The Gateway Gardener May 2014

Gateway Gardener

MAY 2014

THE

速

Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes

Container Crazy!

Garden Anywhere in Practically Anything

Peony Power!

Garden Tours Green Homes Festival FREE Courtesy of:

Gateway Gardener

From the Editor

THE

®

Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes

May 2014

Volume 10, Number 4

Founded in 2005 by

Robert Weaver & Joyce Bruno

Publisher and Editor Robert Weaver Columnists

Barbara Perry Lawton Garden Book Author and Garden Writer Connie Alwood Master Gardener Ellen Barredo Certified Nursery Professional Diane Brueckman Rosarian Joyce Driemeyer Master Gardener Cindy Gilberg Landscape Design Mara Higdon Gateway Greening Glenn Kraemer Turf Horticulturist Steffie Littlefield Nursery Professional Printing: Breese Publishing, Breese, IL The Gateway Gardener® is published monthly 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.

L

ast winter was a brutal one in the St. Louis area, and at times this spring it seemed as though Jack Frost just kept wanting to grind his knuckles into our backs a little longer. But if there was a positive, it seemed to slow spring down a little. Things weren’t quite as hectic this spring as they have been in recent years.

The ephemeral woodland flowers, spring bulbs, and flowering trees and shrubs didn’t just race through overnight; they dallied a little to extend our pleasure. And chores in the garden seemed not as urgent.

Rather than racing madly to get the garden cleaned up before onrushing growth made work impossible, I was actually able to spread the task over several weekends. And container planting—typically a gardening project associated with a period around Mother’s Day—hasn’t pressured for earlier attention this year.

But the time for dalliance is gone, and now is indeed container planting time! The plant breeders and growers have been busy as usual, and there are catalogs and greenhouses full of exciting, colorful new varieties. What has really struck me this year, though, is the amazing selection of containers to be found in our independent garden centers. The

a once-every-three-year happening featuring some of the finest and fanciest gardens in the area; and the Sustainable Backyard Tour, whose gardens could be characterized as more “of the people” (like mine) and focusing more on practical, sustainable gardening practices.

And, though not a sponsor, we’re definitely a fan of Pond-O-Rama, which always excites with its multitude of fabulous water gardens.

colors, styles and materials from which to choose make me want to discard my hodge-podgery of pots and baskets, and give some of these new kids a chance! You can see what I’m talking about in our cover story on page 10.

Done with your containers? Well, the great thing about gardening is there’s always something else to do. And only some of it is in the garden. This issue features several articles on gardening related events to inspire, enrich and educate.

The garden tour season kicks off in earnest in June, and we’ve included our roundup of several tours on the upcoming calendar (pg. 22). The Gateway Gardener is pleased to be a sponsor for two of these events, including the delightful St. Louis Garden Tour,

On the Cover...

Whether you have a smaller landscape, lack for sunny locations, or just want the simplicity of container gardening, you’ll find the choice of containers has never been greater! To find out what’s new, including this beautiful Mexican greenwire container planted and photographed by Ann Lapides of Sugar Creek Gardens , see pg. 10.

IN THIS ISSUE 4 6 8 10

Peony Power!

Plants for Pollinators Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Container Crazy!

Besides tours, we’re also pleased to be a media sponsor again for this year’s Green Homes Festival (pg.

12). This year’s event has been rebranded and relocated from the Missouri Botanical Garden parking lot to the venue area behind the Garden’s Kemper Center. Despite the changes, you’ll still find lots of great ideas for living sustainably in the garden and in the home. We hope to see you there, but that’s not until June. We have much to do in the garden—and in our containers—before then!

Good Gardening!

12 St. Louis Urban Gardening Symposium 13 Nature Connects: Art with Legos 14 Gooseberries 15 CSAs Are Fresh!

16 Green Homes Festival 18 Gateway Greening is 30!

20 Scented Geraniums 22 It’s Garden Tour Season 24 Warm-Season Lawn Care 26 Gardening By Design 27 Houseplants Go to Work 28 Rose Rosette 29 Dig This 30 Upcoming Events

Peony Power!

Glories of Spring

by Barbara Perry Lawton

Tree Peony ‘Savage Splendor’

A

Itoh Peony ‘Border Charm’

mong spring’s glories are peonies. The flowers are beautiful.

The fragrance is spectacular. A plus in our region is that they are not eaten by deer.

Years ago, we all grew herbaceous peonies, those that die back to the ground each winter like most perennials. They were and are glorious—and to top it off, they’re easy to grow. In China peony is the national flower and has been known since at least 1000 B.C. Peonies were brought to Europe in the Middle Ages and then to America in the mid-1800s. They fast became a garden favorite.

Although herbaceous peonies are known for their sun-loving characteristics, there also are woodland herbaceous peonies, a separate species that will thrive in shade, where they get early spring sun before the leaves come out. Their delicate white flowers appear in early spring. Their lush foliage is handsome throughout

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the growing season and can create a wonderful ground cover.

Tree peonies, also with a long history in the Orient, are woody perennial shrubs. Slow-growing and long-lived, they eventually grow to three-to-seven feet tall and bloom earlier than herbaceous peonies. They are stately unusual plants and have huge flowers. The handsome foliage turns bronzy purple in the fall, and is graced with hundreds of fragrant flowers in spring.

Cultivation of the Tree Peony in China dates to the seventh century.

As a favorite subject of decorative design, they were known to the West through Chinese art and the descriptions of missionaries long before the flower itself was brought to Europe. Double forms arrived first in Kew gardens by the late eighteenth century and single forms followed by 1804. The British plant hunter Robert Fortune obtained thirty to forty varieties during his expedition to China sponsored by the Royal Horticultural Society in 1834. These varieties were evident in American gardens by the 1840s and 50s. Joseph Breck of Boston noted the availability of “several beautiful new specimens . . . introduced by Mr. Fortune direct from China” by mid century.

Wanting the best of both herbaceous and tree peonies, Japanese plant breeder Toichi Itoh began crossing the two. He made thousands of crosses that eventually resulted in the intersectional or Itoh peonies.

Unfortunately, he died in 1956 before any of his new peonies matured. They were introduced in the late 1960s and, though they are pricy, they are wonderful specimens and swiftly growing in

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And get this--the bunnies and deer hate it! After 4 years of trials, here’s what the Chicago Botanic Garden had to say: “This selection has not been deer or rabbit browsed, unlike selections of Phlox maculata and Phlox paniculata grown nearby in our trials.”

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popularity.

Another worthy peony group includes the rock garden peonies.

The smallest of peonies, they generally grow below 21 inches.

Their flowers and foliage are in proportion to their smaller size.

Some are fern-leafed—among my favorites—perfect for smaller gardens.

Peonies are hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 8 .

Full sun and well-draining fertile soil with neutral pH are the keys to growing peonies. Be sure that the eyes are no more than 1.5 to 2 inches below soil level. Once established they do not take well to transplanting. Containerized peonies can be planted at any time you can work the soil.

Clearly, your choice in peonies is large and varied. You would be wise to go to knowledgeable local nurseries or reputable mail order sources. Klehm’s Song

Sparrow Perennial Farm (www. songsparrow.com), one of the most reputable of mail order sources, is a reliable source of all peonies, having grown peonies since the early 1900s.

Cut Flower Tip Peonies, cut for indoor display are invariably accompanied by many small harmless but annoying ants. Avoid that by, first, upending and gently shaking peonies outdoors. If some ants remain, dip the flower in a pail of cool water and gently turn—repeat if some ants remain. photos courtesy Klehm’s Song Sparrow Farm and Nursery, www.songsparrow.com

Barbara Perry Lawton is a writer, author, speaker and photographer. She has served as manager of publications for Missouri Botanical Garden and as weekly garden columnist for the PostDispatch. The author of a number of gardening and natural history books, and contributor to many periodicals, she has earned regional and national honors for her writing and photography. Barbara is also a Master Gardener and volunteers at MBG.

MAY 2014

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Naturally Natives Plants for Pollinators Text By Cindy Gilberg • Photos by Robert Weaver

A

In many places, pollinators are at lot of attention has been paid to the possible risk from habitat loss, pesticide use and even (in the case of causes of diminishing honeybees especially) from populations of honeybees in our introduced diseases and stress. country. However, bear in mind There are a few things that you, that honeybees are a European as a gardener and landowner, can species and NOT native bees, do to enhance pollinator habitat and that there are approximately in your landscape: provide native 450 native bees in Missouri. In addition to bees, there are some flowering plants that bloom at different times of the season, create flies, beetles, butterflies, moths nest sites, and avoid pesticide use. and some small birds that provide pollination services. Much of our Early spring-blooming flowers A bumble bee emerging from a visit with rose turtlehead. are especially important since food sources are from grain crops native bees/pollinators come out such as wheat and corn, which are wind-pollinated, as are most grasses and large trees. However, of winter hungry and ready to forage for nectar and pollen. many crops do depend on insect pollinators—imagine our world without the familiar fruits and vegetables. And since most native Most native bees and pollinators tend to be solitary, with each pollinators are specific to a certain plant, they are much more female making her own underground nest, unlike honeybees, which create large social nests. The native bee female will collect nectar efficient at pollinating. and pollen to provide for her young in the nest. To create appealing

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Native plaNt Name

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Aromatic aster (Aster oblongifolius) Ladies eardrops (Berchemia scandens) Marsh milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) Eastern blazingstar (Liatris scariosa) Robin’s plaintain (Erigeron pulchellus) Slender mountain mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium) Foxglove beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) Wild hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) Cliff goldenrod (Solidago drummondii)

HeigHt/Habit

UNiqUe qUalities

2 Feet

Lavender-flowering in fall

Woody vine

Attracts large numbers of bees

4–5 Feet

Attracts butterflies, beetles, and bees

3–4 Feet

Attracts butterflies

3–5 Inches/ Groundcover

Attracts digger bees

1–2 Feet

Attracts bees, wasps, butterflies

2–3 Feet

Attracts bumble bees

3–4 Feet

Attracts bees, hummingbird moths, butterflies

3–5 Feet/Shrub

Attracts bees, butterflies, wasps

2 Feet/ Mounding

Attracts bees, beetles, butterflies

Grow Native! is a native plant education and marketing program of the

The Gateway Gardener®

MAY 2014

Tips and Resources for Growing and Landscaping with Sustainable Native Plants nesting sites, leave some areas of the garden or yard untended since that is where most native bees like to nest. Reducing and eliminating the use of pesticides (herbicides, insecticides and fungicides) on your property will greatly enhance pollinator habitat and health.

