The Gateway Gardener October 2020

Gateway Gardener

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OCTOBER 2020

15ars!

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Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes

It’s Apple Time!

New Varieties to Enjoy

Growing Edibles Indoors Variety of Native Plant Roots Beautiful Beets!

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The Gateway Gardener™

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The Gateway Gardener™ OCTOBER 2020

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Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes

OCTOBER 2020

Volume 16, Number 6

Founded in 2005 by Joyce Bruno & Robert Weaver Publisher and Editor Robert Weaver Columnists Diane Brueckman Rosey Acres Abby Lapides Sugar Creek Gardens Steffie Littlefield Edg-Clif Winery Jennifer Schamber Greenscape Gardens Scott Woodbury Shaw Nature Reserve

Printing: Breese Publishing, Breese, IL The Gateway Gardener® is published 9 times/year by Double Dig Communications, Inc. to promote enjoyable, successful gardening and livable landscapes in the St. Louis greater metropolitan area. The magazine is distributed free to the public at designated garden centers, nurseries, garden gift shops, lawn equipment rental, repair and sales establishments, and other locations supporting sound gardening, lawn and landscaping practices.

Please send letters-to-the-editor, questions, event announcements, editorial suggestions and contributions, photos, advertising inquiries and materials, and any other correspondence to: The Gateway Gardener Magazine® PO Box 220853 St. Louis, MO 63122 Phone: (314) 968-3740

info@gatewaygardener.com www.gatewaygardener.com

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OCTOBER 2020

From the Editor

F

all is harvest season, and especially since many of us have spent much of 2020 noshing, it’s fitting and perhaps helpful that this issue features several articles on edibles we can grow ourselves or at least find in the local farmers markets and supermarket produce sections at this time.

And, let’s face it— they’re all probably more healthful than the Gateway Gardener grandchildren other choices we’ve been Lucas (left) and Thomas enjoy a fall day making! gathering and eating apples at Eckert’s Lisa Weaver

Gateway Gardener THE

While the harvest season means the end of growing edibles outdoors, it doesn’t mean you have to give up on fresh produce.

On page 4, Abby Lapides suggests a number of plants we can grow indoors that will continue to provide fresh, home-grown fruits, vegetables and leafy herbs all year long.

Is it too early to make a New Year’s resolution?

If not, I may start by pledging to snack more healthfully going Orchards in Belleville, IL. forward with fresh First up—Apples. Sure we vegetables, fruits and can get apples year round restricted to member growers herbs from the gardens, at the grocers, just like we of the Midwest Apple indoors and out! But first, can get those hard, tasteless Improvement Association some of those apples would tomatoes year round. But, (MAIA). be mighty tasty in crispy as with tomatoes, apples just taste better in season.

One thing we can ALL grow hot Apple Betty with a big Recently, the University at home is beets. And is there dollop of regionally sourced of Missouri Department a more versatile veggie? Not Ted Drewes’ on top! of Plant Sciences sent out only can you eat the leaves Good Gardening! a newsletter alerting us to and roots, but there are so several new varieties we many ways to prepare them. might find at the market this Steffie Littlefield walks year. Check them out on you through how to grow page 12, including a couple them and the many ways to varieties you can grow at prepare them on page 6. home (the other trees are

On the Cover...

Fall Harvest Season is Apple Season!

Enjoy some new entries into the already abuntant choice of varieties.

Read more about them on page 12. (photo by zoomteam, 123rf.com)

The Gateway Gardener™

IN THIS ISSUE 4 Growing Edibles Indoors 6 Beautiful Beets!

8 Winter Rose Protection 10 Native Plant Roots 12 It’s Apple Time 14 Dig This 15 Upcoming Events

3

It’s Not too Late!

Growing Edibles Indoors in Winter

by Abby Lapides

I

like. When using grow lights I recommend putting them on a timer so your babies get the correct amount of light without having to remember to turn them on and off.

t’s always a sad day when we have to cut down our hard-working tomato and pepper plants at the end of the growing season. But what if we could extend that season throughout the whole year? While we won’t get the production out of plants grown on window ledges in winter as we would in our outdoor garden, we can still have a veggie and herb garden to harvest from in the fall and winter months. And, yes that includes tomatoes too!

