Square Foot Gardening Have you ever attempted to grow vegetables with grand visons of fresh produce that would litter your kitchen counter? Instead your broccoli went to the worms, your tomatoes were riddled with disease, or your garden was overrun with weeds....
Home, Lawn and Garden Day The 14th annual University of Illinois Extension McLean County Master Gardener Home, Lawn and Garden Day will be hosted at Central Catholic High School in Bloomington, Illinois on Saturday, March 5. It is an all-day gardening...
Brussels Sprouts "Brussels sprouts were the high point of numerous meals over my holiday season. I must admit I have never grown this delectable vegetable because it is known to be a slow-growing vegetable, but now have aspirations to make it part of my fall...
The popular tree pruning workshop is back, and this year will be led by Illinois State University's own Patrick Murphy. Patrick is a horticulturist and curator of the Fell Arboretum that boasts thousands of trees, including 154 different species. Patrick will demonstrate the correct pruning...
She's unassuming. She's loud. She's somewhat inappropriate -- that is, if you were thinking you were going to get gardening advice from your grandma. She describes herself as a grade below Martha Stewart and uses common sense to distill her gardening woes. Her name is Amanda Thomsen and she is...
Kitchen Gnats "The major houseplant migration, along with the bananas that are ripening on my counter have caused fungus gnat chaos in my kitchen," states University of Illinois Horticulture Educator Kelly Allsup. Flying gnats have not only populated my home but...
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...
Horticulture Myths "As a horticulture educator, it is my duty to dispel horticulture myths," says University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator, Kelly Allsup. Myth:Some mulch is good. A lot of mulch must be better. I am referring to the sad...
Arachnophilia This past month many homes are being purposefully adorned by abnormally-large, scary black spiders and their webs to hinge on the fact that a large percentage of the population suffers from the fear of spiders, known as Arachnophobia. "In contrast to most of America...
Horticulture and Nature Gifts for the Holidays "Do you have a plant nerd or 'hortiholic' on your buy-for list this holiday season? Here are some plant gifts that will lead them further down the rabbit hole into the wondrous world of horticulture," says...