Perhaps the easiest thing to do is to plant a diversity of native plants, from small flowering trees to herbaceous perennials. Include plants that bloom in early spring, such as dogwoods, serviceberry, and native viburnums and some that bloom late, such as the aromatic aster. With a diversity of plants comes not only a stronger ecosystem but a healthier one that provides a diversity of food for various insects and animals. Composite flowers (daisy-type flowers) are always welcome and are available in the genera Aster (Symphiotrichum), Coreopsis, Echinacea and Rudbeckia. Others to include are beardtongue (Penstemon), beebalm (Monarda), goldenrod (Solidago spp.), and mountain mint (Pycnanthemum spp.).

Any of the sunflowers (Heliopsis and Helianthus), Silphium Composite flowers like this of cup plant and blazing stars (Liatris are popular pollinator stops. spp.) are among those that are popular with pollinators. Many herbs are also attractive to pollinators, so always let some of your herbs go to seed (basil, oregano and marjoram, rosemary, sage, and thyme). A diverse planting of natives around your property will also enhance habitat for other beneficial insects that thrive on eating many of our insect “pests,” thus helping to eliminate pesticide use.

When adding butterflies and moths to the list of pollinators, always research which plants are the specific host plants for the butterfly Cindy Gilberg is a Missouri native and horticulturist in the St. Louis region. She is past co-owner of Gilberg Perennial Farms, and now devotes her time to promoting native plant landscaping and stormwater management.

Contact Cindy at cindy.gilberg@gmail.com.

This article is written in collaboration with Shaw Nature Reserve (Missouri Botanical Garden) in partnership with the Missouri Department of Conservation. Visit the Whitmire Wildflower Garden at Shaw Nature Reserve, a 5-acre display garden, for ideas on native plant landscaping. Native plant conservation and the promotion of native plants in our landscapes is vital to restoring the rich biodiversity of our region.

species you are trying to attract.

When planting any of these plants, try to group three or more plants together to make them more attractive to the insects.

To learn more, visit the Pollinator Conservation Resource Center at www.xerces.org and the archived articles at the MO Department of Conservation (www.mdc. mo.gov). To find out from whom and where you can purchase native seeds and plants, visit the Grow Native Resource Guide at www.grownative.org. There are also many helpful publications at each website to assist you in your pollinator conservation programs.

Herbs like this sage are great attractors of bees and “wanna-bees” like this syrphid fly.

Bring Conservation Home

• Dreaming of your own wildlife sanctuary?

• Fascinated by hummingbirds, butterflies or creepy/ crawlies?

• Not sure how to get started or which native plants are best?

Call (314) 599-7390 or check out our habitat assistance and certification program at:

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MAY 2014

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S

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Text and Photo By Connie Alwood

ome time back, Newsweek had a cover story claiming that parents had a favorite child. Mine would have been the child who brought home an outstanding report card.

Since neither of my two sons cared to distinguish themselves academically, I didn’t have to choose a favorite. Nevertheless, as my granddaughter points out, I do have a favorite color, a favorite ice cream flavor, a favorite grandchild (her), and therefore I must have a favorite bird. When I demur, she persists.

“I like all birds,” I tell her, “even those that most people revile—starlings and pigeons, for example.” “Ah! But gramps you must have a favorite bird,” she insists.

with a fellow longtime birder, we both revealed that, if pinned down, we did have a favorite species. We even agreed on the criterion. The species had to be somewhat rare, but not so rare that we didn’t see it every year.

It had to also be a bird that we would go out of our way to see.

And it had to have an intrinsic quality that made us long to see it. His favorite was a raptor, the Mississippi Kite, which I agree is a fine candidate for a favorite species. It fit our criterion. To watch a kite soar, then drop like a rock, almost touching the ground before righting itself and climbing high again, is a sight that I want to witness and often. For me, however, it is the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher.

I do. On an outing last year

You should see this bird in

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MAY 2014

it flies. That elongated tail is not just for show: it affords this flycatcher mobility and balance.

The Scissortail, an open field bird, perches on fences, utility wires, or telephone poles, and then sallies forth using its scissors like a kite’s tail in order to hover then dive to snatch crickets and grasshoppers out of the air. Often, while courting, the male will even do a somersault to impress a female.

No hawk or crow dare cross this species for--as its genus name, Tyrannus, tells you--it will chase the larger bird out of its territory by straddling its back while they fly, pecking But I favor it because of the way away until the intruder leaves person. It’s a flycatcher with the adult male’s tail twice as long as its body and an attitude to match.

Ah! But the tail is exquisite. As its name tells you, the black and white tail is like a pair of scissors, which the bird splays as it spirals upward or drops on its prey, usually a beetle or some other winged insect. Its body is elegant, even slender, and its colors are likewise elegant because they’re understated.

The head, like most of its body, is grayish, sometimes almost white, but below its pointed wings, on the flanks, is a patch of salmon-colored feathers.

the area.

mainly in Mexico. In recent years, however, it has extended Unless you live in southwestern its range into the St. Louis Missouri, or better yet, area. Last year it even nested Oklahoma, where it is the on a utility pole behind the state bird, don’t expect to see large dome at the St. Charles this species in your garden. superfund site off Hwy. 94. This The Scissortail Flycatcher month I think that I’ll take my breeds throughout the Midwest “favorite” grandchild out to see southern states, wintering it.

Beautiful Containers Begin with Beautiful Bowood Plants

Connie Alwood is a Master Gardener and co-author of Birds of the St. Louis Area: Where and When to Find Them.

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Container Crazy!

Glazed ceramic pots are hot now, and many eliminate some of these concerns. Ann Lapides of Sugar Creek Garden raves about the new glazed containers coming from Asia, particularly Vietnam. These pots come in endless colors, shapes and glaze styles, from solid color to spackled, dripped and splashed designs. Plus they’re frost-proof, and because of the glaze, don’t leach salts.

be placing the container, and whether the material and size is suitable.

Earthen

I include in this category all containers that are derived from stone or clay, including concrete, ceramic, and terra cotta. Benefits to these containers are many. Most importantly in our hot summers, they tend to keep roots cooler, especially larger containers.

Unpainted or unglazed, they are

Sugar Creek Gardens

Gardeners, we are living in the halcyon days of container glory! There are so many great options in colors, materials, and designs, the fun of gardening has doubled! Now, picking what you want to grow is just part of your garden design process.

Picking what you’re going to grow them in is almost as much fun! Before you buy, though, consider what you’re going to be growing, where you’ll

Ceramic planters come in a rainbow of colors, and many are frostproof. porous so roots and soil breathe easier. And they come in a great variety of styles to complement your gardening style, whether it’s contemporary or traditional.

On the downside, they are heavier than most other options; in many cases they are not weatherproof, so need to be brought inside over winter. Because of the porosity, many will leach salts from fertilizers, leaving unsightly stains to be dealt with, and may need to be watered more frequently than non-porous options.

When you use the original,

Metal pots also come in a variety of shapes and colors. Since metal is non-porous, it holds water more efficiently, which can be a benefit or drawback. Drainage holes are a must. Also, metal can get hotter than other materials, so it’s best to consider lighter finishes that reflect sun, and place smaller containers, especially, in sites that get protection from afternoon sun.

One unique entry in this category is the Gutter Garden®, manufactured locally. These containers are created from recycled aluminum guttering material, and are designed for use as window boxes, deck rails and other similar uses. They come in

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Metal containers like this Gutter Garden are lightweight and great for hanging on fences, decks, and as window boxes.

Metal wire baskets, lined with moss, are another option in this category, and eliminate any heat and drainage concerns. (See the beautiful example on our cover provided by Sugar Creek Gardens.)

Jamie Granger of Lake St. Louis Garden Center also recommends

to 4x8 ft. These containers can go anywhere to follow the sun, and the fabric allows for excellent aeration and drainage. And best of all, when the season is over, they fold away, taking up very little storage space.

These are just a few choices in gardening in containers. Use your imagination and you can go container crazy with just about anything!

the best do so elegantly! Yet they are much lighter in weight and more capable of withstanding winter stresses. They are also non-porous, with the advantages and disadvantages pursuant: noleaching, better water retention (worse aeration). They don’t heat up as much as metal, but aren’t as cool as stone.

There are a number of plastic selfwatering planters on the market intended for growing vegetables on decks or indoors. We found several different forms at OK Hatchery in Kirkwood, including EarthBox and Tomato Barrel.

They also have a Flexit Planter that is designed in two halfcylinders, and can be attached to encircle a tree or post.

Vicotry8

multiple lengths and colors, and there’s even an indoor version for growing herbs or cat grass!

a variety of sizes and shapes to meet different gardening needs.

Smart Pots® are soft, fabric containers shaped as cylinders in various sizes, and can be used on decks (with a wood-protecting mat beneath) patios or in gardens as raised beds. Victory8 Garden Cubes, as seen at both Lake St. Louis Garden Center and OK Hatchery, use a similar fabric material configured in squares and rectangles from 1 ft. sq. up

These Victory8 Cube containers are arranged to facilitate “square foot gardening.”--with an appropriate mat to protect the deck.

