Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
I currently have just over 70 houseplant containers to water. Most have one plant per container, but a few are combinations of plants. They come in all shapes and sizes, colors and textures, and I love them all! Just like pets, I...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Last year I started producing short videos on various gardening topics. They are a lot of fun to make. Currently, I have 31 videos available, covering indoor and outdoor horticultural topics.
In my first educational video "Planting...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
We are enjoying watching the birds at our feeder this winter. They add action and color to an otherwise static winter scene.
Bird watching is a popular hobby in America. According to a 2016 US Fish and Wildlife Service survey, more...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
As most of my readers know, one of my favorite activities of the year is watching the New Year's Day Rose Parade. Every year I am amazed by the amount of work that goes into creating the floats using only natural materials.
I've...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Houseplants add life and beauty to a home. My new YouTube videos provide simple tips on houseplant care.
After watching these short videos, even those with "brown garden thumbs" will know how to have healthy houseplants throughout...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Each year the Fulton and Mason County Master Gardeners hold a greenery workshop during their last meeting of the year. Attendees bring greenery and other decorations to use in their arrangements. I brought boughs of pine, cedar, and...
Sugar and spice make everything nice, especially Christmas cookies. But, do you know where your sugar and spice come from?
Sugar beets vs Sugarcane
The sugar we use comes from two different plants: sugar beets or sugarcane.
Sugarcane
Worldwide, 70% of our sugar comes from sugarcane. Sugarcane...
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...
