Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator I recently planted several black aronia along a new fence in my backyard. Also called chokeberry, aronia are becoming more and more popular, especially among small fruit growers. There are several reasons why I selected the black...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator I recently removed a larger overgrown, and invasive, burning bush in my yard and replaced it with an elderberry and a couple ninebarks. Trends in the gardening world include using easy to grow, dependable plants with unusual...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator You'd have to be living under a rock not to know that pollinator decline is big news right now. I've learned through meetings and other reliable sources that many factors contribute to this decline. Below are some facts I've found...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator The best time to seed a new lawn or overseed an existing lawn is in late summer. In Central Illinois, seeding in late summer (August to September) has a much higher success rate than seeding in spring. "Warm days and cool nights...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Theme gardens are really fun and are becoming more and more popular. I've written about various themes in the past, including literary gardens, tea gardens, reunion gardens, evening gardens, and more. Theme garden possibilities are...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Burning Bushes are very common landscape plants grown mainly for their intense fall color. Unfortunately, burning bush are becoming a plant of concern for many of us as we watch it reseed and invade nearby natural areas. I have two...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Ameren Illinois workers found a hive a nearly 1,000 honeybees during a recent substation inspection in Pekin. Thanks to the work of their employee, also an avid beekeeper, the hive and bees were safely removed and relocated. A...

Home, Yard, & Garden Newsletter article from 6-22-15 Japanese beetle adults are present throughout Illinois. Robert Bellm, Extension Educator, reported their presence in southern Illinois, and Martha Smith, Extension Educator,...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator As many of you know I use social media, including Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, to spread my horticultural messages. For several months I've been posting a plant-of-the-day on my personal and ILRiverHort Facebook Pages during the...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Now is the time of year when we prepare our seed catalog orders for spring. Seed catalogs can tell you a lot, provided you understand the "lingo". Greg Stack, Retired Horticulture Extension Educator, provided the following...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator I love decorating for the holidays with live plants. To me just the smell of fresh evergreen wreaths and trees says Happy Holidays. The holiday season has almost no limitations from a decorative standpoint. In addition to the live...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Anyone who knows me knows that I love journaling and photography. In recent years I've used those skills as a way to communicate my garden in a different way. By communicating my garden I am able to document its history and share it...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Whether or not to water the lawn is a perennial question for homeowners. Rhonda Ferree, Horticulture Educator with University of Illinois Extension, offers the following advice to help you decide whether to water your lawn this year...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator I hear a news report about the decline of the monarch butterfly almost every day, but there are other insects in decline as well. One that is a favorite of all ages is the lightning bug, which some folks also call a firefly. As a...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Do you have an annual flower in your garden this year that you especially like and definitely want to use again next summer? You might be able to clone it using vegetative propagation methods. I have a coleus plant that I...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Don't forget you special Mom on Mother's Day! If you haven't bought something special for her yet, consider these ideas. You can be sure I'll get my Mom (Doris Simmons) a special horticultural gift for Mother's Day. A gift of fresh...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Spring is on its way! Soon the silver maples will be plump with red flower buds, grass will get greener, and bulbs will begin to sprout. Often the signs of spring are subtle in plants. One such example is Witchhazel. This plant has...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Tree damage is just part of the devastation that severe storms afflicted throughout Illinois. It is important to use proper pruning techniques to help restore these plants' beauty and health, as well as to protect the safety of the...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educators addresses Garden Biodiversity with a free webinar series called "The Good, the Bad and the Lovely Plants." Illinois horticulturists and gardeners revel in interesting plant...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Autumn is the time of year when mature white pines annually drop older needles. Unfortunately, this year's wet spring and dry summer have caused problems with many evergreen trees, including white pine. It is important to recognize...