Sugar Creek Gardens

Fabric

This plastic resin planter from Tusco could easily pass for contemporary ceramic, but it’s lightweight and unbreakable!

There are at least two gardening scenarios that often foil successful gardening efforts— particularly vegetable gardening: poor soil and lack of sufficient sunlight. A relatively new class of gardening container can provide solutions to both. New container products made from a felt-like fabric are configured in

Plant A Paradise

cast iron pottery in this category for its traditional styles and durability.

Garden renovations attract Birds Butterflys Bees Maintenance programs seasonal as needed

The plastic category includes the endless variety of resinformed containers that have come upon the market in recent years. These containers often mimic designs of the stone pots like concrete and terra cotta, and

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MAY 2014

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Sunday, June 22 11am-4pm

Be Inspired!

The 4th Annual Sustainable Backyard Tour is a free, self-guided tour of green and organic outdoor spaces throughout St. Louis City and County.

See how others have integrated sustainable living practices, like bees, chickens, rain gardens and native plants, into their yards and learn what you need to know to go green!

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St. Louis Urban Gardening Symposium SLUGS in the Garden, But Not the Kind You Might Think!

T

he success of every garden begins with preparation and planning and urban gardens have a distinct set of criteria that should be considered.

Buildings, sidewalks, overhead wires, underground utilities, and storm water runoff are elements of the urban environment that require special attention when planning and planting your garden.

Whether you’re a gardening expert or a novice, there is something for everybody to learn about at the first-ever St. Louis Urban Gardening Symposium (SLUGS) to be held on Saturday, June 21, 2014 at Brightside’s Demonstration Garden at 4646 Shenandoah Avenue.

Experts in their respective fields will lead a series of 25-minute workshops. Participants will

The purpose of the symposium is to give citizens the knowledge they need to cultivate their gardens, whether at home or in their community, and to ensure their gardens thrive in the brutally hot summers, flourish with color in the fall, provide food and shelter to wildlife through bone-chilling winters and blossom to life in the spring. choose from a variety of topics including: Butterfly Gardening; Insects & Disease; Lawn & Tree Issues; Native Plants; Plant Care & Maintenance; Plant Establishment; Plant Selection; Pruning Trees & Shrubs; and Rain Gardening.

Interested individuals may register online at tinyurl.com/gardenurban or call 314-400-2115.

A fee of $10 per person will

include participation in up to five workshops starting at 9am and ending with a Q&A session beginning at 11:30am. Experts from the Missouri Department of Conservation, Forest ReLeaf of Missouri, St. Louis Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, University of Missouri Extension, St. Louis Master Gardeners and Missouri Master Naturalists will serve as instructors for the workshops and participate in the Q&A session.

Brightside’s Demonstration Garden also provides an opportunity to see Missouri native plants and environmentallysustainable gardening and urban conservation best practices in action.

Rain gardens, butterfly gardens, no-mow wildflower meadows. Many homeowners are looking to low-maintenance native plants and cultivars to improve their home landscapes.

Come see why Forrest Keeling’s Garden Center is one of the Midwest’s most unique garden centers. We offer a broad selection of native perennials, trees and shrubs as well as improved selections and cultivars. Come out and see us, it’s worth it.

• The largest sele ction of Midwest native s • Fruit trees • Strawberries, b lueberries, blackberries and r aspberries • Bulk and packa ged garden seed • More than 500 species in stock

Everyone is invited to participate in the symposium and for residents of the city of St. Louis who are interested in beautifying a public space in their neighborhood the $10 fee will be waived. Please note, participants will need to select the Neighbors Naturescaping session when making their topic selection.

Neighbors Naturescaping enables groups to apply for up to $1,500 in native plant material and tools to establish or enhance a community garden in their neighborhood.

For more information about the symposium, Neighbors Naturescaping or Brightside’s Demonstration Garden, please visit their website at www. brightsidestl.org or call the office at 314-772-4646.

We’re Blooming for

Mother’s Day Sunday, May 11th

Perfect Garden Gifts for Mom!

Colorful Combination Containers See Our Large selection of Carefully Selected Flowering Annuals & Accent Plants for Shady or Sunny Locations.

Potted Roses

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$5 OFF Purchase of $50 or more!

Must present coupon at time of purchase. 1 coupon per customer, please. Expires May 30, 2014.

aniel’s Farm

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& Greenhouses

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352 Jungermann Rd. St. Peters, MO 63376 (636)441-5048 Hours: M-F 9-6, Sat 9-5, Sun 10-5

The Gateway Gardener®

MAY 2014

Nature Connects

Shaw Wildflower Market

May 24-Sept 7 Missouri Botanical Garden

Saturday, May 10th 9am-4pm

Art With LEGO® Bricks

for greener gardens!

At Shaw Nature Reserve • Gray Summit, MO

Free for members $5 for non-members

If your child loves Legos® (and whose doesn’t?), this is a perfect opportunity to allow the popular building blocks to introduce them to nature!

www.shawnature.org 636-451-3512

This extraordinary exhibit of 25 sculptures inspired by nature is created with over 300,000 LEGO pieces by New York City artist Sean Kenney. A majestic bald eagle, a beautiful monarch butterfly, and a giant praying mantis are among the installations featured in the exhibit.

Visitors of all ages will be invited to make, create, build, take apart, tinker, investigate, and discover.

This new Nature Connects show is commissioned by Reiman Gardens at Iowa State University. Contact Missouri Botanical Garden for admission prices, hours and other information at (314) 577-5100 or visit www.mobot.org..

New look, same great products!

Listen to The McGraw Show M-F 6-10am Ann’s Garden & Greenhouse LLC 5130 Mexico Rd St Peters, MO 63376 Bayer Garden Center 3401 Hampton St Louis, MO 63139 Bayer Garden Center 5926 Old State Rd. Imperial, MO 63052 Garden Heights Nursery 1605 S Big Bend Blvd St Louis MO 63117

Haegele Nursery 6043 Lemay Ferry Rd. St Louis, MO 63129

Kirkwood Material Supply 800 S Fillmore Kirkwood, MO 63122

Passiglia Nursery 1855 Highway 109 Wildwood, MO 63038

Sappington Garden Shop 11530 Gravois St Louis, MO 63126

Hartke Nursery Inc 1030 North Warson Rd. St Louis, MO 63132

Kirkwood Material Supply 14550 S Outer Highway 40 Chesterfield, MO 63017

Planted In Stone 1205 West Washington Cuba, MO 65432

Hillermann Nursery 2601 E 5th Street Washington MO 63090

Kirkwood Material Supply 8601 New Hampshire Ave. Affton, MO 63123

Plants R Us 2701 Hwy DD Cuba, MO 65453

Shady Creek Nursery & Garden Center 201 Carl Street Columbia IL 62236

Kirkwood Material Supply 2701 Barrett Station Rd, St Louis, MO 63021

O K Hatchery Feed & Garden Center 115 East Argonne Kirkwood, MO 63122

Rolling Ridge Nursery 60 North Gore Ave. Webster Groves, MO 63119

University Gardens 8130 Delmar Blvd St Louis MO 63130

dynagreeninfo.com

Valley Park Elevator & Hardware 2 Marshall Road Valley Park, MO 63088

To find out about all the exciting products from Dyna Green, listen to The McGraw Show on KTRS News Radio, 550 !

MAY 2014

The Gateway Gardener®

13

Warm-Season Lawn Care

By Glennon Kraemer

M

ay is the best month to start your warm-season lawn care applications. Until the soil reaches 60 degrees consistently, you are not going to see a whole lot of activity in Zoysia, Bermuda or Buffalo grass lawns. Your edges will green up first. Warmseason lawns are treated totally differently than cool-season (fescues, blues & ryes) lawns and even among themselves.

Zoysia

All warm-season lawns like to be mowed at 1”-2” (cool season lawns like to be mowed at 3”- 4”). As with all mowing operations, be sure to use a sharp blade (sharpen after 8-10 hours of use), try to remove 1/3 of the grass blade per mowing and rotate your mowing pattern to prevent soil compaction. Nothing prevents weeds like a good thick grass and Zoysia is one of the best at choking out weeds when healthy.

Fertilize with a high nitrogen fertilizer or an organic option, now and again in Mid June. 1-2 lbs. of nitrogen per year is usually enough. I like to suggest Ironite (granule iron @ 5-6 lbs./1000 ft. sq.) around August 15th to keep it greener into the fall.

Establishment: Zoysia can be established by seed, plugs or sod. The seed rate is 2 pounds/1000 ft. sq and works best when you apply to a totally barren soil. Apply a seed “starter” and water every day for 3-4 weeks. “Plugs” should be planted 4-6 per sq ft and should be watered everyday until you can’t pull them out of the ground. Seeding can be done May through June, but plugs and sod can be used May through mid-August. You want the plant to be hardened off before its first winter.

It is the most aggressive of all the lawn types. It wins all battles and can only be stopped by shade. Mow and fertilize like zoysia.

Establishment: Can be seed or sod (most of us have this or zoysia without even asking for it). Use the same establishment procedures as zoysia.

Miscellaneous: The biggest difference between Bermuda and zoysia is the aggressiveness. Bermuda will grow 1’-2’ “runners” or stolens’ in a growing season, but zoysia will not. Both are easy to get rid of…just buy a new house. (note to self…get a new joke)!

Buffalo

Mow like the others but only 2-3 times a year. Only fertilize maybe once all year with an organic or 12-12-12.

Establishment: Seed or sod with the same windows as above.

Miscellaneous: I just described the perfect lawn, right? If it sounds to good be to be true, it is. You can see an example of buffalo grass growing at the Kemper Center in the Botanical Garden or along the border of the raised bed north of the History Museum. It has a different texture than most grasses and is just different. Check it out before you buy.

