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...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
My iris were especially pretty this year, and I think I need more! My colleague Elizabeth Wahle, University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator, explains below why late summer through early fall is the best time to divide and...
Important Points! EAB was detected in Peoria and Tazewell counties in 2014. Once a county is added to the quarantine list additional sightings don't need to be reported. IL Dept of Ag would be flooded with these calls. The important find is the first one - after that assume...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Hornets are one of those insects that many people are afraid of, but they are also very important in our natural world.
Extension Entomologist Dr. Philip Nixon summed this up well in answering a recent question about how to kill...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
The dreaded Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) continues to cause havoc across Central Illinois. All four of the counties that I cover as a Horticulture Educator with University of Illinois Extension are included in the quarantine area, which...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
I have an oak tree in my yard that gets oak tatters every year. I have had a couple oak samples brought into the office with the condition this year, so know it is more widespread than my backyard. If your oak tree looks like...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Anyone who knows me knows that I love journaling and photography. In recent years I've used those skills as a way to communicate my garden in a different way. By communicating my garden I am able to document its history and share it...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Although typically very easy to grow, tomatoes are prone to some problems. According to Rhonda Ferree, extension educator in horticulture, University of Illinois Extension offices are receiving many questions right now concerning the...
