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When should I clean up my garden? Picture of a garden with brown native bunch grasses and brown fallen tree leaves.
Read article: When should I start cleaning up my garden?
When should I start cleaning up my garden?
As the days get longer and the temperatures start to warm, we often get the itch to start gardening. On the first warm day of the year, I often find...
mourning cloak butterfly
Read article: The mourning cloak butterfly
The mourning cloak butterfly
A winter butterfly sighting We have had some warm weather this February, which means it is time to keep an eye out for butterflies! You may be...
grass covered in ice
Read article: Leave grasses intact in the garden through fall and winter
Leave grasses intact in the garden through fall and winter
You may have heard the phrase “leave the leaves” when it comes to deciding what to do with your trees' fallen leaves in autumn. But what about the...
Autumn allergies: don’t blame goldenrod bee on yellow goldenrod bloom
Read article: Autumn allergies: don’t blame goldenrod
Autumn allergies: don’t blame goldenrod
As the growing season draws to an end, temperatures cool, woody plants prepare for dormancy, and we enjoy the last blooms of the season. For many of...
Read article: Methods for identifying plants is a great learning experience
Methods for identifying plants is a great learning experience
I admire the knowledge of plant biologists, especially that group of expert botanists who make me feel like a novice in comparison…those are the...
multiple monarch butterflies on a flower
Read article: Clearing up the science on Monarch butterflies
Clearing up the science on Monarch butterflies
A tale of two articles Have you read some of the headlines lately concerning monarch butterflies? “Monarch Butterflies are Thriving!” “Monarch...
focus on one sunflower in front of a field of sunflowers lit from behind by sun
Read article: Sunflowers symbolize summer, elevate garden displays and double as a snack for wildlife
Sunflowers symbolize summer, elevate garden displays and double as a snack for wildlife
Nothing says summer like a brightly blooming sunflower (Helianthus annus). Often considered a weed in a farmer's field, many homeowners find...
butterflyweed with orange flowers and green leaves
Read article: Support the Monarchs-Plant Native Milkweeds
Support the Monarchs-Plant Native Milkweeds
Roadsides and ditches are drawing the eye of humans and butterflies alike as common milkweed plants (Asclepias syriaca) return to the summer...

News Releases

Evaluate and adjust: Four Seasons Gardening wins state evaluation award
URBANA, Ill. – A popular Extension gardening program was honored by University of Illinois Extension for its dedication to constant evaluation and adaptation of educational programming. The Four Seasons Gardening series addresses home and community garden issues that encourage residents to...
Take small steps to improve, support the environment this winter
URBANA, Ill. – Widespread environmental issues like changing weather patterns and habitat loss can feel overwhelming, but small everyday choices make a difference. Explore sustainable maple syrup harvesting, tornado trends in the U.S., and what research says about how to support pollinators in...
Discover Monarch butterflies at local festival
It’s time to dust off your wings to attend this year’s Monarch Migration Festival. Rain or shine, the festival is a free and fun learning experience for all ages. Every autumn the North American Monarch butterfly migrates south to Mexico to avoid cold weather and hibernate. In the spring...
Give monarch butterflies something to munch on, plant native milkweeds
URBANA, Ill. – Imagine eating only one type of food your entire life. Your survival depends entirely on being able to find this food. This is the challenge monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus, face every day as landscapes change nationwide and fewer native plants are available. But home...