All successful lawn programs start with basic information and a basic soil test is important. If you have persistent lawn problems and haven’t done a soil test lately, get one done as soon as possible. (drgoodearth. com is who I use). Soil tests help us make better and wiser lawn care decisions. If you have “dead” grass edges, it may be due to the salt used this winter. Apply 50 lbs. of gypsum per 1000 ft. sq to help neutralize these areas. If you over apply, don’t worry. You can’t hurt grass with gypsum! Remember folks…it’s just grass.

Glenn Kraemer owns and operates GR Robinson Seed and Service, and can be reached by phone at (314) 4320300 or by email at gmmseed@sbcglobal.net.

TH

Miscellaneous: Core aerate or power rake from mid-May to August.

It usually doesn’t need pre-emergent unless you do one of these procedures. Apply a fertilizer and crabgrass preventer after one or both of these operations. Apply grub controls and fungicides only if needed, and you can water any time of the day without consequences (unlike cool season lawns). Only spray weeds after reading the label! Spraying weeds too early in the season can damage the lawn.

Bermuda

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The Gateway Gardener®

MAY 2014

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The Gateway Gardener®

15

The Cornucopia Corner May Harvest

Gooseberries

By Mara Higdon a fruit salad. photo courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder.

‘Poorman’ Gooseberry

G

ooseberries are wonderful, delicious round berries that grow on a bush. Gooseberries come in all colors and flavors - sounds a bit like something that you might find in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, right? The flavors range from grape, sweet and tart cherries, to apricots.

They do well in Missouri if you have fertile soil, but they don’t like soggy areas of the garden.

The plants thrive on our hot, humid summers with adequate water or 1” a week. They are fairly simple to maintain if you follow a few easy pruning steps.

shoot up to the first leaf or bud and cover with mulch. In the spring, remove the mulch and check for root growth.

To set up your gooseberries for future success, you will need to prune them each year in the late winter. For first year plants, prune all but six of the strongest looking shoots. Do the same after the second winter, so that the bush has six 1-year-old and six 2-year-old shoots. After the third winter’s pruning, the bush will have six each of 1-, 2-, and 3-year-old stems, the status you want to maintain. In the fourth and subsequent winters, cut Gooseberries grow on bushes down all 4-year-old shoots and that are 3-5 feet in height all but six of the most vigorous, and spread, depending on the upright new shoots that grew cultivar. Plant the bushes from ground level the previous 4-6 feet apart depending on season. Also, shorten lanky how vigorous and large they shoots, if necessary. grow. To plant, start with bare root plants. If you plant in the Fruit is ready at the end of June fall, cover the root with a heavy or early July. The gooseberry is helping of mulch to protect it in one of the few fruits that can we the winter. If you wait to plant picked and cooked for use when in the spring, do so in early not ripe! The gooseberry bush spring. The plant grows quite does have thorns, so be careful vigorously in the spring and you when harvesting. The berries want to give it enough time to grow on the underside of the build energy stores for flowering bush, so you can use one gloved and fruiting. You can also hand to hold the stem up and propagate cuttings in late fall for the other non-gloved hand to the following year. Cut 1-foot pick the berries. Berries can be lengths of the shoot with a few eaten on the spot, cooked, made leaves still remaining. Bury the into jelly, desserts, or thrown on 16

Mara Higdon is the Program Director at G a t e w a y Greening, Inc. They focus on community development through gardening throughout the St. Louis area. You can reach her at (314) 588-9600 x22 or by email at mara@ gatewaygreening.org.

Jt’s

Here are some fruits and veggies you might find in the garden or your local farmers’ market this month: Asparagus Beets Broccoli Brussel Sprouts Cabbage Cauliflower Cherries Cucumbers Gooseberries Greens Herbs Kohlrabi Leeks Lettuce Onions Peas Potatos Radishes Rhubarb Spinach Squash Tomatoes Turnips

Fresh Ideas ItalIan Peas

Ingredients 2 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves, garlic, minced

16 oz. green peas 1 tablespoon chicken stock salt and pepper to taste

Preparation Instructions Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic, cook about 5 minutes. Add peas, and stir in stock. Season with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook until the peas are tender, about 10 minutes.

This recipe courtesy http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Italian-Peas Please share some of your favorite recipes with us.

You can FAX your recipe to 314.968.4025 or email us at info@gatewaygardener.com.

The Gateway Gardener®

MAY 2014

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

G In F r a rd c l u ee en d fo a ed r m dm w i em iss th be ion rs ! !

EarthDance Farms

CSAs Are Fresh!

A representative of EarthDance Farms’ CSA meets with customers at a local farmer’s market.

CSAs (CommunitySupported Agriculture) and CCSAs (Combined Community-Supported Agriculture) are great opportunities to supplement your own backyard harvest while supporting our local farmers. It’s also another link in sustainable living, because when you buy locally grown produce and other foods, you’re not supporting the energy consumption involved in shipping products across the country. Plus, local farmers spend their money here, so it’s a boost for our economy as well.

what’s in season. A CCSA is similar, but features a cooperative of many different farmers, and may include more variety such as eggs, honey, meat, cheeses and even fresh-cut flowers (though some CSAs feature these products as well)!

What is a CSA? Simply, at the start of the season you purchase a share of a farmer’s harvest, and each week (or bi-weekly) you get a portion of that harvest, varying by

For more on growing fruits, vegetables and herbs, visit our sister website at

MAY 2014

It may be a little late in the season to get on board, but if you’d like to try participating, you’ll find a lengthy list of local CSAs or CCSAs at the website of Slow Foods St. Louis (www. slowfoodstl.org/where-to/ csas/).

New Date: Saturday, June 7, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Missouri Botanical Garden www.mobot.org/greenhomesfest 70+ Sustainable living product and service exhibitors Energy efficient products and services Plant-based ideas to save water, be healthier, and protect the environment Renewable energy systems: wind, geothermal, and solar Green skills presentations and demos Enjoy local foods and live music FOR KIDS: • Recycled art projects and games • Solar car races and solar oven s’mores Presented by:

Dig Deeper!

GreenGardening STL.Com

The Gateway Gardener®

www.mobot.org 4344 Shaw Blvd.

St. Louis, MO 63110

17

T

Green Homes Festival Spotlights Plant-Based Green Living Ideas

he 13th annual Green Homes Festival returns to the Missouri Botanical Garden on Saturday, June 7 from 9am to 4pm. The festival showcases affordable, practical options for sustainable living combined with positive ways to maintain the health of people and the planet.

For the first time, the event will be held in the William T. Kemper Center for Home Gardening, Cohen Amphitheater, and its surrounding gardens and grounds. Moving this popular event into the Garden’s blooming walkways will highlight the connections between plant-based greenliving ideas and solutions to energy, water and waste issues.

Presented by Ameren Missouri and sponsored by many local partners, including The Gateway Gardener, this year’s festival features over 70 exhibits and demonstrations by the region’s leading sustainability-focused businesses and organizations.

Attendees can talk one-on-one with a wide range of experts about their specific interests and

project ideas, and learn more about home improvement and healthy homes in the beautiful environment of the Kemper Center, itself a living display of nature’s sustainable processes in action. Experts will also share a variety of plant-based ideas and resources that will demonstrate ways to save water, be healthier, and protect the environment while conserving household budgets.

Ameren Missouri will showcase a variety of energy efficiency programs that help homeowners and businesses reduce their energy costs and get cash back.

Children and families can have fun building a sun-powered miniature roadster to compete in the popular annual solar car races. Sample treats cooked in solar ovens, and snap photos with costumed recycling characters. Join in recycled arts activities led by local arts groups, and enjoy sustainabilitythemed storytelling, puppet shows and face painting. Bring in electronics and large and small appliances to the free electronics recycling collection.

Service provider Midwest Recycling Center (MRC) will recycle “anything with a cord”.

Collection takes place 9 a.m. to noon at the drop-off site located at 4651 Shaw, three blocks west of the Garden at Kingshighway.

Local

18

businesses

and

non-

profit organizations will offer information about solar, wind, geothermal and other renewable energy systems; energy efficient lighting and appliances; cool roof retro-fits; efficient windows, insulation and weatherization.

Explore ways to protect your budget and the planet with experts in heating and cooling systems; green home building materials and methods; home energy auditing; non-toxic home cleaning and decorating products; reducing waste by recycling, composting and creatively “UpCycling.” Learn to grow a healthier environment in your own backyard through water-saving RainScaping with native plants and compost.

Discover new ways to “Get Around Green” with bicycle transportation, safety and maintenance tips; alternative vehicle and fuel options; green jobs and more. Sponsored

by Great Rivers Greenway, this festival focus encourages visitors to cycle to the Garden, using Bike St. Louis routes along Shaw and Tower Grove, which connect to routes through Tower Grove Park, along Grand, and on Macklind Avenue. Cycle to the festival and take advantage of convenient free bicycle parking.

The Gateway Gardener®

MAY 2014

A roster of interactive “Presentations to the People” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. will cover useful topics including keeping backyard chickens and bees; solar electricity and solar shingles; home energy efficiency and sustainability of natural gas; interior design for indoor air quality and building deconstruction; preserving the harvest; native plant RainScaping, and composting with worms.

Shop the “HOME Made-HOME Grown” green marketplace,

Recycling and composting will reduce the festival’s “wasteline.”

Volunteer help is welcome for festival preparation and operation. Email volunteer coordinator Kat Golden at katherine.golden@mobot.org or find volunteering details online at www.mobot.org/ greenhomesfest.

