University of Illinois Extension

Events (21)

Urban Tree Conference: Storm Damaged Trees

11:10AM-12:15 PM

Thu, 01/21/2021 - 12:00

Online

Urban Tree Conference: Storm Damaged Trees

Bi-State Garden Conference

6:00 pm

Thu, 01/21/2021 - 12:00

Online

Garden Conference

Urban Tree Conference: Invasive Tree Management

9-10 AM

Thu, 01/21/2021 - 12:00

Online

Urban Tree Conference: Invasive Tree Management

Urban Tree Conference: Best Practices for Growing Roadside Trees

10:05-11:05 AM

Thu, 01/21/2021 - 12:00

Online

Urban Tree Conference: Best Practices for Growing Roadside Trees

Urban Tree Conference: Identifying Oaks in Urban Forests and Landscapes

9-10 AM

Fri, 01/22/2021 - 12:00

Online

Urban Tree Conference: Identifying Oaks in Urban Forests and Landscapes

Urban Tree Conference: Natural Defense Mechanisms in Trees

10:05-11:05am

Fri, 01/22/2021 - 12:00

Online

Urban Tree Conference: Natural Defense Mechanisms in Trees

Urban Tree Conference: Keynote - An Approach to Pruning you Won’t Forget

11:10am-12:15pm

Fri, 01/22/2021 - 12:00

Online

Urban Tree Conference: Keynote - An Approach to Pruning you Won’t Forget

Houseplants 101: How Not to Kill Your Houseplants

7:00 pm

Tue, 01/26/2021 - 12:00

Online

houseplants

Growing Great Vegetables: Where will you Garden?

6-7PM

Tue, 01/26/2021 - 12:00

Online

Growing Great Vegetables graphic

The Great Backyard Bird Count

Noon

Mon, 02/01/2021 - 12:00

Online

Birds

Master Gardener Hybrid Training

Tue, 02/02/2021 - 12:00

Master Gardener Hybrid Training Registration Closes

Tue, 02/09/2021 - 12:00

Online

Black and white photo with cabbage, flower, 2 groups of people.

Native Landscape Design Workshop

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Sat, 02/20/2021 - 12:00

Webinar

Blue and White marketing with program information and picture of prairie.

Home, Lawn, and Garden Day 2021 - Virtual Edition!

8:15 AM - 1 PM

Sat, 03/06/2021 - 12:00

Online

Home Lawn Garden Day 2021

School and Community Garden Training

10:00 AM

Sat, 03/13/2021 - 12:00

Webinar

Garden Day Workshop

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sat, 03/13/2021 - 12:00

Online

Garden Day

Gardener's Day

Sat, 03/27/2021 - 12:00

Master Gardener Summer 2021 Self-Paced Online Training Registration Closes

Mon, 05/10/2021 - 12:00

Online

Black and white photo with cabbage, flower, 2 groups of people.

Master Gardener In-Person Training Registration Closes

Mon, 09/06/2021 - 12:00

Macon County Extension Office
3351 North President Howard Brown Blvd
Decatur, IL 62521

Black and white photo with cabbage, flower, 2 groups of people.

Master Gardener Fall 2021 Self-Paced Online Training Registration Closes

Mon, 09/06/2021 - 12:00

Online

Black and white photo with cabbage, flower, 2 groups of people.

Monarch Migration Festival

Sat, 09/11/2021 - 12:00

Galesburg

Blog Posts (116)

Positive Change Can Make a Difference in Your Community

sunlight through ice covered trees

Popular houseplants: Is it philodendron or pothos?

pothos

History of Poinsettia

Holiday Cacti

Kissing under the mistletoe – A holiday favorite with a dark side

European mistletoe with green leaves and white berries on a wooden table

Mushroom Workshop Reaches Thousands Via Live Presentation and Recording

Picture of a mushroom in a wooded area

Fall evokes the five basic senses - November, 2020

Evergreen leaves live longer lives - October, 2020

Bringing Container Plants in for the Winter - September, 2020

Hairy Crabweed is one bad weed! - August, 2020

Editing Aggressive Plants in the Garden - June 2020

How to winterize outdoor plumbing - irrigation, hoses, spigots

frozen over fountain

DIY dried flowers for Thanksgiving

Dried flowers in vase

What I Do and Why It Matters - Nicole Flowers-Kimmerle

Dealing with plant pandemics

Tobacco mosaic virus on petunia

More spooky and scary plants

dark purple spathe of Dragon arum

Dealing with Fall Drought: Get your plants ready for winter

dry soil in the fall

Handling pumpkins, mums and other fall decorations

pumpkins and mums

Evergreens losing needles: Fall needle drop

pine with fall displaying fall needle drop, older needles are turning yellow while newer needles remain green

