Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Feeding and watching birds has become one of America's favorite pastimes. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, nearly half the households in the United States provide food for wild birds. The most commonly used birdseed are...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Each year the Fulton and Mason County Master Gardeners hold a greenery workshop during their last meeting of the year. Attendees bring greenery and other decorations to use in their arrangements. I brought boughs of pine, cedar, and...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator My new horticulture YouTube channel extends my gardening education into another realm of social media. Videos are the latest social media trend, with predictions that 74% of all internet traffic in 2017 will be video. My plan is to...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator A team of nine University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educators was awarded an Interdisciplinary State Team Excellence Award at University of Illinois Extension's annual conference in November 2016. The Interdisciplinary...

LAWN MOWING GUIDELINES Sandra MasonState Master Gardener Coordinator

Each year I am more distressed by the number of volunteer ornamental pear trees I see growing in fields, roadsides, and other places where they shouldn't be. This is yet another example of a plant that has escaped cultivation and become invasive. Below is an article written by my colleague Jason...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator I recently found some old seed in my office and wondered if they were still viable. If you save leftover seed to use the following year, here are some ways to find out if they are still good. Seed viability is a measure of the...

How do dogs harm lawns? Chris Enroth, Horticulture Educator with University of Illinois Extension, explains. First is the traffic. Very often backyard dogs will wear down paths in the grass from circling or pacing. Not only is this hard on the lawn itself but it also leads to compacted soils,...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator I have been enjoying the fresh basil, dill, cilantro, and parsley I'm growing indoors this winter. I use the herbs to make fresh pesto, teas, salsas, and more. Gardening is not limited to outside in the summer. Herbs are probably...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Rosemary is a wonderful herb. It not only looks and smells great but makes a great addition to many culinary dishes. Rosemary is often found at Christmas time in wreaths and topiaries. If you follow the meaning of flowers, rosemary...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Get ready, here it comes - the 18th Annual Gardeners' BIG Day! University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners in Fulton and Mason County sponsor this event, which is set for Saturday, April 29th, at Dickson Mounds Museum in...

Originally published in No. 2/April 25, 2016 of the University of Illinois Extension's Home, Yard & Garden Pest Newsletter It's been a great spring for the color...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator The garden season is in full force, and I'm excited to hear about all the food and community gardens happening in our area. As we begin growing food and other plants this summer, please consider some potential health hazards. A...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator February often gives me the winter blahs. When that happens, gardening tasks help perk me up. Consider these various February gardening activities to reduce the winter blues. GENERAL Repair and paint lawn and garden tools, window...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator After 30 years of being a horticulture educator with University of Illinois Extension the towering pampas grasses still amaze me each fall. What energy and power that plant must have to grow over 12 feet tall each summer, just to die...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Some plants are perfect for Halloween. Bat flowers, devils claw, and corpse flower come to mind. Another creepy looking plant is doll's eyes. I'm not sure why dolls with staring, glass eyes are so scary, but they can be truly...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator A new crop of volunteers completed University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener training on November 7, 2017. Twenty-one energetic trainees culminated their ten-week Master Gardener training course by advancing to intern status...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator The summer series of University of Illinois Extension's Four Seasons Gardening program focuses on environmental stewardship, home gardening, and backyard food production. The first session of the series is titled, Using Essential...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator I enjoy shopping for plants each spring. In addition to our usual local spots, my husband and I like to visit new garden centers each year. This year's garden shopping trek included Jacksonville, Springfield, Champaign, Danville, and...

Originally published in Home, Yard, and Garden Newsletter on 8-15-17 Japanese beetles and masked chafer adults are attracted to moist soils and, apparently, to green grass to lay their eggs. In years when rainfall is abundant,...