Hort Corner

The University of Illinois offers masses of information about gardening and horticulture, and most of it is gathered here in this huge but easy-to-use resource. All the information within the site can be trusted and is updated once a month. There is a great deal of interest here to UK gardeners, especially for those who are less experienced, although it is worth remembering that it is intended to be relevant to the state of Illinois. (See Hardiness Zones map, p. 11).

The site is careful to provide return links, making navigation simple. Text is also clear and straightforward, though more photos would add visual interest.

Hort Corner acts as a portal to other sites hosted by the University of Illinois, some of which are permanent, others seasonal and each with its own speciality. They all include a number of reliable and informative articles. Those of particular interest include:

Ornamental Grasses These brand new pages are a very useful addition to the site, particularly for new gardeners keen to increase their knowledge of these popular plants. An initial introduction describes the difference between cool and warm season grasses, and explains what looks best when. It's also useful to know a little about the growth habits of grasses, and thus hopefully avoid large, aggressive mistakes in your garden. There's also a section devoted to how to plant your grasses, and plenty of advice on how to care for and maintain them. A helpful illustrated guide to the most popular varieties and suggested cultivars to look out for is also available, making this a most instructive site.

Our Rose Garden A good source of information on the history of roses, as well as choosing, planting, caring for, and pruning them.

Apples and More Full of fascinating history and legends, and facts on varieties, nutrition and cultivation.

Watch Your Garden Grow Dedicated to growing, storing, and preparing vegetables of many different types, with advice on choosing varieties, planting, care, and problem solving.

Bulbs and More Gives a scholarly introduction to the biology of the bulb, and goes on to cover history, planting tips, use in design, indoor bulbs, and FAQs.

Gardening Basics A good short introduction to essentials like composting, planning, planting, and growing vegetables and herbs.

Gardening with Annuals lists common flowers and suggests plants for specific uses and locations. It also covers soil preparation and after planting care

The Master Gardener Gazette is a sister website of Hort Corner, which lists the contents of back issues and includes a surprisingly large and useful section called Hort Shorts. These cover an enormous range of subject matter, from seasonal tips to wildflowers to kitchen gardening. It can be found at:www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/peoria/gazette/index.html

All the garden-related information on each site may be searched using the very efficient search-by-keyword facility.