Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Houseplants add life and beauty to a home. My new YouTube videos provide simple tips on houseplant care.
After watching these short videos, even those with "brown garden thumbs" will know how to have healthy houseplants throughout...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Each year the Fulton and Mason County Master Gardeners hold a greenery workshop during their last meeting of the year. Attendees bring greenery and other decorations to use in their arrangements. I brought boughs of pine, cedar, and...
Sugar and spice make everything nice, especially Christmas cookies. But, do you know where your sugar and spice come from?
Sugar beets vs Sugarcane
The sugar we use comes from two different plants: sugar beets or sugarcane.
Sugarcane
Worldwide, 70% of our sugar comes from sugarcane. Sugarcane...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Feeding and watching birds has become one of America's favorite pastimes. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, nearly half the households in the United States provide food for wild birds.
The most commonly used birdseed are...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
My 2018 Garden Calendar is now available. It provides garden tips, a calendar of events, and a picture each month spotlighting University of Illinois Extension volunteers and programs.
New this year are hyperlinks to information on...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
The poinsettia is the traditional Christmas flower. It was introduced to the United States in 1825 by Joel Robert Poinsett, first U. S. ambassador to Mexico who obtained plants from the wilds of southern Mexico.
The colorful parts...
Just what are frankincense and myrrh? Certainly, they are part of many Christmas stories, but do you know what those products are and why they were so valuable? Here is more information on both of these plant-based products. Frankincense and myrrh are both resins -- dried tree sap -- that come...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Do you know where the sugar you used to bake your Christmas cookies comes from? Sugar is available in many different forms.
The sugar we use comes from two different plants: sugar beets or sugarcane. Worldwide, 70 percent of our...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Which type of holiday cactus do you have?
There are many different types of cacti that bloom between Thanksgiving and Easter. Each is appropriately named by the holiday it blooms near. The differences between these plants are found...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Rosemary is a wonderful herb. It not only looks and smells great but makes a great addition to many culinary dishes.
Rosemary is often found at Christmas time in wreaths and topiaries. If you follow the meaning of flowers, rosemary...