University of Illinois College of Medicine - Peoria Partnership

Local Schools and Organizations Trained to Start School Gardens

Children working on a school garden

Fall Flavors: Pumpkin vs. Apple

apple versus pumpkin image

Facebook Live with the Horticulturalists

Should we paint tree wounds?

wound sealer painted on a tree wound

It's big, but it's not a murder hornet: How to identify large wasps

picture of a European hornet on a leaf, a cicada killer on a leaf, and a baldfaced hornet on flowers

Divide and Conquer in Fall

brilliant red-orange oriental poppy pixabay

At-Home Science for Kids: Raising butterflies and more!

monarch butterfly resting on a finger

Growing and Using Peppers

Growing and Harvesting Okra

The okra plant produces cream colored flowers. Once pollinated, these will produce the okra pods to harvest and cook.

We Need Your Input!

Feedback on chalk board

Seed Packets

Recommended Reading for Gardeners During a Pandemic

Summer Reading for Gardeners

Harvesting garden vegetables

close up of a person holding freshly harvested onions

The Gardening Helpline: An Extension Tradition Going Strong

gardening helpline info graphic

Handling your fresh-picked produce

Freshly harvested cucumbers, eggplant, beans, potatoes, pumpkins, squash, beets, & turnips.

Tree troubles usually start at the base of the trunk

Tree troubles usually start at the base of the trunk

Bee Lazy for Pollinators

the feet of someone laying in a hammock

Milkweed

Prime Time for a Summer Treat

Ripe and Unripe Strawberry Closeup. Photo Credit: Enoch Lau, Wikicommons

Blueberries

Garlic: So easy even I can grow it!

Growing Garlic

The cicadas are coming (or already here)

Ladybug, Ladybug

a pink spotted lady beetle on a strawberry flower

Growing irises: How to plant, grow and care for iris

Anthracnose

Home Horticultural Remedies

Home Horticultural Remedies

Pineberries: Pineapple-flavored Strawberries

Everbearing pineberrries are unique white berries with red seeds. Photo source: Emmbean, Wikimedia Commons.

How to Grow Popular Herbs

How to grow popular herbs

How to Grow Peppers

green, yellow, and red habanero peppers

The New Victory Garden

Tomato and Basil plants growing in a homemade container. Be sure to allow for drainage from any container.

Beware of spring freeze coming

Trouble(s) with Cucurbits

squash bug nymphs feeding on pumpkin vines

Welcome to My Jungle - May, 2020

The Many Different Types of Cucurbits

The Many Different Types of Cucurbits

Extension Master Gardener Trainees Revamp Peoria Zoo Pollinator Garden

group photo of Master Gardeners

Trouble(s) with Tomatoes

a green tobacco hornworm on a tomato stem

How to Grow Tomatoes

How to Grow Tomatoes

How to Grow Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potato harvest

How to Grow Carrots

orange, white, purple, red, and orange circles arranged in a circle. Carrots still have leaves attached.

Starting a Garden: Irrigation

Sprinkler head

ZZ Plant is a Tropical that Thrives Indoors

zz plant thrives indoors

Starting a Garden: Fertilization

corn seedlings with fertilizer

Starting a Garden: Pest Management

squash vine borer larva inside of the stem of a zucchini plant

Starting a Garden: Supporting Plants

cucumber plants growing up a trellis

Flowers-Kimmerle Teaches Webinar Session on Winter Sowing of Seeds

Starting a Garden: Season Extension

Cold frame with vegetables growing inside in the fall.

