Bash on Saturday, a great opportunity to unload some of those hard-to-recycle items. |
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Baseball is back. The NHL, NBA, MLS, NWSL and college basketball are still playing too. What's your favorite Chicago sports memory? |
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published. Here's what you had to say:
"When I was a kid I lived near Wrigley Field, back in the 60s. At the seventh inning they would open up the park to the general public. I would flip seats up or pick up garbage to get a bleacher ticket to the next game. Saw a lot of games as a child, when I wasn’t listening to Jack and Lou on the radio. I also have great memories of me and mom waiting outside after games and chatting with players. Mom kept a signed photo of Randy Hundley posted up at her desk at work. And no, he didn’t ask her for $$ to sign it. Many players enjoyed chatting the fans. Different times. I sure am glad I was able enjoy baseball back when a blue collar kid could get in to see a game"— Barbara S.
"Breaking the NWSL attendance record with the Chicago Red Stars game at Wrigley Field!"—Katie R. (@krutkowski)
"Cubs lost 13-1 on my husband's birthday." —Jane (@vlasta6950)
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry |
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