Each spring gardeners begin looking for new and colorful plants to make their garden pop. "If you are looking for a plant that grows quickly, has interesting and colorful flowers, and will add a vertical element to your garden, look no further than an annual flowering vine," said Brittnay...

Strawberries: Signs of spring University of Illinois, Horticulture educator, Kelly Allsup says "plant strawberry plants this spring for next year's harvest of plump juicy berries." Strawberries can be greatly rewarding and only require a few simple timed garden tasks. Before planting bare root...

Do not try to grow grass under trees or in shady areas of your landscape. Generally, lawns are seeded with a mix of Kentucky blue grass, fine fescue and rye grass. Each type contributes to the whole of the lawn, but none of them will grow well in full shade. Instead,...

With a little spring preparation, your garden season can be more rewarding than ever: raised beds simply make gardening vegetables and herbs easier. When gardeners choose to grow in raised beds, the soil stays looser which means the roots are happier. And every gardener knows happy roots means...

Rain Gardening is among the newest buzzwords at University of Illinois. The buzz is a response to another buzzword in the news: climate change. Illinois' recently-retired state climatologist, Jim Angel, says one way climate change is affecting the Illinois landscape through more frequent...

Originally published by Kelly Allsup on January 25, 2019. As a child, my grandparents would send me to the unmanaged portions of their property to pick blackberries with my sisters. Most of the time we brought enough back for grandma to make a pie, and probably just as much sun sweetened...

Originally published by Kelly Allsup on January 11, 2019. Even non-gardeners welcome the sight of early blooming perennials. Here are some early spring bloomers to look out for in the garden. Iberis semperverins, known as Candytuft, is a low-growing, mounded perennial that puts...

The Perennial Plant Association chooses a perennial plant of the year using the following criteria: It must be suitable for a wide range of climatic conditions, be low maintenance, have pest and disease resistance, be readily available in the industry and have multiple seasons of interest or...

University of Illinois Extension is calling all lovers of bees, butterflies, and other pollinators that keep our crops and gardens growing to join scientists in tracking their distribution and habitat use across the state, from the comfort of your home, school,...

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – University of Illinois Extension's Illinois Grand Prairie Master Naturalists will hold their annual Trails Day Celebration from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 1 at Sugar Grove Nature Center. The event is free and open to the public so plan a family outing and spend National...

He is an award winning garden designer from Mackinaw Island, author, overall plant enthusiast, and this year he will be the keynote speaker for Home, Lawn and Garden Day. McLean County Master Gardeners welcome Jack Barnwell for a presentation about landscaping and gardening on the island, on...

  Blueberries require acidic soil. They prefer a pH of 4.8 to 5.2 which is below our average soil pH of 5.5 to 7.0. Get a soil test done to determine your pH and the soil testing company will send you recommendations on how to amend the soil. If the soil is not acidic enough the blueberry...

You are invited to attend these in-person hands on workshops designed to help you better able answer questions from the public. All the workshops will be at the Bloomington Extension office and start at 1:00. Sessions will run 60-90 minutes. The public is  invited. The Extension office...

Register NOW for Home, Lawn and Garden Day - a day of gardening fun and learning! BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – University of Illinois Extension McLean County Master Gardeners would like to invite you to their 17th annual Home, Lawn and Garden Day on Saturday, March 2 at Catholic High...

Vegetable Swap at Heartline and Heart House in Eureka EUREKA, Ill. – It is time again to share the harvest with our neighbors. On Friday, July 12, beginning at 10 a.m., we will host the second annual Vegetable Swap at Heartline and Heart House at 300 Regan Drive, Eureka (...

Spruce Spider mite – Problem Feed on needled evergreens and most active during the spring. Damage appears as stippling as mites feed on chlorophyll. Heavily attacked foliage will turn brown. – Detection Hosts are Juniper, pine, douglas fir, fraiser fir, and larch....

Spring into Action with Livingston County Master Gardeners Help Desk PONTIAC, Ill. – University of Illinois Extension Livingston County Master Gardeners will open the walk-in Help Desk for the 2019 growing season on Thursday, May 2. The Help Desk is located at the Livingston...

Ants are thriving in my kitchen, my bathroom, and at my office. They usually enter buildings after heavy rains and persist as long as the environment is to their liking. In the kitchen, they are seeking out sweet treats, and are attracted to the moisture in the bathroom. Despite ants not causing...