Flowers and houseplants : article
COLUMBIA, Mo. – While we can’t rush Mother Nature, we can give her a gentle nudge by forcing spring bulbs indoors for an early show of color.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Nothing brightens a windowsill in winter like amaryllis, the National Garden Bureau’s Bulb Plant of the Year, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Just in time to brighten the dull, dreary days of winter, the National Garden Bureau has named African violet as its houseplant of the year for 2024.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Easter lily used for spring decorations can provide beauty and fragrance for another season.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. – If you have the sniffles or a bad infection, a visit to your doctor can usually put things right. Plants can get sick too and the University of Missouri Plant Diagnostic Clinic is where you can turn for help.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – While you’re familiar with onions, garlic, leeks and shallots, which are all members of the genus Allium, there’s a whole group in that genus that are known for their looks rather than their taste. They’re called ornamental onions or alliums.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Among indoor flowering plants, few match amaryllis in grandeur, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. – The University of Missouri Extension Master Gardeners of Ste. Genevieve will hold their annual tour of private and historic home gardens from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 18 and 19.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – April is National Gardening Month and a good time to plant a garden, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. For those who lacked the motivation in the past to garden, consider these benefits:
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Ashes produced by wood-burning fireplaces or stoves are an excellent example of the idiom “don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater,” says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. – Patience and a bucket of soapy water are your best friends when fending off Japanese beetles in the garden, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Tamra Reall.
COLUMBIA, Mo.– The long, harsh winter coupled with last fall’
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COLUMBIA, Mo. – St. Patrick’s Day is a time to celebrate Irish culture and everything green, including leprechauns and shamrocks. While shamrock is a well-known symbol of good luck, another interesting plant associated with good fortune is bells of Ireland, says University of Missouri Extension…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Few flowers symbolize the arrival of spring more than peonies. Their huge, lavish blooms and distinctive floral scent make them one of America’s most treasured perennials, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – “While not a leading star on the herbaceous ornamental stage, Gaillardia can comfortably fill the supporting actor role in your garden,” said David Trinklein, state horticulture specialist for University of Missouri Extension.
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. – Deadheading flowers can help gardeners get more bang for the buck, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Tamra Reall.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Every year Americans buy millions of poinsettias. But what do you do with all those plants after the holidays? Many people just throw them away, but there’s always those who wonder if they can be re-bloomed for next year.
COLUMBIA, Mo.– Some perennials can suffer from too much of a good thing.As it grows year after year, the perennial’s growth clump, or crown, gets so big the plant begins to compete with itself for light, water and nutrients. Eventually this self-competition will mean fewer and less-showy flowers.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Getting plants to grow and thrive indoors can be a challenge. Indoor light is often too low and of poor quality. A light garden can correct that.
HUNTSVILLE, Mo. – When Amanda Quinn quadrupled the growing space at her Randolph County flower farm, she didn’t want to quadruple the time spent watering flowers.
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Bulbs forced to bloom indoors during winter months need special care for replanting in your garden, said a Missouri horticulturist.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Celebrate the beauty of butterflies at the eighth annual Butterfly Festival at the University of Missouri Jefferson Farm and Garden in Columbia.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Most flowering annuals in gardens around the U.S. have stood the test of time, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. For example, geraniums were planted in Europe in the 17th century and have been an American favorite for more than 200 years.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Not all topsoil is created equal.
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.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – It is estimated that more than 700 plant species growing in North America can have harmful effects on humans, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The summer they were married, Dan and Earlene Britton received a cutting from a Christmas cactus belonging to Earlene’s grandmother Naomi Ingrum. Thirty-six years later, the Brittons and the cactus continue to do well in spite of coast-to-coast moves and climate changes.
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ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – You can look high and low, but you likely won’t find a climbing vine that compares to the clematis, known as the “Queen of the Vines,” says Gwen Funk, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in horticulture.
CARROLLTON, Mo. – Some things just go together like biscuits and gravy or peanut butter and jelly.
Likewise, plants have companions that produce best when planted side by side, says Kathi Mecham, a University of Missouri Extension horticulture specialist in Carroll County.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Salt does more than melt the ice on your sidewalks and driveways.It can harm your lawn and shrubs, says University of Missouri Extension turf management specialist Brad Fresenburg.Too much salt can leave dead strips along sidewalks and driveways. It can kill shrubs and flowers.
