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.

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Easter lily used for spring decorations can provide beauty and fragrance for another season.

COLUMBIA, Mo.

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.

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Among indoor flowering plants, few match amaryllis in grandeur, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.

COLUMBIA, Mo. – April is National Gardening Month and a good time plant a garden, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. For those who lacked the motivation in the past to garden, consider the following benefits of this popular pastime.

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.

COLUMBIA, Mo.– The long, harsh winter coupled with last fal

COLUMBIA, Mo.

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. – In the 1800s, peonies were one of the few flowers in bloom in late May. After the Civil War, mourners used peonies to adorn the graves of fallen soldiers on Decoration Day, which we now call Memorial Day.

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.

MARBLE HILL, Mo.

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. – While new flowering species are introduced on a fairly regular basis, very few have supplanted longtime garden favorites such as geraniums and petunias, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. An exception is calibrachoa, or “callie” for short.

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Not all topsoil is created equal.