Organic gardeners know that a diverse mix of plants makes for a healthy and beautiful garden. Many believe that certain plant combinations have extraordinary (even mysterious) powers to help each ...more

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MT. VERNON, MO Individuals that would like to grow fresh produce and vegetables but dont have the space to establish a garden should take advance of the community garden plots being made available ...more

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A new invasive exotic, heavenly bamboo, pictured, (Nandina domestica) has been observed naturalizing in the Springfield, Missouri area. It already is widespread in Arkansas and other southern ...more

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This is a section of the branch of an Eastern Redbud tree (Cercis canadensis). Distributed widely in Missouri and attractive when planted against the backdrop of evergreens, it is a suggested ...more

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If you are a fan of "Godfather" movies, you should recognize this as the movie set home of Vito Corleone. Produced in 1972 the blockbuster crime film, The Godfather was awarded three Oscars ...more

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The living room area of Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow's former apartment has access to a terrace overlooking New York City. Reportedly, friend Sammy Davis Jr. enjoyed dropping champagne glasses from ...more

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EVERGREEN BAGWORM Right now in May is a good time to take action to control bagworms according to Patrick Byers, horticulture specialist with University of Missouri Extension. Bagworms are the ...more

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The size of a red clover mite is measured against the size of a penny. In numbers these mites may leave stains on the inside walls and window coverings of structures. (Photo credit: Whitney ...more

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The City of Joplins Joplin Homebuyers Assistance Program (J-HAP) program officially reached the $1 million level of financial assistance for local homebuyers the week of March 17, 2014,, offering ...more

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by David L. Burton Consumers cant see the food inside many packages they buy at the grocery store. That makes it hard to know if the food is fresh. Except for infant formula and some baby food, ...more

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With all of the snow and fluctuating temperatures this winter, some homeowners may find unwanted icicles hanging from their roof. If so, there are probably ice dams building up and those can cause ...more

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WALTON PROPERTY FOR SALE Christy Walton, the daughter-in-law of Walmart founder, Sam Walton, appears to be the wealthiest woman in the world worth an estimated $35.4 billion, $15.7 billion she ...more

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Economic Security Corporation of Southwest Missouri (ESC) is preparing a series of meetings designed to assist our community with winter preparations. These meetings will provide education to area ...more

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For those novices who are interested in planting a vegetable garden and don't know where to start the MU Extension offers a "Vegetable Planting Calendar" edited by Lewis W. Jett of the Missouri ...more

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George Washington really did sleep here at his Mount Vernon estate, along with wife Martha. He also died in bed here from a throat infection that his doctors diagnosed as quinsy. The distraught wife ...more

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University of Missouri Extension will hold Master Gardener classes on Mondays and Thursdays from February 26 (first class is a Tuesday) to April 1, 2013, at the University of Missouri Extension ...more

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by John Hobbs At every turn we are seeing and hearing about how the drought of 2012 is causing economic distress by devastating crop yields, threatening forest fires and generally wreaking havoc ...more

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Death knell to Colorado blue spruce in the Ozarks? Conifers are a lovely part of the landscape and provide year-round interest. However, it is important to select the types of conifers you plant ...more

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With the seemingly interminable sunshine and consequent high temperatures consuming our area and much of the U.S., this bit of advice comes in handy for coping with the heat. by Steve ...more

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Would you like to have George and Laura Bush as your neighbor? Take a look at a home that is just down the street from President Bush's Dallas home. For $1,060.000 you can buy this beautiful ...more

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SPRINGFIELD - This is the time of year when you might find your trees and shrubs under attack from the eastern tent caterpillar, a native defoliator, according to Patrick Byers, horticulture ...more

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The Christmas cactus is a popular holiday gift plant. But this plant is also the subject of frequent debate among gardeners with regard to care, maintenance and how to get them to ...more

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WASHINGTON The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently recognized the leading builders across the nation who already have committed to meeting the updated and more rigorous requirements ...more

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Handling the day to day operations in the construction of Pensmore, a 72,000 S/F residence in Highlandville, MO is the owner's brother, Joe Huff of Huff Construction, Inc. of Ozark. The crew required ...more

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As the Joplin area continues to recover from the May 22, 2011 tornado, EPA Region 7 recommends children and pregnant women keep away from work that could disturb lead-based paint. The Agency also ...more