COLUMBIA, Mo.– If you’re yearning to grow flowers or vegetabl
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COLUMBIA, Mo. – A flurry of calls and emails from homeowners about the brown marmorated stink bug to University of Missouri Extension specialists sounds a warning of what is to come in in the next two years.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The gift of hearts and flowers symbolizes the heartfelt admiration of a loved one through the sentiment of flowers. A houseplant that displays both hearts and flowers is cyclamen, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The cyclamen is Cupid’s flowering love child.
For centuries, people have associated cyclamens with matters of the heart, making it a perfect Valentine’s Day choice, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – As autumn approaches, many garden flowers show the ravages of a long, often brutal summer. However, it’s at this time that dahlias are most spectacular, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – For many, the holiday season would not be complete without evergreens, holly, mistletoe and other traditional plants. But it’s important to exercise care with some of these plants for happy and safe holidays, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
CARTHAGE, Mo. – Spending on houseplants and office plants has flourished in recent years, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Robert Balek.
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. — When buying plants you sometimes need to read between the lines. When the label says the plant “fills in quickly,” that may be a code word for “invasive.”
COLUMBIA, Mo. – One of the joys of spring is the emergence and flowering of bulbs such as daffodils, tulips and hyacinths, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – April’s cold start in Missouri reminds gardeners that planting date is a matter of risk versus reward, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The phrase “waste not, want not” goes back to a time when the essentials of life were difficult to obtain, but it continues to be good advice today, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
COLUMBIA, Mo.– Don’t add fertilizer to your garden unless you
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension field horticulture specialist Tamra Reall answers questions that are “bugging” youngsters.
Mama mosquitoes
The leaves have dropped, branches are bare, and the garden blooms are gone, but trees and flowering plants still bring us cheer during the winter holidays.
COLUMBIA, Mo. –Gardeners eager to plant their first annuals and vegetables should be wary of a last spring frost.“I tell people, if you plant early, plant only what you don’t mind losing,” said Mary Kroening, University of Missouri Extension horticulturist.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A favorite spring flower, the Easter lily, should be kept away from cats. If ingested, it could kill them.
The perennial plant’s white, trumpet-like flowers might not sound the warning that all parts of it are highly toxic to felines.
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. - The popular Christmastime plant, the poinsettia, is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the diplomat and botanist who in 1825 brought the plant to the U.S. from southern Mexico.
HARRISONVILLE, Mo. – Two years ago, Marcy Weber had lost custody of her children and was homeless, unemployed and in trouble with the law because of a drinking and drug problem that began at age 10.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Fall is time for the changing of the guard in flower beds and containers. As some summer flowers shout their last hurrah, others gradually fade into the background.
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Fall is a good time to clean up your garden and plant trees and shrubs, said a University of Missouri horticulturist."The key factor in plant establishment is root growth, and the faster the roots grow into the back-fill area of a new plant, the more successfully the plant will…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Flowering stems of firecracker penstemon pop with color and add a burst of red flowers to landscapes in summer.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The first series of University of Missouri Extension Master Pollinator Steward classes begins mid-May in Jefferson City.
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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.
STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. – Few things thaw feelings of winter’s cold more than spring flowering bulbs, says University of Missouri Extension field horticulturist Katie Kammler.
Spring bulbs are Nature’s way of rewarding gardeners for their work in fall, providing early color and blooms before most…
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Home gardeners may want to plant flowers for their fragrance as well as their appearance, said a University of Missouri horticulturist.
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KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – More than 20 years ago, 8-year-old Casey Jefferson Coy enrolled in the Garden ’n Grow program in Kirksville at the University of Missouri Extension Center in Adair County. Little did she know that the summer-long program would lead her to decades of employment and enjoyment.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. – “The delicate, ephemeral nature of flowers undoubtedly adds to our appreciation of them,” said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. “Many literally are ‘here today, gone tomorrow.’”
