KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Registration remains open for the 21st annual Missouri Master Gardener State Conference, Sept. 16-18 in Kansas City, said University of Missouri Extension horticulture specialist David Trinklein.

Attendees can take one of several daylong guided tours, including Powell Gardens, a 916-acre horticultural showcase. Also featured are gardens designed to attract monarch butterflies, art in the garden, heirloom plant gardening and carnivorous plants. There will be ongoing tours of native-plant gardens and the Kauffman Memorial Garden.

Alan Branhagen, director of horticulture at Powell Gardens, will deliver the keynote address on “Native Plants of the Midwest: There’s No Place Like Home.”

Topics of breakout sessions include fall gardening, water gardening, new vegetables, floral bed design, shrubs, butterflies, fruits and herbs. There will also be sessions focusing on plant needs, vermicomposting, grapes and living longer with gardening.

A trade show will offer gardeners an opportunity to learn about new products, said Trinklein.

For the complete schedule, registration and other information, go to www.mggkcconf.com.

The event will be held at Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center, 18011 Bass Pro Drive, Independence, Mo.

The Missouri Master Gardener Program is an educational outreach effort of University of Missouri Extension. For more information, go to mg.missouri.edu.

Source: David Trinklein, 573-882-9631