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Picking fresh lettuce to make a salad or to add to a sandwich is a real luxury. Once winter comes this luxury doesn’t have to go away, try planting a small crop to harvest. In fact, many leafy greens will grow indoors including kale and swiss chard.

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Adding a handful of fresh herbs to your dish will jump it up to the next rung on the flavor ladder. Basil, chives, rosemary, parsley and mint can thrive in a sunny windowsill year round.

Most herbs have the same water and light requirements and are happy planted together. Make Tomato Most edible plants need at least sure your container is well drained and that the plants are 6 hours of sunlight to grow ‘Siam’ not sitting in standing water. and produce. A south-facing Herbs don’t like wet feet and window should be sufficient for your plants to receive enough sunlight. If you don’t have a spot actually prefer soils on the drier side. The only exception to this is that will receive enough sunlight, try using grow lights. Grows basil, which can be a water hog. lights will give you the freedom to indoor garden wherever you’d Basil may need to be watered daily, depending on the size of the plant and container.

The holy grail of all edibles is tomatoes. There is nothing better, in my opinion, than eating a ripe tomato fresh from the garden.

Once you have a home-grown tomato, the store bought ones pale in comparison. Over the last few year new tomato varieties have been developed to keep them teeny tiny, but to also produce abundant great tasting tomatoes. ‘Siam’ is a perfect windowsill tomato as it only gets 10 inches tall and produces deliciously sweet, cherrysized fruit.

Also, since most of us don’t have bees buzzing around our houses we may need to help fruiting plants along with pollination. While the breeze from your fan or a light shake of the plant may be Improved sufficient to pollinate tomatoes, vibrating the flowers with an Meyer Lemon electric toothbrush will give the best results. Citrus may need You’ll want to harvest these leafy greens at about 4” in height to some more hands-on help with a enjoy them at their most tender stage, and to make sure they don’t small paintbrush. Be the bee! get too large in the house. If you don’t take too much you can enjoy Taking a few hours of one day multiple harvests off your plants. The general rule is to only take to plant a few herbs and veggies about one third of any crop at a time to keep them producing. will bring you delicious rewards Sweet Basil Lemon, lime and other citrus trees are choice houseplants for bright all winter. spots. On top of producing fresh fruit, their delightfully scented flowers will perfume your home. While there are dwarf varieties, usually these trees will grow pretty large, however, they can easily be trimmed to manage their size. They can be pruned anytime, so long as they’re not producing flowers or fruit. I like doing it right after bringing them outdoors in late spring or early summer.

Ball Seed

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Choice fertilizers for indoor plantings are organic liquid or synthetic granular. I don’t care to use organic granular fertilizers indoors because, frankly, usually they stink. It’s also a good idea to have some air circulation in the area; a fan on low is usually sufficient and does not need to be on all day.

Abby Lapides is owner and a speaker at Sugar Creek Gardens Nursery. She has degrees from the University of Missouri, and is a member of the Landscape and Nursery Association of Greater St. Louis.

You can reach her at (314) 965-3070.

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5

The Cornucopia Corner

Tips for Growing, Buying and Cooking Fresh, Locally Sourced Food for Your Table

Beautiful Beets!

Text and Photo by Steffie Littlefield

B

eetroots, commonly known as beets, are a popular root vegetable used in many cuisines around the world. Beets are packed with essential vitamins, minerals and plant compounds, some of which have medicinal properties. Some beets are grown as a green leafy vegetable.

Beets are one of the easiest vegetables you can grow.

They’re almost never troubled by pests or disease. They don’t need staking, pruning or fussing. In our clay and rocky soils it is best to grow root vegetables in raised beds. Beets should be planted from seed, directly into the garden. Each beet seed is actually a hard little cluster of 2 to 4 seeds. It takes several days or even a week for the outer seed coat to soften and allow the seeds inside to germinate. My process is to soak the seed over a night or two in water before I sow.

It’s important to keep the soil consistently moist during this period. Then once the seeds have germinated, you will need Steffie Littlefield is a St Louis area horticulturist and garden designer. She has degrees from St. Louis Community College at Meramec and Southeast Missouri State and is a member of Gateway Professional Horticultural Association, Missouri Botanical Garden Members Board and past president of the Horticulture Co-op of Metropolitan St. Louis. She is part-owner of Edg-Clif Winery, Potosi, MO. www.Edg-Clif.com.

