Flowers, Fruits, and Frass 2017

For Immediate Release: Please join University of Illinois Extension Woodford County Master Gardeners at the Eureka Public Library on August 7 th from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Whether you want to sit and talk about gardening or ask about a specific issue that you would like them to research, please visit the...

Are you like me and wish for a holiday plant as a gift this year? Gifting holiday plants are nostalgic, unique and very affordable. Some of the most popular are poinsettia, Christmas cactus, cyclamen and mistletoe. However, air plants and succulents can make excellent and trendy holiday gift plants...

A Day in the Garden Patch is always a day well spent! PONTIAC, Ill. – Join University of Illinois Extension – Livingston County Master Gardeners on Saturday, April 8 for a morning filled with colorful plants and new gardening insights at an event we like to call "A Day in the Garden Patch."...

Join the Barn Quilt Heritage Trail at Eureka Public Library Eureka, Ill. – Looking for a staycation idea? Please join University of Illinois Extension Local Food Systems and Small Farms Program Coordinator Reid Young, as he stops at the Eureka...

Recycle your Holiday Tree"If you are like me, then there is no substitute for a real holiday tree, with its deep green needles and evergreen aroma," states University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator, Kelly Allsup. However, your tree is starting to lose its needles,...

A winter experiment for youth: Forcing paperwhites URBANA, Ill. – Even though it is cold outside and snow may be covering our gardens, we can still exercise our little ones' green thumbs. Bring the garden inside this winter with fun activities and experiments! Winter is the perfect time for kids...

Horticultural Therapy: Gardening is Healing Conference BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – University of Illinois Extension McLean County Master Gardeners and the Community Cancer Center will be presenting the "Horticultural Therapy: Gardening is Healing" conference on...

Grab the leaves from your garden and cast them BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Join us to see how you can make new gardening décor from the leaves laying in your garden right now. Through this exclusive demonstration, you can learn just how to cast and paint concrete leaves. Maybe you have...

  BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Despite my push to grow Illinois native plants to create biodiversity and sustain wildlife, our lawns do benefit the environment in a few ways. Lawns prevent erosion, improve water quality, along with trees and shrubs it can reduce evapotranspiration making the area...

The University of Illinois Extension would like to congratulate Woodford County Master Gardeners, Nancy Carls for being recognized as a 2017 Outstanding Illinois Master Gardener, and Jack Pfaffmann for being recognized as s 2017 Sustained Excellence Award Winner. In her four years as a Master...

The yellow leaves of the sugar maple, the reddish purple leaves of the ash and the multi-colored leaves of the sweet gum have begun to litter the ground, foreshadowing the end of a season and the celebration of the natural cycle. These fallen leaves will insulate the trees and plants while...

Time to Learn how to produce Tip Top Tasty Tomatoes Fresh sun ripened tomatoes are an essential ingredient in many garden inspired recipes: Pico de Gallo, Caprese salad, and salsa. In these dishes, a store purchased tomato simply will not do. These tomatoes have been chilled, thawed, stored,...

Wild parsnip was in the news a great deal this past summer, despite it being around for many years, because of its negative effects on naïve gardeners and hikers. The sap of wild parsnip poses a great risk to human health because sap in contact with skin in the presence of sunlight causes bad...

We read in the news all the time that we are a generation of phones and internet. Any question is answered with a quick tapping of fingertips, amounting to instant gratification. I personally am grateful that I can look up anything anytime because my job requires me to answer a barrage of...

Chrysanthemums: A flourish of fall colors BLOOMINGTON, Ill. –Chrysanthemums come in a myriad of colors and flower forms, just in time to spruce up a tired flower garden or create a festive fall display. The garden centers are overflowing with these must-have bursts of color. Some...

Parts of Livingston County, McLean's northeast neighbor, have been scheduled for spraying this past week along with six other counties in northern Illinois for the gypsy moth, leaving the rest of us wondering will we be next. Gypsy moth caterpillars eat the leaves of hundreds of different species...

Master Gardeners bloom through training BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – University of Illinois Extension McLean & Livingston County Master Gardeners is proud to welcome 18 new interns to the program after completing 14 weeks of extensive training by University of Illinois and University...

The University of Illinois Extension would like to congratulate Livingston County Master Gardeners, Sandy Knight for being recognized as a 2017 Outstanding Illinois Master Gardener, and Dee Woodburn for being recognized as s 2017 Sustained Excellence Award Winner. In her six years as a Master...

Warm days and thirsty plants: the art of watering   BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – I often tell people that I have a Ph.D. in watering plants, states University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator, Kelly Allsup. As a young professional, I spent my days deciding if I...

On Saturday, July 29 from 9 A.M. to Noon, the University of Illinois McLean County Master Gardeners will be conducting a Plant Propagation Workshop at the award winning and city treasure, Sarah's Garden at the David Davis Mansion. Many of the plants propagated will be of heirloom origin and a plant...