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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
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Friday, September 8, 2017
Plants That Move
No plants do not have legs, but they do move. Although I don't see it happen, each week my African violet leaves lean toward the light requiring me to straighten them with a quarter turn. I also don't see the prayer plants fold their leaves each night and reopen them each morning. Usually, plant movement is very subtle. Yet, there are a few plants that will move right before your eyes....
Friday, July 1, 2016
Horticulture at the Fair
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 see who is the best. Horticulture exhibits at the fair cover everything from flowers to vegetables. Exhibitors have the opportunity to win ribbons and sometim...
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Gardening with Kids
Gardening is for everyone, but is especially important for children. I cannot over-emphasize the importance of gardening with kids. It encourages personal growth, environmental stewardship, hands-on learning, improved nutrition, community involvement, and family interaction. During my 25 year career with Extension I've attended many programs on how to garden with kids. Each time I come...
Friday, March 25, 2016
Plan Your Vegetable Garden Around Your Family
Growing your own food is easy and fun. This year I will write more spotlights on backyard food production in this column. To get us started, here are excerpts from an article written by my colleague Richard Hentschel. Richard writes that a well-planned vegetable garden is easy to care for and harvest. They are also more productive and, in the long run, less expensive that the unplanned...
Friday, September 4, 2015
Theme Gardens are Fun!
Theme gardens are really fun and are becoming more and more popular. I've written about various themes in the past, including literary gardens, tea gardens, reunion gardens, evening gardens, and more. Theme garden possibilities are many. They could be based on the seasons, color schemes, your favorite song title, food names, and so on. You could pick out plants that have great winter interest...
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Fun Youth Gardening Websites
University of Illinois Extension has fun, interactive, and educational websites all about plants and gardening that are meant just for kids. Check these out. The Great Plant Escape - Help Detective Leplant and his partners Bud and Sprout unlock the amazing mysteries of plant life!...
