University of Illinois Extension

Events (35)

How to Start a Community Garden Webinar

1 PM

Wed, 01/20/2021 - 12:00

Online

carrots planted in dirt

Bi-State Garden Conference

6:00 pm

Thu, 01/21/2021 - 12:00

Online

Garden Conference

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

Gardening is Good for You: Gardening in the Air

9-10 AM

Sat, 01/30/2021 - 12:00

Online

Gardening in the Air

Native Plants with Winter Wildlife Interest: Gardening in the Air

9-10 AM

Sat, 01/30/2021 - 12:00

Online

Native Plants with Winter Wildlife Interest

Funkalicious Fermentation: Gardening in the Air

9-10 AM

Sat, 01/30/2021 - 12:00

Online

Funkalicious Fermentation: Gardening in the Air

Introduction to Fruit Tree Pruning: Gardening in the Air

10:15-11:15 AM

Sat, 01/30/2021 - 12:00

Online

Intro to Fruit Tree Pruning

Backing Backyard Birds in Yards and Landscapes: Gardening in the Air

10:15-11:15 AM

Sat, 01/30/2021 - 12:00

Online

Backing Backyard Birds in Yards and Landscapes: Gardening in the Air

Flying Knives - Vegetable and Fruit Preparation Tips: Gardening in the Air

10:15 -11:15 AM

Sat, 01/30/2021 - 12:00

Online

Flying Knives - Vegetable and Fruit Preparation Tips: Gardening in the Air

Purchasing Seeds & Plants: Gardening in the Air

11:30 AM-12:30 PM

Sat, 01/30/2021 - 12:00

Online

Purchasing Seeds & Plants:

When Your Nearest Neighbors Aren’t Human: Gardening in the Air

11:30 AM-12:30 PM

Sat, 01/30/2021 - 12:00

Online

When Your Nearest Neighbors Aren’t Human: Gardening in the Air

Preserve the Taste of Summer: Gardening in the Air

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Sat, 01/30/2021 - 12:00

Online

Preserve the Taste of Summer: Gardening in the Air

Ornamental Grasses with Winter Interest: Gardening in the Air

9-10 AM

Sat, 02/06/2021 - 12:00

Online

Ornamental Grasses with Winter Interest: Gardening in the Air

Growing Herbs and Microgreens Indoors: Gardening Indoors

9-10 AM

Sat, 02/06/2021 - 12:00

Online

Growing Herbs and Microgreens Indoors: Gardening Indoors

Growing Blooming Houseplants: Gardening in the Air

9-10 AM

Sat, 02/06/2021 - 12:00

Online

Growing Blooming Houseplants: Gardening in the Air

Introduction to Sustainable Landscapes: Gardening in the Air

10:15-11:15 AM

Sat, 02/06/2021 - 12:00

Online

Introduction to Sustainable Landscapes: Gardening in the Air

Straw Bale Gardening: Gardening in the Air

10:15-11:15 AM

Sat, 02/06/2021 - 12:00

Online

Straw Bale Gardening: Gardening in the Air

What is wrong with my houseplant?: Gardening in the Air

10:15-11:15 AM

Sat, 02/06/2021 - 12:00

Online

What is wrong with my houseplant?: Gardening in the Air

How to Create an Out-of-the-Ordinary Theme Garden: Gardening in the Air

11:30 AM -12:30 PM

Sat, 02/06/2021 - 12:00

Online

How to Create an Out-of-the-Ordinary Theme Garden: Gardening in the Air

Starting Seeds for the Garden Indoors: Gardening Indoors

11:30 AM-12:30 PM

Sat, 02/06/2021 - 12:00

Online

Starting Seeds for the Garden Indoors: Gardening Indoors

Succulent Wreaths: Gardening in the Air

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Sat, 02/06/2021 - 12:00

Online

Succulent Wreaths: Gardening in the Air

Success with Seedlings

1:30 PM

Tue, 02/09/2021 - 12:00

Online

cjmmsucesswithseedlings

Master Gardener Hybrid Training Registration Closes

Tue, 02/09/2021 - 12:00

Online

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

Growing Great Vegetables: Preparing the Garden and Care

6-7PM

Tue, 02/09/2021 - 12:00

Online

Growing Great Vegetables

Four Seasons Gardening: Therapeutic Value of Nature

1:30 - 2:30 PM

Tue, 02/16/2021 - 12:00

Online

Four Seasons Gardening: Therapeutic Value of Nature

All About Berries

10:00 AM

Thu, 02/18/2021 - 12:00

Online

allaboutberries1

All About Berries

10:00 AM

Thu, 02/25/2021 - 12:00

Online

allaboutberries2

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

Four Seasons Gardening: Adaptive Gardening

1:30-2:30 PM

Tue, 03/09/2021 - 12:00

Online

Four Seasons Gardening: Adaptive Gardening

Garden Day Workshop

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sat, 03/13/2021 - 12:00

Online

Garden Day

Virtual 2021 Gardenfest

9:00 AM to Noon

Sat, 04/10/2021 - 12:00

ZOOM

Garden Fest

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.