The Green Homes Festival is included with Missouri Botanical Garden admission of $8 for adults and free for

To Grow a Better Garden, Shop Where You See The

Ellen Barredo Bowood Farms

Ted Bergman

Symmetry Landscaping

Sheri Bohrer

Forrest Keeling Nursery

Dave Brakhane

Pleasantview Landscaping

Mark Brakhane

Pleasantview Landscaping

Bob Call

featuring home décor and gifts made by area crafters and produce grown by local farmers.

Enjoy local music on the Cohen Amphitheatre stage as you stroll the “Eat Well Local” food vendors, featuring healthy treats and beverages. The Garden’s Terrace Café, located in the Kemper Center, will offer a menu of sandwiches, salads, beer and wine. Bring your reusable bottle and get free water refills.

children ages 12 and under. St. Louis City and County residents enjoy free admission on Saturday before noon and are $4 thereafter. Missouri Botanical Garden members are free. For general information, visit www. mobot.org/greenhomesfest, or call (314) 577-5100 (tollfree, 1-800-642-8842). Follow the Garden on Facebook and Twitter at www.facebook.com/ missouribotanicalgarden and http://twitter.com/mobotnews.

Free cint water h visit s just f or ing stor our e!!!

hya

636.527.2001

chalilypond.com MAY 2014

14430 Manchester Rd. Manchester, MO 63011

owned by Joe & Tonya Summers

The Gateway Gardener®

Longfellow’s Garden Ctr.

Jeff Coffey

Jeff Coffey’s Landscaping

Cynthia Collins Hartke Nursery

Mike Curran

SummerWinds Nursery

Damon Doherty

Hillside Landscaping

Steve Dorrell

Carson’s Nursery

Janet Dueber

Longfellow’s Garden Ctr.

Kristopher Fuller

Full Features Nursery & Landscape Center

Matt Hagemann

Meyer Landscaping

Staci Hentges

Longfellow’s Garden Ctr.

Sandra Hillermann McDonald Hillermann Nursery & Florist

Aaron Jung

Horticultural Impressions

Glenn Kristek

Wickman Garden Village

Forrest Keeling Nursery

Henry McCormick Carson’s Nursery

Anne McKinstry

McKinstry Plant Sales

Rain Miljan

Hillside Landscaping

Nikki Pettit

Wickman Garden Village

James Prinster

A. Waldbart & Sons Nursery

Don Sherman

Joe Krygiel

Hillermann Nursery & Florist

Gregg Larsen

Bowood Farms

Baxter Gardens West Gregg Larsen Landscaping

Roland Lenzenhuber Forest Lawn Nursery

John Logan

Logan Landscape Design

Alice Longfellow

Susan Ehlenbeck

Longfellow’s Garden Center

Doug English

Forrest Keeling Nursery

MO Dept. of Agriculture

Kim Lovelace-Young

Eric Lovelace

Kevin Sir

Arlene Trombley

SummerWinds Nursery

Jim Van Valkenburg Sherwood’s Forest

Donald Walls Hartke Nursery

David Wehmeyer

Hillermann Nursery & Florist

Lynn Young

Baxter Gardens West

Missouri Certified Green Industry Stars are professionals tested and proven to excel in a specialized Green Industry field.

You can trust them to help you grow a better garden!

The Missouri Certified Green Industry Star program: • Raises standards for Green Industry Professionals • Helps consumers identify Certified Green Industry Horticulture Professionals • Encourages professional development in the industry To locate and shop with a Missouri Certified Green Industry Star, consult our Membership Directory at:

www.mlna.org 19

St. Louis Hort History

Gateway Greening is 30!

Gateway Greening educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture.

Through the year, Gateway Greening has forged many important partnerships that have helps provide funds, tools, and resources necessary to continue to sponsor their mission. One of those collaborative efforts resulted in what has become one of the most visible projects in which GGI participates. In association with the St. Louis Master Gardeners, GGI participated in the Urban Roots program to beautify downtown St. Louis.

Part of this program included the median plantings of Market Street and Tucker Blvd. in 2004. Those medians have become annual celebrations of seasonal

Gateway Greening, Inc.

Periodically, The Gateway Gardener recalls a slice of the St. Louis area’s horticultural history and the families that have contributed to it. If you have some photos, memories or other bit of history you’d like to share with us, send them to us at info@gatewaygardener.com or by mail to PO Box 220853, St. Louis, MO 63122. Or call us at (314) 968-3740.

A community gardener tends to her tomatoes at Bell Garden, circa 1987.

Established in 1984, and originally known as Gateway to Gardening, Gateway Greening, Inc. (GGI) began as an all-volunteer provider of community gardening resources to low-income residents in St. Louis.

Turning abandoned land into productive food-producing gardens and safe places to gather, GGI worked in partnership with those most affected by urban decay. In 2001, the organization purchased the land that became Bell Demonstration Garden. Today the plot contains over 20 gardens where educational workshops help community gardeners learn how to succeed in their own gardens.

Pair reblooming Nantucket Blue™ Hydrangea with the compact, evergreen foliage of Baby Gem Boxwood and the showy, summer blooms of Blueberry Smoothie™ Althea for endless interest in your garden! Ask for these Great New Plants™ at your garden center or contact Garden Debut® at (877) 663-5053 or www.gardendebut.com.

Nantucket Blue™ Hydrangea

color every year since.

The 2.5-acre City Seeds Urban Farm was established in 2006 in downtown St. Louis, where GGI provides therapeutic horticulture and job training programs to individuals who are dealing with issues associated with homelessness, in partnership with the St. Patrick Center.

Today, GGI serves more than 250 community/youth gardens, and over 3,500 individuals including those in school and churchyards, pocket parks and civic spaces. GGI addresses hunger, nutrition, safety, community development and at-risk youth using gardening as a tool to increase self-sufficiency.

In 2013, they installed 7 new and 14 expanded community gardens.

They served 2,400 students between 6 sites that received direct education from Gateway Greening educators. 2013 also brought 6 new and 4 expanded youth gardens. 2013 marked the first year that Gateway Greening expanded in to St. Louis County by way of its partnership with the St. Louis County Library. The Prairie Commons branch received a community garden last spring and the 2nd library community garden has just been installed in the spring of 2014.

Gateway Greening’s supported gardens produced over 120,000 pounds of food for use in the neighborhoods of St. Louis. Our urban farm produced over 13,000 pounds of produce. 3,376 pounds were donated to local food banks and shelters.

Home-Grown Flowering Shrubs Sun Perennials Small Trees Hostas and Ferns

READY FOR YOU! Baby Gem Boxwood PP21159

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Blueberry Smoothie™ Althea PPAF

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The Gateway Gardener®

MAY 2014

More Months. More Nutrition.

Osmocote® Smart-Release® Plant Food Outdoor & Indoor.

It feeds 50% longer and contains more than three times the number of nutrients as our previous formula. It’s classic Osmocote® with more!

Isn’t it time you put it to work in your garden?

MAY 2014 The Gateway Gardener® © 2014, All rights reserved.

where gardeners go to grow.

21

Scented Geraniums for Bed and Containers

By Joyce Driemeyer

T

he popular flowering container plant many people call geraniums are actually Pelargoniums (P. x hortorum). Many other species of Pelargoniums, however, are grown not for their flowers but for their scented foliage. These attractive and versatile plants are originally mostly from South Africa and were introduced into England as early as the 17th century. They became extremely popular during the Victorian era as indoor plants. Today the myriad variety of cultivars offers many choices from which to choose. They are of course not winter hardy in our growing region, but can be carried on by cuttings, which will be explained.

Culturally, they require a sunny well-drained site in ordinary garden soil, except for pots or containers for which you would use potting mix, not garden soil. In watering, it is best to avoid overhead and to water at soil level. They are even tolerant of drought conditions.

The flowers of scented geraniums are small and vary from white to

ST. LOUIS

Garden

TOUR

Missouri Botanical Garden members and their guests are invited to enjoy a self-guided tour of 12 spectacular gardens across the St. Louis region. Each garden will also feature a unique tablescape designed to evoke the elements of its distinctive setting.

SUNDAY, JUNE 8, 2014 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Rain or shine | $50 per person Reservations are limited, so please call (314) 577–5118 for payment or visit online at www.mobot.org/gardentour and RSVP by May 22, 2014.

pink, rose or mauve, often with combination markings in the same 5-petaled fower.

Some leaves are round, some lobed, others deeply cut, some crinkled, some have maroon center veining and some even have cream-colored edging. As you can read, there are many variations to please.

The following is a list of some longtime favorites to try:

P. graveolens—Of vigorous growth for the border, 3-5’ with a bushy habit, rose scented, great for cooking and potpourri.

Rober’s Lemon Rose—18-20”, grey-green lobed leaves with rose scent and lemon overtones, pink flowers.

Lady Plymouth—12-16”, eucalyptus scented, whitemargined foliage, lavenderpink flowers.

P. quercifolium—pointed, not rounded, leaves, oakshaped with maroon veining.

‘Fair Ellen’, a variety with spicy scent, 24” of compact habit.

P. fragrans—18”, nutmegscented rounded grey-green leaves, flowers are small and white.

After 30 years as a landscape designer, Joyce is now retired. She has been a MBG volunteer since 1969 and a Master Gardener since 1985.

She is also a past board member of the Herb Society of America, and is a current board member of the St. Louis Herb Society.

After a long, cold winter, give your plants a good feeding!

Azalea/Evergreen Food Plus with Systemic

• Feeds and protects plants against insect pests for up to 8 weeks • Promotes strong roots and beautiful blooms

Rolling Ridge Nursery Lawn and Garden Center 60 NORTH GORE WEBSTER GROVES, MO 63119

www.rollingridgenursery.com

(314) 962-3311

“Celebrating 50 Years of Quality & Friendly Service!”

