The Gateway Gardener Winter 2019-20

Gateway Gardener

WINTER 2019-2020

THE

®

Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes

’s a e u s is This EPER! tion KE forma In e c r se u U o s l l e ’ R You Round! ear 1-16 Y l l A s1 e g a P

Celebrating the Holidays Festive Family Activities

Holiday Gift Guide Holiday Decorations from Your Yard!

Soil Testing And Analysis

FREE Courtesy of:

Keep Your Garden Growing in Every Season

Indoors and Out!

Late fall and winter are great times to plant dormant shade trees, ornamental trees and evergreens.

Ginkgo Red Maple

Paperbark Maple Scott’s Orange Flame Maple

Parrotia

Start next year’s annuals and perennials from seed, multiply your favorite plants with EZ Clone System, and enjoy homegrown veggies all winter long with Hydro Crunch Grow Lights.

2651 Barrett Station Rd. Ballwin, MO 63021 314-966-0028 Sherwoods-Forest.com All trees and shrubs installed by us are 100% GUARANTEED for 2 years!

And be sure to tune in Saturdays 11am-1pm

Gateway Gardener THE

®

Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes

WINTER 2019-2020

November through February Volume 15, Number 9

Founded in 2005 by Joyce Bruno & Robert Weaver Publisher and Editor Robert Weaver Columnists Diane Brueckman Rosarian Abby Lapides Nursery Professional Steffie Littlefield Edg-Clif Winery Jennifer Schamber Nursery Professional Scott Woodbury Native Plant Specialist 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 The Gateway Gardener® is printed on recycled newsprint using environmentally friendly soy-based ink, and is a member of the PurePower® renewable energy resources network.

C

From the Editor

areful readers may notice a change on our cover this year from past years’ issues from this season. For a long time we have published a bi-monthly issue for November and December, and another for January and February before returning to the monthly schedule of the more active gardening months spring through fall. This year we’ve decided to consolidate a little more and publish one “Winter” issue to take us from November through February. We certainly want to celebrate the Holiday Season in this issue, and have done so with several articles, but we also wanted to keep the magazine relevant through the second half of its shelf life.

We have attempted to do that by creating the “Klip n Keep” Resource Section (designated by dotted cut-out lines bordering the pages), and populating those pages with information we think you’ll find useful throughout the year.

The Klip n Keep section opens with an article I’ve been wanting to publish for years.

As a volunteer at the Missouri Botanical Garden Horticulture Answer Service, I know we frequently field calls from people asking for help decoding the

handy.

information received on a soil sample test report. The task is always a challenge, often requiring conversions from acres to square feet, tons to pounds and other mathematical gyrations. On page 11, MU Extension Agent Justin Keay takes on the job of explaining, simplifying and translating these reports, along with brief guidelines on how to take a soil sample and where to submit it. I know I’ll be referring to this information often!

Following Justin’s article, our Resource Guide continues with several pages of contact information for area professionals including retail garden centers, landscaping materials, service providers and more. The last page provides some other resource contacts we think you’ll find helpful through the year. We hope you’ll find it so and keep it

On the Cover...

Here comes the Gardenland Express again at Missouri Botanical Garden!

For more about this and other Horticultural Holiday Festivities, see page 10. (photo by Karen Fletcher/Missouri Botanical Garden) IN THIS ISSUE 4 Home-Grown Holiday Decorations

6 8 10 11 14 16 17 18 20

But let’s not rush past the season at hand. Abby Lapides gets us in the holiday spirit on page 4 with an article describing how we can create some beautiful seasonal decorations with materials right from our own gardens. As always we have included our popular Holiday Gift Guide on page 8 to assist your shopping efforts for gardening friends and family. And to celebrate the season bright, page 10 holds our annual roundup of horticultural festivities around town for the whole gang!

Finally, with a nod toward the latter months of this issue, you’ll find TWO articles relevant to the late winter. Jennifer Schamber gives us some tips on page 6 on collecting and propagating seeds to reproduce your own native plants. And Scott Woodbury provides some wonderful and beautiful ideas on what to do with them (page 18).

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays—from Thanksgiving through Valentine’s Day! We’ll see you again in March!

Good Gardening!

It’s Not Always “Sow” Easy Holiday Gardeners’ Gift Guide Horticultural Holiday Festivities Soil Testing and Analysis Resource Guide--Metro Pros Resource Guide--Contact Info Dig This!

Naturalizing with Natives Spring Show, Conventions, Classes, etc.

22 Upcoming Events

Creating Holiday Decorations From Your Yard

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By Abby Lapides

ut evergreen stems form a foundation for winter decorations that can be accented with dried flowers, festive berries and ornaments. Many of the common trees and shrubs found in our own backyards can be used to create festive holiday decorations.

The yard is a treasure chest of holiday decorations just waiting for an artistic touch.

Long perky needles on pine trees along with their rubbery stems make delightful small bouquets and beautiful roping.

One of the longest-lasting fresh greens for indoor use, pine will give your house that sought after Christmas tree fragrance.

Spruce trees have dense spiky needles that give wreathes or bouquets good fullness. Spruce does best outside—they tend to drop their needles quickly indoors.

Proven Winners

An excellent cut green for their lushness and abundance is ‘Green Giant’ Arborvitae. This The soft green needles on cut giant forms into a large cone yew stems add an elegant touch shaped tree that when planted in to mixed arrangements. When rows create one of the very best we think of Christmas trees we privacy hedges for St. Louis. Its usually think of the classic cone shape of a fir or spruce, but a yew stems, with lush green foliage, drape gracefully out of containers or form excellent door swags. A fast grower, it will quickly replenish was actually the very first Christmas tree. bare areas made from cutting once the growing season begins.

Boxwood stems work well indoors, but only last about a week— cut just a couple days before a holiday party. Boxwood may be preserved using a glycerin solution, which last for years if maintained properly.

Your Garden Center that’s OPEN YEAR ROUND!

Stop by for gift certificates, holiday gifts, firewood & more!

Visit our website for information about FREE WINTER CLASSES coming in January and February.

2701 Barrett Station Rd. • St. Louis, MO 63021 www.kirkwoodgardens.com • 314-966-4840 4

With their red berries and unique foliage, holly trees scream Christmas. But once cut, holly leaves do not respond well to extreme temperatures. When using traditional holly for decorating assume that holly will only last for a few days.

Luckily for us the winterberry shrub can add some holiday red.

The native winterberry is a type of holly that loses all its leaves in winter, leaving bare stems covered in bright red berries.

The cut stems look excellent mixed with evergreens or left alone to create a bright festive display. Cut winterberry usually lasts a few weeks inside and out.

Another colorful choice for winter decorations are the bright stems of red twig dogwoods. I prefer the ‘Garden Glow’ variety The Gateway Gardener™ WINTER 2019

Monrovia

Start Your Family’s Holidays at the

Ann Lapides

Poinsettia Wonderland Open House for its golden leaves, which brighten up shady areas. Once winter comes and the leaves fall, the showy burgundy stems make a delightful display in the garden. Red twig dogwoods benefit from a hard shear. Winter is a great time for pruning as you get to enjoy the bright stems in winter arrangements while giving your plant a much-needed haircut.

Sunday, November 24th from 9am-4pm Greenhouse Tours 10am-3pm

Most cut greens like to stay cool. The cooler the temperature the longer the greens last. Immediately after pruning place cut portion of stems into a bucket of water until ready to use. If buying cut greens, once home trim off about ¼ of an inch from the bottom of the stem and then place in water and leave submerged for about an hour.

Expect greens indoors to last about 2 weeks. Placing them out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources will keep them fresher longer. Outside cut greens may last for many months if the weather stays cool and they are regularly watered. Anti-desiccant sprays seal pores in leaves and stems to hold in moisture, keeping them greener longer.

The fragrant beauty of fresh cut greens will welcome guests – and yourself to a festive and happy home.

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.

WINTER 2019 The Gateway Gardener™

Come see the area’s LARGEST display of poinsettias!

Our Professional Growing Staff will be leading guided tours through acres of beautiful poinsettias. Plus...

Visit with Santa • Christmas Carolers Holiday Cookies & Beverages • Holiday Crafts

Millstadt Gardens N.G. Heimos Greenhouses 6667 Route 158 • Millstadt, IL 62260 (Just minutes from the JB Bridge) (618) 476-9600

Hosted by Millstadt Gardens, N.G. Heimos Greenhouses and the Heimos Family.

A portion of sale proceeds benefits Millstadt Optimist Youth Club.

5

It’s Not Always “Sow” Easy

By Jennifer Schamber

F

or many of us, there’s nothing like the joy of Milkweed holding a packet of seeds in the winter. Seeds are little morsels of hope that have such potential, especially on cold, wintery days. Think back to the first time you planted a seed in school, for many of us, it was a lima bean wrapped in a moist towel or in a clear bag with some water. In less than a week or so, the seed magically began to swell and then sprout, and at that point, in your mind you were a master at growing things. After another week or so, you planted it in a little paper cup, and confidently took it home without spilling it on the bus and placed it in the window. That little sprout seemed to grow an inch a day, until that one day when it started to look droopy. So, of course, the solution was to water it a little more, and then a little more, and we all know what happened after that.

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

Even though it may have died, somehow it still sparked a sense of desire to try again. Some say that you don’t truly know a plant until you’ve killed it twice. Maybe you don’t really know some plants until you’ve grown them from seed, and then those plants bear seed. It can be a very humbling experience to grow some seeds, especially when there’s the notion that “wildflowers are so easy”. This doesn’t always seem to be the case. But once we learn the different variables required for what we are trying to grow, our success rate increases tremendously.