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The Gateway Gardener™ OCTOBER 2020

to thin out (and eat!) some of the extra seedlings. Ideally skin from the beets with your hands and slice or dice to your you’ll wind up with about 9 plants per square foot. preferred sizes.

Like most vegetables, beets prefer growing in full sun and they like to get about 1” of water each week. Beets are cold tolerant, so they can be planted in early spring, several weeks before the last frost date or in fall where you can protect them from snow and ice for harvesting all winter. Another trick to keep the soil consistently moist during germination and to protect the plants from harse fall-winter weather, is to cover the area with row a cover until the seedlings break the soil surface and become sturdy plants.

Steamed Beets. While I am not a big fan of steaming beets, you can certainly do that as well. You would steam beets by slicing them first and then placing them in the steamer basket over boiling water. Steam for 15 to 20 minutes until tender.

Beets can be harvested at any time. For baby beets, harvest when the root is no more than 1 or 2 inches in diameter.

Cook the leaves for the savory greens as well as the roots — all parts of the plant are delicious. If you want the most food for the garden space, wait until the root has filled out to several inches in diameter. Depending on the variety, most beets will still be tender and flavorful, even when the root measures 4 or 5 inches.

Pickling Beets. Boil then simmer your beets for 45 minutes on reduced heat. Drain and rinse in cold water, rub off skins, thinly slice beets or cube them and pack into pint jars. Boil vinegar and sugar in a small YOUR TREES DESERVE THE BEST CARE saucepan and stir in salt, peppercorns and bay leaves and pour over beets cover and chill.

Beets, along with other root vegetables, have been used for centuries in food and drink recipes. Originally cultivated in Germany and Italy, beets have become important to European, Middle Eastern and Asian cuisines. From the Middle Ages, beetroot was used as a treatment for a variety of conditions, especially illnesses relating to digestion and the blood. Packed with antioxidants, folic acid, potassium and fiber, they can provide many nutritional benefits, particularly when eaten regularly. These earthy vegetables are powerful liver cleansers and are currently being studied as a potential weapon in the fight against cancer. These amazing bulblike roots can be red, pink, striped red, gold or white. I love leaving some beets in the ground until Thanksgiving week and harvesting as a truly fresh-from-the-garden side dish!

Roasting Beets. I usually set my oven to 375 degrees F. and drizzle my beet wedges with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

After I spread beets on the cooking sheet, I roast them for 45 to 60 minutes or until fork tender.

Once you cook and peel your beets, you can add them to fresh salads or warm them up with butter as a side dish.

Sprinkle them with sea salt and drizzle with olive oil and you can eat them as a snack!

You will never go back to canned beets ever again!

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Winter Protection

by Diane Brueckman

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123rf.com

October is the time to t’s that time again! stop deadheading. Pluck Our roses need to the petals off the rose to go to sleep for the winter. Modern roses keep the plant looking neat but leave the ovaries are bred to be bloom to become rose hips. machines, so it is up to Forming rose hips will tell us to protect them from the plant it has done its themselves.

Mother Nature does her part with job by producing seed. the shorter day length Keeping your roses well and colder temperatures. hydrated going into Now is the time for winter is very important. rosarians to do their jobs.

You don’t want roses to be In September, we stopped under stress because of a fertilizing the roses with lack of moisture. The one quick release nitrogen inch of water a week rule and we slowed down is sufficient in fall. Roses deadheading. It is OK to are not growing as much remove dead and diseased canes from your roses but and the heat is not as intense. do not cut back canes to shape the plant.

It is important to keep up with disease control so the roses go into winter as healthy as possible. When temperatures drop and humidity is still present botrytis blight and powdery mildew are likely diseases. Botrytis blight is very unsightly and hard to miss seeing. The THE GARDEN infected blooms are covered with a brown mold, which are the spores. The “cure” is cutting the infected IS CALLING. stems off and discarding them. Powdery mildew is a white coating on the buds and new growth at the top of the plant. As for powdery mildew, neem oil is very effective, again cut off the infected stems and discard.

Good housekeeping in the garden goes a long way to preventing disease. Removing diseased leaves from the ground takes all those overwintering spores away.

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Late October and early November is when we can expect a killing frost. Roses will stop growing when the soil gets cool. This is when I start cutting back my roses.

