Hotline: 816.833.TREE (8733)

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  • Things you should know about MGGKC

    Master Gardeners of Greater Kansas City can help you learn to grow!

    Helping you learn to grow is more than a slogan for The Extension Master Gardeners of Greater Kansas City, it is our mission. This program is here to help new and experienced gardeners with research-based information on a variety of horticultural topics. Extension Master Gardeners (EMGs) receive extensive training by horticultural specialists. Every year, EMGs must be recertified, and take continuing education classes to ensure they stay up to date with the latest research-based horticultural information. We are called Extension Master Gardeners because we are a program of the University of Missouri Extension. Master Gardeners of Greater Kansas City (MGGKC) is a program chapter located in the Urban West Region for MU Extension. We serve our communities in Jackson, Clay, and Platte counties. For more information, please visit https://extension.missouri.edu/counties/urban-west-region.

    MGGKC offers our services to help gardeners find the research-based Information they need. Learn more about our chapter on our website, https://mggkc.org or by following our Facebook page at Master Gardeners of Greater Kansas City. Here are some of the ways we can help you learn to grow.

    Did you know we have a Gardening Hotline to answer your gardening questions? EMG volunteers can take your questions at https://mggkc.hotline@gmail.com or our 24-hour voicemail line at 816-833-TREE (8733.) Do not be surprised if a volunteer requests more information or photos of the plant or garden pest in question. We do this to provide the best research-based answers and recommendations possible. Volunteers enjoy working on the MGGKC Gardening Hotline because they learn to grow too as they research and answer questions.

    Have you visited one of our community project gardens? EMGs work in demonstration and partnership gardens throughout Jackson, Clay, and Platte counties. Feel free to take a tour, ask an EMG your gardening questions, or help us in the garden. We love to talk about plants, share our research-based information, and help our communities learn to grow. For a full list and description of our garden projects please visit our website at https://mggkc.org/our-projects/community-projects/.

    Do you like watching videos about gardening? Our chapter has a YouTube series called Tuesday Tips. These videos cover topics from winterizing garden tools to container gardening. There is also a series called Kids Ask Dr. Bug, where children can learn about insects in the garden. These videos can be found listed here at https://www.mggkc.org/public-education/advanced-education/how-to-videos/.

    Extension Master Gardeners can help you learn to grow through a variety of public outreach activities. We are out in the community offering hands-on clinics and classes. Last year, Blooming Blue Springs, an MGGKC group, hosted a hands-on clinic on building a raised garden bed, as well as three other classes. Activities like these are posted on our MGGKC Facebook page, MGGKC website, and community calendars. You can find our education table, and children’s programs at community events like farmer’s markets, fairs, and festivals. We also have a Speakers Bureau that is available to speak to garden clubs, plant societies, adult education programs, and community groups. For more information on Speaker Bureau topics visit https://www.mggkc.org/public-education/speakers-bureau/.

    We are looking forward to a successful year of helping you learn to grow. We have an exciting kick-off event for 2024. Join us on February 15 for our MGGKC Gardeners Gathering. Mandy Tizon, a plant inspector from the Missouri Department of Agriculture will be presenting “Safeguarding Greenery: Insights from a State Plant Inspector.” In this presentation, you will learn how to identify plant diseases and pests lurking in nursery stock. Get insider tips on how to pick healthy nursery plants and keep your garden safe from unwanted trouble. All area gardeners are invited free of charge.  Please let us know you will be attending by registering at https://extension.missouri.edu/events/safeguarding-greenery-insights-from-a-state-plant-inspector.

    We at MGGKC would love to meet you at our community projects, outreach events, through our website/social media, or The Gardeners Gathering. It is our pleasure to share our research-based gardening information and help you learn to grow. Also keep in mind, MGGKC is always looking for gardeners to join our program. If you are interested in helping others learn to grow, find more information at https://www.mggkc.org/about-us/become-a-master-gardener/. Hope to see you often in the coming year!

  • Blue Springs Museum Garden

    ​Blue Springs Historical Society’s Garden Blooms 12/7/2023 0 Comments By Extension Master Gardener (EMG) volunteers, Joanie Shover, Michele Cole, Sherri Carter, and MU Extension Horticulture Instructor Cathy Bylinowski, bylinowskic@missouri.edu​The Blue Springs Historical Society Museum is where history lives in the...

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  • A Glimpse of EMGs working with children

    Garden Glimpses-The Children’s Program What could you do with an empty two-liter bottle, some leaves, leftover veggies, and grass clippings? If you volunteered with The Children’s Program of MGGKC you could teach grade school children how to do composting during...

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  • What are EMGs doing at the Blue Springs Historical Museum?

    Blue Springs Historical Society -Blooming Blue Springs The Blue Springs Historical Society partnered with Master Gardeners of Greater Kansas City in 2019 to create Blooming Blue Springs Garden Team.  If you have walked by the museum lately, you might have...

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  • Drought and our Trees

    This is valuable information from Purdue Extension about our beloved trees in our landscapes. "Water is the most limiting ecological resource for a tree, and without adequate moisture, decline and death are imminent. " Drought? Don't forget the trees!  

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  • April Gardening

    Spring is here. If you are interested in gardening outdoors, now is the time to start. Cool Season Vegetables, those that thrive in cooler temperatures can be sown into moist, crumbly garden soil now. Follow the planting information on the...

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  • Tall, Dark & Bearded–Iris Culture

    Learn how to grow beautiful irises at our Annual Spring Gardening Seminar!! This presentation will cover types of irises both tall bearded and spuria. Learn about iris culture with emphasis on the best site selection and preparation, planting, culture, and...

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  • Orchids and Succulents: Rare and Unusual

    Join us on March 14th, 2020 at the Annual Spring Gardening Seminar and learn how to grow lady slipper orchids plus maintain and grow a succulent plant, and which type of potting medium to use for each. Learn about new...

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  • Native Landscapes for Small Spaces

      Join us for our 19th Annual Spring Gardening Seminar to find out why native plantings are so important, especially in urban spaces, and how to pick the right "must-have" native plants for your small space. Environmentally friendly native-plant maintenance...

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  • Learn about Mushrooms in the Midwest

    Join us for our 19th Annual Spring Gardening Seminar to learn how to handle mushroom specimens and learn about common mushrooms in the Midwest, from edibles and their toxic lookalikes to common "yard" mushrooms. Learn the basics of mushroom ecology...

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  • Want to Grow Grapes in Missouri?

      Learn how to establish a vineyard, train vines, manage birds, harvest the crop, and pruning tips at the Annual Spring Gardening Seminar, March 14th.  Home gardeners will also learn how to use good crop management to produce a quality...

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University of Missouri Extension Master Gardener Program