Some important considerations when growing natives from seed include: • Do we have a good understanding of the natural lifecycle of the plant and can it be mimicked? ss t Mi erce ’ n o m

w om oD Als er of C me Sho b m all Ho

Cha nnual uare M h A 8th mes Sq 7th-28t Ti rch 2 Ma

Vendors and Exhibitors

More than 40 exhibitors and vendors offering Fresh herbs, herbs for culinary, medicinal and decorative use, bulbs, seeds, hypertufa, live plants, herbal cookbooks, bird feeders, houses and baths, antiques, , china, spices, dried floral arrangements, herbal soap, garden decor, homemade fudge, herbal spices and blends, spiced nuts, and more.

Classes and Workshops

How to Effectively Use Fresh Herbs and Spices Cooking Demo, Keep Calm and Use Your Herbs, Healing the Whole Family with Herbal Medicine, and much more!

Keynote Speakers

Houseplants are proven to:

• Remove toxins & purify the air • Enhance concentration and memory • Reduce stress and fatigue 1011 N. Woodlawn • Kirkwood, MO www.SugarCreekGardens.com 314-965-3070 MORE PARKING Now Available!

VOTED #1 BEST GARDEN CENTER! 6

Brent Heath, co-owner Brent & Becky’s Bulbs, garden writer and speaker.

Father Dominic Garramone, former host of PBS’ Breaking Bread with Father Dominic.

33rd Annual Midwestern Herb & Garden Show Times Square Mall, Mt. Vernon February 14th-16th, 2020 Friday & Saturday 10am-9pm Sunday Noon-5pm

FREE ADMISSION

(618) 242-3151 www.midwesternherbandgardenshow.com

The Gateway Gardener™ WINTER 2019

• When is the best time of year to sow the species you want to grow? Many natives start out best by sowing in Fall.

• Does it require stratification (cold storage) or scarification (scarring)?

• Will the seeds require protection from seed-eating critters?

Some natives may need two years or more for seeds to germinate, while others may be considered easy Gray headed since they tend to germinate coneflower without special treatment, like Rudbeckia, Agastache, Aster, Lobelia, Helianthus and Heliopsis. This is the main reason why cannisters of “wildflowers” frequently found at box stores can lead to disappointing results sometimes. Not only are the seeds often not truly native, they may have different cycles so they don’t germinate with consistency.

Oftentimes, annual flowers are mixed in to give a hint at success, only to follow with bare areas the following year.

Failure teaches us to appreciate the dedicated process that professional growers undertake to provide us with such a wide array of Thimbleweed native plant selections here in Missouri and our surrounding states. Grow Native! professionals such as Missouri Wildflowers Nursery, Pure Air Natives, Hamilton Native Outpost and Grace Native Seed, as well as Shaw Nature Reserve, have all developed strategies to be able to guide and provide for a range of native plant projects, from large-scale restoration plantings, to a home gardener just starting to convert a section of lawn into a naturalized space. Some of these professionals provide mixes designed to be successful based on an area’s conditions and the desired end result.

When it comes to sowing native seeds, sometimes we can chalk up success to pure luck, but a little bit of research can go a long way in increasing our odds.

Photos courtesy the Missouri Native Plant Society.

Jennifer Schamber is the General Manager of Greenscape Gardens, and plays leaderships roles in the Western Nursery & Landscape Association, GrowNative!, the Landscape & Nursery Association of Greater St. Louis and the Horticulture Co-op of Metro St. Louis. She has earned Green Profit Magazine’s Young Retailer Award, and Greenscape Gardens was named the National Winner of the 2015 “Revolutionary 100” Garden Centers by Today’s Garden Center Magazine.

WINTER 2019 The Gateway Gardener™

Y E A R- R O U N D

PLANTS

& P OT T E RY AT G A R D E N H E I G H T S N U R S E RY

G A R D E N H E I G H T S N U R S E RY 1605 Big Bend Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63117 314-645-7333 www.gardenheights.com

O A K V I L L E

d

un o R ‘ r Yea

OpenCome visit us

for ALL your Fall/Winter needs! ✓Fresh Cut Michigan Trees & Garland Wreaths ✓Poinsettias & Amaryllis ✓Holiday Decor & Gifts ✓Houseplants & More!

PlanthavenFarms.com 6703 Telegraph Rd. 314.846.0078

7

Holiday Gifts for Gardeners Sugar Creek Gardens 1011 N. Woodlawn Kirkwood, MO 314-965-3070 SugarCreekGardens.com

Travel Mugs Bring a big smile to the gardeners and pet lovers on your list with these pretty and fun travel mugs. The mugs feature beautiful, thoughtful designs and come with matching boxes for keepsakes. $16.99.

Garden Heights Nursery, Inc 1605 S Big Bend St. Louis, MO 314-645-7333 GardenHeights.com

complements any décor from traditional to modern. Available in 4 sizes. $15.99-$75.

OK Hatchery 115 E. Argonne Dr. Kirkwood, MO 63122 (314) 822-0083

Planthaven Farms Garden Center 6703 Telegraph Rd. Oakville, MO 63129 (314) 846-0078 PlanthavenFarms.com

Holiday Luminaries and Yard Art Large snowman is handcrafted by Mexican artesans.

Smaller Santa and snowman are ceramic luminaries. Just add your own light source and make your holidays shine!

Hillermann Nursery & Florist 2601 E. 5th Street Washington, MO 63090 636-239-6729 Hillermann.com

Handblown Glass Cylinders The holidays are the perfect time to add warmth to your home. These handblown glass cylinders have been artisan made in Columbia for twentyfive years. Their classic style 8

birdhouses naturally made to go outdoors. They are water repellant, dirt resistant and naturally durable. An opening at the bottom allows for easy clean out. Opening sized at 1.25” for small birds like chickadees, wrens, nuthatch, etc. Enlarge entrance for larger birds. $21.99 each

Pewter Antler Candelabras and Tray Antlers are great for a fall or winter table or mantel.

Entertain your family and friends around the dinner table with these beautiful candelabras and matching tray.

The Potted Plant 1257 St. Peters Cottleville Rd. Cottleville, MO 63376 (636) 447-9000 PottedPlant.net

Mixture® Candles and Reed Diffusers Hand made in small batches just outside Kansas City.

Very long lasting and every Mixture® product and packaging has specifically been chosen to minimize its environmental footprint.

Many wonderful scents for all tastes, including Black Pepper, Salt & Sage, Egyptian Cotton, Relaxation, Lavender Lemongrass and Holiday Seduction.

Daniel’s Farm & Greenhouse 352 Jungermann Rd. St. Peters, MO (636) 441-5048 DanielsFarmAndGreenhouse. com

Fresh greens, wreaths, pine roping, holly and poinsettias.

Decorated or plain grave blankets and grave sprays. Cut balsam and fraser fir Christmas trees and live green spruce.

And be sure to bring your camera for a great holiday photo op with our antique Russian sleigh!

Wild Woolies Felt Birdhouses Hand made, fair trade, sustainable felted sheep wool The Gateway Gardener™ WINTER 2019

Looking for that special gift for your favorite gardener? We asked area garden centers and other related shops for some suggestions to make your shopping easier-or clip and leave conspicuously lying around as a not-so-subtle hint to your Santa.

Greenscape Gardens & Gifts 2832 Barrett Station Rd. Ballwin, MO (314) 821-2440 GreenscapeGardens.com

Homemade Holiday Not only do winter porch pots make wonderful host and hostess gifts, they are a blast to make! Three hands-on workshops will teach you the fundamentals about how to structure a design with fresh winter cuttings. Personalize with embellishments that add a special touch. (November 16, November 23, November 30).

A la carte, based on the amount of materials used.

Rolling Ridge Nursery 60 N. Gore Webster Groves, MO (314) 962-3311 Rolling RidgeNursery.com

Sustainability Gifts Sustainable stocking stuffers for everyone on your list!

Produce bags, beeswax wraps, reusable straws and more available in the Christmas Store!

Effinger Garden Center 720 South 11th St Belleville IL 62220 618-234-4600 www.effingergarden.com

Fresh Greens and More Fresh greens, wreaths, pine roping, holly and poinsettias.

Festive holiday planters.

Amaryllis, rosemary and bonsai. Decorated grave blankets and grave sprays. Cut balsam and fraser fir Christmas trees. Live blue spruce, Alberta spruce and white pine trees.

Edg-Clif Farms & Vineyard www.edg-clif.com steffie@edg-clif.com

Edg-Clif “Hollyberry Red” Chambourcin Wine Something different for your holiday parties. Greet your guests with aromas of cinnamon, orange, cloves,

WINTER 2019 The Gateway Gardener™

honey and berries from the crock pot of warm spiced mulled wine to make them feel welcome! Hollyberry Red Chambourcin is a rich dark red wine, semi-sweet with the a distinct blackberry, dark cherry and ripe grape aroma and flavor. Edg-Clif Winery, 10025 Edg-Clif Drive, Potosi, Mo 63664. 573-438-4741, Steffie@ edg-clif.com for more info.

Sherwood’s Forest Nursery 2651 Barrett Station Road Ballwin, MO 63021 (314) 966-0028 Sherwoods-Forest.com

Grow Tent and Cloning System Everything you need to grow indoor veggies and flowers all year long. Hydro Crunch tent system includes LED grow lights, aluminum cooling heat sinks and high speed cooling fans. Mylar fabric reflects light for even light distribution. EZ Clone Low Pro Cloning System allows you to propagate your favorite plants from cuttings.