Some say not to cut back until spring but I have always cut back in fall. I take out spindly canes and crossing canes because it makes it easier to cover the roses when the ground has frost in it. I also strip all the leaves from my plants. On a warm day with temperatures in the mid-forties, I spray with horticultural oil or neem oil. If I use a light horticultural oil I will add insecticidal soap.

Neem oil is an insecticide so insecticidal soap is not necessary. Cane borers over winter in the cane to chew their way out in spring as a mature sawfly to start the cycle all over again. While you cut back the roses look The Gateway Gardener™ OCTOBER 2020

for holes in the canes. Cut the canes back to solid pith and you will eliminate some borer damage.

After several heavy frosts it is time to cover the roses.

If the ground is frozen all the better. The purpose of covering the roses is to prevent the freeze thaw cycle, which happens all too often in St. Louis, from forcing early bud break. When the temperatures are in the 60s the ground heats up and the buds start to break on the canes. If this happens the roses can be weakened and die. Cover the roses with 8 to 10 inches of mulch.

The double ground hardwood mulch is very effective and usually stays put all winter. Other mulches would be compost or shredded leaves. Both of these mulches need to be checked periodically. They may compact or be blown off the plants and need to be replenished during the winter.

Remember do not uncover until the danger of frost is past. See you in the spring!

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City, State & Zip: Diane Brueckman is a retired rosarian with Missouri Botanical Garden, and currently owns Rosey Acres in Baldwin, Illinois. You can reach her at (618) 785-3011 or droseyacres@ egyptian.net.

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Naturally Natives Native Plant Roots Come in all Shapes, Sizes and Depths

by Scott Woodbury

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that shoots straight down as far as it can go (e.g., prairie dock and compass plant).

Plants on earth have evolved and adapted to grow in almost every environment and soil type.

To do this, they have diverse root anatomies. Some roots are fine, dense, and shallow (sedges and azalea, for instance), others are coarse—like jump ropes— spreading out wide (like wild indigo and redbud), and yet others grow like a carrot, with a trunk

A total of 289 plant species have been recorded at the Missouri Prairie Foundation’s 160-acre, original, unplowed Penn-Sylvania Prairie in Dade County, MO. In July 2018, botanists identified 46 native species in a 20 x 20 inch frame, setting a new world record for plant richness at this scale. soybean crops in the world.

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A more accurate way to look at native plant roots (or for that matter, roots of plants anywhere) would be to think of each species as being vertically and horizontally territorial underground. For example, there are many species living closely together in ancient remnant tallgrass prairies (miraculously some still exist).

For example, the Missouri Prairie Foundation’s Penn-Sylvania Prairie holds the world record for plant diversity on a fine scale, with 46 native species documented within a 20 by 20 inch frame.

Shaw Nature Reserve

Leaf Your Worries Behind

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I think the misconception that native plants have deep roots stems from studies that came out of the tallgrass prairie region where plant roots were excavated to a depth of 10 feet or more. In many areas of the Midwest, prairie soil is very deep, the result of ten thousand years of plant growth cycles, where roots expanded during periods of optimal growth and died back slightly during periods of flood or drought. These cycles distributed organic matter (compost) deep in the soil column, generating rich, fertile soils throughout the heart of the tallgrass prairie region.

Today it grows the richest corn and

Bruce Schuette

o say that native plants have deep roots is like saying all Italians are great cooks, all goldfish are gold, and all cats are white with black spots. These statements are sometimes true, but definitely not always.

One reason that they can live so close together is that each species is vertically segregated.

Some species grow deep (culThe root of a 15-year-old ver’s root and leadplant); some compass plant (Silphium lie shallow at the surface (strawlaciniatum), dug from Shaw berry and pussytoes); and others take the middle-ground (gold- Nature Reserve with a back hoe. enrod and aster). The other way they can exist so close together is through horizontal mixing, where coarse rhizomatous root systems (common milkweed and plains slough sedge) weave between finetextured root networks of other grassland species. And then there are

The Gateway Gardener™ OCTOBER 2020

Tips and Resources for Growing and Landscaping with Sustainable Native Plants

Conservation Research Institute, Heidi Natura

figure out how to replicate this in reconstructed plant habitats, built landscapes, and gardens. As you can imagine, this area of study is in its infancy and there is still much to learn and discover.