Sick plants? No problem! UIUC Plant Clinic still open!

a dead soybean plant

Starting a Garden: Weed Management

Weed free tomatoes

Starting a Garden: Types of Gardens

lettuce and potatoes in an in-ground garden, vegetables in a raised bed, and herbs in pots

Starting a Garden: Warm Season Vegetables

basket with tomatoes, peppers and summer squash

Starting a Garden: Cool-Season Vegetables | And my top 5 cool-season crops to grow

Kale

Starting a Garden: Supplemental Lighting for Indoor Seed Starting

Lighting

Remember the Feeling of Spring

Image of spring

Dye Spring Colorful

Wicker basket filled with live grass, flowers, and dyed eggs

Kick off spring in Pontiac with Livingston County Master Gardeners

The Reality of Growing Plants for a Living

The Reality of Growing Plants for a Living

Creating an Edible Landscape

Scarlet runner beans growing on a fence

Landscape Drainage for Homeowners

A puddle

The 2020 Perennial Plant of the Year with Martha Smith

Aralia cordata 'Sun King' Photo credit Janet Draper

Illinois Vegetable Planting - Dates, Spacing, and Seeds

Bringing Spring Indoors - Forcing Branches

branches from cherry tree blooming indoors

Bald Eagles: Noble bird or thieving scavenger?

Bald Eagle

Homegrown: DIY Hydroponics for All Gardeners

Green herbs growing out of plastic tub in home hydroponic system

What’s Not-So-New in the Home Orchard

harvested apples filling a crate with trees blurred in background

Norfolk Island Pines

large Norfolk Island pines in a landscape and potted Norfolk Island pine

New Garden Plants for 2020

pictures of the 2020 AAS Winners Cucumber Green Light F1, Pumpkin Blue Prince F1, Tomato Apple Yellow F1, Tomato Celano F1, Tomato Early Resilience F1 Watermelon Mambo F1, Coleus Main Street Beale Street, Echinacea Sombrero® Baja Burgundy, and Rudbeckia x American Gold Rush

New Year, New Yard: Making plans for your landscape in 2020

New Year New Yard

Christmas Trees After the Holidays

Christmas trees leaning against wooden pallets in a snow covered field

What are Those Bugs in My Flour? – Pantry Pests

A bowl of white flour in a glass bowl on a wooden counter

Gift Ideas for Gardeners this Holiday Season

Gifts

What's the Difference Between Sweet Potatoes and Yams?

picture of sweet potatoes in a bucket and yams in metal bowls

Parsnips – An Underrated Vegetable

Parsnips

Cranberries

picture of cranberry plants and ripe cranberry fruit

Extension Master Gardeners receive Keep Peoria Beautiful Award for project and education at St. Jude Church and School

group of people standing in front of brick building

Winter Dormancy in the Landscape

Winter Dormancy

Spooky and Scary Plants

Spooky and Scary plants with doll's eyes plant berries

Ornamental Fall Berries Provide Year-Round Awe

brandywine viburnum

Not All Trees Are Good Trees

Bronze leaves of Tree of Heaven

The Truth about Woolly Bear Caterpillars

The Truth about Woolly Bear Caterpillars

Experienced Composters Advance their Skills at Local Extension Workshop

lady working in her compost pile with pitch fork

Nicole Flowers-Kimmerle Joins Extension Team as Horticulture Educator

Nicole Flowers staff photo

College of ACES Dean and Extension Director Connect With Staff and Stakeholders

Dr. Shelly Nickols-Richardson shaking hands with a 4-H teen

Winter Weather Does Not Slow Down Master Gardener Activity

five Master Gardeners in winter coats holding shovels

Growing Garlic

Garlic cloves

Time to Divide Iris

Cyclamen

Fall is for More than Tree Planting

The Seedy Side of Gardening

Rooting Hydrangea Cuttings in Five Easy Steps

Yellow Leaves Can Indicate Plant Problems

Planting a Fall Vegetable Garden

broccoli plants in a mulched garden

Galls Abound All Around

It's Peony Time!

