News & Media

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Illinois Extension strives to provide relevant, science-based information that serves residents and businesses in our area and across the state. From blogs featuring the best seasonal tips and techniques to news stories highlighting upcoming learning opportunities, we offer you impactful insights backed by the research and public engagement resources of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois.

News Releases
carolyn banks
Cook County invests in the future of urban agriculture
URBANA, Ill. – From helping backyard gardeners provide locally grown foods to supporting the growing urban agriculture system, new University of Illinois Extension staff are dedicated to meeting the needs of diverse communities. ...
putting seeds in pots of soil
Sow seeds of change, learn how to save garden seeds
URBANA, Ill. – As gardeners dream of spring and flip through catalogs looking for the best seeds, it makes you wonder where they come. Sure, seeds come from the fruit of a plant, but how does it happen? A good challenge for any gardener is to learn how to harvest and save seed. If you...
tree bark
Tree bark adds visual bite to winter landscapes
URBANA, Ill. – With bright colors and interesting shapes, unusual tree and shrub bark can add visual interest to winter landscapes. Many types of bark become more distinctive and sought after during winter months. Selecting trees based on their bark can bring four seasons of visual interest to...
perennial flower
Planning a new perennial garden? Plant for the whole garden ecosystem
URBANA, Ill. - Welcome to winter. The days are short and cold, and if you enjoy plants, hopefully, you have a few indoors to boost your mood. However, there is already light on the horizon. Spring will be here before you know it, and now is a wonderful time to plan out your new perennial gardens...
4 seasons gardening winter webinars
Get the dirt on growing healthy plants
URBANA, Ill. – Become a better gardener and find success nurturing plants indoors and out. Learn best practices for home gardening from University of Illinois Extension horticulture educators in the Four Seasons Gardening webinar series that begins...
gardening tools
Give your green thumb a hand, join vegetable gardening workshop
URBANA, Ill. – Dig in with confidence this spring with Growing Great Vegetables, a five-week webinar series that will cover how to grow a vegetable garden from seed to harvest. Whether growers have several acres or a patio with a few containers, now is the time to start planning for a successful...
burning firewood
Burning local firewood this winter can save forests
URBANA, Ill. – Nothing beats the warmth of a crackling fireplace on these coldest days of the year. Each winter, as my family enjoys the cozy warmth of our woodstove room, I’m always thankful for the firewood supply we’ve been fortunate enough to accumulate. Most of the wood we burn...
bee on flower
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...
amaryllis
Give someone a green holiday season with the gift of plants
URBANA, Ill. – If picking the perfect holiday gift stresses you out, this year visit your local garden center for a natural gift that keeps on giving. Gardening and growing plants is an experiential gift that is both rewarding and fun. If you are gifting a plant this season, remember to...
gardening tools and dirt
Indoor gardening can brighten winter doldrums
URBANA, Ill. – Dreading the long cold months of winter? Create a green space indoors with plants. Historically, plants have been used for their medicinal properties. Growing movements like horticulture therapy use plants for their healing properties, individual health, and well-being....
pumpkins and mums near wagon
Holiday favorite gourd is good to go for 2022
Few of us stop to wonder how that slice of pumpkin pie made it onto our plate, but if it weren't for the Illinois pumpkin industry and plant pathologist and Extension specialist Mohammad Babadoost, the classic fall...
ice on trees
Protect trees from winter’s wrath with a few preventive steps
URBANA, Ill. – Winter is hard on trees. Wind, ice, and cold temperatures can harm trees through sunscald, branch-breaking ice loads, or winter burn on evergreens. Taking preventative measures in the fall can help minimize winter injury to trees in the landscape. Boxwood, arborvitae, and...
garden tools
To get in touch with nature, create a sensory garden
URBANA, Ill. – For centuries, gardens have provided a unique bridge between humans and the natural world. Gardens were viewed by many cultures as a “reflection of heaven on earth.” Today, most gardens are considered landscape projects. But sensory gardens, with their engaging sights, sounds,...
digging up invasive plants
Best way to estimate costs for invasive plant removal? Get out and dig
URBANA, Ill. – Plants are designed to travel. They might not stand up and walk, but many plants produce seeds or other bits that can be carried long distances by wind or animals and start growing. While that might be great news for the plant, escapes like these can disrupt natural ecosystems and...
loufa
Find gourds absorbing? Try growing a loofah sponge
URBANA, Ill. – Gardens can grow a variety of surprising things, but one item you wouldn’t expect to find growing next to beans and tomatoes is a loofah sponge. Still, one member of the Cucurbitaceae family does just that. While most people think a loofah sponge comes from the ocean or at...
bean field
Explore agriculture technology to inform the future of digital ag
URBANA, Ill. – The agriculture industry is changing – driverless full-sized tractors can till fields and robots are milking cows and feeding calves. New digital farming technologies like robots and autonomous field equipment are coming out every day. But these labor-saving machines have also...
shovel digging up summer bulbs
Give summer-blooming bulbs a second chance, store them over winter
URBANA, Ill – Plants, such as cannas, caladiums, dahlias, elephant ears, gladiolus, and tuberous begonia, can make a great addition to the landscape. These plants are commonly referred to as tender bulbs or summer-blooming bulbs. Not all of them actually grow from bulbs, but this is what...