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...

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...

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...

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 when planning for a new garden season; some of those details have slipped...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator I grew several different types of salad greens indoors this winter. We ate them in salads, on sandwiches, in tacos, and more. With spring just around the corner, now is the time to plant salad greens outdoors in the garden. There...