22

The Gateway Gardener®

MAY 2014

P. crispum—12-18”, upright lemon-scented small, curly foliage; there are also variegated forms.

Propagation is easy. In late August, make 4-5” cuttings just below a leaf joint from soft wood or stem, dip into root stimulating hormone P. ‘Attar of Roses’—2’, with lobed, strongly rose-scented leaves powder, and place in sterile mix or vermiculite in 4” pots. Have soilless mix moist and place in light out of doors or inside where used in perfumes; clustered mauve flowers. there is plenty of light but not hot sun. Roots should start in about 3 P. tomentosum—peppermint-scented geranium, 3’ of vigorous weeks, at which time plants can be transferred to growing medium habit with lobed, velvety green leaves; continuous bloom unlike for bringing into house before frost. My plants thrive all winter in some of other Pelargoniums. Leaves have strong fragrance. Flowers a cool greenhouse at 50 degrees. They are very tolerant of cool, not are white, butterfly-shaped. Plant has a trailing habit and will even freezing, temperatures. tolerate some light shade.

Pot up some plants for your patio this May, where you can enjoy P. odoratissimum—apple-scented, 24” bushy, spreading habit with the fragrant foliage and even ward off bothersome insects, and for rounded leaves and star-shaped flowers. It blooms all summer with Mother’s Day, present your Mom with a beautiful fragrant plant for clusters of flowers. Introduced into England in 1724. Also tolerant her balcony or patio. of light shade.

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23

It’s GARDEN Tour Season!

This is the season when gardens shine in our region, and you’ll find many garden tours scheduled for May and June. Many feature the beautiful flower gardens of garden club groups and communities; but two tours in particular are uniquely themed and feature gardens for other reasons than beautiful ornamental flower beds. And a third only occurs once every 3 years and features some of the finest gardens in the region. Touring these gardens is not only enjoyable visually, it might help inspire you to garden in a whole new way!

St. Louis Garden Tour June 8th

order from 9:30am to 4:30pm. Please wear appropriate walking shoes. Gardens often feature steps or narrow paths not suitable for strollers or wheeled conveyance. Tickets are $50 per person for the self-guided tour. Space is limited and advance reservations are required by May 22. Call (314) 577-5118 or email membership@ mobot.org for more information.

14th Pond-O-Rama Pond and Garden Tour June 21st and 22nd

A garden from the 2011 St. Louis Garden Tour.

Join the Missouri Botanical Garden for an exclusive tour of 12 of the loveliest private home gardens in St. Louis. The St. Louis Garden Tour is only offered once every three years and The Gateway Gardener is pleased to be a media sponsor this year. Missouri Botanical Garden members and their guests are invited to enjoy a self-guided tour of 12 spectacular gardens across the St. Louis community. Featured gardens include A Yoga Garden, Sculpture Surprise, Storybook Charmer, A Collector’s Garden, Secret Garden, Water Garden and more. The St. Louis Garden Tour occurs rain or shine. Guests are invited to tour the gardens in any

A pond and garden from a past Pond-O-Rama tour.

These gardens are open to the public only during this annual event, one of the season’s best garden tours. The tour includes over 40 of the area’s premiere private water gardens, ranging from small pools to large, elaborate installations featuring multiple waterfalls, tumbling streams, exotic fish and mature aquatic plants. Many have never been featured on the tour before.

Tour visitors also will have an opportunity to learn about water gardening from those who love the hobby. Society members will

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MAY 2014

be on hand to talk about their gardens, and to provide technical Here are a few other upcoming tours we’ve been informed of as of information. our deadline. Check them out and look for complete details in this or next month’s Upcoming Events Calendar!

Sites throughout the St. Louis area and Metro East will be included—half on Saturday and half on Sunday. Tickets are $15 May 17th & 18th, St. Genevieve Garden Walk, 800-373-7007 or and cover both days with special prices for groups of 10 or more. email infor@visitstegen.com.

For information on where to buy tickets, visit www.slwgs.org or June 1st, The Secret Gardens of Webster Groves, 314-740-2590. call 314-995-2988.

June 7th, Lake Area Master Gardener’s Garden Walk, Lake The 4th Annual Sustainable Backyard Tour of the Ozarks. Email theconavays@gmail.com or call (573) 286June 22nd 5064.

June 7th, Garden Conservancy Open Days/Monroe County, IL. Visit www.opendaysprogram.org or call 888-842-2442.

June 7th-8th, 20th Annual Hermann Garden Tours and Plant Sale, 800-932-8687 or www.hermanngardentours.com.

June 14th, Glen Carbon and Edwardsville 15th Annual Garden Tour, 618-344-4230 or visit .

June 14th, Franklin County Master Gardener Garden Tour, 636-583-5141.

June 21st, Arcadia Valley Garden Tour, call 573-546-7515 or email ironcountycommunitygarden@gmail.com June 21st, Garden Treasures Tour & More, Salem, IL, call (618) 548-6352.

June 29th, Bittersweet Garden Club Annual Garden Tour, Visitors check out the native plants on the 2013 Sustainable Jefferson City, MO, email mlreed217@gmail.com or call 573-634Backyard Tour.

5436.

The fourth annual Sustainable Backyard Tour is a unique opportunity to see firsthand how homeowners in St. Louis City and County are transforming their yards from energy intensive, unsustainable lawns to heavenly havens of green! Tour sites showcase a range of green living practices, including low-impact lawn care, composting and using recycled materials creatively, organic gardening, chicken and beekeeping, gardening with native plants, mushrooms, fruit & nut trees, as well as rainwater conservation, pesticide and herbicide reduction, renewable energy production and backyard habitat creation. “This self-guided tour opens the gates to private yards and gardens so that attendees can ask and learn, pick up new ideas, and share inspiration,” says Terry Winkelmann, tour founder. Tour goers design their own routes, choosing the listings nearest their own home or their own interests, from the map. Map booklets will be available at local businesses beginning mid June. To learn more, visit www.sustainablebackyardtour.com or join us on Facebook.

LLC

MAY 2014

The Gateway Gardener®

25

Take Gardening to the Next Level....By Design!

I

By Steffie Littlefield

love being outdoors and experiencing nature, whether it’s in my backyard in U City or at my farm & vineyard in Potosi. Naturally, gardening is a passion for those who love every aspect of being outdoors. When we take that passion and create a space to entertain, play and relax that is filled with the plants we love, we are taking gardening to the next level, a landscape.

Careful planning and design is needed to truly make a garden livable and enjoyable.

Transform a shade garden from a mass planting of hostas under large trees by adding small trees, shrubs and groundcovers and you define a cozy space. When working in a shaded space the plants should be chosen to want shade and the design kept open to allow airflow. Small decorative trees like Japanese Maples and Flowering Dogwoods work well, surrounded by azaleas, smaller hydrangeas and a blanket of low groundcovers like creeping jenny or ajuga. When trying to hide a view, use the larger English laurel evergreen shrubs, fluffy and flowery oakleaf hydrangeas or large bold Allegheny viburnums. Now add hostas, heucheras and ferns in designated spots for texture and color.

Sunny perennial borders can include early spring-blooming bulbs, dwarf conifers for winter interest and a variety of plants chosen for a layering of heights and bloom times. Tall late-flowering Japanese anemones camouflage the not-so-fresh-looking peonies late in the season, and summer-blooming daylilies cover up the spent foliage of early blooming narcissus. Planning gives the border depth of

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interest and beauty.

A vegetable garden laid out in a pleasing geometric pattern, using trellising for height and herbs and cutting flowers for color and fragrance, is a garden to experience, not just to harvest.

Borders of bright marigolds repel pests as well as attract visitors.

Decorative obelisks support peas with charming flowers in the spring and cherry tomatoes covered with decorative and delicious fruit in the summer.

Developing a shrub border that includes a mix of fragrant blooming shrubs to attract hummingbirds and butterflies will delight the neighbors as well as provide the homeowner with privacy. Butterfly bush and rose of Sharon will be covered with vibrant flowers and alive with wildlife activity as they block the view.

Add a path whose destination is a seating area or water feature to entice the visitor to explore a woodland garden.

Plant colorful drifts of native plants along the way to entertain those who wander towards your relaxing retreat. Virginia bluebells, celandine poppies, bleeding hearts, columbine and cardinal flowers will colonize themselves along the route creating an enchanting journey.

Through careful planning and design the full potential of a garden can be achieved and enjoyed. Take your garden to the next level by creating a space to experience and share. There is more to gardening than just tending, developing a plan will coordinate the various aspects of your landscape and the plants that will thrive there.

Steffie Littlefield is a horticulturist and garden designer at Garden Heights Nursery. She has degrees from St. Louis Community College at Meramec and Southeast Missouri State and is a member of Gateway Professional Horticultural Association and past president of the Horticulture Co-op of Metropolitan St. Louis.

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MAY 2014

Houseplants Go to Work Outdoors text and photo by Ellen Barredo

O

utdoor Living and Entertaining continues to be popular in 2014! This lifestyle is not only for people but is popular for plants too. Many plants commonly grown inside can experience life outside here in St Louis. Did you know outdoor streets and café spaces can be visually softened with plantings and containers full of lush plants? Restaurant and café patrons love to return to planted streetside patios and courtyards! Public plantings are also great at controlling sound. Wind control can also be achieved with beautiful plantings. Finally, one of the biggest benefits of outdoor planting, especially lush and colorful planting is crime control! This fact has been documented many times. These planting benefits also apply to residential homes with porches, patios or hellstrips. (A hellstrip is the area between the sidewalk and the curb.)

Let’s get started!

Initially life on the streets will start with your local garden center.

