Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Do you have an annual flower in your garden this year that you especially like and definitely want to use again next summer? You might be able to clone it using vegetative propagation methods.
I have a coleus plant that I...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
I love the tropical feel of big leaved plants around my pool. This year I planted four different types of elephant ears in addition to nine large banana plants. Elephant ears make a statement in the garden with their larger than life...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Do you compost? Composting is the ancient art of mixing by-products from your yard with water, air, and time. What better way to dispose of leaves in the fall, grass clippings throughout the summer, and kitchen vegetable scraps than...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
I hear a news report about the decline of the monarch butterfly almost every day, but there are other insects in decline as well. One that is a favorite of all ages is the lightning bug, which some folks also call a firefly.
As a...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
University of Illinois Extension and several other organizations answered questions about the emerald ash borer at a recent Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) event.
Homeowners, tree care professionals, municipality officials, and more...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Theme gardens are really fun and are becoming more and more popular. I've written about various themes in the past, including literary gardens, tea gardens, reunion gardens, evening gardens, and more.
Theme garden possibilities are...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Last week I drove my son Tyler back to college for his fall semester at University of Illinois in Champaign. Along the way, he asked me what the blue flowers were along the roadside. Have you noticed the beautiful flowers blooming...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
The best time to seed a new lawn or overseed an existing lawn is in late summer. In Central Illinois, seeding in late summer (August to September) has a much higher success rate than seeding in spring. "Warm days and cool nights...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Our family has been battling paper wasps near our gazebo and pool area all summer. Unfortunately my son Derek and my husband Mark have both been stung.
It seems a bit ironic that I am battling a pollinator during a year when...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
A 2014 garden trend as stated by the 2014 Garden Media Group report was called Frac'd Up: A rejection of the neat and tidy. In other words, a messed up garden is okay and maybe even preferable in some cases. I like this...