But as for plant root anatomy, there is consensus among experts. Plant roots come in all sizes and shapes and they are critical for rainwater infiltration into the soil. That’s why rainwater runs over the surface of mowed lawns, but moves down into the soil where there are taller plants. Turf roots are about three inches deep, compared to the roots of garden plants, that may be two to three feet deep, depending on how deep the topsoil is. In construction areas (like around your house), topsoil is shallow or gone altogether.

It takes years for topsoil to improve. It doesn’t improve much if all you grow is lawn, but if you introduce a diversity of plants, you will find that slowly, organic matter will increase, compaction will decrease, plant roots will grow deeper, and rain water Prairie roots come in many forms, from thick taproots to fine networks. Note the will move into the topsoil quicker. It may take a deshallow roots of non-native turf grass, at far left. cade for topsoil to noticeably improve, so adding several inches of topsoil or tilling compost into the soil plants that have bulbs, corms and tubers, which are compressed underground plant stems that go dormant for part of the year (wild hya- surface of new gardens will improve topsoil faster. cinth, onion and lily).

So next time you hear that native plants have deep roots, think again.

These plants are also woven between shallow, fine-textured root net- After all, not all goldfish are gold. works close to the surface. When they go dormant, their roots die back, adding organic matter into the topsoil. All plants do this to some degree. Underground roots and stems grow and die annually from fluctuating soil moisture, winter freeze and thaw, and interactions with micro-organisms like bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa, and many types of invertebrate animals living in the soil.

Some beneficial organisms transform dead plant roots and stems into usable forms of nutrients. Others graft onto plant roots to form conduits for nutrient and water uptake, and others protect plants against disease and root foraging by pests.

It’s no wonder why diverse tallgrass prairies are so hard (or impossible) to recreate. The most diverse part of the prairie (or any remnant ecosystem) is below ground. Try to picture a teaspoon of soil, harboring over a billion organisms, which prairie soil does. Restoration biologists and horticulturists are busy scratching their heads, trying to

Horticulturist Scott Woodbury is the Curator of the Whitmire Wildflower Garden at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, MO, where he has worked with native plant propagation, design, and education for 28 years. He is also an advisor to the Missouri Prairie Foundation’s GrowNative! program.

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PLANTING

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It’s Apple Time!

M

firm fruit texture.

Warmund mentions in her article two other varieties whose trees will be available to the general public from Stark Bros. Nurseries and Orchards Company. Scarlet Crush is a

Ludacrisp

Evercrisp

as “tropical-like…similar to Sweet Zinger. As the name Juicy-Fruit gum.” Look for suggests, this orange-red apple them beginning in mid-October. leans a little to the tartier side with a honey-citrus flavor as Evercrisp. A cross between Honeycrisp and Fuji, the red Scarlet Crush fruit turns slightly yellow when not receiving full sun. Its sweet flavor and hard fruit texture Honeycrisp x Cripps Pink cross Ludacrisp. Large apple with “consistently ranks high in taste with a pinkish-red color, sweet a scarlet red peel and crisp panels” according to Warmund. flavor and citrus-like notes. texture, described by Warmund

Stark Bros. Nurseries

ichele Warmund of the University of Missouri Division of Plant Sciences recently published an article in the University’s Missouri Environment & Garden Newsletter describing several new apple varieties being introduced by the Midwest Apple Improvement Association, an organization of growers and producers in the United States and Canada. While these trees are only available to member growers, the apples themselves sound pretty tasty and may be coming to your favorite produce section this fall! Crunch!

reported by Warmund. A cross between Goldrush and Sweet Sixteen, Sweet Zinger may have a short shelf life, so refrigeration is recommended.

Summerset.

A

Honeycrisp

Ruby Darling Ruby Darling is a Honeycrisp x Gala hybrid with medium large fruit and crisp texture.

Both are juicy with a “sweet and sub-acid flavor.”

To subscribe to the Missouri Environment & Garden Newsletter, go to https://ipm. missouri.edu/subscribe/.

To Summerset contact Stark Bros. Nurseries x Fuji cross with large fruit, go to StarkBros.com. To learn crisp texture and tangy flavor. more about the Midwest Apple Probably limited availability Improvement Association, visit due in part to a short two-week MAIAapples.com. harvest period.