Propagating Houseplants

Living with Japanese Beetles

japanese beetle

A Primer to Supplemental Lighting for Indoor Seed Starting

News Releases (155)

Learn how to start a community garden on January 20

2021 Fruit & Vegetable VIRTUAL Conference

Bi-State Garden Conference

Four Seasons Gardening webinars return in 2021

Winter take home learning kits now available through Illinois Extension

Get ready for spring with Gardening in the Air

Master Gardener program offers two online training options

Learn to identify trees in winter with bark, twigs, buds

Keep houseplants happy with simple solutions

Winter pruning boosts blackberry and raspberry harvests

Preventing fruit tree diseases starts in the dormant season

Use winter to plan for a fruit garden

Perennial plant of the year, calamint, a perfect pick for pollinators

Keep Poinsettias plentiful long after the holidays

Apply for Online Master Gardener Training for Livingston, McLean and Woodford Counties

Partnering up for a pollinator garden in Normal

Grow a living Christmas tree with Norfolk Island Pine

Master Gardener Program offers new training options

A Very Berry Christmas Webinar: Winter Garden Landscaping With Various Berry Shrubs

Now is the time to become a Master Gardener

Pining for Evergreens: A Pruning Guide on December 3

Illinois Extension staff honored for life-changing programs

Add a pop of color to gray winter months with indoor plants

LaSalle Public Library to Host University of Illinois Extension Live Virtual Demonstration “Making a Holiday Centerpiece”.

Four Seasons Gardening Program Offers Final Program of Free Fall Webinar Series

Take home learning kits for children now available

Extend the life of urban forests with Urban Tree Conference

Learn from home with Good Growing Winter Webinars

Youth can learn to design creative mini gardens during virtual workshop

Master Gardener creator remembered for volunteer program

Save wetlands, use soilless potting mixtures

New educators and specialists join Illinois Extension team

LaSalle Public Library to Host University of Illinois Extension Live Virtual Presentation “Gardening with Bulbs for Beginners”.

Virtual book study group keeps Master Volunteers connected and learning

Mushrooms of Illinois Webinar

Master Gardener Program Accepting Applicants for Fall Online Training

Conservation virtual workshop provides best practices for landowners and managers

Fall garden cleanup lays groundwork for a successful spring

Exfoliating bark trees add great appeal

Put fall leaves to work as compost

Fall is a great time for planting trees

How to pick the perfect pumpkin

Learn in Your Lawn Chair at the University of Illinois Extension

6th Annual Monarch Migration Festival to be held online

Do not plant seeds of unknown origins

Consistent watering needed during hot-weather gardening

Garden vegetables need water to survive extreme weather

Big nutritional value from tiny plants; learn to grow microgreens

Rescue plants from extreme heat

Find beauty during 'dog days' of August

Choose perennials that love sun for summer glory

The Gardening Helpline: an Extension tradition going strong

Protect your plants from Japanese beetles

July Master Gardener Column

Ask the Master Gardener - Horticulture Helpline Open

Garden tour video explores local gardens

Discover summer plants of Illinois during Walk and Talk Webinar

Learn to manage pests and diseases in the home landscape

Green infrastructure systems provide environmental and economic benefits

Have a garden question? The answer is only a click away

Ready to start your gardening adventure with Illinois Extension Master Gardeners?

Extension Master Gardener Trainees Revamp Peoria Zoo Pollinator Garden

Extension Master Gardeners Offer Free Gardening Helpline

University of Illinois Extension offers Horticulture Webinars

Beginning Vegetable Gardening Webinar - May 15

Worm digestion helps feed soil

Start herb seeds indoors

Start your spring landscape clean up

Revive your compost pile after winter

Increase life span of urban trees

Use native prairie plants in the home landscape

Flowers-Kimmerle Teaches Webinar Session on Winter Sowing of Seeds

Familiar tale: Victims of emerald ash borer and other exotic pests

Master Gardener program offers online training

Strategies for minimizing land and water invasive species

Keep your garden producing all season

Thermal composting speeds process

Changes to Pesticide Testing and Licensing for 2020

Wildlife-Friendly Gardens Add More Enjoyment and Interest

Free Webinar on Natural Lawn Care - April 18 - 10:00 AM

U of I Extension Offers Additional Horticulture Webinars - Participate from Home

Improve your gardens: Four Seasons webinar offers tips

University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners Seeking Plant Donations for Local Food Pantries

Extension to offer Growing Horticulture in Northwest Illinois series

U of I Extension Horticulture Webinar Starts April 14

Illinois Extension Looking for Rainfall Network Volunteers in Kendall County

Program cancellations and postponements

Extension Helps Local Residents Create Landscape Designs

March Master Gardener Column

CANCELLED - Russel Allen Garden Day on March 28 (Lincoln)

