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Doll's Eyes…A Great Halloween Plant

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Some plants are perfect for Halloween. Bat flowers, devils claw, and corpse flower come to mind. Another creepy looking plant is doll's eyes. I'm not sure why dolls with staring, glass eyes are so scary, but they can be truly...
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Pine Needle Drop by Martha Smith

Parts of my backyard and woodland are covered with fallen pine needles. We have a large number of mature white pine trees that yearly drop their needles. Annual needle drop is normal and beneficial. Martha Smith, Horticulture Educator with University of Illinois Extension said it well, "There is...
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Water Mature Trees and Shrubs During Drought Periods

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Most people assume that established trees and shrubs can handle drought conditions. Often this is true, but the severe weather extremes that we've had in recent years has depleted reserves and stressed many plants. Please don't...
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Award Winning Master Gardeners

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator I am continually impressed and humbled by what our University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners accomplish. Although they all deserve accolades, several of our local Master Gardeners were recently recognized at the 2017 Illinois...
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Pekin Garden Wins State Master Gardener Award

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator A team of eight University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners was awarded a teamwork award for their Wildlife Federation Mayor's Monarch Garden in Pekin, Illinois. The award was presented during University of Illinois Extension's...
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Enjoy Locally Grown Popcorn on the Spoon River Drive

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator I love popcorn! Each year I buy kettle corn at one or more locations along the Spoon River Drive. It is a good possibility that the popcorn I purchase was grown and packaged locally. Mason County, Illinois grows a lot of popcorn! In...
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Peoria County has Award Winning Master Gardeners

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator May Bach and Jennifer Bass were honored for their outstanding contributions to University of Illinois Extension's Master Gardener Program during the 2017 Illinois Master Gardener Conference in Normal. May and Jennifer were among 36...
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Kathy Edwards Named State Outstanding Master Gardener

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Kathy Edwards was one of 36 University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners honored for their outstanding contributions to Illinois' Master Gardener Program. She was named a State Outstanding Master Gardener at the 2017 Illinois...
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Nature Journaling Reduces Stress

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator I've mentioned many times that I love to journal, and I usually write surrounded by plants and nature. I use nature journaling as a creative form of self-expression, but I find that it also promotes relaxation and calmness. Many...
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Spoon River Drive Scavenger Hunt

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator The Spoon River Valley Scenic Drive is about to begin! I challenge you to ignore the crowds and traffic jams and to focus on our beautiful Spoon River Country. As a former guidebook stated, "The Spoon River Valley is filled with...
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