Timberwinds Nursery 54 Clarkson Road Ellisville, MO (636) 227-0095 TimberwindsNursery.com

Polish Stoneware Hand crafted and hand painted in Poland, this stoneware would be a unique gift or a wonderful addition to your Holiday décor. Stop in to see our complete collection of functional and decorative pieces.

Merry Christmas to ALL from these friends of The Gateway Gardener!

Support Local Independent Small Businesses on

Nov. 30th 9

Horticultural Holiday Celebrations

The winter holiday season always offers so many activities. Here are a few highlights of some family events and activities put on the calendar by our friends in the St. Louis-area horticultural world. rt obe

Missouri Botanical Gardens Garden Glow, Gardenland Express and More

Over 200 different varieties of poinsettias • Casual guided tours from 10-3 with acres of red, pink, white and other popular poinsettia colors • Shop for poinsettias and other holiday plants • Visit with Santa • Enjoy caroling and dance performances • Shop the holiday market for homemade gifts from area crafters • Bring your camera for oneof-a-kind holiday photo opportunities • Just a few minutes from the J.B. Bridge on Route 158 toward Millstadt, Illinois.

Garden Glow features a million lights surrounding visitors with a spectacle of unique installations • Enjoy interactive photo opportunities, traditional holiday music and festivities, delicious food and drinks • The Gardenland Express Holiday Flower and Train Show features six tracks of animated model trains and hundreds of festive holiday plants • Gardenland Express runs November 23rd through January 1st, Garden Glow November 23rd through January 4th. st.

souri ato, Mis Kelly C l Garden a Botanic

Millstadt Gardens/ N.G. Heimos Greenhouses Poinsettia Wonderland Open House Nov. 24th, 9am-4pm

Mary Lou Olsen, Mis souri Botanical Garden

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Garden Center Holiday Open Houses

Many Garden Centers transform seasonal showcase areas into family-friendly holiday shops, and several kick off the season with an open house. Music, treats, visits from Santa and more are often on the agenda. Here are just a few scheduled events of which we’ve been made aware. Check out our Upcoming Events calendar for more details.

November 10th Old Webster Open House November 23rd & 24th Hillermann Nursery & Florist December 5th Planthave Farms Garden Center December 7th Rolling Ridge Nursery December 7th and 8th Garden Heights Nursery

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The Gateway Gardener™ WINTER 2019

or

Columbia, MO 65211 (573) 882-0623

Sample ID:

BACK YARD

Last Limed:

unknown

Portageville, MO 63873 (573) 379-5431

http://www.soiltest.psu.missouri.edu/

Lab No: C1913350 ANN ROTHERY 11194 QUEENSWAY DRIVE ST LOUIS MO 63146 annrothery@gmail.com

Soil Testing: From Digging into the Soil to Digging Into the Report This report is for:

Submitted by: Firm No. Outlet:

by Justin Keay

RATING

SOIL TEST RESULTS pHs Phosphorus (P) Potassium (K) Calcium (Ca) Magnesium (Mg) Organic Matter:

6.5 229 452 5070 511 3.1 %

lbs/a lbs/a lbs/a lbs/a

Very low Low Medium High Very high Excess ***************************** ******************************************** ******************************************** *********************************** ******************************** Neutr. Acidity: 0.5 meq CEC: 15.9 meq

Fertilizer & Limestone Recommendations (lbs/1000 sq ft) LIME Crop Nitrogen (N): Phosphorus(P2O5) Potash (K2O) Zinc(Zn) Sulfur(S) 9 NATIVE perennial bedding plants 0.5 0.0 0.0 0 12 NATVIE shrubs-slightly acid loving 0.5 0.0 0.0 0 27 NATVIE GRASSES other or not 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 specifi Comments: ---Some herbicide labels list restrictions based on soil pH in water. Use the estimated pH in water of 7.0 as a guide to the U Extension across of B label. If youoffices wish to have soil the pH instate waterprocess analyzed,thousands contact your dealer orasic local Extension specialist listedreview below. soil chemistry ---The soil should be tested every 2 to 3 years to determine the effects of your fertilization practices and to develop a new set fertilizer their life cycle. soil samples every year and MU Extension Specialists There are 17 elements plants require to of complete and limestone guidelines. are always happy to help you and understand testbedding Carbon, hydrogen oxygen areor three that plants ***The soil has adequate calcium an adequate your pH for soil perennial plants ().

Application and of lime, wood ashes, calciumelements rich fertilizer is not results. Soil testing anrecommended. important practice for anyone trying to can obtain from water and air and never need to be added as ***The soil needs additional matter for gardens and crops other than lawns. See MU Publication G6950, "Steps in Fertilizing grow healthy and productive plants. organic Blindly applying fertilizer can fertilizer. Of the remaining 14 other essential elements, 3 are Garden Soil" and G6956, "Making and Using Compost". result in excess salt build up in soils, as well as nutrient excesses as ()primary macronutrients, 3 Application are known as secondary ***The soil has adequate calcium and an adequate pH for shrubs-slightlyknown acid loving (e.g. forsynthia, honeysuckle, lilac). of lime, wood ashes, or calcium rich fertilizer is not recommended. that can inhibit plant growth. Once you add fertilizer to your soil, macronutrients, and the remaining 8 are known as micronutrients.

---Only analysis provided. No recommendations could be made for the specified crop. Consult your regional horticulture specialist listed it cannot be removed.

Soil testing helps guide fertilizer usage so The primary macronutrients are needed in the greatest supply and below.

M

that plants receive only the amount of nutrients they need to thrive.

Applying appropriate amounts of fertilizer is also an important part of environmental stewardship. Fertilizer runoff from urban landscapes contributes to algal blooms, which can cause fish kills in our rivers, ponds, lakes, streams and oceans. Everyone lives in a watershed, and in the St. Louis metro area every drop of runoff ends up in the Missouri or Mississippi river.

consist of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The secondary macronutrients that may need to be added in smaller amounts are calcium, magnesium and sulfur. Micronutrients are needed only in very small or trace amounts and consist of the following elements; boron, chlorine, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel and zinc.

Let us assume that the intro to this article has you leaping out of your chair to test your soil. You submit your sample and after ten days, you receive and review the results. However, the results leave you scratching your head. What does it all mean? How do I figure out how much fertilizer to use? You are asking the right questions.

First, let us review some basic soil chemistry.

The pH value represents the acidity or alkalinity of your soil and runs on a scale from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. Anything lower than 7 is acidic (as are most of Missouri’s soils) and anything higher than 7 is considered alkaline. A single point difference on the pH scale might not seem like much, but every point actually represents a difference of a factor of 10. Therefore, a pH of 5 is 10

Justin Keay

One of the things that may surprise you about your soil test results, is that nitrogen is not tested, which seems strange considering it is When and how toSpecialist take a soil sample Justin Keay Regional Phone 314-400-7388 the element needed in the greatest supply. The reason for this is that When is the best MP 552time to 7/96 take a soil sample? Whenever you have Signature testing for nitrogen in the soil is very challenging because it exists the time and remember toUniversity do it.ofIfMissouri, youLincoln takeUniversity, multiple samples over U.S. Department of Agriculture & Local University Extension Councils Cooperating forms easily moved downwardColumbia in the soil profile, or lost to the An equal opportunityin the years, it is optimal to take them at the same time of the year, institution but the most important thing is to get started with your first sample. atmosphere. Nitrogen testing is possible and sometimes used by Taking a soil sample in the correct way will ensure accurate soil test large-scale commercial farmers, but the test results are only valid results. Sample your lawn and garden separately as they are likely for a short amount of time due to the mobility and volatility of fertilized differently and have different nutrient requirements. If nitrogen in the soil. One form of nitrogen that is easy to estimate is your front lawn is in full sun with no trees and your back lawn is the nitrogen found in soil organic matter. Organic matter is anything mostly shaded and stays wetter, you should sample them separately that was once a living organism or part of a living organism. This as well. It is best to take 6-8 subsamples and combine them in a includes leaves, grass clippings, earthworms and their castings, bucket. Simply use a small trowel or shovel, insert it 4-6 inches insects, bacteria, fungi and more. Organic matter slowly releases deep and pull up a small slice of soil. Combine subsamples into a nitrogen, and the percentage of organic matter in your soil is used bucket and mix thoroughly. Remove any grass or leaves and let to help calculate the amount of nitrogen you actually need to apply. the sample air dry. Take at least 3 cups to your local MU Extension Every 1% of organic matter will release approximately 20 pounds office for testing. (See the Resource Guide on pg. 16 or search the of nitrogen per acre per year, and therefor organic matter in your soil gives you a credit of nitrogen. web for “MU Extension” followed by your county of residence.)

cont’d on next page

WINTER 2019 The Gateway Gardener™

11

cont’d from previous page

Examining the soil test results

The pH of 6.5 found in the example, is within an acceptable range for the selected crop, therefore the recommendation for this soil is to add no lime. In circumstances where your pH is too low, i.e. too acidic, lime will be recommended to raise the soil pH. If soil pH was too high, the soil test would give recommendations to add sulfur, which is used to lower soil pH. A common chart used to show nutrient availability in soils at various pH levels. times more acidic than a pH of 6. pH is hugely important because certain plants require very different pH values. Additionally, pH has a great impact on nutrient availability in the soil. For example, phosphorous may be abundant in a certain soil but if the soil has a very low pH the phosphorus will not be present in a chemical form that the plants can uptake and utilize.

