Flowers, Fruits, and Frass

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Beware of these bad carrots

March 20, 2017

Wild parsnip was in the news a great deal this past summer, despite it being around for many years, because of its negative effects on naïve gardeners and hikers. The sap of wild parsnip poses a great risk to human health because sap in contact with skin in the presence of sunlight causes bad...

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Impacts of late winter weather and tips from a Horticulturist

March 16, 2017

Insights from horticulturist during this Illinois late winter/early spring: Do not remove debris or mulch too soon as part of spring cleanup. It is a common practice to mulch in the winter to prevent frost heaving of perennials. When the plants are heaved the plant crowns are then exposed to...

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Is thaw/freeze affecting plants?

March 15, 2017

You walk out of your home ready for the day, the sun hits your face, and it is an unusually warm day for February. You rejoice. Spring is here. The next day there is a light fluffy snow hitting you in the eye. For most Illinoisans, we have become used to getting our hopes up, only to realize winter...

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“A Day in the Garden Patch” is always a day well spent!

March 10, 2017

A Day in the Garden Patch is always a day well spent! PONTIAC, Ill. – Join University of Illinois Extension – Livingston County Master Gardeners on Saturday, April 8 for a morning filled with colorful plants and new gardening insights at an event we like to call "A Day in the Garden Patch."...

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Building Extension by Kim Kidwell, Dean of the College of ACES

March 7, 2017

Kim Kidwell, Dean of the College of ACES Extension personnel...

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Learn how to plant natives with Chris Benda

February 8, 2017

Many years ago a homeowner might have said, "I don't want nature in my back yard, let it live somewhere else, out there in the woods or the prairies." However, today it is a different story states University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator, Kelly Allsup. "In reality, somewhere else...

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A Blooming Partnership at Community Cancer Center

February 3, 2017

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – McLean County Master Gardeners have worked diligently with the Community Cancer Center these past two years, developing a 5,000 square foot butterfly garden, a 4,875 square foot terrace garden and a labyrinth with the motivation that gardens can be a place of healing. McLean...

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My First Detector Experience

January 30, 2017

When I attended the 2015 First Detector Workshop, my horticulture experience conveyed the invasive qualities of burning bush, Japanese barberry and Callery pear. I knew I should not recommend them for landscapes; however, I had not realized they have become a problem in the Illinois wild. I needed...

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Rusty Patched Bumble bee

January 23, 2017

Honey bees have dominated the news as of late, but I would like to discuss bumble bees, their pollination services and their decline says Univerity of Illinois Horticulture Educator, Kelly Allsup. We have 50 species of bumble bees in North America. They are social like honey bees. There is a queen...

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All-America Selections names award winners to consider planting this spring by Bruce Black

January 19, 2017

Leaves have finished displaying their autumn color and have fallen, and gardens have been cleaned up to begin their winter rest. Gardeners can finally enjoy a well-deserved break, but it may not be long before the anticipation of spring creeps in. "There is no quicker way to beat those winter...

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