This weekend the anticipation became unbearable. I finally had to dig a hill of sweet potatoes in our garden. They looked beautiful and tasted great. Soon, we will dig all 50 plants and surely have an]]> Butterflies add surprise, beauty, color and motion to a garden. Why not invite them to your backyard? Butterflies are nature’s decoration. Planting a butterfly garden is a great way ]]> Untitled Document Gardeners are encouraged to mulch around their plants to conserve moisture, moderate soil temperature, reduce weed-seed germination, and beautify t]]> Untitled Document Imagine my surprise during the first week of July, when my son and I harvested 40 cucumbers from our three cucumber plants. Since then we have been blessed with]]> When I was a child, my grandmother would take the family to pick strawberries every Memorial Day weekend. We would pick at least 20 quarts of berries, enough for dessert and jelly. Grandma alwa]]> This is the time of year when flower gardens start to look tired. However there are a few plants that love the cooler temperatures and brighten the fall garden. Chrysanthemums, as]]> One of the worst things to tell a gardener is that their tree is heavily infested with a destructive insect. The U of I Extension office has received numerous calls about magnolia trees. A caller usua]]> Untitled Document This fall while adding daffodils to your landscape, don’t forget to plant some garlic. Garlic has been cultivated for thousands of years and is still popu]]> It’s essential for all of us to practive the three R’s of being a good steward of the earth: reduce, reuse and recycle. Last weekend I walked around my small town on community ]]> Illinois, known as the “Prairie State,” has several native plant species. Prior to European settlers in Illinois, 60 percent of the 22 million acres was prairie. Today less than one hundre]]> Untitled Document One of my favorite summer treats is a ripe, juicy, fresh-picked tomato from my garden. I think that we can all agree that the quality of produce picked from the]]> The highlight of my job as horticulture educator for Sangamon and Menard counties is providing direction for the master-gardener volunteer program. I have the pleasure of working with 125 individuals ]]> Untitled Document Did you know that the grapevine is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world? Whether as a source of grapes or as an attractive addition to the landscape]]> Untitled Document We’ve all heard of the three R’s — reduce, reuse, and recycle — but many people have added a fourth R: rot, the recycling of food waste ]]> Untitled Document While sitting on my grandparents’ porch last Sunday, I noticed numerous ball-shaped objects in their oak trees. Looking closer, I found that almost every ]]> My favorite winter scene is branches of bright green holly leaves with sparkling red berries against fresh winter snow. Holly is a great addition to the landscape, but careful consideration must be gi]]> This week, as my children carved their second set of pumpkins (the first bunch succumbed to black mold, in part because of the warm weather), they had plenty of questions: How do pumpkins gr]]> Sightings of adult Japanese beetles began in mid-June. Since then they have been seen munching on roses, crabapples, lindens, raspberries, apple trees, basil and much more. Feeding on plants generally]]>