Master Gardeners Effingham County IL

05/24/2026

05/13/2026

Mark your calendar for this Saturday, May 16 from 7 to 11 for our annual plant sale.

05/04/2026

Annual Plant Sale
Saturday, May 16th - 7am to 11am
The University of Illinois Master Gardener’s of Effingham County will be having a Plant Sale on Saturday, May 16th from 7am to 11am. Our sale will take place at the University of Illinois Effingham County Extension office located at 1209 Wenthe Drive in Effingham. There is an elevator available if you are unable to do stairs. We will have perennials, house plants, and bedding plants. One of the best parts of gardening is sharing plants. Mark your calendars and come check out what we have.

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04/08/2026

With warmer temperatures come insect activity and our gardening activities, too. But even though you’re anxious to begin gardening activities, please wait to begin your spring clean-up. Leaving your garden debris until the nighttime temperatures stay consistently above 50 degrees (usually mid-April) allows pollinating insects to emerge once it is safe for them to do so. Some of them have spent the winter among last year’s leaf litter, dead stems, and other “messy” areas of our yards.

Think before you clean! Butterflies and moths may be within a camouflaged chrysalis on the stalk of their host plant. Bees may be laying eggs in the pith of stems left standing. Ground nesting bees may be sheltering in last year’s leaves. Native bees which overwinter in the soil will benefit from an undisturbed garden; wait to mulch until after temperatures have warmed and they’ve emerged.

The Xerces Society explains: “While you may begin to see bumble bees and ground-nesting bees emerge as flowering trees and shrubs burst into bloom, they still need cover during chilly nights and heavy spring showers. While mining bees, mason bees, carpenter bees, and bumble bees may be out and about by early April, other species such as sweat bees are still hiding out, waiting for the warmer days that arrive in May.” From https://www.xerces.org/blog/dont-spring-into-garden-cleanup-too-soon.

Find more information about spring garden clean-up at Extension

https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/flowers-fruits-and-frass/2022-03-18-delay-garden-spring-cleanup-encourage-native-insects and https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/garden-scoop/2021-02-26-spring-garden-cleanup

If you just can’t wait, limit your cleanup to just a few areas such as the garden beds near the front door or the street, which are visible to visitors and neighbors.

11/06/2025

Seeds in the Snow
December 2 @ 5:30 p.m.
Effingham Library
Registration required to make sure we have enough materials for everyone to make a garden to take home. Call the Effingham Library 217-342-2464 to get your name on the list for this fun event.

Get a head start on your spring garden — even in the middle of winter! Learn how to start seeds outdoors using simple recycled containers and the power of nature's seasonal cycle. This beginner-friendly program will cover how to choose the right seeds, prepare mini-greenhouses, and care for your seedlings until planting time. This eco-friendly method is easy, inexpensive, and perfect for gardeners of all levels. Participants will leave with their own winter sowing container and the confidence to keep growing through the seasons! .” The University of Illinois Master Gardener’s of Effingham County are demonstrating how to grow seeds in the winter. Come join us at the Effingham Library on Tuesday, December 2 at 5:30. Everyone will get to make and take home a winter sown miniature garden.

08/16/2025

In the heat of the summer you can still find some awesome stuff out at the garden. Tomatoes peppers cucumbers okra are all doing well. Flowers give some color to the garden too! The harvest season is in full swing as we make many trips to our local food pantries.

07/29/2025

Thank you to everyone who came to our Terrific Terririum presentation at the Effingham County Fair this evening

07/12/2025

Mark your calendar for July 29th
3:30 p.m. or 5:30 p.m.
The Effingham County Master Gardeners invite you to come join us in the Schuetzenfest Building for the Community Show Case at the Effingham County Fairgrounds in Altamont for a demonstration about planting a terrarium. We will have examples and plant a terrarium. We will share plant options, container ideas and ideas for you to be able to make your own terrarium when you go home. We will also have a give away at each demonstration. Mark your calendar and plan to join us.

06/11/2025

Watch for Sally Sunshine just South of Bob's Discount parking lot. She will be showing you to the Community Garden. Come out and help the Master Gardeners celebrate 50 years of Master Gardening in Illinois on Saturday, June 14 between 10 am and 2 pm. We are part of the PEO Community Garden Walk.