Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Roses are beautiful, but did you know that they are also edible? Rose flower petals and fruits (hips) add color, texture, scent, and flavor to various dishes and beverages. My go-to edible rose is the rugosa rose (R. rugosa...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Recent social media posts suggest using household cornmeal to control garden weeds. Looks simple enough, but does it work? Cornmeal is simply ground corn that we use in cooking. It is an essential ingredient in cornbread and corn...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Serviceberries are beautiful native trees with tasty edible fruit. Recently I picked several fruits to eat with cereal and freeze for smoothies. Usually, the birds beat me to the fruit, but this year my tree has such a large crop...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Fall is known for planting spring flowering bulbs such as tulips and daffodils. According to Rhonda Ferree, Horticulture Educator with University of Illinois Extension, fall is also an excellent time to plant woody plants and some...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Begin your spring flower display by planting bulbs this fall. It seems like a lot of work now, but after the long winter, you will really enjoy those blooms. In addition to the standards, such as tulips and daffodils, try some of...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator The Winter series of University of Illinois Extension's Four Seasons Gardening program, which focuses on environmental stewardship, home gardening, and backyard food production, gets underway this month. The first session of the...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Last week I planted peas and lettuce in my garden. I love peas and can't wait to have some for dinner. Peas and lettuce are both very hardy vegetables, thus the cold and snow last weekend did not impact their growth. How early you...

There is a good amount of planning that needs to go into creating a successful community garden. To help people and organizations build and maintain productive community gardens University of Illinois Extension created the Community Garden Webinar Series. This series takes users through a variety...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator It is difficult to write this article, as it is my last one. After 30 years of service, I retire October 1 from University of Illinois Extension. Over the years, writing this blog has been one of my favorite tasks. Through these...

URBANA, Ill. - Watching for the first blooms of spring has always been one of the most highly anticipated activities for nature and plant lovers. But keeping records of events in nature such as bloom time is actually an important scientific endeavor, says University of Illinois Extension...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Vines add vertical beauty to a garden. Fast growing honeysuckle vines are easy to grow. Their intoxicatingly wonderful floral fragrance attracts hummingbirds, bees, and hummingbird moths. The story of these two honeysuckle vines is...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator The fall series of University of Illinois Extension's Four Seasons Gardening program, which focuses on environmental stewardship, home gardening, and backyard food production, gets underway soon. As always, programs are available...

URBANA, Ill. – Recipes for homemade weed killers abound on the internet. University of Illinois Extension specialist Michelle Wiesbrook explains why homemade is not always better. "It's important to keep in mind that anyone can post anything and make it look believable," Wiesbrook says. "All the...