Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Winning at a county fair brings great notoriety. Remember how excited Farmer Zuckerman was in the book "Charlottes Web" when Wilbur won! The county fair is meant to bring together exhibitors in many categories across the county to...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Old fashioned flowers and flowering shrubs are the most recent gardening trend. Roses, hydrangeas, sweet pea, lilac, and more are becoming commonplace again in our gardens. Technically, an heirloom is defined as a plant that is open...

Did you know that the sweet corn you eat this summer most likely has direct ties to the University of Illinois? John R. Laughnan, a University of Illinois professor of botany and plant genetics, discovered supersweet corn in 1953. He discovered that the kernels of a mutant of corn were "unusually...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Many spruce trees are showing dieback this year. According to Rhonda Ferree, extension educator in horticulture, the cold, wet spring has brought out many trees diseases. Many of these diseases are causing significant damage on...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Poppies are one of my favorite flowers. I am not sure why, but I have a fascination with poppies. I collect antique Hall china in the orange poppy pattern and have my kitchen decorated in poppies. Of course, I also plant poppies in...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator On a camping trip in Southern Illinois my husband Mark kept taking pictures of non-flowering plants. His pictures made the ferns, mosses, lichens, and club moss look like something right out of a fairytale. In fact, these non-...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator While on a recent motorcycle ride with my husband Mark, I saw a lot of plants in the carrot family Apiaceae growing along roadsides. One of my favorite vegetables is the very edible carrot, but unfortunately the carrot family has a...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator The color blue is sometimes difficult to use in the garden. This is partly because there are very few true blue flowers in nature and partly because some of the most striking blue-flowered plants are challenging to grow in Central...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Butterfly Gardening Butterflies are such beautiful creatures and watching them flit from plant to plant brings joy and relaxation. This is why butterfly gardening continues to grow in popularity. Rhonda Ferree,...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Have you had fresh strawberries yet this year? I love fresh strawberry shortcake, but I most enjoy eating them right in the garden. I usually also make strawberry jam and freeze some for winter treats. If you don't grow your own,...