You will notice in the above results that both phosphorus and potassium are listed in the very high range. This is a very common occurrence in urban landscapes. High levels of both phosphorus and potassium are often an indication that a homeowner has used a complete fertilizer, such as 12-12-12, on an annual basis. Plants require more nitrogen for growth than phosphorus or potassium, therefore using a complete fertilizer (with equal amounts of N-P-K) year after year will cause both phosphorus and potassium to build

Soil test reports overview

The image leading off this article is an example of the soil test results you will receive. The left column of the table lists the pH value of your soil, the lbs./acre of phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium as well as the percentage of organic matter. The “Rating” part of the table gives you an idea of the relative value of nutrients and pH in your soil. The bottom row of this table also lists neutralizable acidity and CEC, or cation exchange capacity. These two terms will be explored in detail in a future article.

Below the table, you will see the heading “Fertilizer & Limestone Recommendations”. Underneath this heading and on the left hand side you will see the crop selected, which in this case is perennial bedding plants. If you submit a soil sample, you will be able to select up to three different crops, and for all three you will receive specific fertilizer recommendations, as well as pH adjustment recommendations if necessary. The numbers to the right of the selected crop will tell you what you need to add to your soil to support optimal plant growth. The recommendations for macronutrients and lime are listed in pounds per 1000 square feet.

Underneath the fertilizer and limestone recommendations section of the soil test report, you will find a comments section (not shown) that provides additional information to guide soil management.

The comments will tell you how often to test your soil, if you need to adjust pH and what to use to adjust it, as well as if you need to add additional organic matter to the soil. You will often see MU Extension publications listed in this section. The suggested publications are specific to the needs of the soil sample submitted and are helpful in guiding soil management practices.

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The Gateway Gardener™ WINTER 2019

up to high or even excessive levels in soils. Because the results show that phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium levels are all high or very high, the recommendation is not to add any of these macronutrients to the soil.

lb. The 2.25 lbs. of fertilizer we calculated will be approximately equal to 4.5 cups and will be what we need for our 1500 square foot garden. Whether fertilizing a lawn or garden, it is always best to spread small amounts of fertilizer at a time over the entire area. If The organic matter listed in these results is 3.1%. This level or you proceed in this way, you can ensure that the fertilizer is spread organic matter would be acceptable for lawns, but not for any more evenly across the area. If you start spreading too heavily in other type of crop. The comments section of the report (not shown) the beginning you will most likely end up having some areas that notes that the soil needs additional organic matter and provides the are over-fertilized and some areas that receive no fertilizer. titles of several helpful MU publications to guide you in the steps There are several online tools that can make this process much necessary to increase organic matter levels in the soil. simpler. The first is the MU Lawn Fertilizer Calculator http:// agebb.missouri.edu/fertcalc/ and the second is a mobile app Choosing an appropriate fertilizer and how much to from University of Connecticut called FertAdvisor. University of apply Georgia has a more detailed fertilizer calculator http://aesl.ces.

A fertilizer bag lists three numbers at the bottom such as 12-12-12 uga.edu/soil/fertcalc/ that can be used for a variety of nutrients. or 28-0-3. These three numbers are the fertilizer grade and reflect To use this more detailed calculator you first must convert the the percentage by weight of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium lbs./1000 sq. ft. of fertilizer recommended to lbs. per acre. You present in the bag. The nutrients are always listed in this order can do this simply by multiplying the recommended rate per and are known as N-P-K values. As a reminder, N stands for 1000 square feet by 43.5, as there are 43,560 square feet per acre. nitrogen, P stands for phosphorus and K stands for potassium. This will give you the pounds per acre you need to input into the According to the soil test report “native grasses” will not require a University of Georgia calculator. nitrogen application. For the other two selected crops, the soil test Are you interested in receiving monthly gardening news from report notes that we need to apply .5 lbs. of nitrogen, and 0 lbs of MU? Subscribe to the Missouri Environment and Garden phosphorus and potassium per 1000 square feet. Note that .5 lbs. of newsletter at https://ipm.missouri.edu/MEG/. If you would like nitrogen is not the same as .5 lbs. of fertilizer. If we could find the to master all things gardening, visit https://extension2.missouri. perfect fertilizer, it would contain only nitrogen and have N-P-K edu/programs/master-gardener to learn more about our Master values such as 10-0-0 or 20-0-0. In most circumstances you will Gardener Program. If you are interested in saving your seat for not find a fertilizer that matches exactly what you need. The best our Master Gardener Program 2020 training sessions; email your you can do is select a fertilizer with the closest N-P-K values to county extension office at stlouisco@missouri.edu, stcharlesco@ what you need. I would look for a fertilizer that has a high amount missouri.edu, jeffersonco@missouri.edu, lincolnco@missouri. of nitrogen with the lowest amount of phosphorus and potassium edu.

I could find. Lawn fertilizers with N-P-K values such as 28-0-3 or 32-0-5 are easy to find at any hardware store or garden center.

Lawn fertilizers are perfectly fine to use in the garden as long as Justin Keay is the MU Extension Field Specialist they contain no pre or post-emergent herbicides.

Let us use a fertilizer with a 32-0-5 N-P-K value for this example and calculations. This fertilizer is by weight, 32% nitrogen, 0% phosphorus and 5% potassium. Now that we have identified the amount of nitrogen recommended and the fertilizer value we have purchased, we should proceed with a calculation using the following format: .5 lb Nitrogen/1000 sq. ft. / .32 (N) = 1.5 lbs of fertilizer/1000 sq. ft.

We now know how much fertilizer to apply per 1000 sq. ft., unfortunately most gardens or lawns are not exactly 1000 sq. ft. In order to apply the correct amount of fertilizer you need to know the size of your lawn or garden. This can be approximately measured by pacing off your lawn or garden, one pace is roughly 2.5 feet.

Let’s say the short side of your garden measures 12 paces and the long side measure 20 paces. This means your garden is 30 x 50 feet. We multiply these numbers together and we come out with a total of 1500 square feet.

We are almost finished with our calculations. We now know that we need 1.5lbs of fertilizer per 1000 sq. ft., but our garden is 1500 sq. ft. We can solve using a calculation in the following format: 1.5 lb/1000 sq. ft. x 1500 sq. ft. = 2.25 lbs of fertilizer If you have a scale, you can weigh out the exact amount you need.

However, two cups of most standard fertilizer material weighs 1

WINTER 2019 The Gateway Gardener™

in Horticulture for St. Louis City/County and St. Charles County. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Washington University and a Masters in Agricultural Science from Lincoln University. Justin has experience running an organic vegetable farm, and working as an organic crop inspector, he is currently part of the MU Hemp working group and assists with food safety reviews for produce farms.

2019-20 Klip 'n' Keep Resource Guide On these pages, you’ll find a helpful Klip ‘n’ Keep Resource Guide, featuring some useful lawn and garden resource contacts, plus great garden centers, water garden centers, landscape supplies, landscaping services, arborists, and other retailers and service businesses to keep your lawn, garden and landscape beautiful and healthy throughout the year. We encourage you to keep these pages, along with this article on Soil Testing and Analysis, handy for reference all year long!

Thank you for supporting our advertisers and local, independent businesses everywhere!

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2019-20 Klip n Keep Resource Guide Your Metro Region Green Industry Pros

GARDEN CENTERS AND NURSERIES

Sugar Creek Gardens

Kirkwood Gardens

North

Sherwood’s Forest Nursery & Garden Center

1011 N. Woodlawn Kirkwood (314) 965-3070 SugarCreekGardens.com See Ad Pg. 6

A. Waldbart & Sons Nursery 5517 N. Florissant Florissant (314) 741-3121

St. Louis City Bowood Farms

4605 Olive St. Central West End (314) 454-6868 BowoodFarms.com

St. Louis County Central Garden Heights Nursery 1605 S. Big Bend Richmond Heights (314) 645-7333 GardenHeights.com See Ad Pg. 7

OK Hatchery 115 E. Argonne (314) 822-0083 See Ad Pg. 16

Rolling Ridge Nursery 60 N. Gore Webster Groves (314) 962-3311 RollingRidgeNursery.com

14

El-Mel Inc.

