Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Twisty curvy and weeping plants are fun to look at, but hard to use in the landscape. They are so unique and special that they must have a special spot to really work. Most should be used as a planned focal point, since they...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Gardening is for everyone, but is especially important for children. I cannot over-emphasize the importance of gardening with kids. It encourages personal growth, environmental stewardship, hands-on learning, improved nutrition,...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Potato ranks with wheat and rice as one of the most important staple crop sin the human diet around the world. Certainly potatoes are an important part of our diets as we eat French fries, potato chips, mashed potatoes, augratin...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
According to the Garden Media Group, our younger generation (15-49 year olds) is just learning to garden and is hungry for information. They are most interested in growing edibles (herbs, fruits, and vegetables), gardening with their...
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...
