(ed. note: I was out working in the garden a couple weekends ago, and wished I had a video camera to show how to prune hydrangeas, a common question we get all the time at the Answer Desk at Missouri Botanical Garden. Prune certain hydrangeas at the wrong time in the wrong way, and you won’t have any flowers
» Read more
By Ellen Barredo (This article was first published in the March 2006 issue of The Gateway Gardener.) My first experience with Oxalis occurred on the 25-minute walk to ele- mentary school. The sidewalk I traveled passed by many big, beautiful houses sur- rounded by gardens of all descriptions. Although these gardens were full of blooming flowers, the lawns were typically
» Read more
By Steven Cline, Ph.D. (This article was first published in the March 2007 issue of The Gateway Gardener.) Regardless of the theory explaining our mild winters, the trend is pretty clear – it’s warming up on average. The data are now shown in the new plant hardiness map issued by the Arbor Day Foundation challenging the old USDA map with
» Read moreBy Ellen Barredo (This article was first published in The Gateway Gardener January/February 2009 issue.) Historically, the craft of topiary found it origins in Roman times and it was very popular with the Victorians. Here is a simple step-by-step guide to creating your own heart-shaped topiary.
» Read moreBy Steffie Littlefield (This article was first published in The Gateway Gardener January/February 2008 issue) Let It Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!!!! When the weather outside is frightful, I still have my seeds, seed starting mix and fluorescent lights to keep me warm. The next best thing to gardening outside is gardening inside. I love to dream about
» Read moreBy Barbara Perry Lawton (This article first appeared in The Gateway Gardener January/February 2006 issue.) Many gardeners have never tried growing annuals, vegetables and even perennials from seed, believing the process too daunting a task. Yet there are some good arguments for starting your garden from seeds. Plant propagation from seeds is, to be sure, the most economical method. Often
» Read moreBy Skip Kincaid, Certified Arborist, Davey Tree Company (This article first appeared in The Gateway Gardener January/February 2006 issue.) It’s a question I am asked several times a week. “Do I really need to prune my tree? Don’t trees prune themselves?” The answers, of course, are a definite yes and a qualified yes. Trees that grow in mowed or manicured
» Read moreSeason-Extending Options for Every Budget (This article first appeared in The Gateway Gardener Jan/Feb. 2006 issue) Many gardeners welcome the respite from gardening chores that comes from the frosty days of winter, but if this is your season of discontent, there are many options available to minimize and even eliminate your gardening downtime. From simple, economic covers to budget-busting glass
» Read more