Confessions of a reformed composter Composting is a fun way to make your garden growing experience great states University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator, Kelly Allsup. I had to share this article entitled "Confessions of a reformed composter" by fellow Horticulture Educator, Sandy...

Home, Lawn and Garden Day 2015 Home, Lawn and Garden Day is the ideal place to get inspiration for future garden projects, fall in love with a must-have plant or learn the basics of everyday Gardening. University of Illinois Extension's McLean County Master Gardeners host their...

October Garden Tour to Missouri and Arkansas Planned After a busy summer of activities, are you looking for a fun getaway to enjoy beautiful fall foliage and gardens? Come join the McLean County Master Gardeners on their three...

Learn to Grow Apples Organically Join us for an enlightening, educational class describing how to grow apples organically in your own backyard. Richard Hentschel, Horticulture Extension Educator, will share his 30 years of knowledge on apple production in Illinois to provide insight on what it...

Would you like to learn about growing vegetables, landscaping, trees, insects or turfgrass from University of Illinois Extension? The Woodford County Master Gardeners want you to join their training program this winter and take you on an amazing garden learning experience to find your inner...

Originally published by Kelly Allsup on August 26, 2015. Myths of Planting Spring Bulbs according to University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator, Kelly Allsup. Most gardeners know now is the time to plant your spring flowering bulbs. However before you plant spring bulb myths...

Illinois First Detector Invasive Pest Workshop University of Illinois Extension offers an invaluable program called the "Illinois First Detector Invasive Pest Workshop" in an effort to educate the community on invasive threats to our Illinois landscape. Invasive threats like the...

Woodford County Master Gardener's Plant Sale "It is time again for the Woodford County Master Gardener Plant Sale at the Eureka Library-May 16 from 8 a.m. to Noon. Stock up this spring with garden favorites like perennials, grasses, annuals, some vegetables, herbs and oddities...

Home Invaders Typically on the top of our home invader list in Illinois is Asian lady beetles. Asian lady beetles were released to help farmers with the soybean aphid but instead of overwintering in the cliffs of their native land, they like to invade our homes. If there is a...

Control of household pests has changed considerably over the last 50 years, both outdoors and indoors. There has been a fine-tuning of methods and products over the years which has reduced exposure to pesticides but may have resulted in an inadvertent increase in some pests. Chlordane came on the...

Lavender has long been a much-loved blooming herb in the garden and should be planted more for its aromatic and culinary properties states University of Illinois Horticulture Educator, Kelly Allsup. Lavender has been used for perfumes and essential oils in aromatherapy, cooking and disinfectant,...

Fall is Here...Time to Plant Shrubs "Planting shrubs starting now through mid-October offers many benefits that may outweigh spring planting," states University of Illinois Horticulture Educator, Kelly Allsup. The temperatures are cool and easier on the plants, so there is less...

Tree Identification Would you like to know what kind of tree you have in your backyard? Whether it is an oak, maple or something rarer learn to identify trees with this Tree Identification workshop presented by University of Illinois Extension. Please join us on October 1, 2015,...

Small mysterious pollinators have been visiting late-summer and fall-blooming plants in our gardens in order to sip nectar, said University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator Kelly Allsup. With wings as fast as a hummingbird and long tongues like a butterfly, these small moths hover over...

The Buzz about Bees! Are you interested in keeping bees? Are you interested in gardening to conserve bees? Are you interested in getting greater amounts of produce from your vegetable garden and orchards? If so, then you should attend the Beekeeping 101 Workshop on October 29...

Pathogens & Parasitoids Reduction in Monarch Butterfly Rearing 1.It is difficult to avoid all parasitoids and diseases as long as caterpillars and their food are collected from the wild. 2.Totally captive-reared insects tend to lose some survival abilities after several generations and adult...

URBANA, Ill. - When the cool weather of fall arrives, the desire to work outdoors is enticing. The heat and humidity of summer are past, and the changing colors of leaves are pleasing and relaxing. The impulse to clean up plants and make sure that the gardens are put to bed before snowfall can be...

Last winter was a tough one on many of our evergreens. Most gardeners had severe browning on many of their evergreen trees and shrubs, and some were even killed by the cold winter winds of winter. This year, take some steps to prevent some of that damage. The problem comes when water isn't...

URBANA, Ill. – It's winter, and the deciduous trees outside are bare. It's a perfect time to examine your trees "au naturel", said Diane Plewa, a University of Illinois Extension diagnostic specialist. "Because the trees are 'in the buff," it's a great time to look for damage to limbs and...

A holiday cactus in full bloom is a great holiday gift. Easy to care for, holiday cacti generally are long lived and will easily bloom year after year. In fact, they are often passed down from generation to generation as family heirlooms.When selecting a new plant, look for sturdy, healthy green...