All Levels of Gardening Experience Encouraged to Attend Gardeners’ BIG Day

Local Volunteers Plan Spring Fling Garden Day

All About Berries Series in Christian County

Starting Seeds Indoors Workshop - Christian County

All Gardener’s Day – 2020 registration is open

McHenry County Gardenfest 2020

Master Gardener Training Offered Spring 2020

Leap into Learning at the 23rd Annual Nursery School: Lessons in Gardening Feb 29 in East Moline, IL

Home Landscape Design Series Offered in Late February

Hands on Floral Workshops Happening at Whiteside Extension Office in February

Raspberry: The Herb of the Year Homeowners Learn All About Growing Raspberries at Information-Packed Workshop

Four Seasons Gardening Winter Webinar Series Underway

Starting Seeds Indoors Workshop - Macoupin County

Ready Set Grow Gardening Workshop Hosted By Carroll, Lee, Ogle and Whiteside Counties Master Gardeners

Pruning Apples and More Workshop - Macoupin County

Pruning Apples and More Workshop - Montgomery County

All About Berries Series in Macoupin County

University of Illinois Extension announces Four Seasons of Gardening Winter Webinar Series Dates and Topics

Gardening webinars offer inspiration for warmer weather

Winter protection of woody ornamentals

Overwintering tropical plants

Growing holly

Explore and assess your seeds this winter

Winter seed sowing

Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’ 2020 Perennial Plant of the Year

Christmas tree hitchhikers

2020 All-America Selection Winners

Starting Seeds Indoors Workshop

December 2019 Master Gardener Column

Starting a School Garden Workshop Series Open to All Types of School Staff and Volunteers

Extension Master Gardeners receive Keep Peoria Beautiful Award for project and education at St. Jude Church and School

University of Illinois Extension recognize accomplishments of members

Establishing Perennials in the Early Fall

Harvesting Native and Indigenous Perennial Seeds

Kendall County Master Gardeners on Track for 2,000 Service Hours in 2019

Kane County Master Gardeners on Track for 4,000 Service Hours in 2019

Extension Accepting Applications for Master Gardener Training

University of Illinois Extension offers Invasive Plant Workshop

Experienced Composters Advance their Skills at Local Extension Workshop

Extension to Host Seed Collecting Workshop

October Master Gardener Column

Community Garden Raises Spirits at Good Samaritan House

Extension Presents Into to Rain Gardens Workshop

Extension Shares Information on Native Plants

Nicole Flowers-Kimmerle Joins Extension Team as Horticulture Educator

September Master Gardener Column

Illinois Milkweeds

Plant your native garden this fall

Learn how to identify trees correctly

Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists Share Information at Fair

Succulent Wreath Workshop in Macoupin County

Landscaping with Native Plants in Christian County

Southern Illinois Wine Trail Bus Trip

Succulent Wreath Workshop in Montgomery County

August Master Gardener Column

Extension to Host Native Plant Workshop

Illilnois Extension Presents Fall Harvest of Horticulture in Aledo, Ill on September 21

University of Illinois Extension’s Mercer County office relocates to Viola starting in September

University of Illinois Extension to Host Tree Selection and Care Workshop

Winter and Spring Weather Extremes Will Impact Yards, Gardens

Organic Pest Control

Hackberry Gall from a Psyllid's Perspective

Extension Welcomes Horticulture Educator

Extension to Host Weed and Pest Management Webinar

Educator Shares Information on Weed Management

Staff (10)

Bruce Black

Bruce Black

Extension Educator, Horticulture

Amanda Christenson

Amanda Christenson

Master Naturalist Program Coordinator

Christopher Enroth

Christopher Enroth

Extension Educator, Horticulture

Wendy Ferguson

Program Coordinator, Horticulture

Mary Fischer

Extension Educator, Horticulture

staff photo of Nicole Flowers-Kimmerle

Nicole Flowers-Kimmerle

Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources (Horticulture)

Andrew Holsinger

Andrew Holsinger

Extension Educator, Horticulture

Ken Johnson Staff Photo

Ken Johnson

Extension Educator, Horticulture

Beth Miglin

Beth Miglin

Program Coordinator, Horticulture

Sarah Vogel staff photo

Sarah Vogel

Extension Educator, Horticulture and Natural Resources