Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Feeding and watching birds has become one of America's favorite pastimes. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, nearly half the households in the United States provide food for wild birds. The most commonly used birdseed are...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator My 2018 Garden Calendar is now available. It provides garden tips, a calendar of events, and a picture each month spotlighting University of Illinois Extension volunteers and programs. New this year are hyperlinks to information on...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator The poinsettia is the traditional Christmas flower. It was introduced to the United States in 1825 by Joel Robert Poinsett, first U. S. ambassador to Mexico who obtained plants from the wilds of southern Mexico. The colorful parts...

Just what are frankincense and myrrh? Certainly, they are part of many Christmas stories, but do you know what those products are and why they were so valuable? Here is more information on both of these plant-based products. Frankincense and myrrh are both resins -- dried tree sap -- that come...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Do you know where the sugar you used to bake your Christmas cookies comes from? Sugar is available in many different forms. The sugar we use comes from two different plants: sugar beets or sugarcane. Worldwide, 70 percent of our...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Which type of holiday cactus do you have? There are many different types of cacti that bloom between Thanksgiving and Easter. Each is appropriately named by the holiday it blooms near. The differences between these plants are found...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Rosemary is a wonderful herb. It not only looks and smells great but makes a great addition to many culinary dishes. Rosemary is often found at Christmas time in wreaths and topiaries. If you follow the meaning of flowers, rosemary...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator I remember mom having nuts in the shell on the coffee table during the holidays. Although I didn't eat many nuts at that time, I liked using the little tools to crack open the nut and dig out its sweet inner meat. Let's look at the...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Last night while making my newest favorite evening tea I got to thinking about the plants that produce these ingredients. My Spice Special tea is a blend of rooibos, anise, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, orange bitters, and honey. Let's...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator A new crop of volunteers completed University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener training on November 7, 2017. Twenty-one energetic trainees culminated their ten-week Master Gardener training course by advancing to intern status...