MU Master Gardener blooms with floral subscription service
CLARENCE, Mo. – Pam Stenger keeps memories of her grandmother’s flower garden alive by offering floral bouquets through a Community Supported Agriculture subscription service.
Watermelon: The food of angels
COLUMBIA, Mo. – July, National Watermelon Month, is the time to celebrate this thirst-quenching, vitamin-rich garden delight.Mark Twain wrote that one who has tasted watermelon “knows what the angels eat.”“Aptly named, watermelon is 92% water,” said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. It is part of the gourd family, which also includes cucumber, squash, pumpkin and muskmelon.
Celebrate Christmas in July with painted leaf poinsettia
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Plant lovers who can’t wait until December for Christmas poinsettias can celebrate in July. Although not as splashy as its winter relative, painted leaf poinsettia is a mid-year gift, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Michele Warmund.
Gooseberry: Small but mighty
COLUMBIA, Mo. – “Gooseberry grows as a small deciduous shrub with edible fruit,” says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Michele Warmund.Gooseberry clubs once popular
Healthy communities begin with healthy food
PARIS, Mo. – Healthy communities grow in bountiful gardens.A partnership between University of Missouri Extension and groups in the Mark Twain Lake area is teaching people in Monroe County to grow and use fresh produce.
Peonies thrive on neglect, can live more than 100 years
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Peonies serve as the traditional flower of Memorial Day. Their huge, lavish blossoms stand as fragrant sentinels in country cemeteries, conjuring memories of times and people past.In the 1800s, when the holiday was called Decoration Day, peonies were one of the few flowers in bloom in late May and were widely used to adorn the graves of fallen soldiers, said David Trinklein, University of Missouri Extension…
Low temperatures leave plants in the cold
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Winter-hardy perennial flowers likely will survive April’s historic low temperatures across Missouri, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.Their tender annual counterparts, however, may not be so lucky.MU Extension horticulturists across the state answered numerous calls from concerned gardeners about freeze damage to their flowers and flowering shrubs as temperatures dropped into the 20s.
A masterpiece of inclusion: Ferguson Farmers Market community garden
FERGUSON, Mo. – Many dabble in the art of gardening, but Ron Brown takes its meaning to a new level. One of his masterpieces is the accessible garden he has designed for participants in United Cerebral Palsy Heartland’s day programs.
From overlooked plot to community hub: Wildwood YMCA gardens
WILDWOOD, Mo. – For Jodi Smedley, being a Master Gardener is about much more than gardening. Through her work with the Wildwood YMCA, Smedley has realized the impact gardening can have on everyday life and the community as a whole.
Master Gardeners do more than garden
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – St. Louis area Master Gardeners may be as well known for their community spirit as for the beautiful and bountiful gardens they tend. “It’s safe to say our volunteers have really helped transform the region,” said Holly Records, St. Louis Master Gardener coordinator with the University of Missouri Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden.
Patience is lawn owner's friend in March
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Be mellow until the forsythia turns yellow.That’s the advice from University of Missouri Extension plant pathologist Lee Miller for applying crabgrass pre-emergent herbicides to lawns.“The forsythia bloom has been used as a phenological indicator on when to apply pre-emergent herbicides and it’s a fairly easy and obvious sign,” he says.
Pansy: Not just another pretty face
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Nothing says spring like the shining faces of pansies.But pansies aren’t just for spring, says David Trinklein, University of Missouri Extension horticulturist.
Grant aims to improve lavender growing in Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missourians may learn more about lavender thanks to a grant to University of Missouri Extension from the Missouri Department of Agriculture.The $39,274 grant will determine standardized growing practices for lavender in Missouri.It is one of four grants recently awarded by the Missouri Department of Agriculture to MU Extension. Federal funding comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant…
Norfolk Island pine: A houseplant for the holidays and beyond
NEVADA, Mo. – If you don’t have time or space for a large Christmas tree, consider a Norfolk Island pine.“Many stores sell these evergreen houseplants during the holidays,” says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Pat Miller. “These easy-to-grow plants often come decorated and are perfect for gift-giving or to keep for yourself.”
Poinsettia: America's most popular flower
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Poinsettia is our nation’s most popular potted flowering plant. What makes this remarkable is that most poinsettias are sold between the week of Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.Despite its short sales period, poinsettia contributed $170 million to the U.S. economy last year, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. Native to southern Mexico and Central America, poinsettia has become symbolic…
Tropical plants can overwinter indoors
COLUMBIA, Mo. – You may not get to take a tropical vacation this year, but you can bring the tropics inside your home.With the right light and temperature, it is possible to keep tropical patio plants indoors for another summer of enjoyment.“The colorful flowers, ability to tolerate hot temperatures and carefree nature of tropical plants make them a welcome addition to the home landscape,” said University of Missouri Extension…
Missouri’s fall foliage color show begins soon
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Fall color is kind of like Christmas morning, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. “You don’t know if you are going to get an orange or a lump of coal in your stocking.” Some years are better than others, he says, and about once a decade, colors really pop. “Unfortunately, because of the recent warm weather that followed a rather dry late summer, it does not appear as if 2021 will…
Flower math: Divide and multiply
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Fall is the perfect time to share the love of flower power with neighbors, friends and family, says David Trinklein, University of Missouri Extension horticulturist.As spring-flowering bulbs such as tulip and narcissus grow, they produce offshoots adjacent to the original bulb. When these bulb clusters become overgrown, flower numbers usually decline. This is a good indication it is time to rejuvenate the bulb cluster…
Master Gardener duo donates to local food pantries
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Those who have planted gardens feel that they have “done something for the good of the whole world,” wrote American author Charles Dudley Warner in 1871.
Gardening hotline open for business in Christian county
Can’t identify that pesky insect eating your zucchini plant? How do I start a compost pile? What’s the easiest fruit to grow in the Ozarks? Christian County Master Gardeners have the answers for callers to its gardening hotline at the county Extension office on the Ozark Square.
Tips on watering your garden
COLUMBIA, Mo. – How does your garden grow? No grow or slow grow? It could be your H2O.How and when you water your garden often makes the difference between healthy or diseased plants, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Tom Fowler.Fowler offers some simple watering tips that can provide a bushel of benefits.
Master Gardeners fight food insecurity
HILLSBORO, Mo. – Master Gardener chapters throughout Missouri are accustomed to donating produce from home and community gardens to those in need. To further assist Missourians fighting food insecurity at this uncertain time, University of Missouri Extension horticulturist and Master Gardener state coordinator David Trinklein reached out to chapters across the state to see if members would plant an extra row of produce in their gardens…
Grow your own veggies to ease COVID-19 financial stress
COLUMBIA, Mo. – In response to the tremendous interest in home food production, University of Missouri Extension now offers a free online course in basic vegetable gardening.“The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has put an added financial strain on many Missouri families,” said MU Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. This has resulted in many people putting out vegetable gardens for the first time in an attempt to lower their food bills.
Safe gardening grows your mindfulness
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Looking for a way to improve your physical and mental well-being during stressful times? A University of Missouri Extension horticulturist recommends gardening as a perfect solution. “Gardening provides many health benefits that are needed during these stressful times,” said Jennifer Schutter. “These benefits include exercise, a boost in mental health from time spent in nature and growing your own healthy food.”
Spinach's popularity grew during Great Depression
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Many unsubstantiated stories exist about why cartoonist E.C. Segar chose spinach to give superhuman powers to his comic strip character Popeye the Sailor during the Great Depression.