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This is a new invasive weed in the neighborhood that spreads by stolons and forms thick carpets from farms to city gardens up to a foot tall. Like many weeds, creeping buttercup's competitive ...more

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Recent devastating tornadoes are causing many area residents to take a closer look at their vulnerability to nature's wrath and making better preparations to survive future storms. According to ...more

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SPRINGFIELD - After recent storms caused roof damage to many homes in the Ozarks, one MU Extension specialist is on a mission to encourage more builders to use "hurricane ties." "When used in the ...more

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Veneered brick crumble from the thin plywood backing during the tornado that hit this apartment complex in Joplin Tampa, FL - As attention turns toward recovery and rebuilding in areas devastated ...more

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COLORADO BLUE SPRUCE Spruces of various species are popular landscape trees in southwest Missouri, according to Patrick Byers, a horticulture specialist with University of Missouri Extension. ...more

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Remember Audrey? That was the name given to the stinky, but fascinating, tropical corpse plant that drew thousands of Springfield area residents to last years Lawn and Garden Show at the Ozark ...more

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Just as salts cause vehicles to corrode, it can also create problems for landscape is the warning of Patrick Byers, a horticulture specialist with University of Missouri Extension. Often when ...more

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A Springfield chapter of the Missouri Mycological Society is being formed--from the ground up. For those who don't know, "mycology" (from the Greek μύκης, mukēs) is a ...more

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Are you considering buying a new clothes washer in the near future? If the answer is yes, there are many decisions to be made prior to the purchase. There are three different types of machines ...more

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RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (Photo by Ted Schroder) Ithaca, NYAs oil washes ashore along the Gulf Coast, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is asking birders to keep an eye on nesting birdsnot just near ...more

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Icicles hanging from a roof is an unwelcome sign, according to Bob Schultheis. The natural resource engineering specialist at the University of Missouri Extension sees them as a sign that ice dams ...more

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Is your holiday cheer distressed by money concerns? Wear green, the color of love, to enhance peace within yourself and encourage patience with others is the advice offered by author/interior ...more

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Many families already have a favorite method of preparing their Thanksgiving turkey to perfection. But something that is gaining in popularity, according to Tammy Roberts, a nutrition and health ...more

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To add a bit of color to the dull days of winter plant lovers might consider starting a process known as "forcing bulbs" this fall. According to Patrick Byers, a horticulture specialist with ...more

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Master Gardener Candy Clark's love affair with wildflowers began when she and her husband moved to the Ozarks in December of 2003, from Amarillo, TX. "The area we moved into had not been heavily ...more

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After several years of visually surveying for this small invasive insect, the emerald ash borer (EAB), pictured right, has officially been found in Missouri. First found in Michigan and Windsor, ...more

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The American Water Works Association has a nifty calculator that comes with information to easily figure how much water is being lost through a leaking faucet or running toilet, etc. According to ...more

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What are the odds of seeing fire ants in Southwest Missouri? This question has been pondered by Ed Browning, a natural resource engineering specialist with the University of Missouri Extension. ...more

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If I get rid of the moles in my yard, what about the moles in my neighbors' yard?? Moles are a solitary and a very territorial animal. If your neighbors moved out of their house, you wouldn't ...more

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These asparagus tips were droopy. They've sat too long in the fridge unprotected. But they were eaten anyway, and no complaints were heard. (Staff photo) When purchasing fresh asparagus, Tammy ...more

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The Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) and the federal government are making it easier and more affordable for prospective homebuyers to make the leap into home ownership. Together, MHDC ...more

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How many readers know that the only legal way to purchase or sell firewood is by the cord or part of a cord? Those who use a pickup load or rick (defined as simply a "pile") as measurements are not ...more

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Small holes in trees may be created by many things. It could be a place where a branch broke off, where a nail was driven and pulled, or even the dreaded "borers." While all these are possible, ...more

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Take a drive around most southwest Missouri towns in the spring and you will see that chickweed has invaded many gardens, flower beds and yards. Homeowners complain more about chickweed every ...more

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Two scourges of many Missouri yards are Bermuda grass and bagworms. They send many homeowners in search of quick and easy methods of killing them. In the case of Bermuda grass, many homeowners are ...more