Photos courtesy Wafler Nursery Rosalee. Medium fruit size, red except as noted. skin color, a floral flavor and 12

The Gateway Gardener™ OCTOBER 2020

Stark Bros. Nurseries

Sweet Zinger

© 2020, The Scotts Company, LLC. All rights reserved

There’s still time.

Fall offers another opportunity to grow fresh, tasty salad crops. Spinach and lettuce, for example, prefer cooler growing conditions. To get the best results, be sure to use Osmocote® Smart-Release® Plant Food Flower & Vegetable.

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Dig This!

Gateway Gardeners and Businesses in the News Missouri Prairie Foundation Awards

At The Missouri Prairie Foundation’s Annual Dinner, held virtually in August, the 54-year-old prairie conservation organization and land trust paid tribute to seven awardees, including one recipient from our metro region, as well as a statewide organization that is very active and popular in our region.

2020 Grow Native! Native Plant Pioneer Award: Mitch Leachman of St. Louis, MO. Mitch Leachman is the Director of Programs for the St. Louis Audubon Society. Since 2012, he has delivered more than 150 presentations and seminars to more than 5,000 people on native plant landscaping and gardening for birds. In 2016, Leachman helped develop a series of native landscaping continuing education classes at St. Louis Community College at Meramec. He spearheads the very successful Partners for Native Landscaping workshop and has coordinated the St. Louis Native Plant Garden tour. Leachman also coordinates the St. Louis Audubon’s Bring Conservation Home program, which involves many volunteers and provides on-site

advice to homeowners in the greater St. Louis area on landscaping with native plants, the removal of invasive plants, and other stewardship practices that promote healthy habitat for birds, other native wildlife, and people.

2020 Grow Native! Native Plant Protector Award: Missouri Native Plant Society This 41-year-old conservation organization has worked, on a purely volunteer basis, to educate Missourians on the many values of the state’s native flora. The Missouri Native Plant Society was founded in 1979 and is devoted to the enjoyment, preservation, conservation, restoration, and study of the flora native to Missouri. The Society is active both at the state level and regionally with chapter affiliates. It organizes presentations on native plants, free and open to all, and many field trips around the state where participants learn how and where plants grow in specific habitats.

The Society has also organized trips in partnership with native plant societies of neighboring states and publishes the scientific journal Missouriensis to document and share native plant knowledge in Missouri. The Society’s Facebook group has more than 28,000 members.

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The Gateway Gardener™ OCTOBER 2020

Upcoming Events Updates to this information are often posted on our online events calendar at GatewayGardener. com, so check there for the latest details.

Give us the details of your upcoming gardening, lawn or landscaping event and we’ll add it to our website and include it in our next issue. Deadline for printing in March 2021 issue is February 1, 2021.

How to reach us: Mail: PO Box 220853, St. Louis, MO 63122 Email: info@gatewaygardener. com

EVENTS U City in Bloom Plein Air Festival. This year’s event will take place virtually. Visit UCityinBloom.org for details.

Now through Oct. 2nd Hillermann Bucks Redemption Days. Redeem your Hillermann Bucks during these days! Match dollar for dollar with real cash, for up to 50% off your purchase (depending on how many you have collected). Use them for in-stock merchandise in the Garden Center, Nursery, and Greenhouse. See the back of the bucks for rules. October Bucks will be accepted during this time in 2020. October Bucks will expire after the year 2020.

Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 2601 E. 5th St., Washington, MO. (636) 239-6729, hillermann.com.

Now through Oct. 23rd, Mon., Wed. and Fri. Blooming Minds Series: Education & Connection in the Garden. An 8-week series for independent learners to foster a love and appreciation of nature, science and plants. Focusing on a different topic every week, weaving together science, history, arts and crafts. For children 1st through 5th grade. A wonderful opportunity to take a break from screen time and discover the positive, healing connection that

OCTOBER 2020

time in the garden can offer. Group size is limited to six to ensure safe social distancing, and some classes are already sold out, so be sure to visit greenscapegardens. com/events to check out the list of classes and register. Greenscape Gardens, 2832 Barrett Station Rd. Manchester, MO, 314-821-2440.

Oct. 3rd 9am-2pm—Native Plant Expo & Sale. Plant Sale only, no swap or sharing of plants or seeds. Face coverings and physical distance required of ALL attending.

