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Fall is the right time to divide some perennials

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – If your garden has a vigorous perennial that has been in the garden for more than a few years, or it has started to choke out other plants and no longer looks healthy (dead centers, floppy and unable to support healthy foliage and flowers), then it may be time to divide....
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Fearful looks aside, spiders can be lovable

Many homes are being purposefully adorned with abnormally large, scary black spiders and their webs to hinge on the fact that a large percentage of the population may suffer from the fear of spiders, known as arachnophobia. In contrast to most of America, I suffer from arachnophilia, a love of...
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Brown spots in the lawn

Many who have been seeking out the McLean County Master Gardener help desk have been complaining of brown patches in the lawn. Unfortunately, most lawn ailments present themselves as unsightly browning in a sea of lush green. The following are some of the potential culprits. If the grass is brown...
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Fall Carrots for a Holiday Harvest

Eliot Coleman, author of The Winter Harvest Handbook, says "sweet winter candy carrots are his most acclaimed winter crop." He states "the tastiness resulting from growing in the fall weather elevates the humble carrot to another plane." Many gardeners who have experimented with spring grown vs....
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Join us for a Pesto Party at the Yost House in Pontiac

  PONTIAC, Ill. – Livingston County Master Gardeners will be demonstrating how to make yummy, spicy, garden fresh pesto at the Catherine V. Yost House Museum from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 18. In addition, Master Gardener, Cathy Montgomery will give an informal presentation on how to...
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Watering All season long

I often tell people that I have a Ph.D. in watering plants. As a young professional, I spent my days deciding if I should water and then checking to see if I made the right decision. Sometimes, I spent my days racing to water before plants wilted. I would like to say it is an art, but any gardener...
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