6185 US-67 Florissant (314) 741-2117

2701 Barrett Station Rd. Manchester (314) 966-4840 KirkwoodGardens.com See Ad Pg. 4

2651 Barrett Station Rd. Ballwin (314) 966-0028 Sherwoods-Forest.com See Ad Inside Front Cover

St. Charles County

Daniel’s Farm & Greenhouses 352 Jungermann Rd. St Peters (636) 441-5048 DanielsFarmAndGreenhouse.com

South

Crabapple Cove 6961 Telegraph Rd. (314) 846-4021

Planthaven Farms 6703 Telegraph Rd. Oakville (314) 846-0078 PlanthavenFarms.com See Ad Pg. 7

Frisella Nursery 550 Hwy F (636) 798-2555 Defiance FrisellaNursery.com

Lake St. Louis Garden Center

West

Chesterfield Valley Nursery 16825 North Outer 40 Chesterfield (636) 532-9307 ChesterfieldValleyInc.com

3230 Technology Dr. Lake St. Louis (636) 561-0124 LakeStLouisGardenCenter.com

Greenscape Gardens & Gifts 2832 Barrett Station Rd. Manchester (314) 821-2440 GreenscapeGardens.com See Ad Pg. 19

The Gateway Gardener™ WINTER 2019

2019-20 Klip n Keep Resource Guide Your Metro Region Green Industry Pros

GARDEN CENTERS AND NURSERIES

St. Charles County (cont’d) The Potted Plant Garden Center & Gift Shop 1257 St. Peters Cottleville Rd. Cottleville (636) 447-9000 PottedPlant.net See Ad Pg. 12

Collinsville

Creekside Gardens 721 Johnson Hill Rd. (618) 344-7054

LANDSCAPING MATERIALS

Other Missouri Locations

Wallflower Design WallflowerDesign.biz

Forrest Keeling

88 Forrest Keeling Ln. Elsberry, MO (800) FKN-2401 ForrestKeeling.com

St. Louis Composting

Hillermann’s Nursery & Florist 2601 E. 5th St. Washington, MO (636) 239-6729 Hillermann.com See Ad Pg. 4

Missouri Wildflowers Nursery 9814 Pleasant Hill Rd. Jefferson City (573) 496-3492 MoWildFlowers.net

ILLINOIS

StLouisCompost.com 39 Old Elam Ave. Valley Park, MO (636) 861-3344 560 Terminal Rd. St. Louis, MO (314) 868-1612

14430 Manchester Rd. Manchester, MO (636) 527-2001 ChalilyPond.com

TREE CARE

5841 Mine Haul Rd. Belleville, IL (618) 233-2007

Trees, Forests and Landscapes

720 South 11th St. (618) 234-4600 EffingerGarden.com

18900 Franklin Rd. Pacific, MO (636) 271-3352

Sandy’s Back Porch Garden Center

See Ad Back Cover

WINTER 2019 The Gateway Gardener™

Chalily Pond & Gardens

Gamma Tree Experts

Belleville

2004 West. Blvd.

(618) 235-2004 SandysBackPorch.com

PONDS & WATER GARDEN SUPPLIES

11294 Schaefer Rd. Maryland Heights, MO (314) 423-9035

13060 County Park Rd. Florissant, MO (314) 355-0052

Effinger Garden Center

LANDSCAPE INSTALL MAINTENANCE & DESIGN

(314) 725-6159 GammaTree.com

(314) 821-9918 TreesForestsAndLandscapes.com

Thank you for supporting The Gateway Gardener advertisers and friends listed on this page. They make it possible to provide the magazine to you FREE each month. (Entries in red indicate year-round advertisers.)

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2019-20 Klip n Keep Resource Guide Helpful Lawn & Garden Information Resources

General Gardening Help Phone #s

MBG Horticulture Answer Service (314) 577-5143 (M-F 9am-noon year-round). Send email pictures or questions to: plantinformation@mobot.org anytime.

St. Charles Master Gardener Hortline 636-875-7457 (varied office hours April – October; phone/email year-round to mgstcharles@gmail.com).

Service Resources

Arborists (Tree Care) http://www.stlouisarborists.com (Certified tree care professionals) Landscape Design and Maintenance Resources http://www.stlouislandscape.org/ (Members include nursery professionals, horticulturists and other related service providers.)

Where to Take Soil Samples for Testing

Univ. of Illinois Extension Gardening Hotline (618) 344-4230 (9am-noon M-F mid-Apr.-mid-Oct.).

MU Extension St. Louis County: 132 E. Monroe, Kirkwood, MO

University of Missouri Extension Gardening Hotline (314) 400-7657 (Mon. & Wed. Noon-3pm, plus Thur. beginning in 2020. Send email questions to: stlgardenhotline@gmail.com.)

MU Extension Jefferson County: 301 3rd St., Hillsboro, MO

General Gardening Help Websites The Gateway Gardener Magazine GatewayGardener.com (Upcoming events calendar, monthly gardening tips, garden club contacts, more.)

Missouri Botanical Garden Gardening Help http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantinfo.shtml (Problem solver, PlantFinder, Plants of Merit, more.)

U. of Illinois Hort Center https://extension.illinois.edu/global/horticulture U. of Missouri Lawn and Garden Publications http://extension.missouri.edu/main/DisplayCategory. aspx?C=2#publications (General lawn and garden help)

MU Extension St. Charles Cty.: 260 Brown Rd., St. Peters, MO Illinois: SGS Hamel: 375 N. Old Rte 66, Hamel, IL

Other Helpful Resources Gateway Greening: (314) 588-9600, GatewayGreening.org.

(Community gardens, urban agriculture, youth gardening education and more.)

Bightside St. Louis: (314) 772-4646, BrightsideSTL.org.

(Urban beautification, community gardening, sustainability programs.)

Missouri Department of Conservation: (314) 301-1500, https://mdc.mo.gov/mdc-offices/powder-valley-nature-center, (Wildlife habitat, wildlife control, native landscaping, nature education.)

Native Plant Gardening and Plant Resources GrowNative! http://www.grownative.org/ (Native garden designs, planting tips, plant resources, more.

Wild Ones St. Louis http://www.stlwildones.org/ (St. Louis Chapter of national group promoting native landscapes.)

St. Louis Audubon Society Bring Conservation Home www.stlouisaudubon.org/conservation/BCH/index.php (Urban habitat restoration program counseling homeowners on improving home landscapes with native plants and invasive plant eradication.)

Vegetable and Herb Gardening Missouri Botanical Garden Kemper Center https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/Portals/0/Gardening/ Gardening%20Help/Factsheets/Vegetable%20Varieties55.pdf (Veggie varieties for St. Louis area)

Start Your Garden Indoors Now!

We Have the Seeds and Supplies You Need!

Plus a Complete Line of Bird Feeders and Bird Seed Safe for you AND your plants!

Earth-Wise Plus!

U. of Illinois Extension http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies (Guide to growing, storing and preparing 23 different veggies) U. of Missouri Extension http://extension.missouri.edu/main/DisplayCategory.aspx?C=67 (Downloadable vegetable growing articles)

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The Gateway Gardener™ WINTER 2019

Dig This!

Gateway Gardeners and Businesses in the News Water Garden Club Honors Member

The St. Louis Water Garden Society (SLWGS) recently awarded member Tonya Summers with the Ganim Service Award! This annual award honors Don and Lizanne Ganim and recognizes a member who has gone beyond the call of duty for the SLWGS. Tonya Summers sits on the board of directors of the SLWGS. She was recognized for her years of service as the Hospitality Chairman at the society’s monthly meetings. In addition, Summers is Special Events Coordinator and most recently organized the members-only Tiki Torch Pond Tour as well as the Society’s June bus trip to Nashville, Tennessee.

Retirement Residents Chickens

Home Get

Seth Jansen and his wife Maria, owners of The Easy Chicken, recently installed a chicken coop at the St. Albeon Lakeside Retirement Seth Jansen and St. Albeon Home in Valley Park, resident Cathy Kapawana Missouri. It was a first check on the chickens. for the Jansens, whose business normally rents or sells chicken coops and chickens to homeowners so they can give the backyard chicken lifestyle a trial run before committing to long-term setups.

The chicken coop was the idea of Gisela Pacheco, Residency Director at St. Albeon, and a chicken owner herself. It is, she said, a continuation of some gardening initiatives originating from late resident and our onetime flagship columnist Barbara Perry Lawton. A few years ago, Lawton oversaw the installation of an herb garden for residents, and subsequently some beehives to encourage residents to be a part of nature. Pacheco explained the chickens not only continue that initiative, but fit well with a new program at St. Albeon called Resident Connect, which is a networking program designed to connect residents with similar interests in order to enjoy those activities and continue being creative and active.

So far, says Pacheco, the coop has been a big hit, giving residents the pleasure of watching the chickens and allowing them to reminisce about their childhood days on

WINTER 2019 The Gateway Gardener™

the farm and remember their grandparents with stories about the roosters, and eggs, etc.

Community College Battles Climbing Vine

The campus of St. Louis Community CollegeMeramec (STLCC) had been invaded by Euonymus fortunei ‘Coloratus’ (commonly known as wintercreeper euonymus or Climbing Euonymus), and if the SLCC groundskeeper facilities department didn’t do Alan Cain. something soon, the problem would get worse. They tasked groundskeeper Alan Cain to liberate the sycamore and 32 other trees.

Wintercreeper euonymus has been a mainstay nonnative horticultural ground cover used for many years, to cover, as a turf alternative, landscape areas with poor soils, soil moisture limitations, and challenging exposure extremes, including extreme deep shade. As a horizontal ground cover, wintercreeper euonymus bears no fruit/ seed, but its vertical vining form produces copious volumes of fruit that are favored by birds. Birds ultimately spread the seeds to landscape and garden areas where wintercreeper euonymus may not be intended nor desired and considered a weedy pest. Once established, wintercreeper euonymus can dominate the woodland floor, thus eliminating a diversity of wildflowers and other understory plants.

Beyond the ground level impact, the vertical vining growth of wintercreeper euonymus can impose structural damage, potentially inflicting death to trees and shrubs.

A statewide assessment organized by the Missouri Invasive Plant Task Force (MoIP), an inter-agency of the Missouri Prairie Foundation, found wintercreeper euonymus expanding its range at a moderate increase around St. Louis and causing moderate to severe environmental degradation in all regions of the state where data were reported. The abundance of escaped populations is particularly high in the St. Louis area.

Wintercreeper euonymus can be identified by its dense groundcover up to three feet in height. Its thick, glossy leaves are oval-shaped, no more than 1 inch in length, and easily identifiable by silvery white veins. Smooth, pinkish fruits mature in the fall.

The grounds staff began cutting vertical vines June 2019.

