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blueberry bush

Creating our blueberry garden bed

By Cathy Endress, Extension Master Gardener, serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell countiesWhat started as a landscaping project, ended up becoming a blueberry patch!  We installed solar panels several years ago in the back of our three-acre lot. Because we wanted to...
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birds in the snow

Top 10 pursuits to fall in love with winter

By Jill Meints, Extension Master Naturalist serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell counties1. RestJust like with our gardens & plants, it can be our season of REST!  Read on for ideas on how to embrace the season! 2. Clean out your pantry and organize it. You may have things...
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fall follage against a pretty blue sky with white clouds

Fall tree planting

By  Ella Maxwell, Extension Master Gardener serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell countiesFall is an excellent time to plant a tree.  But what tree to plant? A flowering ornamental tree, evergreen tree, shade tree, native tree, fruit tree, or the "right" tree for you, your...
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native plants

Conservation@Home Member Spotlight: Janine Donahue

By Janine Donahue, Illinois Extension Master Gardener and Master Naturalist serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell countiesMy journey into learning about native plants began about 6 years ago when I decided to add native plants to one of the Master Gardener projects. As I looked at a...
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purple and yellow iris

Spring and summer care of irises

By Margaret Kelly, Extension Master Gardener serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria and Tazewell counties  Springtime is the best time to focus on iris care, allowing us to enjoy a breathtaking flower display throughout the iris season.FertilizerWhen getting ready for fertilizing, here is a...
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two ladies standing in the woods with five garbage bags full of garlic mustard

Spring Creek Preserve: A haven for spring ephemerals

By Mike McGraw, Extension Master Naturalist serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria and Tazewell counties  Even as a teenager, I loved the ephemeral wildflowers that grew in the woods near my home in Alton, Illinois – plants with wonderfully evocative names like Harbinger of Spring, Spring...
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hummingbird at a zinnia flower

Welcoming hummingbirds to your yard

By Jennifer Bass, Extension Master Gardener and Master Naturalist serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria and Tazewell countiesThis past weekend I pointed out to my grandkids the first goldfinch of the season I spotted at my feeders.  Bird watching is enjoyable for many of us – I had an uncle...
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Local OPAL logo

Celebrating 5 years of Local OPAL website

By Julie Robinson, Extension Master Naturalist serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria and Tazewell countiesIt is hard to believe that 2025 finds Local OPAL’s (Local Outdoor Playing and Learning) website celebrating its fifth birthday.  What began as a mere (and somewhat crazy) idea during 2018...
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flower garden in bloom

Planting for honey bees

By Trudy Yazujian, Extension Master Gardener serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell countiesI used to tease that I was a public-school teacher to support my gardening habit. While there was a little truth to that, I loved being a teacher and had wanted to be a teacher since I was in...
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