Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
I am excited to announce that we are next University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener training class begins this spring!
Training begins April 17 and is held one day a week until June 19. All sessions are held on Tuesdays, and...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Vines add vertical beauty to a garden. Although most vines are desirable, some can viciously choke out other plants with their aggressive behavior.
Let's look at four examples. The first two examples are annual plants, meaning that...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
In 2017, 167 Master Gardener volunteers contributed over 10,000 hours in the Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell Counties. The value of their volunteer service is $263,000 (as calculated by Independent Sector).
Master Gardeners have...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
The Winter series of University of Illinois Extension's Four Seasons Gardening program, which focuses on environmental stewardship, home gardening, and backyard food production, gets underway this month. The first session of the...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Registration is open for the 19th Annual Gardeners' BIG Day! University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners in Fulton and Mason County sponsor this event, which is Saturday, April 14, at Dickson Mounds Museum in Lewistown.
Back...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Have you ever thought of combining literature and gardening? Literature gardens do just that.
I remember a past Chicago Flower & Garden Show, where two popular children's books came alive in gardens: "The Tales of Peter Rabbit"...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
I currently have just over 70 houseplant containers to water. Most have one plant per container, but a few are combinations of plants. They come in all shapes and sizes, colors and textures, and I love them all! Just like pets, I...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Last year I started producing short videos on various gardening topics. They are a lot of fun to make. Currently, I have 31 videos available, covering indoor and outdoor horticultural topics.
In my first educational video "Planting...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
We are enjoying watching the birds at our feeder this winter. They add action and color to an otherwise static winter scene.
Bird watching is a popular hobby in America. According to a 2016 US Fish and Wildlife Service survey, more...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
As most of my readers know, one of my favorite activities of the year is watching the New Year's Day Rose Parade. Every year I am amazed by the amount of work that goes into creating the floats using only natural materials.
I've...