In most cases, the vines are cut, treated and left on the tree to fall off on their own accord thereby eliminating bark damage. The staff completed the initial cutting and removal in July and will return after the first freeze this winter to remove or recut and treat vine stumps. (For details on how to treat cut stumps with herbicide, visit moinvasives.org.)

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Naturally Natives

Tips and Resources for Growing and Landscaping with Sustainable Native Plants

Naturalizing with wildflowers in the woods Text and photos by Scott Woodbury

Virginia bluebells and celandine poppy fill the lower woodland floor in early spring in this section of the Whitmire Wildflower Garden.

W

hen I say wildflower what is the first thing that pops into your head? Splashes of color along a roadside?

Untended patches of weeds? Or perhaps spring flowers blossoming in the woods. These are common replies that I hear all the time. I’m going to focus on the woodland wildflower variety for now. Early blooming plants like trout lily (Erythronium americanum), bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), wild geranium (Geranium maculatum), Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica),

celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum), and violets (Viola spp.) come to mind. These are some of the plants that grow and flower before trees leaf out so they can get enough sunlight to survive in the shade. They are referred to as spring ephemerals and go dormant by mid to late summer. These are the plants that lift our spirits at the end of winter and have hopeful names like harbinger of spring (Erigenea bulbosa), spring beauty (Claytonia virginica) and spring daisy (Erigeron pulchellus).

But they aren’t the only plants that grow in the woods. By the end of spring, tick and chigger season is in full swing. Spring ephemerals give way to a second and third wave of wildflowers that bloom in summer and fall. These plants are sometimes overlooked because they bloom in the heat and humidity of summer when nagging insects are abundant outdoors and people are not. Don’t let this keep 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 more than 20 years. He is also an advisor to the Missouri Prairie Foundation’s GrowNative! program.

Celandine poppy seeds and pod.

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The Gateway Gardener™ WINTER 2019

you inside, there is much to see in the summer woodland like purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), downy skullcap (Scutellaria incana), garden phlox (Phlox paniculata), star coreopsis (Coreopsis pubescens), creek oats (Chasmanthium latifolium), wild ryes (Elymus spp.) and yellow wingstem (Verbesina helianthoides) to name a few. The third wave in fall is mostly aster and goldenrod like Drummond aster (Aster drummondii), spreading aster (Aster patens), blue-stemmed goldenrod (Solidago caesia), zig-zag goldenrod (S. flexicaulis) and rough-leaved goldenrod (S. rugosa).

These combine nicely with the tan and russet glow of woodland grasses and the black seed heads of purple coneflower.

Woodland gardens can be more natural in style and work well with large areas. Plants that move around naturally from seed are planted in a scattered fashion, as if they were thrown up in the air and planted where they land. They are intended to move around (“naturalize”). Some are spread by ants, which stay busy in late spring carrying seeds to their nests on the other side of the garden.

Ants are not demure creatures. Imagine yourself to be an ant, dragging a keg of beer by yourself 5 miles through an overgrown woods several times a day. Tiny little ants? I don’t think so. Though many woodland wildflowers move around from year to year, others stay put for decades. Plants like Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum), Soloman’s seal (Polygonatum comutatum) and various ferns like narrow-leaved spleenwort (Athyrium pycnocarpon) grow in groups for years so they are planted in groups initially.

Wild sweet William and blue-eyed Mary in the upper woodland of Whitmire Wildflower Garden.

for you. For inspiration visit the upper woodland in the Whitmire We converted mowed lawn in the upper woodland area of the Wildflower Garden this spring and throughout the changing Whitmire Wildflower Garden by planting it rather than seeding. seasons to see for yourself. It truly is a special gem in our crown of Turfgrass (in shade it never grows well) was sprayed with glyphosate garden displays. in early April. Soon after, plants were installed about eighteen inches apart and carefully mulched one to two inches deep with shredded leaf mulch. Large areas were planted over several years’ time by planting smaller manageable areas one-by-one. It took us 5 years to complete the upper woodland planting. Each area received weeding, water and mulch for two full growing seasons. The more vigorous plants were trimmed back to equal the size of slowergrowers. Wouldn’t it be great if we could trim children this way? In the third growing season they were weaned off care; no mulch, less weeding, watering and little trimming. After a decade or more we are still equalizing by pulling up seedlings when they crowd a more vulnerable neighboring plant. For instance, Indian pink (Spigelia marylandica) and maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum) need help to survive especially at the edge where they are more visible. We pull seedlings of anything that sprouts within six to eight inches of them. Otherwise they would disappear over time. The usual seedy suspects include purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), bluestemmed goldenrod (Solidago ceasea), rough-leaved goldenrod (S. rugosa) and garden phlox (Phlox paniculata). These are a few of the plants that we regularly keep in check and it would be wise not to plant them until the third year when all the other plants have become established.

When naturalizing with native plants in the woods, don’t forget the summer and fall blooming wildflowers. The upper woodland in the Whitmire wildflower garden is one of the most popular areas because it is very diverse with plants blooming in all seasons.

It is also lower in maintenance compared to more traditionally planted areas in the garden. If you have shade on your property and especially big areas, naturalizing in the woods may work well

WINTER 2019 The Gateway Gardener™

2832 Barrett Station Rd, Ballwin, MO 63021 www.greenscapegardens.com

19

2020 Spring Shows, Conventions & Classes In this, our 13th annual listing of spring shows, conferences and classes, you’ll find a wide array of educational and entertaining options to break the ice off your winter gardening dreams. Whether you’re a horticulture professional, master gardener or neophyte green-thumber, there’s something going on this spring that will scratch your gardening itch!

33rdAnniversary Midwestern Herb and Garden Show Times Square Mall, Mt. Vernon, IL. Feb. 14th-16th For both the gardening experts and the gardening hopefuls, three days of demonstrations, classes, and seminars with nationally recognized speakers and unique displays by more than 40+ exhibitors. The Herb & Garden Show is an opportunity to learn from the experts during the free hourly educational classes where you can ask questions, share information and even participate in take-home activities. Brent Heath of Brent & Becky’s Bulbs will give presentations Friday at 11am, 1pm and 3pm on various topics related to bulbs, including a look at species for all seasons, and what, when, where and how to grow and color gardens with flower bulbs, right bulbs for the right spot, and a visual tour of great bulb gardens through history and throughout the world. Saturday, Father Dominic Garramone, former host of PBS’ Breaking Bread with Father Dominic, will give a presentation, time and topic to come at a later date. Vendors display a variety of items Times Square Mall located on Broadway & 42nd Street. Hours are 10am – 9pm on Friday & Saturday and 12pm – 5pm Sunday. Free Admission & Free Hourly Classes. For more information call (800) 252-5464 or visit www.midwesternherbandgardenshow.com.

more information or call (314) 962-3311.

Dig In: A Gardening Seminar St. Charles Community College Cottleville, MO February 29th

8 : 3 0 a m 3:30pm.

You select from a variety of topics to create a personal schedule of learning. Key note: Missouri Climate Trends,

by Dr. Pat Guinan, MU Extension State Climatologist. More details will be available January 1—call MU Extension at 636-970-3000 or visit http:// stcharlescountymastergardeners.com. Hosted by the St. Charles County Master Gardeners. St. Charles Community College, 4601 Mid Rivers Mall Dr, Cottleville 63376.

Community Agriculture Conference International Institute of St. Louis St. Louis, MO February 23rd 12-5:30pm. Formerly known as the PreSeason Gardening Expo STL Community Rolling Ridge Nursery Garden Summit, the Webster Groves, MO Community Agriculture February 8th Conference is an annual 10am-2pm. Join local industry Gateway Greening experts who will cover event that brings in over gardening topics, education, 200 people each year. demonstrations, and more.

This event provides the Refreshments and prizes on opportunity to hear from national experts on community gardening, hand. Visit with, ask questions horticulture, and community development. Attendees participate in and share ideas with Landscape networking with other gardeners and people working in sustainable Designers, Local Growers, practices across the region. All gardeners, home and community Local Green Industry Experts, alike, are invited to attend! Breakout sessions on all aspects of Plant Society Representatives, and more. Rolling Ridge Nursery, growing food will be included as well as time to network with 60 N. Gore, Webster Groves. Visit RollingRidgeNursery.com for fellow gardeners. St. Louis organizations will also be in attendance 20

The Gateway Gardener™ WINTER 2019

to share their resources. $15. Find more information at http://www. gatewaygreening.org.

Gateway Green Industry Conference Gateway Convention Center Collinsville, IL March 4th 8am – 4pm. Classes on trees, shrubs, insects, disease, ornamentals, perennials, ground covers, rain gardens and much more. Offers CEUs for Arborists, Park & Rec staff, golf course superintendents, and landscape contractors. Open to the public. For more information Patty Stanton at (618) 344-4230 or pstanton@illinois.edu.

Partners for Native Landscaping Maryland Heights Community Center Maryland Heights, MO March 7th A workshop for homeowners offering information and resources on how to landscape with native plants for greener communities. Keynote speaker is Doug Tallamy, author of Bringing Nature Home, and newly published Nature’s Best Hope. Breakout sessions on various topics. Native plants for sale, and vendors from various organizations on hand to answer questions about native gardening and related topics. Details of a Friday night reception event will be available closer to the event, as will registration online at www.stlouisaudupon.org.

2020 Weekend Gardener The Shrine of Our Lady of Snows Belleville, IL March 7th 9am-3pm. Topics include native plants, cover crops, pruning, wildflowers, and much more. Informative program for beginning gardeners and more advanced gardeners. Registration information is available at 618-939-3434.

