Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Tomatoes are the most popular home garden vegetable grown in America. We answer many questions each summer about tomatoes. There are literally hundreds of varieties of tomatoes available, making it difficult to choose which one to...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Growing your own food is easy and fun. This year I will write more spotlights on backyard food production in this column. To get us started, here are excerpts from an article written by my colleague Richard Hentschel.
Richard writes...
Instagram is an social media network where friends can share photos and videos. I'll use it to share photos and videos of plants in an educational way. Join me and learn how to garden grow your own food create a backyard paradise manage pests in the garden and much more!...
Moles become active each spring, with tunnels appearing as raised areas of soil in lawns and garden beds.
"Questions about mole control are probably the most common question I've received in my 27 years with University of Illinois Extension," says Rhonda Ferree, Extension Educator in Horticulture...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
I enjoy the focus on green, shamrocks, and clovers that St. Patrick's Day brings each year. It reminds me of the hours I'd spend as a kid searching for four leaf clovers in our yard. There are many different types of clovers that...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Spring flowering plants make an impressive display at a time of year when we need it most. Redbuds, magnolias, forsythia, tulips, and so many more are a welcome sign that we are finally past the long winter.
But, if you look closely...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
The second trend I'm covering from the 2016 Garden Media Group garden trend report is Welltality, which is all about how horticulture is intrinsically tied to health and wellness.
I've written many times about the...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
On a recent trip to Ft. Myers, Florida I visited the Edison & Ford Winter Estates where I toured their homes, gardens, laboratories, and museum. The plant collections there are fascinating, especially all the rubber trees they...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Have you ever noticed how a pine tree changes shape as it ages? On my way to Springfield recently, several old pine trees caught my attention.
Pine trees have distinctively different needle structure than other evergreens. Pine...
Here is a listing of Central Illinois Garden club websites or Facebook Pages. Check out their upcoming events. Central Illinois Hosta Society - http://www.cihshostaclub.org/ Heart of Illinois Beekeepers Association...
