AAS winner, ornamental pepper onyx red URBANA, Ill. – Cold, blustery temperatures have been moving across Illinois lately and gardeners are starting to put the landscape to...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator The nineteenth annual Gardeners' BIG Day is almost here! This year's event will be Saturday, April 14, 2018, from 8:00-3:00 at Dickson Mounds Museum. Attendees will hear speakers, visit vendors, and see gardening displays....

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator I love ferns. Ferns make areas greener and provide interesting texture. Let's look at a few that are commonly grown in home shade gardens. Hardy, outdoor ferns are easy to grow and are essential in the woodland garden. Ferns come in...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator The Spring 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...

URBANA, Ill. – After a long winter, gardeners are always eager to get outside again. "Get a head start on your vegetable garden by planting cool-season crops," says Gemini Bhalsod, a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator. "Cool spring weather favors vegetables like leafy greens,...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Everyone growing blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries should be monitoring for spotted wing Drosophila, a relatively new invasive pest that infests thin-skinned fruits as they ripen. For the past several years, this invasive...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Registration is open for the 19th Annual Gardeners' BIG Day! University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners in Fulton and Mason County sponsor this event, which is Saturday, April 14, at Dickson Mounds Museum in Lewistown. Back...

URBANA, Ill. – Grape vines are a beautiful feature for your landscape that provide both aesthetic and edible benefits, says a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator. "Fresh-picked-from-the-vine grapes are delicious," says Bruce J. Black. "The work you put into growing your grapes...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator I love exploring woods in the spring looking for wildflowers. They bring such joy after such a long winter. Here are a few of my favorite early spring wildflowers. One of the first woodland flowers to bloom is bloodroot (...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Last year I started producing short videos on various gardening topics. They are a lot of fun to make. Currently, I have 31 videos available, covering indoor and outdoor horticultural topics. In my first educational video "Planting...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator In 2017, 167 Master Gardener volunteers contributed over 10,000 hours in the Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell Counties. The value of their volunteer service is $263,000 (as calculated by Independent Sector). Master Gardeners have...

I love having fresh flowers on my kitchen table. They bring such beauty, energy, and life to the room. Every spring I vow to bring fresh flowers indoors all season, but I never seem to follow through very well. Maybe I would do better if I had a cut flower garden dedicated specifically to this...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator It's that time of year when trees and shrubs begin popping up at retail sales areas throughout Illinois. Here are some tips to consider as you plan your new woody plant purchases. The most important choice is what type of plant to...