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Flowers

Eliana' Garden memorial rock in her garden

Gardening can help you heal while grieving

In August of 2020, I received a call with the news that is every mother’s nightmare. There had been an accident and my six-year-old daughter did not survive. That week, her lovely kindergarten teacher brought us five plants to start a butterfly garden. Although I already loved gardening, at that...
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a close up photo of several plants in the garden with varying textures

Engage your senses with a vibrant sensory garden

A sensory garden is not only a feast for the eyes but also for your nose, touch, taste buds, and ears. They are perfect for schools, healthcare facilities, or your backyard oasis. Here's how you can create a sensory garden: Pick the Perfect Spot Find a location that gets plenty of sunshine every...
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Paperwhites in winter

Paperwhites: A hint of spring in the darkest winter

The delicate paperwhites, Narcissus tazetta, are a lovely way to brighten winter days.  These relatives of the daffodil are an excellent choice for winter blooms as they don’t require a chilling period as other bulbs do. Paperwhites have a cluster of small blooms at the end of a flower stalk (...
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Poinsettias

Sharing and caring for the Poinsettia

The beautiful Poinsettia is a colorful plant that brightens dark winter days. Whether you use it to decorate for the holiday season or it was given to you as a gift, giving the plant the care it needs can keep it colorful for six to eight weeks in the home. The showy-colored parts of the...
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Poinsettias

Find the ideal Poinsettia

The festive poinsettia, Euphorbia pulcherrima, is a lovely addition to holiday décor. The bright, cheery plant, a native to Mexico, comes in many colors and sizes making it a good choice to brighten up the long, dark days of winter. The showy colored parts of the poinsettia are colored...
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Seed in a glass

The ABC of seed saving

At first: Why save seeds?  Saving seeds is a great way to save money and be prepared for the following year, but it is also a way to pick out the best of what you have grown and save seeds from that specimen (flower, vegetable, etc.). With each successive year, you will...
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wedding bouquet using local blooms

Think local for eco-friendly and beautiful wedding flowers

Flowers are a wonderful way to make any wedding day special.  There are many ways to choose beautiful and sustainably grown and arranged flowers.  Choose a local source for your blooms. Flowers that are locally grown have a much smaller carbon footprint than flowers flown thousands of miles in...
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field of pink cosmos

Heirloom flowers provide fragrance, beauty, pollinator support

Spring brings thoughts of beautiful, colorful, fragrant blooms that brighten up our landscapes after a long winter.   But we aren't the only ones on the lookout for flowers. Pollinators are looking for them also. Heirloom flowers provide these pollinators with more of the resources they require...
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Dried flowers in vase

DIY dried flowers for Thanksgiving

Bring nature to the table this Thanksgiving by creating decorations from collected natural materials. Fall is a great time to explore outdoors and use what you find almost directly in arrangements after gathering. Dry not Damp Make sure to collect when material is dry. Damp material breaks down...
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Poppies at sunset

I love poppies!

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator As I wrote last week, I retire on October 1 after 30 years with University of Illinois Extension and am focusing my last couple columns on my favorite plants. Although I love many flowers, the poppy is probably my favorite. I am not...
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Beautiful flower with insects and butterflies

Pollinator gardens grow in popularity

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator News on the importance of bees, butterflies, and other pollinators continues to grow. Most people think of bees and butterflies when thinking about pollinators, but bats, beetles, moths, flies, hummingbirds, wasps, and more also...
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Christmas Rose

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator What is a Christmas Rose? It may be roses given at Christmas or a particular china pattern. It could also refer to a perennial plant called the Christmas Rose or Lenten Rose. The Christmas and Lenten Roses are Helleborus plants that...
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Paperwhite Narcissus

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Paperwhites are routinely sold in stores during holidays. Many bulbs are easy to grow indoors for seasonal display and beauty. Common examples are Amaryllis and paperwhite narcissus. Of all the types of narcissus, the paperwhite...
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Asters and mums

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Fall provides us with brilliant colors: orange pumpkins, yellow mums, purple asters, and bronze autumn joy sedums. The fall flower garden has a lot to offer and brings a change in flower color. Notice how the fall flowers offer...
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Fall Bulb Planting

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Start next year's flower display this fall. Now is the time to set out the spring flowering bulbs. It seems like a lot of work now, but after the long winter, you will enjoy those blooms. In addition to the standards such as tulips...
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Horticulture at the fair

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Winning at a county fair brings great notoriety. Remember how excited Farmer Zuckerman was in the book "Charlottes Web" when Wilbur won! The county fair is meant to bring together exhibitors in many categories across the county to...
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Heirloom flowers making a comeback

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Old fashioned flowers and flowering shrubs are the most recent gardening trend. Roses, hydrangeas, sweet pea, lilac, and more are becoming commonplace again in our gardens. Technically, an heirloom is defined as a plant that is open...
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Poppies

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Poppies are one of my favorite flowers. I am not sure why, but I have a fascination with poppies. I collect antique Hall china in the orange poppy pattern and have my kitchen decorated in poppies. Of course, I also plant poppies in...
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Not so obvious springtime flowers

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Spring flowering plants make an impressive display at a time of year when we need it most. Redbuds, magnolias, forsythia, tulips, and so many more are a welcome sign that we are finally past the long winter. But, if you look closely...
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Roadside Flowers

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Last week I drove my son Tyler back to college for his fall semester at University of Illinois in Champaign. Along the way, he asked me what the blue flowers were along the roadside. Have you noticed the beautiful flowers blooming...
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Edible Flowers

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Do you want to "spice" up your meals? Sometimes I'll add flowers to a dull looking salad to add color. Or, sometimes I just eat flowers right out in the garden. But one very important thing that you need to remember is that not...
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Wedding Flowers

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator On June 1st my husband Mark and I will celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. My Grandma Simmons told me June brides are extra special. I don't know if that is true, but I sure did feel special that day. Certainly, June is a...
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Easter Lilies Signal Spring

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Easter is just around the corner. Have you purchased you Easter lily yet? If not, be sure to choose an Easter lily with lots of unopened buds for longer bloom enjoyment. Easter lily history The popular Easter lily is the Christian...
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