University of Illinois Extension (www.urbanext.uiuc.edu)
Indispensable site for any Illinois homeowner, with tons of lawn and garden information specific to our state (see Hort Corner), as well as links to all sorts of home economics-related material.

Chicago Botanic Garden (www.chicagobotanic.org)
A gem of a website for gardeners and armchair gardeners alike. We’re fortunate to have such a wonderful resource right here in Chicago.

Landscaping at about.com (www.landscaping.about.com)
Besides great information about design, this site has many landscaping articles and serves as a portal to many other websites.

P. Allen Smith (www.pallensmith.com)
Author and television personality, the man is a brand unto himself. His website is full of design ideas and daily gardening tips.

Rebecca Cole (www.colecreates.com)
Rebecca Cole is to flower design as Allen Smith is to gardening. The latest trends from her hip New York studio.

Aboutflowers.com (www.aboutflowers.com)
The website of the Society of American Florists, it covers all aspects of floristry, including holiday decorating, weddings, etiquette and trends. A good pictorial guide to cut flowers and plants, too.

InteriorDesign.net (www.interiordesign.net)
Indoor plants are really just elements of interior design, and an understanding of interior design is similar to a music appreciation class—it helps one understand how everything fits together to create something larger.

Architectural Record (www.archrecord.construction.com)
For commercial interior design and architecture, this is THE site to visit.

Orchids By Hausermann (www.orchidsbyhausermann.com)
Another wonderful addition to Chicagoland, Hausermann’s has several acres under glass devoted to hundreds of varieties of orchids. Every orchid enthusiast—from beginner to expert—will find this site a trove of great information.

Smith & Hawken (www.smith-hawken.com)
Once you consider the quality of their items, you begin to wish that more stores were stocked like this. It’s true that S&H is not inexpensive. It’s also true that their tools, furniture and accessories will last a long time and give you tremendous satisfaction.