COLUMBIA, Mo. – If a little is good, a lot must be better.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Whether you are a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals or the Kansas City Royals, you can show your true colors in a baseball-themed garden this summer, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Michele Warmund.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – With spring around the corner, University of Missouri Extension field horticulturist Kelly McGowan urges gardeners to consider how they can help monarch butterflies.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mulches benefit gardens throughout the year, but they are particularly helpful during the heat of summer, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Cute critters by day, gardeners’ worst enemies by night.Most gardeners know the frustration of having a beautiful garden decimated by wildlife, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
Cut open a seed and you’ll see a miracle.
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HILLSBORO, Mo. – One of summer’s most showstopping bloomers is easy to transplant and propagate, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Debi Kelly.
Hydrangeas burst with blooms summer and fall in colors ranging from blues and white to lavender and pinks.
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Learn how to extend the life of Valentine's Day flowers with a simple homemade preservative and expert tips to keep them fresh longer.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Valentine’s Day flowers will last longer if kept watered and fed, said University of Missouri horticulturist David Trinklein.
Trinklein’s tips and homemade preservative recipe provide an extended warranty of sorts to make certain flowers last up to twice their normal lifespan.
Extend the life of Valentine's Day flowers with expert tips and a homemade preservative recipe using soda, mouthwash, and dish soap.
Add vibrant color to your late-summer garden with gladiolas, from planting tips to flower care and corm storage for next year.
Discover the art of wildcrafting and enrich your diet with Missouri's edible spring greens like dandelions, lambsquarters, and watercress.
Discover the benefits of wildcrafting in Missouri, including plant identification tips and preparation methods for edible spring greens
COLUMBIA, Mo. – One way to spruce up a college dormitory room is to add plants, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Michele Warmund.
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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.
HANNIBAL, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension will hold a Specialty Crop Block Grant workshop 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12, in Hannibal
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Quality landscapes begin with quality topsoil.Topsoil is the top 3-10 inches of the soil. Most surface soils have higher organic matter content than subsoil, but not all surface soil is ideal for gardens or lawns, says Manjula Nathan, director of the University of Missouri Extension…
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The 2018 Great Plains Growers Conference, Jan. 11-13 in St. Joseph, will offer the first hops workshop in Missouri and Kansas. Hops are a hot new Midwest specialty crop.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Many landscapes have problem spots where nothing grows well or looks attractive, such as the area below a large tree with a dense leaf canopy.
Explore eerie plants like brain cactus and corpse flower with creepy names, smells, and looks perfect for Halloween. Discover the twisted side of nature.
MARYVILLE, Mo. – Twilight gardens delight the senses of sight and smell by adding another dimension to the gardening experience, says Gwen Funk, University of Missouri Extension horticulture specialist.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The flowering dogwood tree celebrates its 70th birthday as the Missouri state tree in 2025.
There is no better place to celebrate than Missouri’s Ozark woodlands from mid-April to early May when the dogwood is in bloom, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Few plants can boast colorful, long-lasting flowers and attractive foliage the remainder of the year, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
University of Missouri Extension is about to take some of the guesswork out of growing lavender in Missouri. The first of three lavender demonstration plots in the state was planted May 14 at the MU Extension center in Ste. Genevieve.
Enhance your garden's health by improving soil structure with organic matter like compost, manure, and peat moss for better plant growth and water retention.
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. – Homegrown herbs may earn their keep better than any other crop in the garden, says a University of Missouri Extension horticulture specialist.
ST. PETERS, Mo. – A high tunnel workshop will be held 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, at the University of Missouri Extension Center in St. Charles County, 260 Brown Road, St. Peters.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Some Missouri gardeners are finding a new type of flatworm in landscape soils.The hammerhead worm is a “voracious, top-level predator,” says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Kelly McGowan. “It will eat anything in its path,” she says. It primarily feeds on native…
COLUMBIA, Mo. - While poinsettias are the most popular blooming holiday plant, if you are looking for a plant that can bloom for many years to come, try a holiday cactus, said a University of Missouri horticulturist.
Some University of Missouri Extension horticulture specialists recently traveled to the Netherlands to experience the height of the tulip season. The specialists toured the vast Keukenhof botanical garden in Lisse, Netherlands, where about 7 million tulip bulbs are planted each year.