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ILRiverHort 2016

Backyard greenhouses extend the garden season

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Every year my Dad, Ron Simmons, starts many annual plants for our family in his backyard greenhouse. I get most of my flowering annuals, vegetables, and herbs from dad's greenhouse. His plants are amazingly healthy and grow better...
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Disposing of your Christmas tree by Bob Frazee

Once the Christmas holiday is over, the chore of taking down and disposing of the cut Christmas tree remains. Today, because of solid waste regulations, most communities will no longer permit the used Christmas trees to be hauled out with the garbage and sent to the sanitary landfill. However,...
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Grow your own strawberries

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Have you had fresh strawberries yet this year? I love fresh strawberry shortcake, but I most enjoy eating them right in the garden. I usually also make strawberry jam and freeze some for winter treats. If you don't grow your own,...
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Prepare now for Christmas blooms

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Although Christmas is still a couple of months away, it is time to begin preparing some of them to flower during the holiday season. This typically involves changing their environment in some way to force them into bloom....
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Paperwhite Narcissus

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Paperwhites are routinely sold in stores during holidays. Many bulbs are easy to grow indoors for seasonal display and beauty. Common examples are Amaryllis and paperwhite narcissus. Of all the types of narcissus, the paperwhite...
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Rhonda Ferree's 2017 Horticulture Program

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator I invite you to check out my video that details my vision for my University of Illinois Extension, Fulton-Mason-Peoria-Tazewell Unit horticulture program. My 2017 goals are to continue building on the successful program, support our...
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Help available for all your garden questions!

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Do you wonder why your tomato plants have so many yellow leaves or how to deal with those pesky bugs eating your roses? If so, University of Illinois Extension is here to help answer all your gardening questions. For almost 30 years...
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Dry herbs for winter use

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator I recently harvested herbs from my garden. They are drying in my kitchen so that I will remember to use them regularly. I add them to my evening tea or as added flavor to our meals. Here are some of my favorites. Lemon balm is true...
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Fall and winter deer damage

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Deer hunting season is upon us, and so it seems appropriate to do an article about deer damage to landscape plants. Fall and winter are a time when deer can cause significant damage to landscape plants. Two types of damage can occur...
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Trees in Winter

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Each season brings a different look to the garden. I enjoy each one, but I must say that plants are uniquely beautiful in winter. Now is a great time to see a plant's texture and form - each unique and mystical. Look for the...
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ILRiverHort now on Instagram!

Instagram is an social media network where friends can share photos and videos. I'll use it to share photos and videos of plants in an educational way. Join me and learn how to garden grow your own food create a backyard paradise manage pests in the garden and much more!...
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Mosses

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator On a camping trip in Southern Illinois my husband Mark kept taking pictures of non-flowering plants. His pictures made the ferns, mosses, lichens, and club moss look like something right out of a fairytale. In fact, these non-...
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Annual herbs as landscape plants

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Herbs taste great, but they also make great landscape plants. I think that herbs are some of the easiest plants to grow. They have very few pest problems and grow in many types of gardens, from formal herb gardens to small patio...
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Holly and mistletoe

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Holly and mistletoe are symbols of the Christmas season. They are very different plants, but both quite beautiful in their own unique ways. Mistletoe is actually quite a pest in the South. It is most often found in the South,...
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Low-water use landscapes

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator My son Derek just moved to Monterey California to attend graduate school at the Middlebury Institute for International Studies. California has been in a drought for a very long time, and so water conservation is a real concern there...
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Spirited Plants

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Happy New Year! Where did 2016 go? Whether you toast in the New Year with sparkling grape juice or a more spirited drink, it is interesting to think of all the plants that make up spirits. Spirits are actually named by the fermented...
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Bee-nificial Bees!

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Beekeeping is an increasingly popular backyard hobby. It also fits the growing trend to protect pollinators, which are so important to our food supply. There are many different types of bees. Bumble bees are the only truly social...
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How Plants Climb

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator As a plant geek I am often fascinated by how plants work. Take vining and climbing plants and the methods that they use to grow vertically. In broad terms, climbing plants are either clinging or non-clinging. As the name implies,...
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