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Amateur bakers of all ages are invited to enter an inaugural contest sponsored by Melanie Blunt. The First Lady's Pie Contest will be held August 14, 2008 at the Home Economics Building on the ...more

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After hearing about the devastation caused by tornadoes and other severe natural disasters people who have been fortunate enough not to have been involved in them should take an opportunity to record ...more

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What put Salina, KS in the news in 2005 wasn't a tornado nor a pedophile but a pragmatic use of space that in today's worsening economic climate would help put food on the table. Starting in what ...more

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One of the best methods of edible landscaping is to incorporate food producing plants right in with other landscaping in an aesthetically pleasing arrangement. That's the advice of Mark Bernskoetter, ...more

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A little bit of mold on a loaf of bread or on the top of a container of cream cheese can not be easily cut away and discarded, according to Tammy Roberts, a nutrition specialist with University of ...more

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Venison is the choice for the main course in many households this time of year. And from a nutritional perspective, it is a great choice according to Tammy Roberts, nutrition and health education ...more

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The bleach approach to getting rid of mold or mildew on household surfaces can be difficult to control, according to advice from Jeff Barber of Springfield, MO, a housing and environmental design ...more

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Creeping Red Woodsorrel or Oxalis corniculata is one of the plants listed in the online Weed I.D. Guide maintained by the Science Program of the University of Missouri-Columbia. The University ...more

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Generators have been selling fast in southwest Missouri over the last several weeks. The interest has been driven by wide-spread power outages created by the great ice storm of 2007. However, ...more

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by Dr. Stephen L. Timme Is it a cactus or not? Occasionally, some of the chain stores (I won’t mention any names but one of them might have the acronym WM) will sell a species of ...more

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Two fairly common perennial species found in southwest Missouri and southeast Kansas are members of the bellflower family (Campanulaceae) – the Cardinal Flowers, in the genus Lobelia. The ...more

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Rainfall, followed by a few days of warm temperatures, will usually bring out a few mushrooms. According to Jay Chism, agronomy specialist, University of Missouri Extension, mushrooms may be ...more

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A Master Gardener helpline sponsored by the University of Missouri Extension has been set up to provide answers for lawn or garden questions. It will be manned on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from ...more

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This ornamental willow does not fall in the shade tree category. Situated on the northwest side of the house, it has been uprooted by four major wind storms. The last time it was righted through the ...more

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Many Missouri lawns will be showing signs of the disease brown patch this summer according to Gaylord Moore, horticulture specialist, University of Missouri Extension. General symptoms appear as ...more

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Putting chewing gum in the mole runs is one method of ridding one's property of this pesky animal, according to Gaylord Moore, horticulture specialist for the University of Missouri Extension, but ...more

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Some houseplants have specific needs that require constant care and attention. But thankfully, there are some other plants that have a wider range of adaptability, and can survive where many others ...more

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Poison ivy grows in all of Missouri’s counties and it is well adapted to any soil condition. As a result, poison ivy can be found along streams, rock ledges, wooded slopes, fencerows, gardens, ...more

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Cooler temperatures make this the perfect time to test your home for harmful radon gas according to Bob Schultheis, natural resources engineering specialist, University of Missouri Outreach and ...more

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Wood ashes left behind after burning in wood stoves, furnaces, and fireplaces -- some of the most common home heating systems in the Ozarks -- can benefit plants and gardens if used sparingly.  ...more

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More than 500 people die each year in their homes from carbon monoxide(CO) poisoning, according to a local extension specialist. A small number, you say? Research suggests many more may be getting ...more

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Growing fresh herbs in a pot or in plant beds can be an easy way to liven up meals according to Pat Miller, agronomy specialist from Nevada, MO. In the gardens of American pioneers, herbs were the ...more

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The devastating tornadoes that hit southwest Missouri recently have caused many area residents to think about making better preparations for surviving future storms. According to Bob Schultheis, ...more

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Clear Japanese Soup 1½ qt Chicken Broth 1/3 cup Dry Sherry 4½ tsp Soy Sauce 1 Thinly Sliced Lemon 6 Sliced Fresh Mushrooms 2 Green Onions And Tops Sliced Diagonally 1 ...more

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