Join us for spring gardening classes hosted by MU Extension Master Gardeners in Cape Girardeau County. Classes are slated for February 22, 2025 at the Cape Girardeau Career & Technology Center in Cape Girardeau, MO. Class selections range from natives, pollinators, seed starting, daylilies, tomatoes to herbs and many more. For a full list of speakers and topics, please see weblink for registration. 

There is a $20 fee for the all-day program. It is sure to be a great day of learning and networking with fellow gardeners from across the Southeast Missouri Area.  

Register soon as there are limited seats available! 

Contact Donna Aufdenberg at 573-243-3581.  

Class Options:

9:00 to 10:00 

• Invasive Weeds, Alex Holmes, Missouri Department of Conservation; Join MDC Naturalist Alex Holmes for a beginner’s guide to problematic invasive species in southeast Missouri. Learn to identify autumn olive, bush honeysuckle, and other damaging plants. We will also learn ways to remove them from your landscape and native species which work as alternatives. 
• Magnificent Monarchs – Joyce Oberle, MU Extension Master Gardener in Cape Girardeau County; Our iconic butterfly in Jeopardy. Topics to be covered include identification of the male and female monarch, the lifecycle of the monarch, from egg to adult in 30 days in search of milkweed, And much more. 
• Natives – Cassie Holcomb, owner of Juneberry – native plant shop in Jackson, MO; Thoughtfully implementing native plants to your space… that may be a patio planter, an existing traditional landscape, or several acres. What are your objectives? What plants will check those boxes while fitting the space you have? Set yourself up for success, plan your work and work your plan.   

10:30-11:30 

• Basics of Seed Starting – Donna Aufdenberg, MU Extension Horticulture Specialist; Seed starting doesn’t have to be hard. Learn what it takes to start your seedlings for this year’s garden season.  
• Pollinators of Southeast Missouri – Brent Ashcraft, MU Extension Master Gardener in Cape Girardeau County;  
• Berries – Katie Kammler, MU Extension Horticulture Specialist; Soils, site preparation, varieties, planting, harvest, pruning, pest management for strawberries, brambles, and blueberries.   

Option:  Lunch, shop, and tour – Will you be joining us for lunch? Soup and finger foods will be served.  

12:30 to 1:30 

• Herbs in the Kitchen – Jamie Koehler and Carol Koehler, MU Extension Master Gardeners in Cape Girardeau County; Put on your apron and join us as we try a couple of herbal recipes. We will be tasting and taking some treats home. Hands-on session: $20 additional fee 
• Daylilies – Jeremy Hessman, Dreamland Daylilies; Jeremy Hessman will show you how to plant daylilies, how to care for them, and how to hybridize. I will also share some of the hybridizing work taking place at Dreamland Daylilies. 
• Tomatoes – Rennie Phillips, Master Gardener; Come learn all the ins and outs of growing garden tomatoes.  

1:30 to 3:00 

• Herbs in the Bath – – Jamie Koehler and Carol Koehler, MU Extension Master Gardeners in Cape Girardeau County; Hands-on session: $20 additional fee 
• Climate Change – Jennifer Behnken, Missouri Department of Conservation; There are several unknowns in global climate patterns in the future. However, tracking general trends helps us understand what is currently happening to the health of our forests and how they might be impacted long term. This presentation will provide an overview of weather influences on trees and how it will help plan for current and future forest canopies. 
• Composting – Donna Aufdenberg, MU Extension Horticulture Specialist; Learn composting fundamentals and what it takes to make black gold that could be used anywhere in your garden!