Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Hundreds of minute, barbed bristles poked out of the bottom of my foot as Dad gently plucked each one away from my throbbing flesh. Our family was camping in Spring Lake State Park near Havana, Illinois one summer when I was about 10...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
If you love butterflies, you could also put in a butterfly garden habitat in your own yard. You don't need a lot of space to attract our native butterflies.
There are two different types of plants you can grow for butterflies:...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educatorRabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit!
Elmer Fudd from The Looney Tunes said it right, "Bugs Bunny?! You're a pesky wabbit!" I have replanted my tomato plants three times this spring. The first two times the plants were gone by...
Originally published in Home, Yard, and Garden Newsletter on 8-15-17 Japanese beetles and masked chafer adults are attracted to moist soils and, apparently, to green grass to lay their eggs. In years when rainfall is abundant,...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Recently I had a friend ask me what the blue flowers were along the roadside. Have you noticed the beautiful flowers blooming along our roadsides right now? Illinois roadsides are quite beautiful in late summer.
She was referring to...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
I have several purple vegetables and herbs growing in my garden this summer.
Botanically, purple plants are fascinating to me. We all learn in science class that plants get their green color from the chlorophyll in their leaves,...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
The goldenrod is making a fantastic display this fall in my prairie and other unmown areas. I love watching the waves of gold sway on a sunny fall day.
Goldenrod (Solidago sp.) thrives in sun to part sun and is a deer-resistant...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
I grow several different types of basil, and try new ones each year. Usually, I end up preferring the basic sweet basil to other kinds, but not this year. A new favorite this year is lime basil.
Basil (Ocimum basilicum) has many...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Have you noticed the huge hibiscus blooms this summer? Hibiscus has magnificent flowers that make quite an impressive display each summer.
There are many different types of hibiscus. The rose-of –Sharon (Hybiscus...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
I'm growing several summer bulbs this year. These include cannas, caladium, and elephant ears. Summer bulbs are summer-blooming plants that have some type of underground storage structure, but most of them don't look like bulbs.
The...
