Latest Posts

Callery Pears Becoming Extremely Invasive!

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Although ornamental flowering pears are beautiful in the spring, they have several severe problems. Below is a portion of an article written by Sandy Mason, Extension Educator in horticulture based in Champaign, IL. Since this...
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Berry News from Extension Educator Mike Roegge

Weekly Crop Update 7-9-14 By Mike Roegge, University of Illinois Extension, Adams/Brown/Hancock/Pike/Schuyler Strawberry harvest was completed several weeks ago, but there is still a little time to renovate the patch if you've not completed that chore yet. You want to do this as soon as harvest...
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Thousand Cankers Disease Threatens Walnuts

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Thousand Cankers Disease was recently confirmed in Indiana, putting the disease threateningly close to Illinois walnut trees. Kelly Estes, Agricultural Pest Survey Coordinator for Illinois Natural History Survey, reported on this...
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White Adds Simple Elegance to a Garden

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator July brings us our seventh gardening trend for 2014: Simple Elegance: Think one color flower in an elegant container. Many people think of a mono-chromatic color scheme as boring, but it can be quite impressive The Garden...
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All About Rose Slugs

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Despite making it through a brutally cold winter, knockouts and other rose varieties are being eaten by the larvae of sawfly stated Horticulture Educator, Kelly Allsup. The larvae, not a slug, is yellow- green and velvety looking, 1/...
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Master Naturalists Learn About Butterflies and More!

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator The Wildlife Prairie Park Butterfly Habitat was awarded a University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener Teamwork Award at an awards banquet in Champaign on June 13th. The Master Gardener Teamwork Award recognizes groups of Master...
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Slugs a Common Hosta Pest

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator If you find large, ragged holes in the leaves of hosta (and other) plants in your garden and notice a slime trail as well, a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator warns you may have a slug or two taking up residence...
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Illinois Govenor's Mansion Grounds

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator The recent University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Team professional improvement meeting in Springfield included three tour sites. One location was the grounds at the governors mansion. I've been to the grounds many times and...
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Removing Tree Stumps

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Recent droughty summers, a cold winter, and various other environmental and pest problems have killed many trees in our area. Usually when a tree is removed a stump is left behind. Here are several suggestions on how to remove tree...
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