Last week, I notice the first of an annual pest in our area that is always unwelcome to anyone that gardens. Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) adults emerge from the ground every June to voraciously consume a plethora of plants. Although there are certainly plants these beetles prefer...
Eleven years ago, the US Senate unanimously approved the designation of a week in June as National Pollinator Week, marking a huge step in recognizing both the value of our pollinators and the plight they have faced nationwide. Governors in all 50 states have also recognized the same Pollinator...
Visitors to the downtown Champaign area last month may have noticed an odd addition to the One Main Development landscaping. Over the course of May, an increasing number of mysterious white trees appeared out of nowhere. Who placed these ghost trees? Where did they come from?
The stark colored...
Master Gardeners across Champaign, Ford, Iroquois and Vermilion Counties are planning a great line up of Garden Walks in the coming few weeks. These events offer a wonderful opportunity to observe the diversity and individuality of garden spaces designed by a wide range of area gardeners. All the...
As agriculture worldwide continues to advance and innovate in an attempt to feed our ever-growing global population, unique and specialized productions systems are popping up all the time. One such system, referred to as aquaponics, includes an interesting mixture of plants and aquatic organisms...
Koreanspice viburnum (Viburnum carlesii) is one of the centerpiece landscape plants in my backyard, given its prime location at the corner of our screened-in porch and patio. Last fall it delivered a stunning display as foliage turned every shade of yellow, orange and red to purple. ...
In the busyness of spring and planting all our annuals, such as flowers and vegetables, the perennials in our garden often get overlooked. To keep perennial plants performing at their peak, it is necessary to divide them from time to time in order to maintain vigor and flowering. As a general...
In the past week or so, crabapple trees have stolen the spring flower show among our blooming landscape plants. These beautiful trees produce abundant flowers for up to 4 weeks each spring, with one of the best, most showy displays of any ornamental tree species. They pick up where the magnolia...
Although spring was late coming this year, it has finally sprung, and with it both star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) and saucer magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana) are in bloom. These beautiful ornamental trees, native to Asia, provide about a month...
Evergreen plants, which retain their leaves (or needles) throughout the seasons, are some of the showstoppers of our landscapes in winter. They provide some much needed color in a world devoid of the green, chlorophyll-laden foliage we have throughout the growing season. Although evergreens do go...