Nate Keener

Grow Native! Native By Design Workshop Lewis and Clark Community College-NO Nelson Campus Edwardsville, IL March 20th 7:30am-Noon.

A morning of discussion and conversation about designing with native plants. Keynote speakers and other details will be available closer to the date of the event. Breakfast is included. Presented by Grow Native!, a program of the Missouri Prairie Foundation. Visit moprairie.org/grownative for details.

WINTER 2019 The Gateway Gardener™

An NGC Standard Flower Show

T

March 5th-8th Builder’s Home & Garden Show America’s Center • St. Louis, MO

he 2020 annual flower show at the St. Louis Builder’s Home and Garden Show promises to be a real circus of floral designs!

“Under the Big Top” is the theme for this year’s edition of the annual flower show and competition, once again presented by the East Central District of the Federated Garden Clubs of Missouri, Inc., National Garden Clubs, Inc., and the Home Builders Association of St. Louis and Eastern Missouri.

Participants can enter in a number of categories, including a youth division, and show off designs celebrating a variety of themes.

Children can get some tips and practice prior to the show by attending the Children’s Garden Club meeting on January 4th at Baisch & Skinner. Sponsors encourage any interested gardeners and flower arrangers to enter regardless of past experience.

For questions call Jackie Reynolds, (314) 968-5004.

The Flower Show is made possible by the Home Builders Association and the Home & Garden Show.

Sponsors include Sherwood’s Forest Nursery and Garden Center, which provided landscape materials to beautify the flower show area, Saint Louis County Parks, Baisch and Skinner, National Garden Clubs, Federated Garden Clubs of Missouri, Jost Greenhouses, St. Louis Composting and Wiethop Greenhouses.

Even if you don’t enter, be sure to stop by the Flower Show booth, and bring your children to the Children’s Garden Club booth.

For complete rules and regulations, visit our website at: GatewayGardener.com/flowershows/rules

Deadline for entries: March 5th.

Entry Form for Horticulture Division

Name__________________________________________ Phone #________________________________________ Address________________________________________ City_________________State_______Zip_____________ Class#

Class Title

_______ __________________________________ _______ __________________________________ _______ __________________________________ Mail or email form to: Jackie Reynolds • 452 Foreston Place Webster Groves, MO 63119 • JReynolds452@charter.net

Entry Form for Design & Botanical Arts Divisions (Also use this form for Youth Design Section*)

Name__________________________________________ Phone #________________________________________ Address________________________________________ City_________________State_______Zip_____________ For Youth Entries: Age_______ Class#

Grade______________

Class Title

_______ __________________________________ _______ __________________________________ _______ __________________________________ Mail form to:

Kim Peterson • 1705 Carroll St. • St. Louis, MO 63104 • kprp@swbell.net *Youth entries mail or email to: Douglas Wolter • St. Louis County Parks and Recreation • 1675 S. Mason Rd.• St. Louis, MO 63131 • DWolter@stlouisco.com

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Upcoming Events Children are invited to experience the thrill of visiting with Santa and telling him their Christmas wishes. Pets are welcome as well. Children can enjoy holiday crafts and activities. In the giving spirit of the season, donations are requested for this event. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636239-6729, www.hillermann.com.

Meetings, Classes, Entertainment and More 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 2020 issue is February 1st.

How to reach us: Mail: PO Box 220853, St. Louis, MO 63122 314-968-3740 Email: info@gatewaygardener.com

FUN FOR KIDS

November 2nd 10am—Hillermann’s First Saturday Kids. Air Plant Birch Branch Chime.

Join us to make a fun chime to add some brightness to your window during winter. $10.00 class fee for all materials and supplies used. Please call 636-239-6729 to sign up. Hillermann Nursery & Florist.

Hillermann.com.

November 2nd 9am—Fall Holiday Harvest—Children’s Garden Club. FREE. Planthaven Farms Garden Center. 6703 Telegraph Rd., Oakville.

November 30th, December 7th, and 14th 10am-1pm—Saturdays with Santa.

Pictures with Santa and a petting zoo. Call 314-846-0078 for more info. Planthaven Farms Garden Center, 6703 Telegraph Rd., Oakville.

December 7th 8-11:30am—Breakfast with Santa. Visit with Santa as he makes his yearly stop at the Garden for our members-only event.

Enjoy making crafts and opportunities to take photos with Rudolph, Frosty, and Mrs. Claus. Don’t forget to bring your wish list for the holidays. Missouri Botanical Garden, Ridgway Center.

9 am—Holiday Decorating—Children’s Garden Club. FREE. Sherwood’s Forest Nursery & Garden Center. 2651 Barrett Station Rd. (314) 966-0028.

December 7th and 14th 11am-1pm—Santa at Hillermann’s.

The wonder and excitement only Santa can bring comes alive at Hillermann’s!

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January 4th 10am—First Saturday Kids. Kids can join us to make their own Mason Jar Terrarium to take home. $5.00 supply fee. Please call 636-239-6729 to sign up.

Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-2396729, www.hillermann.com.

9am—Home and Garden Floral Design, Children’s Garden Club. FREE. Baisch & Skinner, 2721 LaSalle St., St. Louis.

February 1st 10am—First Saturday Kids. Join us in making a bluebird house in anticipation of spring coming! $10.00 supply fee. An adult helper is preferred. Please call 636239-6729 to reserve your spot and sign up.

Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-2396729, www.hillermann.com.

CLASSES, LECTURES AND EVENTS

November 1st -30th Honeysuckle Sweep Month. Join BiodiverseCity St. Louis Network partners in helping to reduce the harmful impact of bush honeysuckle on our region. Visit the BiodiverseCity STL website to find out more after October 25th.

Nov. 2nd 8am-12:30pm—Fall Seminar for Gardeners. Variety of gardening classes to pick from. Registration is $10, vendors and snacks provided. Sponsored by Perry County Master Gardeners. Higher Education Center in Perryvill, MO. Call (573) 547-4504 for more info.

9:30-10:30am—Holiday Plants— Growing Tips for Colorful Displays.

Discover the most beautiful holiday plants, with the best colors and forms. In this session you’ll be inspired with fun and creative ways to use them in centerpieces and arrangements. You’ll learn proven tips for growing, making flowers last, and propagation. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 965-3070 for reservations.

10-11:30am—Guided Tour: Trees & Their Many Colors Explained. Learn the benefits, health care and classroom applications of trees on the campus at St. Louis Community College Meramec. On the tour, learn interesting facts, general information and fall color explained.

FREE. RSVP to mrenner@stlcc.edu. Rain or shine. Meet in Science West Building, Room 103 (SW103).

10am—Trees, Beautiful Trees. Join us to

learn the benefits of trees. The hidden life of trees will be discussed. Tree varieties, planting tips, trimming and more will be covered in this FREE educational class.

Please call 636-239-6729 to sign up.

Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-2396729, www.hillermann.com.

Nov. 6th Noon-1pm—Sustainable Naturescaping for Birds and Pollinators. Accomplished birder, photographer, naturalist and blogger Margy Terpstra will discuss how she and her husband Dan have turned their half-acre Kirkwood landscape into wildlife sanctuary by removing invasive plants and restoring habitat with Missouri native plants and attractive water features.

Presented by the City of Sunset Hills and Sunset Hills Garden Club. Sunset Hills Community Center 3915 S. Lindbergh Blvd., (314) 842-7265. To learn more about the Terpstras’ “Shady Oaks Sanctuary,” visit their website at HummerHavenUnltd. com.

November 8th 10am-4pm--Soil Health Workshop.

Learn about the living soil and how to keep it healthy. USDA Soil Health Trailer will be on site with demos of soil health and management practices. $35 includes lunch. 260 Brown Rd., St. Peters, MO. Limited space. Register by Nov. 5th, call (314) 400-7632 or at extension.missouri. edu/stlouis/classes.aspx.

November 9th 9:30-10:30am—Growing Houseplants Indoors, A Beginner’s Guide. Learn the most popular varieties, along with techniques needed for these hardworking beauties. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 965-3070 for reservations.

10am—Winter Houseplant Care. Join us to learn about the benefits and winter care of houseplants. Plant varieties, new and old will be shown. Organic tips to care for insects, fertilizing, light and more will be discussed in this FREE class. Please call 636-239-6729 to sign up. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www. hillermann.com.

November 10th 10am-5pm—Old Webster Groves Holiday Open House. A tradition in Webster Groves for over 25 years, featuring the Webster Groves Historical Society’s Christmas Market. Refreshments, music, tree seedlings, crafters and more. Be sure to stop by Rolling Ridge Nursery, 60 N. Gore, Webster Groves.

12:30pm—Aronia / Chokeberries.

Master Gardener Karen Kowal will talk about the chokeberry shrub and fruit, which are gaining popularity among health-conscious consumers looking to add more superfoods to their diets. Kress Farm Garden Preserve, 5137 Glade Chapel

Rd., Hillsboro, MO 63050.

November 14th 1-4pm—Native Plant School: Invasive Plant ID and Control. $17 ($14 Garden/ SNR members). Classes at Carriage House at Shaw Nature Reserve. For reservations or more information, call (636) 451-3512 or visit www.shawnature.org.

November 16th 9:30-10:30am—Holiday Decorations Using Natural Elements with Wendy Conroy. Learn how to use the bounty of your yard, along with seasonal ornaments and evergreen plants to create exquisite containers and decorations that will look good through the holiday season and beyond. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 965-3070 for reservations.

