How the Cold Weather is Affecting Indoor Plants. Why should indoor plants be affected by the cold?  Temperatures are moderated in our homes, near 70 degrees.  How can that be? Drought in the House – Here is an observation made by Carol Ellinger on the results of hard-working heat furnaces: “I was gone from home one […]

Every so often you hear of one, an heirloom….a plant that has been around for years, maybe in the family for generations.  One such Christmas Cactus sits in Dennis Jordan and Kay Flannagan’s living room in Osage County, blooming reliably every Christmas. This plant pictured here is a piece off the Christmas Cactus grown by Dennis’ Aunt […]

Here in central Missouri , we went from one of the warmest Novembers on record to drastically cold weather by the end of December.  Plus, we are very, very dry.  How is this going to affect our trees, shrubs, and perennials? Trunk Damage – If you stand outside, and all is quiet, you can hear bark popping […]

Winter is the season where holly shows off its best, beautiful berries and shiny evergreen foliage.  And yet, winter can also be holly’s most challenging season. Here are the 6 steps to growing healthy holly plants and ensuring good berry set: Holly is sensitive to strong winter winds and varying temperatures.  Plant Holly where it will have the least […]