Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Some plants don't seem to play well with others. In particular, a few plants release chemicals to try to keep other plants from growing too near. This botanical war tactic is known as allelopathy. Excerpts from...

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...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Vines add vertical beauty to a garden. Although most vines are desirable, some can viciously choke out other plants with their aggressive behavior. Let's look at four examples. The first two examples are annual plants, meaning that...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Most people grow vegetables in traditional gardens in rows. Large gardens can seem overwhelming, especially during the heat of summer or after a vacation. If you don't have space for that or just want to try something different, here...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator I am excited to announce that we are next University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener training class begins this spring! Training begins April 17 and is held one day a week until June 19. All sessions are held on Tuesdays, and...