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...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
In 2015, 163 Master Gardener volunteers contributed 12,863 hours in the Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell Counties. Their volunteer service is valued at $296,749 (using an estimated dollar value of volunteer time of $23.07 per hour...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
I cringe when I see topped trees. Not only is it unsightly to see a tree in such an unnatural state, it is also harmful to trees. Correct pruning is an essential maintenance practice for ornamental trees and shrubs. However, most...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
We can grow edible plants in many ways beyond the traditional row-type vegetable garden. Many food plants are beautiful and work well integrated into the landscape. By combining fruit and nut trees, vegetables, herbs, edible flowers...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
I have been enjoying trying new foods using recipes that often call for ingredients I'm not familiar with. Last week I learned that quinoa is a grain-like seed with high protein value. Now, let's take a closer look at flax.
Flax is...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Eight trends are featured in this year's 2016 Garden Media Group garden trend report. I'll write about each trend sometime this year.
The 2016 trend report is titled Syncing with Nature. I agree with the report's findings...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Each winter our garden pond attracts many different types of birds. We keep a small area of open water in the pond, which the birds love. The past couple of weeks we have been inundated by robins. We also commonly see Eastern...