Blog Posts (95)

Two garden tasks to do in January

Vermicomposting: A Composting Option for the Winter

worms feeding on food waste creating compost

Get a gardening fix this winter with houseplant care

Positive Change Can Make a Difference in Your Community

sunlight through ice covered trees

Ordering seeds from garden catalogs

New plants for a new year - try growing something new in 2021

2021 All-American Selections winners

Winter blooming hellebores - December, 2020

Get your seeds early in 2021

Give the gift of gardening

LEGO sculpture of adult and child gardening together

Gardening grew in 2020

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

Sticky seed dispersal and plants with eye-catching leaves - July, 2020

Editing Aggressive Plants in the Garden - June 2020

How to winterize outdoor plumbing - irrigation, hoses, spigots

frozen over fountain

Aquarium Aquaponics

pothos growing in aquarium

Late fall yard tasks - from mower to snowblower

Fall Gardening Tasks

planting spring bulbs amongst fall perennials

Overwintering your favorite garden plants

joseph's coat

A different fall-blooming beauty

aster, purple with yellow centers. credit: pixabay.

Why are some plants’ leaves white now?

Wildlife in the fall garden

fox squirrel in foreground of fall or winter tree limbs.

Divide and Conquer in Fall

brilliant red-orange oriental poppy pixabay

Landscaping Fiction: Don't believe it

tomado demonstrating blossom end rot

Landscaping Fiction: Don't be fooled by fiction

mole emerging from soil

Late summer questions to the Master Gardeners

Growing and Harvesting Okra

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

It's Time to Plant a Fall Garden

Bag of potting soil with planer next to it

Grow your own vegetables to benefit your health and the environment

women working in garden

Start your fall garden

cool season crops

Take your butterfly garden to the next level

Recommended Reading for Gardeners During a Pandemic

Summer Reading for Gardeners

Grow your own grass head!

wheat grass growing in a cup

Handling your fresh-picked produce

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

Advanced butterfly gardening

silvery checkerspot by kathy dumler

The big wasps of summer

cicada killer by deanna frautschi

Favorite Perennials For the Sun

plox from pixabay

How Much Water Does Your garden Need?

6 Tips for Watering Container Gardens

Settling into a summer rhythm

Prime Time for a Summer Treat

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

Garlic: So easy even I can grow it!

Growing Garlic

Home Horticultural Remedies

Home Horticultural Remedies

Garden Journal: A helpful gardening tool

Garden journal info graphic

Pineberries: Pineapple-flavored Strawberries

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

How to Grow Sweet Corn

Sweet corn

How to Grow Popular Herbs

How to grow popular herbs

Growing Basil in Your Backyard

The New Victory Garden

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

Welcome to My Jungle - May, 2020

The Many Different Types of Cucurbits

The Many Different Types of Cucurbits

How to Grow Cucurbits

bright yellow flower

Monarchs Next on the Endangered Species List?

monarch butterfly on mexican hat sunflower

Herbs Offering Culinary and Habitat Enhancement

black swallowtail caterpillar ascending parsley

Different Types of Tomatoes

different types, sizes, and colors of tomatoes

Welcome to My Jungle - April, 2020

Welcome to My Jungle - March, 2020

Welcome to My Jungle - February, 2020

Welcome to My Jungle - January, 2020

How to Grow Tomatoes

How to Grow Tomatoes

Planting the first-time vegetable garden

How to Grow Lettuce

three lettuce varieties

How to Grow Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potato harvest

Starting a Garden: Irrigation

Sprinkler head

Wildlife-Friendly Gardens Add More Enjoyment and Interest

praying manthis in zinnia

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

Advantages of early vegetable gardening and other spring notes

Starting a Garden: Supporting Plants

cucumber plants growing up a trellis

Flowers-Kimmerle Teaches Webinar Session on Winter Sowing of Seeds

Start to Finish: Growing a Cut Flower Garden

Field of sunflowers

How to Prune Fruit Trees and Maximize your Home Orchard

Clipper cutting tree branch in winter

Starting a Garden: Season Extension

Cold frame with vegetables growing inside in the fall.

