While words like phalaenophily and psychophily might sound like terms only found in a medical dictionary, pollinator syndromes are actually used to assign certain characterisitics to different flowers. According to the Pollinator Partnership, pollinator syndromes "describe flower characteristics,...
Did you miss part one? Click here to read the first entry in this series. As a refresher: A pollinator is any animal that fertilizes a plant by moving the pollen (or male p
Gardeners are avid learners who love to try their hand at anything new and exciting. On Tuesday, May 18 Vermilion County Master Gardener, Charlie Collom, presented a Make-it and Take-It Succulent program for the Champaign Master Gardener's regularly monthly program. Members from the community were...
A note from the author: This is the first part of a series of blog posts discussing pollinators. Check back weekly to read the latest entry. Before you read any further, please indulge me for a moment. Close your eyes and take a few seconds to picture your favorite garden produce. Imagine...
On Friday, April 17, 44 people celebrated graduation from the 2015 Master Gardener training. Master Gardener training began in late January. Training was held in three offices: Champaign (Champaign County), Danville (Vermilion County), and Onarga (Ford-Iroquois Counties). Over the course of 12...
A new class of students began Master Gardener training this month. The first class in the program is always Botany; the scientific study of plants. At first many trainees probably wonder why is this class necessary and when will we get to the good stuff like tomato diseases. Perhaps the beauty of...
When asked about their favorite things, some people may begin their lists with things like raindrops on roses, or maybe whiskers on kittens. The culinarily inclined may mention bright copper kettles, and knitters might include warm woolen mittens. While these are all nice things, I think that any...
For those of us who mentally X out each day as January passes and proclaim the best thing about February is that it isn’t January read on... With temperatures falling, schools closing and car batteries dying you may be wondering, “Is winter really necessary?” Being a warm weather person, I would...
The holiday season can be a time to reflect on the year that has passed. During this season of parties and gatherings, take a moment to slow down and reflect – what was successful, what was left undone, and what do we want to be accomplished in the coming year. The Master Gardener program of the...
Posted by Trent Hawker, Horticulture Intern Earlier this month, Jenney discussed the Monarch butterfly in her post If You Plant it They Will Come. As she
