Help for the Home Gardener

Visit the Center for Home Gardening! 

The Center for Home Gardening building is now open to the public! Get your gardening questions answered by our expert staff and Master Gardener volunteers at the Plant Doctor Desk, or check out our houseplant display and other home gardening resources! Be sure to also take a stroll through our 23 outdoor demonstration gardens, which includes a vegetable and fruit garden, cut flower garden, experimental garden, and a newly renovated native prairie garden. 

Plant Doctor Desk (Walk-In)
Hours: Tuesday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Horticulture Answer Service (Phone & E-mail)
Hours: Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Phone #: 314-577-5143
E-mail: plantinformation@mobot.org

Phalaenopsis Sogo Yukidian 'V3'

Cattleya Grodske's Gold

Cymbidum Ruby Pendant

Paphiopedilum Charjan
 

February Home Gardening Resources

Orchid Care

• Cattleya Care (Corsage Orchid)
• Paphiopedilum Care (Lady's Slipper Orchid)
• Phalaenopsis Care (Moth Orchid)
• General Orchid Care

• Orchids Native to Missouri
• Plant Profile: Phalaenopsis Orchids
• Top Tips for Houseplant Care
• Garden Weather Station Turns 10

What's In Bloom

February Gardening Tips

• Winter aconite (Eranthis spp.) and snowdrops (Galanthus spp.) are hardy bulbs for shady gardens that bloom in early February.
   
• Inspect summer bulbs in storage to be sure none are drying out. Discard any that show signs of rot. 
   
• Enjoy the fragrant blooms of Ozark witch hazel (Hamamelis vernalis) in shrub borders or wooded areas on warm sunny days.
   
• Run a germination test on seeds stored from previous years to see if they will still sprout. 
   
• Now is a good time to learn to identify trees by their winter twigs and buds. 
   
• Branches of pussy willow, quince, crabapple, forsythia and flowering cherry may be forced indoors. Place cut stems in a vase of water and change water every 4 days. 

Plastic Pot Recycling Update 2022

We regret to report that the Plastic Pot Recycling program has been cancelled. Garden centers that have had pot recycling collection trailers in the past are no longer accepting garden plastics. Please see the Plastic Pot Recycling: Update and Perspective blog entry for more information about the program's cancellation. Additional questions about pot recycling can be submitted to the Green Resources Info Service at greenresources@mobot.org.