Sales associates can help you identify typical houseplants that can live life on the streets. Sun, shade and wind should be taken into account when identifying these houseplants gone rogue. Next step is something called hardening off. Many area garden centers bring in houseplants that can be used outdoors and acclimatize them to the sun, wind, and temperatures of St. Louis. Like human skin, plant foliage can burn if placed out in direct sun. If you are using your own Missouri ‘home-wintered’ houseplants, remember, it takes several weeks for plants to build up tolerance to increased light levels and make a move to their permanent locations in containers and street plantings. Start by moving them to shade and slowly to sun.

looking container!

the correct name and sun requirements.

Once identified it is time to plan the companions for the tropical plants. Annuals are an obvious choice for continuous riot of color, but many perennials and small shrubs can provide a unique look. For perennial and shrub companions, look for colorful, patterned foliage, or interesting foliage shapes, textures. Whatever you choose make sure it works well with your chosen houseplants. You will want a vertical plant, a few rounded plants and a few cascading plants for a beautiful

Let’s not forget the container choices! Containers in public spaces often need to be large enough to hold plenty of soil medium for proper growth of plants. Many St. Louis garden centers offer planters by Crescent Gardens® featuring double walls. The planters have an air space in between two walls to help keep the plant roots cooler in the hot summer heat of St. Louis. The containers need good drainage!

Don’t skimp on top quality soil media, soil moist, and time released fertilizer!

Here are a few public planters spotted last summer in the Central West End! These plantings and containers are funded by the Central West End North Community Improvement District.

Encourage your city and local businesses to get planting!

Ellen Barredo is a Missouri Certified Nursery Professional with more than 30 years in professional horticulture. She works at Bowood Farms and can be reached at (314) 454-6868 or ebarredo77@gmail.com.

If purchasing plants, first identify your chosen plants, including

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Rose Society Addresses Rose Rosette Disease

By Diane Brueckman Technology has brought about a new age, at least to old folks like me, with the right “tools” you can walk down the street and access the internet.

The news, weather and shopping is all at your fingertips with the push of a button. One thing has not changed and that is how plants grow and thrive. Local plant societies are old-fashioned resources overlooked. I speak from experience as a member of two of the area’s rose societies, namely The Belleville Area Rose Society and The Rose Society of Greater St. Louis. The mission of these groups is to educate gardeners and promote the love of the rose. Members of both groups have countless years of experience with growing roses and are always willing to share their knowledge with others. This year the Belleville Society is hosting a District Convention and the main speaker will be Dr. Mark Windham. Dr Windham is a plant pathologist and entomologist from the University of Tennessee. His topic will be Rose Rosette Disease (RRD), a deadly disease that has spread throughout the country especially the Midwest. David Gunn, the Rosarian from the Missouri Botanical Garden, will also speak on his experience with RRD. Believe it or not, there was a time this disease was looked on with favor as a remedy for the invasion of the Multiflora Rose. Sometime in the last century the government suggested the use of the Multiflora rose (not a native species) as a hedge instead of fencing. Unfortunately, the rose took off and began overtaking the fields causing problems for the farmers. At some point “they” began infecting the wild rose with RRD. Unfortunately RRD did not stop Multiflora because birds spread the uninfected seed and the rose suckers vigorously enough to keep ahead of the disease. However, our garden roses became unintended victims of this cure.

RRD is caused by a tiny mite that you need a hand lens to see. This mite blows in on the wind and lands on an upper leaf of the rose and snuggles down into the leaf axel where it does its damage. The first sign of the disease is a bunchy growth of distorted, twisted leaves often

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reddish is color. On a newly infected plant this growth, called a witches broom, is at the top of the plant. The first time I see this on a plant, I will cut the cane all the way to the ground put the cane in a plastic bag and put it in the trash. Do not compost any suspected RRD material. If any of the symptoms return dig out the plant, bag it and discard in the trash.

The witches broom is the earliest symptom. As the disease spreads through the plant you will find new canes will be thicker and weaker than uninfected canes. The canes break off easily and the prickles will be almost rubbery. Most of the time the color of the infected foliage will be red but on white or lighter colored roses sometimes the foliage stays green but not a healthy green.

Blooms are also distorted. A word of caution, most often new healthy growth on roses is red so look carefully before you shovel prune.

The Belleville Area Rose Society would like to invite everyone to attend the District Convention being held at the Elks Club in Granite City on Saturday, June 14. There will be a Rose Show open to the public at noon, a silent auction and luncheon as well as our guest speaker Dr. Mark Windham. This is a great opportunity to learn more about RRD and see what an asset the Rose Society is. Contact me for more information on the Convention.

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 Brueckman Diane <droseyacres@ egyptian.net>.

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Gateway Gardeners and Businesses in the News Worm’s Way Honored

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he Indiana Chapter of the Employee Stock Ownership (ESOP) Association has chosen Worm’s Way, Inc. as its 2014 Company of the Year.

The nationally recognized provider of hydroponics, organics, and year-round specialty gardening products is headquartered in Bloomington, IN, and represented in the St. Louis area by the Worm’s Way at 1225 N. Warson in Olivette. The Indiana Chapter of the ESOP Association officially announced and recognized its 2014 winners at the Indiana ESOP Association’s 2014 Round Tables and Round Ball Event held on Thursday, February 27 in Carmel, IN. Worm’s Way, Inc. will now become one of the Indiana chapter’s nominees for the 2014 national awards, which will be announced at the National ESOP Conference in Washington, D.C. in May.

Local Company Offers Chickens for Rent

I

t doesn’t get any more local than this.

The Easy C h i c k e n provides the chickens, the coop, the feed– everything you need for fresh eggs at your back door, including an “Easy Chicken Hotline” to take away any guesswork. Best of all: the hens are guaranteed to lay.

The Easy Chicken provides all-inclusive backyard chicken packages, including guaranteed-to-lay hens and mentoring, for rent or purchase, in St. Louis and surrounding areas. According to owner Maria Jansen, the service allows families to experience the fun and nutrition of backyard eggs without the hassle of assembling their own setup from scratch.

“The rental package gives people who are thinking about backyard chickens a chance to check out the concept,” said Jansen. “It’s a try-before-you-buy opportunity. If they like it, they can purchase the whole package at a discount.”

Packages are designed to be eco-friendly and easy to manage. Customers also have access to The Easy MAY 2014

The Gateway Gardener®

Chicken Hotline, to provide an extra level of assurance that hens are going to have a good, safe, and healthy home.

The Easy Chicken also offers a “chicken refresher package” for customers who want to keep chickens around for the prime egg-laying season (during the longer days of April-October). For information, visit www.TheEasyChicken.com or call (314) 852-5802.

Plant A Row Celebrates 20-n-20

T

he Garden Writers Association (GWA) Foundation is celebrating the donation of 20,000,000 pounds of edible produce to feed the hungry over the past 20 years (20-n-20) through Plant a Row for the Hungry.

More than 350 volunteer groups across the nation help feed families and individuals in need in their local communities, all without government assistance or red tape - just people-helping-people in their neighborhoods.

Launched in 1995, Plant A Row is a public service program of the Garden Writers Association and the GWA Foundation. There are over 84 million households with a yard or garden in the U.S. If every gardener plants one extra row of vegetables and donates their surplus to local food agencies and soup kitchens, a significant impact can be made on reducing hunger.

How can you participate? It’s easy! Just plant a few extra vegetable plants this spring, then deliver the harvest to a food agency near you.

The St. Louis County Parks and Recreation Dept. has long maintained a vegetable garden at Jefferson Barracks Laborers House Garden under the direction of Horticulturist Doug Wolter and St. Louis Master Gardener volunteers. Doug is also a member of the Garden Writers Association, and the garden has participated in the PAR program by setting aside a portion of its harvest for Feed My People. In 2011 it was recognized as a State Community Blue Ribbon Garden, and has also earned a President’s Award. For more information, go to www.gardenwriters.org or call the St. Louis County Parks Department at (314) 822-9095.

29

Upcoming Events Plant Shows, Sales and Tours

U

pdates to this information are often posted on our online events calendar at www.

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 the July/August issue is June 1st.

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

Garden Clubs and Plant Society Meetings Interested in Joining a Garden Club or Plant Society? We have meeting dates, locations and contact information on more than 50 area garden clubs on our website at www.GatewayGardener.com.

Don’t have access to the internet? Just call us at (314) 968-3740, or write us at PO Box 220853, St. Louis, MO 63122, and we’ll get the information to you. So share your joy for gardening and join a garden club or favorite plant society today!

Fun for Kids May 3rd 9am—Children’s Garden ClubAnnuals and Vegetables. FREE, no reservations required, everyone welcome. The Children’s Garden Club is designed to educate and bring delight in gardening to children with projects they do themselves. Compliments Wiethops Greenhouses, held at Jefferson Barracks Victory Garden at Ordnance Building.

11am-2pm—Hillermann’s First Saturday Kids - Play in the garden and plant a flower for Mother’s Day. FREE. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-2396729, www.hillermann.com.

May 3rd 7am-noon—Central Missouri Master Gardeners’ Plant Sale. Free admission Huge plant sale..all plants grown by Master Gardeners, including annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, tomatoes and tropical. Like us on facebook at facebook.com/central missouri master gardener plant sale. 573-295-6263.

Jaycee Fairgrounds, 1445 Fairgrounds Rd., Jefferson City, MO. 8am-noon—Edwardsville Garden Club Plant Sale. Most of our plants are tried and true, dug out of members’ gardens. St. Mary’s Catholic Church parking lot, 1805 Madison Ave., Edwardsville, IL. 8am-1pm—Huge Plant Sale Event.

Webster Groves Women’s Garden Association will offer great prices and great advice on truckloads of donated perennials from local gardens (including hosta, ferns, woodland plants, daylilies, butterfly favorites, and Plants of Merit) plus nursery grown annuals & hanging baskets. Also featured: Container gardens (perfect for Mother’s Day!), “Garden Treasures” Resale, and a Sherwood’s Forest gift certificate raffle!