11am-12:30pm—Holiday Design Demonstration with Rhonda LynnMoeckel. Learn how to decorate your homes by a professional florist and designer. Call 314-846-0078 for more info.

Planthaven Farms Garden Center, 6703 Telegraph Rd., Oakville.

1pm--Holiday Wreath Make and Take.

Join us to make a festive permanent botanical wreath for the holiday season. $35.00 base price, all decorations above and beyond can be added a la cart. Please call 636-239-6729 to reserve your spot.

Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-2396729, www.hillermann.com.

November 18th 11am-3pm—American Red Cross Blood Drive at Hillermann’s. Give blood while the Bloodmobile is collecting at Hillermann’s. Please call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter: Hillermann to schedule an appointment.

Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-2396729, www.hillermann.com.

November 22nd 5-7pm—Holiday Evening of Lights Private Party. Celebrate the holidays with a beautiful private evening party.

We will have light hors d’oeuvres to enjoy while you are shopping. We will also have several wine vendors here with samples and other holiday vendors. As our appreciation to our customers, enjoy 20% off your purchase during this event.

Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-2396729, www.hillermann.com.

November 23rd 10am—Let’s Decoupage. Turn an ordinary clay pot into a work of art. Make a Thanksgiving gift or a holiday design.

All supplies will be provided. $10 class fee. Please call 636-239-6729 to sign up.

Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-2396729, www.hillermann.com.

The Gateway Gardener™ WINTER 2019

November 23rd & 30th 9:30-10:30am—Porch Pots and Holiday Decorations with Wendy Conroy. Learn how to create a holiday statement piece for your doorstep by using a variety of fresh evergreens along with seasonal decorations. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 965-3070 for reservations.

November 23rd-24th Holiday Open House. Celebrate the coming Holiday Season at our Holiday Open House. Enjoy refreshments as you browse our gorgeous holiday displays.

Free gift with a purchase while supplies last. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636239-6729, Hillermann.com.

November 23rd through January 1st 9am-4pm—Gardenland Express. Annual holiday flower and train show features G-scale model trains traveling through a miniature landscape of living plants, surrounded by thousands of fresh plants.

Closed Christmas Day. Orthwein Floral Display Hall, Missouri Botanical Garden.

November 23rd-January 4th 5-10pm—Garden Glow. Stroll through the Garden at night surrounded by a spectacle of unique light installations. Family Night select Wednesdays. Admission to Gardenland Express included with Glow ticket purchase. Tickets are date-specific and sold in limited quantities. Tickets can be purchased in advance at glow. missouribotanicalgarden.org.

November 23rd through January 4th 9am-4pm—Holiday Wreath Auction.

Featuring unique creations by some of the area’s finest floral designers. All wreaths are sold by silent auction bidding, with proceeds benefiting the Missouri Botanical Garden. Monsanto Hall, upper level of the Ridgway visitor center.

November 24th 9am-4pm—Poinsettia Wonderland Open House. See the largest display of poinsettias in the area. Guided tours of the greenhouses from 10am-3pm. Visit with Santa, and enjoy Christmas carolers, holiday cookies and crafters. Proceeds from sales benefit Millstadt Optimist Youth Club. Millstadt Gardens and N.G.Heimos Greenhouses, 6667 Route 158, Millstadt, IL, 62290. (618) 476-9600.

November 25th 1pm—Paper White Planter Make and Take. Make a beautiful centerpiece with paper whites, and learn how to keep them growing indoors during the holiday season. $15.00 supply fee. Please call 636-2396729 to register. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www.hillermann. com.

fabric ribbon into works of art. Tree toppers, wreaths, stairways, fireplaces and more can be decked out in colorful ribbons.

Free class to learn - or pay for the ribbon if you take home a creation. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www. hillermann.com.

November 30th 1pm—Holiday Porch Pot Make and Take. Make a festive porch pot for the season. We will have assorted evergreens and decorations so you can match your décor. $30.00 base price, additional decorations will be available to add by a la cart. Please call 636-239-6729 to register.

Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-2396729, www.hillermann.com.

1-2pm—Natural Beauties, Using Nature’s Bounty for Holiday Decorations with Wendy Conroy. Learn how to use the bounty of your yard, along with seasonal ornaments and evergreen plants to create exquisite containers and decorations. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 965-3070 for reservations.

December 4th Missouri Green Industry Conference.

Six educational tracks and an informational vendor expo. St. Charles Convention Center. Go to mogic.org for details and pre-registration.

December 5th 5-9pm—Holiday Open House. Live music, food and wine. Call 314-846-0078 for more info. Planthaven Farms Garden Center, 6703 Telegraph Rd., Oakville.

December 7th 9am-5pm—Customer Appreciation Day. Refreshments, food truck, local artisans and our own Christmas Store for a fun day of shopping and holiday inspiration.

Rolling Ridge Nursery, 60 N. Gore, Webster Groves. (314) 962-3311.

9:30-11:30am—Natural Beauties, Using Nature’s Bounty for Holiday Decorations with Wendy Conroy. Learn how to use the bounty of your yard, along with seasonal ornaments and evergreen plants to create exquisite containers and decorations. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 965-3070 for reservations.

December 7th & 8th 10am-5pm—Holidays at Garden Heights. Open House, with cookies, cocoa and a visit from Santa (10am-2pm).

Garden Heights Nursery, 1605 Big Bend Blvd., Richmond Heights. (314) 6457333, GardenHeights.com.

November 29 -December 24 Optimist Club Charity Tree Lot. Get your Christmas tree at Planthaven. Call 314-846-0078 for more info. Planthaven Farms Garden Center, 6703 Telegraph Rd., Oakville.

January 9th 1-4pm—Native Plant School: Top Performing Small Flowering Trees, Shrubs and Vines. $17 ($14 Garden/SNR members). Classes at Carriage House at Shaw Nature Reserve. For reservations or more information, call (636) 451-3512 or visit www.shawnature.org.

November 30th 10am—Bow Making: 101. Turn beautiful

January 11th 10am—Wreath

th

th

Make

WINTER 2019 The Gateway Gardener™

and

Take

Workshop. Join Julie in making a new grapevine wreath to dress up your door for winter. Christmas decorations are put away, it’s time for a fresh new look. $40.00 supply fee. Please call 636-239-6729 to sign up. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www.hillermann.com.

January 18th 10am—Kokedama (String Garden) Make and Take Workshop. Create your own moss ball string planter to take home. $20.00 supply fee. Please call 636-2396729 to sign up. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www.hillermann. com.

January 25th 10am—Margaritas, Succulents and More! Come in from the winter cold and celebrate that spring is on its way with a margarita! Once you have finished your drink, learn how to turn your glass into a fun miniature succulent garden. $20.00 supply fee. Please call 636-239-6729 to sign up. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, Hillermann.com.

February 8th 10am-2pm—Rolling Ridge Pre-Season Gardening Expo. See information on page 20.

10am—Beautiful Orchids. The Orchid Show at the Missouri Botanical Gardens has inspired us to teach you about these beautiful, long blooming beauties. Learn about orchid care, varieties and repotting.

Please call 636-239-6729 to sign up for this FREE educational session. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www. hillermann.com.

11am—Pressed Flower Glass Art Make and Take. Make a pretty pressed flower wall hanging in a two sided glass frame.

The glass will be approximately 8” x 6.” $25.00 supply fee. Please call 636-2396729 to sign up. What a beautiful lasting floral for Valentine’s Day! Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www. hillermann.com.

February 13th 1-4pm—Native Plant School: Greenhouse Propagation of Native Plants. $17 ($14 Garden/SNR members).

Classes at Head House at Shaw Nature Reserve. For reservations or more information, call (636) 451-3512 or visit www.shawnature.org.

February 14th-16th Midwestern Herb and Garden Show.

See page 20 for details.

February 15th 10am—Herb Garden Seed Starting.

Learn about planting from seeds indoors.

Vegetables will also be discussed. Learn how to start seeds indoors, growing tips to help them thrive, and tips on how to use them in your favorite recipes. Recipes will also be handed out. You will have a choice of three herb varieties to pot. $10.00 supply fee. Please call 636-239-6729 to sign up. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www.hillermann.com.

February 22nd 10am—Macramé Hanger Make and Take. This is a class favorite returning this winter. Please join JoAnne in learning how to make your own macramé plant hanger. $15.00 supply fee. Please call 636-2396729 to sign up. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www.hillermann. com.

February 23rd Community Agriculture Conference.

See page 20 for details.

February 29th 8:30am-3pm—Dig In 2020. Hosted by the St. Charles County Master Gardeners.

St. Charles Community College, 4601 Mid Rivers Mall Dr, Cottleville 63376.

Key note: Climate in Missouri and how to garden with the flux, by Dr. Pat Guinan, MU Extension State Climatologist. You select from a variety of topics to create a personal schedule of learning. More details will be available January 1—call MU Extension at 636-970-3000.

10am—HAPPY LEAP YEAR! Hypertufa Make and Take. Learn how to make a ‘concrete looking’ planter for succulents, herbs, or pansies. The plant choices are endless. This light weight formula makes beautiful rustic containers for your porch, patio or even in your home. $15.00 supply fee. Please call 636-2396729 to sign up. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www.hillermann. com.

Become a Master Gardener in St. Charles County

 Training is the first step and is held at the MU Extension Center of St. Charles County

 15 weeks of in-depth, horticultural training from the ground up: soils, plant propagation, pest management and much more

 Wednesdays, March 4 through June 10, 2020, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

 $200, all major credit cards accepted Call 636-970-3000 or email stcharlesco@missouri.edu for more info

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