Entrance/exit strictly controlled to limit on-site numbers. Please come back later if you see a line at entrance. Shop on-site or preorder from Missouri Wildflowers Nursery, Forrest Keeling Nursery, River City Natives, or Papillon Perennials.

Proceeds benefit St. Louis Audubon’s Bring Conservation Home Program. www.stlouisaudubon.org/BCH. Hosted by The St. Louis Brewery, Schlafly Bottleworks, 7260 Southwest Ave., Maplewood, MO 63143.

Oct. 13th 1:30pm—Creating a Bottle Terrarium: Four Seasons Gardening. Explore the enclosed world of bottle terrariums, the self-contained plant environments within glass. Join Horticulture Educator Bruce Black to explore terrariums, their needs, and how to create a bottle version of a terrarium. University of Illinois Extension Four Seasons Gardening Webinar. To register visit go.illinois.edu/fourseasons and click on the specific webinar link.

Oct. 15th 4-8pm—Green Curbside Hop. Featuring tasty treats from a variety of Green Dining Alliance restaurants in Maplewood—the nation’s first Green Dining District!

Every participating restaurant will have a delectable tasty treat to tickle your taste buds. Visit each stop to pick up your sample, then pop over to the Earthday365 booth to pick up your Festival gift bag full

The Gateway Gardener™

of items and info to help you live your best green life (courtesy of St. Louis Earth Day Festival vendors).

The entire event is designed for COVID safety and built-in social distancing. This event is a fundraiser for earthday365 and Green Dining Alliance (GDA) Relief Fund to help restaurants stay true to the green commitments under pandemic restrictions. For tickets, visit earthday365.org/ green-curbside-hop/ Oct. 17th-18th Give Back to the Earth. Subaru gives back by sponsoring three socially-distanced volunteer cleanups around the St. Louis region for Earth Day’s Half Birthday.

Gloves and bags will be provided, and each volunteer will receive a Festival Gift Bag. Masks required!

RSVP at earthday365.org/earthday-half-birthday.

Oct. 18th Earthday365 Half-Birthday Speaker Series. An afternoon of environmental thought leaders and activists addressing the impacts of climate change and what you can do about it. Speakers include Zeke Hausfather, leading climate change model expert, David Lobbig, Curator of the Mighty Mississippi exhibit at the History Museum, and Myra Jackson of the Global Freshwaters Summit. In addition, there will be St. Louis Earth Day vendor and exhibitor video highlights, updated Experience Areas, a Scavenger Hunt and more—all online! Look for more information on earthday365.org’s Virtual Programs page.

Oct. 24th-25th 10am-4pm—Ghouls in the Garden Scavenger Hunt. A safe and socially distanced alternative to MBG’s usual Ghouls in the Garden children’s event. Go on a selfguided Halloween scavenger hunt, with family-friendly entertainment offered each afternoon. Costumes are acceptable as long as proper facial coverings can be worn (ages nine and over). Dated general admission tickets are required to

enter the Garden in addition to online event registration. Visit the Garden ticketing website at missouribotanicalgarden.org.

Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, 314-577-3100.

Oct. 25th-31st Tree Week at Missouri Botanical Garden. A week to celebrate MBG’s tree collection, the horticulturists and arborists who care for it, and the season when trees and fall colors take center stage. Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, 314-577-5100.

Nov. 1st 1:30pm—History of Forest Pest Outbreaks: Four Seasons Gardening. North America has a history of exotic pests that extirpate individual tree species.

Emerald Ash Borer serves as our modern example. In our current, ever-globalizing society there is significant risk for future outbreaks that may impact our trees, from the urban forest to our woodlands. Join Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator Ryan Pankau as he examines past outbreaks on our continent to compare what we have learned historically with the current pests threatening our native trees. University of Illinois Extension Four Seasons Gardening Webinar. To register visit go.illinois.edu/fourseasons and click on the specific webinar link.

Nov. 7th 10am-2pm—Native Tree Walk at Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum. Enjoy a fall walk on the beautiful grounds of historic Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum with Horticulture Supervisor Matt Garrett or other staff. Learn about the many naitve trees and wildlife conservation activities at Bellefontaine. Free.

Limited t0 25. To register call (636) 303-7418. Upon arrival at 4947 Florissant Ave., a greeter will give parking and meeting instructions.

Presented by Missouri Prairie Foundation, moprairie.org.

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