Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Recent droughty summers, a cold winter, and various other environmental and pest problems have killed many trees in our area. Usually when a tree is removed a stump is left behind. Here are several suggestions on how to remove tree...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator National Arbor Day is always the last Friday in April, putting it on April 25th this year. Are you ready to plant a tree? If not, Rhonda Ferree, Horticulture Educator with University of Illinois Extension, says that you can plant one...

Written by James Schuster, retired horticulture educator Following a few suggestions can prolong the beauty of flowers given on Valentine's Day and other special occasions, says a retired University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator. "Whether you are giving roses, carnations,...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Our last gardening trend of 2014 is TREE-mendous! A 2012 US Forest Service research study found that urban tree cover has been declining at a rate of about 20,000 acres per year or about 4 million trees per year. This greatly...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator The recent University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Team professional improvement meeting in Springfield included three tour sites. One location was the grounds at the governors mansion. I've been to the grounds many times and...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Thousand Cankers Disease was recently confirmed in Indiana, putting the disease threateningly close to Illinois walnut trees. Kelly Estes, Agricultural Pest Survey Coordinator for Illinois Natural History Survey, reported on this...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired Extension horticulture educator As promised I'm writing each month about a 2014 garden trend. Trend two from the 2014 Garden Media Group report is "Super Foods, Super Models." Let me try to explain what that is. My interpretation is that the trend is to...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Spring flowers have been very welcome this year after the hard winter. "Many of those also add great scents to my outdoor gardens," says Rhonda Ferree, University of Illinois Extension educator in horticulture. "Adding fragrance to...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator I first wrote about garlic mustard in 2001. Since then, this dreadful weed has gotten even worse. Many hundreds of man-hours and dollars have been spent trying to prevent it from choking out more of our native wildflowers. Garlic...

A few of my favorite Herb Garden resources The Complete Book of Herbs – Lesley Bremness; Dorling Kindersley Publishing Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs, Rodale Press Websites to check outUniversity of Illinois Herb website ...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator This is for the participants in my class today at Bradley University's OLLI program. January - Carnation General - Fascination Pink – I'll never forget you Red- Admiration (My Heart Breaks) Purple –...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Happy Birthday to my sister Lynn Miller! Lynn's birthday always makes me think of wiener roasts and pumpkins. Those of you celebrating Halloween carve pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns. Others, including my sister, simply enjoy...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator If you have trouble growing houseplants, the Mother-in-Laws tongue is for you. "The Mother-In-Laws Tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata), also known as snake plant, is one of the most durable houseplants and is a plant...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator My Dad and I are planning some of our garden catalog orders together this year. This serves many purposes. We inspire each other to begin planning and some catalogs offer discounts or free shipping for larger orders. Now is the time...

The following publications contain the most current treatment options for Emerald Ash Borer. Emerald Ash Borer Factsheet by Extension Entomologist Dr. Phillip Nixon...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Although ornamental flowering pears are beautiful in the spring, they have several severe problems. Below is a portion of an article written by Sandy Mason, Extension Educator in horticulture based in Champaign, IL. Since this...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator April brings us our fourth gardening trend for 2014: Dress up Your Yard. I often talk about my various outdoor garden rooms. Outdoor spaces are truly an extension of your home. You might have a kitchen for barbeques, a...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator It is Spoon River Drive time again! Each year I am drawn to items made from natural materials, including woodcarvings, dried flower arrangements, decorative plants, and so much more. I have been going on the drive since I was a...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator I've had several questions about lavender this spring. Most gardeners wonder if their lavender survived the winter, but others want to know how to use it. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is an ancient herb. It has been a...

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has become a problem almost throughout the state. Each year, more and more counties are finding the insect on traps or in trees. This website was developed to help homeowners first ID their tree to make sure it truly is an ash, followed by EAB...