By Jennifer Bass, Extension Master Naturalist and Master Gardener serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, Tazewell countiesIt will not be long until we are in the holiday season and then welcoming a new year.  With winter we experience a new set of weather patterns from rain, to sleet, ice,...

By Susan McCabe, Extension Master Gardener serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria and Tazewell counties  Thank you to Susan McCabe for sharing her method of overwintering hostas in pots. Susan is an Extension Master Gardener. I used to dislike Hosta very much. I thought, "They are just...

By Ellen Denler, Extension Master Gardener serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria and Tazewell counties  Thank you to Ellen Denler for sharing her thoughts on "When is A Garden Not a Garden."  Ellen is an Extension Master Gardener and Conservation@Home member. She has a passion for...

Adding flowers that bloom later in the season provides resources to pollinators into the fall.  As they prepare for migration or overwintering, this is a critical season to ensure they have the required resources. Native plants are an excellent way to ensure that the blooms have the necessary...

Supporting pollinators has become increasingly important as concerns over pollinator population decline are more evident. The good news is that even small spaces can provide resources for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Container gardens are one solution for growing pollen and nectar...

By Ella Maxwell, Extension Master Gardener serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria and Tazewell counties The temperatures this spring have been up and down which forced some of the earliest flowering plants to begin blooming at least two weeks earlier than normal in my garden. My winter aconite and...

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...

Pollinators are an important part of healthy ecosystems. There are a few easy steps you can take to help support pollinators in your landscape.   Provide diverse nectar and pollen resources Native plants are a good source of nectar and pollen that...

Are you looking to select plants that support local wildlife, conserve water, and enhance the overall ecosystem in Central Illinois? Here are some steps to assist you:  Research Local Native Plants Begin by researching native plant species that are indigenous to Central Illinois. Find...

The USDA Hardiness Zone Map has been updated to reflect temperature data collected over the last 30 years. This new map version used GIS technology and input from climate, botanical, and horticulture experts to create hardiness zones on a much finer scale.   Updated to Zone 6A Locally, the...

Join us for the 21st Gardener’s Big Day 9 am to 4:30 pm on April 13, 2024 at Spoon River College in Canton, IL. Registration begins February 1, 2024. go.illinois.edu/GBD24. Keynote What do pollinators do for us? Imagine how much an apple would...

Winter sowing is a cost-effective and low maintenance way of starting plants for the garden. The creator of the winter sowing method, Trudi Davidoff puts it in simple terms, "starting plants outdoors, in winter." Winter sowing works with nature to prepare seeds for growth by providing the proper...

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...

The Grow A Row initiative aims to give back to Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford communities by providing fresh produce to food banks, pantries, and other distribution efforts. The goal in 2023 was to donate 25,000 pounds of fresh produce to charitable organizations. Anyone can participate by donating...

Weeds may be unwanted, but armed with the right information they can be very helpful tools to improving your garden. There are some weeds that are called indicator species because they are more likely to be found in specific environmental conditions. Their presence in your garden or landscape can...

Pruning perennial flowers takes a garden from looking fair to fabulous. Deadheading, cutting back, and pinching are all pruning techniques that can keep perennial plants looking well cared for, healthy, and colorful. Pruning perennials is a complex topic because different plants need different...

Getting Started with Seed Saving If you find the perfect tasting tomato, harvesting and saving the seed will ensure you can have that tomato again next season. The seed stores the genetic information for a new plant. With a bit of practice and patience, you can have the seeds of your favorite...

The delicate paperwhites, Narcissus papyraceus, 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...

Growing food is not limited to outdoors in the summer. With some planning, you can grow food indoors throughout the year. Make a plan Before starting your indoor kitchen garden, it is essential to think about what you want to gain by growing food indoors. You might wish to have herbs to give...

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...

Healthy soil is essential for healthy plants.  Using cover crops in the home garden is one way to promote soil health.  Cover crops are non-harvested crops that add organic matter to the soil, transfer nitrogen by creating nitrogen compounds usable by plants, and break up heavy clay or...

What you need to know Clovers are making a comeback in lawn seed mixes. Today many families want to attract more pollinators to their yards. They are searching for ecologically sound ways to grow grass, including adding white clover back to the turf seed mix. Clover adds diversity and...

Just what are frankincense and myrrh? Certainly, they are part of many Christmas stories, but do you know what those products are and why they were so valuable? Here is more information on both of these plant-based products. Frankincense and myrrh are both resins -- dried tree sap -- that come...

Only accept plants... From gardeners that have looked for jumping worms  That don't come from an area known to have jumping worms. If there is no evidence (like soil that resembles coffee grounds) to suspect there are jumping worms at the site that produced these plants/materials. Use...

Originally posted April 15, 2021 Jumping worms (Amynthas spp) are an invasive earthworm probably brought into the country as fishing bait. They go by many names, such as crazy worms, Alabama jumpers, or snake worms. These worms are known to change the soil structure, deplete...

Thoroughly clean tools, shoes, and vehicles when moving from one site to another. Only purchase compost, mulch, or other organic matter that has been heated to appropriate temperatures and duration to reduce the spread of pathogens, insects, and weeds. Jumping worm egg casings do not survive...

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...

As the temperatures get colder and gardening work outside slows down, you might be looking for a plant growing project to do inside. I encourage you to try aquarium aquaponics. There is a natural mutually beneficial relationship between plants and aquatic animals such as fish. The fish are making...

There are many reasons to grow your vegetables, including health benefits, better flavor, and environmental protection. The health benefits are exponential with the combination of nutrients, sunshine, and exercise gained through vegetable gardening. Studies show that those who garden are more...

What was that really excellent pepper variety we grew last year?  What type of tomato was resistant to disease?  Those are the types of questions we think we will always remember the answer to, but now we are coming into the 2020 garden season; some of those details...

Do you enjoy watching bees buzzing around your flowers, butterflies resting in the sun, or a fat toad sitting in a shady spot? Making your garden wildlife-friendly starts with knowing what will attract birds, insects, and animals to your yard. Wildlife needs water, a food source, shelter, and space...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator While enjoying coffee in the garden, I noticed that my largest ornamental banana is starting to flower. For many years I've been growing banana plants around my pool to give it a tropical feel in the summer. By autumn they have large...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator While walking around our yard last night my husband Mark commented that our gardens look better than ever. We usually spend August enjoying the garden instead of working in it all the time. Still there are several activities that can...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator I have a love-hate relationship with spiders. I am continually fascinated when watching a spider spin its web. However, cleaning up cobwebs can be very frustrating. Spiders are abundant (over 1,000,000 individuals per acre in a...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Unfortunately, the winter has taken a toll on many plants. Evergreens are especially impacted, many showing significant winter desiccation or even death. The severe cold winter compounded plant stresses already inflicted by recent...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Have you ever thought of combining literature and gardening? Literature gardens do just that. I remember a past Chicago Flower & Garden Show, where two popular children's books came alive in gardens: "The Tales of Peter Rabbit"...