Gardening

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Blog Posts

Two colorful bouquets on a wood table
Grow & gift cut flowers to brighten someone's days
Life can be stressful. Even the neighbor who plans perfectly feels hardships of life from time-to-time. With a bundle of fresh flowers, the mood of...
Apple hanging from an apple tree
Growing apples in your home orchard
There is a lot of interest by home gardeners to raise and produce organic fruit. The good news is it can be done! Home growers...
When should I clean up my garden? Picture of a garden with brown native bunch grasses and brown fallen tree leaves.
When should I start cleaning up my garden?
As the days get longer and the temperatures start to warm, we often get the itch to start gardening. On the first warm day of the year, I often find...
A cluster of golden flowers with black centers
'Plants of the Year' offer beauty and dependability
Every gardener has a favorite plant—or plants. These prized possessions may offer unmatched multi-season beauty, survive tough conditions, or be a...
Vegetable Garden Planning
It’s that time of year again – time to start planning for the vegetable gardening season.  The explosion of enticing seed catalogs hitting my mailbox...
When should I start my seeds? packet of seeds on a table with small brown seeds coming out of the package next to orange plant labels.
When should I start my seeds?
Seed starting is a great way to scratch the gardening itch we often get during late winter. In addition to getting a head start on the growing season...
Tree removal is easier when trees are dormant
Sometimes a tree becomes a hazard This is the time of year I prefer to take down any trees that have died or become a hazard in the garden. I say...
Are my seeds still good? Testing seed germination. White paper towel with small green seedlings emerging from black seeds
Are my seeds still good? Testing seed germination
Have you ever found a packet of seeds lying around and wondered if you could grow them? Every year when I get ready to start seeds, I inevitably find...

News Releases

Woman in hat and sunglasses stands in rain garden
Red Oak Rain Garden welcomes April showers
URBANA, Ill. – For years, when it rained in Champaign-Urbana pedestrians avoided the sidewalks between Allen Hall and McKinley Health Center. Now, they swing by after a storm to watch the Red Oak Rain Garden at work....
ripe tomatoes in hand, plentiful bounty
Gardening with your senses
URBANA, Ill. – Gardeners may be familiar with the sense of calm and peace that can come from relaxing in a patch of fragrant and colorful flowers. It’s little wonder that the gardens have been harnessed for their therapeutic effects.   “Horticultural therapy is about people, not the...
Master Gardener harvesting produce in garden with children
As spring nears, ‘tis the season for horticulture education
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. - Across the state, University of Illinois Extension and their volunteer Master Gardeners are busy planning, organizing and hosting horticulture education programs. “Winter is a great time for horticulture classes,” said Martha Smith, Extension horticulture educator. “...

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