Starting a Garden: Hardening Off Indoor Seedlings

basil seedlings in seedling flat

A Beginners Guide To Worm Composting

Fruit and vegetable scraps for composting

Starting Seeds in Spring

kohlrabi at Garden of Giving

Designing Around Specific Colors and Plants

nodding onion

Starting a Garden: Soil Management

Spade in garden soil

Starting a Garden: Types of Gardens

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

Easy Seeding at Home With Limited Materials

Start seeds with a clamshell of soil and a spraybottle.

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

Starting a Garden: Begin with a Plan

Vegetable garden sketch

Socially-distanced Garden Activities

Remember the Feeling of Spring

Image of spring

Don't Grow Distant From Your Garden

beet greens and lettuce greens

Kick off spring in Pontiac with Livingston County Master Gardeners

Answers for Early Spring FAQs

More to a shovel than you may think

different types of shovels laying in the grass

Homegrown: DIY Hydroponics for All Gardeners

Green herbs growing out of plastic tub in home hydroponic system

A Primer to Supplemental Lighting for Indoor Seed Starting

Vermiculture Composting: Worm Aversion Conversion

News Releases (64)

Bi-State Garden Conference

Four Seasons Gardening webinars return in 2021

Get ready for spring with Gardening in the Air

Gardening interests bloom in 2020

Grow great vegetables with beginner gardening webinar series

Small, but mighty microgreens are easy to grow indoors

Winter pruning boosts blackberry and raspberry harvests

Use winter to plan for a fruit garden

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

Two local Master Gardeners earn state honor

Partnership connects urban youth to careers in ag and food innovation

Youth can learn to design creative mini gardens during virtual workshop

Save wetlands, use soilless potting mixtures

Learn to extend your gardening season at free Extension webinar

Four Seasons Gardening Program Offers Free Fall Series Webinars

Fall garden cleanup lays groundwork for a successful spring

Put fall leaves to work as compost

How to pick the perfect pumpkin

Bring houseplants indoors before the first frost

Select and plant spring-flowering bulbs now

Harvest abundant squash for food, decoration

Hold on to summer with home hydroponics

Plant native perennials in the fall for healthy spring growth

Harvest milkweed pods; plant Monarch butterfly garden

Benefit your health and environment by growing your own vegetables

Prolong shelf life of garden-fresh produce with good harvest habits

Do not plant seeds of unknown origins

Consistent watering needed during hot-weather gardening

Garden vegetables need water to survive extreme weather

Find beauty during 'dog days' of August

Illinois Master Gardeners announce new volunteer website

Flavor Your Summer with Backyard Basil

Color your garden with a rainbow of vegetables

Choose drought tolerant plants for homeowners

For showy blooms, pruning hydrangeas is all about the timing

Showy Annabelle hydrangea has historic roots in Illinois

Get out of the sun with 5 ideas for backyard shade

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

Too much of a good thing, mulch volcanoes slowly kill trees

Create a caterpillar cafe out of your butterfly garden

Lawn rust and why your shoes are turning orange

Save wetlands, use soilless potting mixtures

6 tips for watering container gardens

Flavor summer with backyard basil

Homeowner’s guide to watering summer lawns

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

Campus rain garden certified as wildlife-friendly

Start herb seeds indoors

Pollinator support tips for gardeners and homeowners

Start your spring landscape clean up

Enjoy home-grown asparagus with backyard gardening webinar

Keep your garden producing all season

Advantages of Early Gardening

University of Illinois Extension McHenry County Master Gardeners Offer Virtual Gardening Advice for Spring

Tri-County Master Gardeners Host e-Help Desks this Spring

Get gardening with our beginning gardener webinar series

The Cook's Garden

Local Volunteers Plan Spring Fling Garden Day

Reserve Your Spot at the 2020 Ready Set Grow Gardening Workshop

Communities Join in Master Gardeners' Annual Seed Swap

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

University of Illinois and Purdue Extension Bi-State Group to Host Annual Garden Conference

Four Seasons Gardening Winter Webinar Series Underway

Winter Seed Sowing

Staff (3)

Christopher Enroth

Christopher Enroth

Extension Educator, Horticulture

Andrew Holsinger

Andrew Holsinger

Extension Educator, Horticulture

Ken Johnson Staff Photo

Ken Johnson

Extension Educator, Horticulture