Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Each year I seem to battle more and more difficult and very invasive weeds on my property. These include honeysuckle, garlic mustard, burning bush, and bittersweet.
Oriental bittersweet is quickly invading my landscape beds. This...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Recent discoveries of Emerald Ash Borer in Peoria and Tazewell counties underscore the need for communities to be proactive against Emerald Ash Borer (EAB).
University of Illinois Extension held an Emerald Ash Borer Community...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Time for our next gardening trend of 2014: Think Gardens. This trend is all about how plants make us smarter, more productive and less stressed and is why we need them in our offices, schools, hospitals, and more.
Green is...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Fall brings wiener roasts, festivals, and leaf removal. Rhonda Ferree, Horticulture Educator with University of Illinois Extension, suggests making good use of the fallen leaves in your yard.
The tree leaves that accumulate in and...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
It is Spoon River Drive time again! Each year I am drawn to items made from natural materials, including woodcarvings, dried flower arrangements, decorative plants, and so much more.
I have been going on the drive since I was a...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
The emerald ash borer (EAB) continues to move across Illinois, devastating ash trees in its path. It was most recently found in Peoria and Tazewell counties. Rhonda Ferree, University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator, says...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
The droughts of 2011 and 2012 continue to take a toll on tree health.
Rhonda Ferree, Extension Educator in horticulture, says that trees can take three to five years to show symptoms from a severe event such as drought....
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
I first wrote about garlic mustard in 2001. Since then, this dreadful weed has gotten even worse. Many hundreds of man-hours and dollars have been spent trying to prevent it from choking out more of our native wildflowers.
Garlic...
October 2, 2014 (1:00 PM ) Festival Building 2200 E. Washington St East Peoria, IL 61611 (Tazewell County) Date: October 2 Time: 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.Participants: local officials, municipalities, park districts, arborists, and others impacted by recent EAB...
Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
Fall is an ideal time to plant many woody trees and shrubs. Before grabbing the spade and digging a hole, Rhonda Ferree, Horticulture Educator with University of Illinois Extension, suggests that there are several important factors...
