Signup to receive email updates
Authors

Rhonda J. Ferree
Former Extension Educator, Horticulture
Recent Posts
Categories
- Disaster Resources
- Fruits, Vegetables, & Herbs
- Garden Basics
- Garden Trends
- Gardening with Kids
- Holiday and Seasonal Topics
- Horticulture Resources
- Indoor Plants (Houseplants & more)
- Invasive Plants and Plants of Concern
- Just for Fun
- Landscapes (Trees, Shrubs, and Flowers)
- Lawncare
- Master Volunteers (Gardeners & Naturalists)
- Pests (Insects, Disease, & Weeds)
- Pollinators
- Sustainable Gardening
- Wildlife and Nature
Blog Archives
- September 2018 (4)
- August 2018 (6)
- July 2018 (6)
- June 2018 (6)
- May 2018 (4)
- April 2018 (12)
- March 2018 (9)
- February 2018 (4)
- January 2018 (4)
- December 2017 (12)
- November 2017 (7)
- October 2017 (9)
- September 2017 (8)
- August 2017 (10)
- July 2017 (6)
- June 2017 (11)
- May 2017 (9)
- April 2017 (13)
- March 2017 (11)
- February 2017 (8)
- January 2017 (6)
- December 2016 (9)
- November 2016 (8)
- October 2016 (11)
- September 2016 (8)
- August 2016 (8)
- July 2016 (7)
- June 2016 (9)
- May 2016 (6)
- April 2016 (6)
- March 2016 (7)
- February 2016 (5)
- January 2016 (14)
- December 2015 (5)
- November 2015 (10)
- October 2015 (8)
- September 2015 (6)
- August 2015 (10)
- July 2015 (9)
- June 2015 (10)
- May 2015 (10)
- April 2015 (4)
- March 2015 (9)
- February 2015 (5)
- January 2015 (7)
- December 2014 (6)
- November 2014 (7)
- October 2014 (10)
- September 2014 (7)
- August 2014 (4)
- July 2014 (8)
- June 2014 (11)
- May 2014 (7)
- April 2014 (5)
- March 2014 (2)
- February 2014 (7)
- January 2014 (7)
- December 2013 (5)
- November 2013 (6)
- October 2013 (6)
- September 2013 (7)
- August 2013 (10)
- July 2013 (3)
- June 2013 (7)
- May 2013 (7)
- April 2013 (8)
- March 2013 (11)
- February 2013 (7)
- January 2013 (7)
- December 2012 (6)
- November 2012 (8)
- October 2012 (6)
- September 2012 (8)
- August 2012 (8)
- July 2012 (12)
- June 2012 (6)
- May 2012 (3)
- April 2012 (4)
- March 2012 (5)
- February 2012 (2)
589 Total Posts
follow our RSS feed

Friday, August 30, 2013
Fall Festival and Drive Scavenger Hunt
Fall weather is perfect for festivals and country drives. They are also a time to focus on fall colors and nature's beauty, says Rhonda Ferree, Horticulture Educator with University of Illinois Extension. "During these drives, take the opportunity to embrace what we too often take for granted." To help you do this, take Rhonda's little scavenger hunt and look for the fo...
Friday, August 23, 2013
Fall Horticulture Programs
Want to learn more about plants? We have several horticultural training sessions scheduled for this fall. The fall series of University of Illinois Extension's Four Seasons Gardening program, which focuses on environmental stewardship and backyard food production, is underway. The next session titled, Winter Wise Your Landscape: Knowledge to Prevent Costly Mistakes , is offered...
Friday, August 9, 2013
Why Are Some Trees Changing Color Already?
Have you noticed many plants already starting to turn fall colors? According to Rhonda Ferree, Horticulture Educator with University of Illinois Extension, early fall color almost always means that trees are exhibiting symptoms of stress. Ferree says this is likely due to last summer's severe drought. "The trees probably had enough reserves to make it this far since we...
Friday, August 9, 2013
SunPatiens - Impatiens for sunny locations
This year my Dad (Ron Simmons) started some SunPatiens for me in his greenhouse. I was skeptical that an impatiens would really grow in the sun, but to my delight and surprise, they look amazing! Impatiens are the most popular bedding plant for shady locations. There are two main types of impatiens available: balsam and New Guinea. The balsam type ( Impatiens wallerana ) is the b...
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Alert on new pest of fruits – Spotted Wing Drosophila
Everyone growing blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries should be monitoring for spotted wing Drosophila, a new invasive pest that infests thin-skinned fruits as they ripen. University of Illinois Extension Entomology Dr. Rick Weinzierl says, "This invasive insect is known to be present in much of Illinois and will damage these crops severely, making the fruits unmarketable." On June 28...
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Horseradish in the Garden
My Grandpa Simmons always had horseradish growing along a fence row. After his death we moved to his property and my dad continued the horseradish tradition. I really like the taste of horseradish. Horseradish is a true perennial in the garden along with rhubarb and asparagus, but commercial growers produce it as an annual. According to Tony Bratsch, former horticulture educator with Un...
Friday, August 2, 2013
Leaves of Three, Let It Be
Are your summer outings followed by days of itching discomfort? "Knowing more about poison ivy and how it grows might help you avoid rash problems later," says Rhonda Ferree, extension educator in horticulture. "Remember the old adage, Leaves of Three, Let It Be!" Poison ivy grows in various locations and many different environmental conditions. It is in fencerows, under trees, and in o...
Friday, August 2, 2013
Protect yourself against mosquito bites and West Nile virus
Several years ago I worked with the Fulton County Health Department to help fight West Nile virus. This summer my son Derek joined me in that fight by interning with the Health Department to do most of the county's mosquito testing work. Happily, to date the virus has not been found in Fulton County this year, but is has been reported in 25 other Illinois counties. No human cases of the virus h...
Friday, August 2, 2013
Chiggers
There are many wive's tales and misconceptions about chiggers. Rhonda Ferree, University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator provides the following facts that might help your itch this summer. Chiggers are microscopic mites. That means that they are very tiny and have eight legs. They are also ectoparasites, which mean that they live on the outside of the host's body. Ch...
Friday, August 2, 2013
Edible Flowers
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 every flower is edible. In fact, sampling some flowers can make you very, very sick. Make sure you know for sure the identity of the flower before eating it. You...