ILRiverHort 2017

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator The poinsettia is the traditional Christmas flower. It was introduced to the United States in 1825 by Joel Robert Poinsett, first U. S. ambassador to Mexico who obtained plants from the wilds of southern Mexico. The colorful parts...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator I'm growing several summer bulbs this year. These include cannas, caladium, and elephant ears. Summer bulbs are summer-blooming plants that have some type of underground storage structure, but most of them don't look like bulbs. The...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Kathy Edwards was one of 36 University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners honored for their outstanding contributions to Illinois' Master Gardener Program. She was named a State Outstanding Master Gardener at the 2017 Illinois...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Rain barrels and rain gardens are becoming more and more popular by those wanting to recycle and conserve natural resources. According to U of I Extension Educator Duane Friend, when we receive rain, a lot of it falls on surfaces...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator I am continually impressed and humbled by what our University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners accomplish. Although they all deserve accolades, several of our local Master Gardeners were recently recognized at the 2017 Illinois...