Author Archives: raingardenuiuc

By the RORG Team OVERVIEWRORG Director Eliana Brown is pleased to announce the completion of a new “expansion” garden across the sidewalk from RORG. This new garden was made possible by a grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, our generous donors, and with the help of our community and student volunteers. The garden’sContinue reading “The 2021 RORG Expansion”

By Sandra Bjerga, RORG Student Team Member [Although Sandra has graduated and taken full-time employment (congrats, Sandra!) and isn’t our student anymore, she wrote this piece earlier this year for us. Enjoy!] Did you know that the current renovation of the Red Oak Rain Garden is building upon work from almost 15 years ago? InContinue reading “RORG’s First Builder: Interview with Professor Tony Endress”

By Layne Knoche, RORG Landscape Designer Since the garden’s renovation, this time of the year has been a favorite of the RORG team. While a very warm and wet October has put a bit of a damper on fall foliage, there are still some beautiful colors in and around the garden this month! The fruitContinue reading “In the Garden: November”

by Guest blogger Erin Garrett, Energy and Environmental Stewardship Educator, Illinois Extension The Soft Landings concept was researched and developed by Heather Holm and Leslie Pilgrim, among others including Desiree Narango and Doug Tallamy. The source of this information can be found on their website, along with resources related to the topic. IN THE WOODSMyContinue reading “Soft Landings”

By Layne Knoche, RORG Landscape Designer September has come and gone, and was a month full of work in and around the Red Oak Rain Garden. For more on all of the work, watch for an upcoming blog covering the fall 2021 installations. For now, let’s look ahead to one of our favorite months inContinue reading “In the Garden: October”

by the RORG Team We are saying a fond farewell to the team member who first brought the Red Oak Rain Garden’s voice to life, the amazing Kate Gardiner. Over the past four years at University of Illinois Extension, Kate brought her talents to projects, ranging from documentation at the rain garden to helping buildContinue reading “Farewell, Kate!”

By Layne Knoche, RORG Landscape Designer Amazingly, the first month of fall is already here! As with the past few years, September will be another busy time in and around the Red Oak Rain Garden. There are a lot of exciting things happening! Upcoming Projects The week of September 13, plants are being delivered forContinue reading “In the Garden: September”

By Sandra Bjerga, RORG Student Team It’s bittersweet writing this blog knowing it’ll be my last. I have gained so much experience, so many memories, and amazing connections at the Red Oak Rain Garden. All good things must come to an end and I am grateful to have been a part of the journey.  MyContinue reading “Looking Back on my RORG Experience”

By Layne Knoche, RORG Landscape Designer With students returning to campus in just a few short weeks, the Red Oak Rain Garden is ready to greet them with a new bridge and showy blooms! Our flowering plants this month include Purple Poppy Mallow, Purple Coneflower, ‘Rozanne’ Geranium, Butterflyweed, Yellow Coneflower, Royal Catchfly, Cardinal Flower, JoeContinue reading “In the Garden: August”

By Layne Knoche, RORG Landscape Designer After a relatively dry spring, early summer in the Champaign-Urbana area got off to a very rainy start. In fact, our CoCoRaHS rain gauge watchers reported 5.24 inches of rain in four days at the end of June. It was the first big test of the garden post-renovation, andContinue reading “In the Garden: July”