Rain or shine Saturday, at Webster Groves Masonic Lodge, 12 E. Lockwood (next to City Hall at Elm).

9-Noon—Four Winds Garden Club Perennial Plant Sale. Members will share hand-raised plants that are tried & true & do well in our region. The sale location is the AKC Museum of the Dog, 1721 South Mason Rd., Town & Country. 636-227-5896. New members are always welcome.

9am-1pm—Bethel UMC Plant Sale.

Large selection of annual, perennials, houseplants and much more. Great bargains. Bethel UMC, 17500 Manchester Road, Wildwood, MO. For more information call: 636-458-2255.

9am-3pm—Missouri Prairie Foundation Plant Sale. A smashing and bountiful selection of choice native perennials, grasses, sedges, vines, shrubs, and trees supplied by Missouri Wildflowers Nursery will be available outside the entrance to the Town & Country Whole Foods Market,1160 Town and Country Crossing Drive, Town and Country. Don’t miss this great sale! A portion of the proceeds will benefit the prairie conservation work of the Missouri Prairie Foundation.

9 am to 3pm – Kress Farm Garden

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Preserve’s 16th Annual Plant Sale.

Many drought tolerant native shrubs, trees and plants from Forrest Keeling Nursery and Missouri Wildflower Nursery will be available. Annuals, vegetable plants, daylilies, succulents, cacti and many other plants will also be featured. Raffle. Lunch available.

Master Gardeners on site to answer questions. 5137 Glade Chapel Road, Hillsboro, MO. Call Jo at 636-296-9306 for additional information.

9am-3pm–Garden Club of Lebanon’s Perennial Plant Sale. During the Lebanon, IL annual Home and Garden May Market. The club has hundreds of home grown perennials at below big box store prices! Check website for more details and updates: www. gardencluboflebanon.org.

8am-noon–Jardin du Lac Garden Club in Lake St. Louis Plant Sale.

At the Lake St. Louis Community Association. Rain date May 4th, 8amnoon.

9am–O’Fallon (IL) Garden Club – May Plant Sale. Community Financial Center parking lot (800 South Lincoln and Hwy 50). Annuals and perennials at amazing prices and local master gardeners to answer your plant questions. The plant sale is a fund-raiser to continue the club’s efforts to beautify the community through plantings. www. ofallongardenclub.org.

8-11am—St. Clair County Garden Club Plant Sale. 85 years old this year!

Plants dug from members’ gardens … hostas, iris, daylilies, shrubs, other perennials and annuals. In front of the Wild Birds Unlimited store in Schnuck’s Plaza, Hwy. 159 and Fullerton Rd., Swansea, Il. May 10th 9am-4pm—Spring Wildflower Sale.

Native wildflowers, ferns, trees and shrubs for home landscapes brought to you by Shaw Nature Reserve and local native plant nurseries. Shaw Nature Reserve, Gray Summit, MO, at I-44 and Hwy. 100. (636) 451-3512. Admission Free for members, $5 ($3 Seniors) nonmembers. Members only preview, May 9, 4-7:30pm.

Rd, Godfrey, IL.

8am-3:30pm—Floral Conservancy of Forest Park Plant Sale. Beautiful plants and hanging baskets just in time for Mother’s Day. All proceeds benefit Flora Conservancy, a not-for-profit volunteer organization that helps landscape and maintain plantings throughout Forest Park. St. Louis City Greenhouse, 5600 Clayton Avenue.

9am-5pm—Greater St. Louis Dahlia Society Sale. Missouri Botanical Garden, Jordan Education Wing, Beaumont Room.

May 10th-11th 9am-5pm—St. Louis Hosta Society Plant Sale. Missouri Botanical Garden.

Orthwein Floral Display Hall.

9am-5pm—Bonsai Society of Greater St. Louis Sale. Missouri Botanical Garden, Orthwein Floral Display Hall.

May 17th Spring Iris Show. Mid Illinois and Southern Illinois Iris Societies, affiliates of the American Iris Society, present their annual Spring Show “Just Crazy About Iris” at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in the Guild Center Belleville, Illinois. Entries received 8-10am. Judging starts promptly at 10am. Public viewing from noon- 4pm, at no charge. Iris growers present to answer questions.

May 17th-18th 10am-4pm Sat., 11am-4pm Sun.—The Ste. Genevieve Master Gardeners Garden Walk and Plant Sale. $7 per person or $6 for groups of five or more. No reservations required.Tour public and private gardens in historic Ste. Genevieve. Plant Sale begins at 9am Sat. 11am Sun. Farmers Market (Sat. 9am-noon), garden merchandise, specials at area shops and restaurants, and other activities. Purchase tickets at Ste Genevieve Welcome Center, 66 South Main St. 800-373-7007 or email events@visitstegen.com.

May 24th 9am-5pm—Rose Society of Greater St. Louis Sale. Missouri Botanical Garden, Orthwein Floral Display Hall.

8am-noon—Lakeview Garden Club Plant Sale. Large selection of reasonably priced plants and baked items. 15 Lakeview Lane in Collinsville, IL.

May 31st-June1st St. Louis Horticultural Society Sale.

Missouri Botanical Garden, Orthwein Floral Display Hall.

8am-12—Mississippi Valley Garden Club Annual Plant Sale. Great selection of healthy plants. Plants are provided by club members. Alton Wood River Sportsmen’s Club, 3109 Godfrey

June 1st Noon-4pm—The Secret Gardens of Webster Groves. Take a self-paced tour of seven of Webster Groves stunning private gardens and its brand

The Gateway Gardener®

MAY 2014

new sculpture park. Tickets are $20 / $15 in advance. For more information or to purchase tickets visit www. wghsparentsclub.org or call Lynda Brady at 314-740-2590.

Classes, Lectures and Events May 1st 5:30pm—Dazzling Containers for Entrance Ways, Patios and Gardens.

Learn creative combinations of plants, colors and textures to amaze your family and friends. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. May 1st & 8th 6-7pm—Growing Aeroponically.

Learn about growing with the Tower Garden, and get tips on set-up and care as your garden grows. Grow your own groceries! Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www.hillermann.com.

May 2nd 7am-12pm—En Plein Air Sunrise Paint. Meet the artists of the Augusta Plein Air Art Festival as they paint scenes from around Frisella’s gardens.

Frisella Nursery, frisellanursery.com/ events, 636.798.2555.

May 3rd Noon-5pm—LUSH Cosmetics Charity Pot Lotion Party Featuring Missouri Prairie Foundation. Enjoy shopping at LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics at the Galleria and learn about the Foundation’s prairie conservation work and the importance of native plant landscaping. 1155 St. Louis Galleria, St. Louis, MO 63117. Free native landscaping literature will be available.

Salsa Saturday and Edible Spots & Pots. Join in the fun and festivities with Cinco de Mayo! Salsa gardens ready to go as well as many other edible container gardens. Handouts will be available on how to grow edibles in small spaces and containers. Chips and salsa to snack on.

Plus, plant up an edible container at the potting station. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www.hillermann. com.

May 6th 11:30am-1pm—Health & Wellness by Juice Plus and Tower Garden. Learn how to live a healthy lifestyle with Juice Plus and healthy and easy gardening with the Tower Garden. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www. hillermann.com.

5:30pm—Fairy Gardening, Mini Landscaping. Learn about doll size shrubs, plus the perennials, annuals and vines with teeny tiny leaves and flowers.

Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 9653070.

MAY 2014

May 6th, 7th & 10th International Compost Awareness Week at St. Louis Composting. Visit St. Louis Composting locations for lunch, facility tours and learning with the experts. May 6th, 11am lunch at Fort Bellefontaine Facility. Lunch, tour and workshops at Belleville facility, May 7th, 11am. Meet Mike Miller Host of Kmox 1120’s Garden Hotline at the Valley Park facility, May 10th at 8-10am, tour and lunch with the experts from 11-1pm.

Visit www.stlcompost.com for details and location addresses.

Garden. Learn how to create an edible container garden. Enjoy a light continental breakfast and receive a starter plant for your own creation. The finished planter will be raffled off with other raffle items. Meet Tony Frisella and Tom Mee, hosts of 97.1 Saturday Garden Show, All Around the Yard.

Benefits Our Lady’s Inn Maternity Home. Cost is $25.00. Frisella Nursery, 550 Hwy F, Defiance, MO. Call Betsy at 636-398-5375 or bbeauparlant@ ourladysinn.org. Reservations can be made online .

May 6th or 8th Bargain Gardening Webinar. Find out how gardens can be simple, fun and inexpensive. University of Illinois Extension, Waterloo and Collinsville offices May 6, 1pm, Collinsville office only May 8, 6:30pm. Pre-registration deadline is 2 days prior to class. $5 fee for black and white handouts, $10 for color. Register online at web.extension. illinois.edu/mms/ or call (618) 939-3434 for Waterloo office or (618) 344-4230 for Collinsville.

May 17th 2pm—Gardening with a Twist.

Enjoy some wine and light snacks while planting a beautiful make-andtake seasonal container garden. $30.00 workshop supply fee. Call 636-2396729 to sign up. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www.hillermann. com.

May 8th 5:30pm—Successive Blooms. Keep your garden in bloom spring til fall.

Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 9653070.

May 10th and 17th 10am—Garden Stroll with Ann Million. Class takes place at Ann’s extraordinary garden in Crestwood.

Sugar Creek Gardens. FREE. Call (314) 965-3070 for reservations and directions.

May 13 5:30pm—Oh Deer: Rabbit and Deer Resistant Gardening. Hear about the techniques and repellents that will keep the animals away from your prized beauties, along with the many perennials and annuals that they find distasteful.

Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 9653070. th

May 15th 1-4 pm—Native Plant School: Container Gardening. Container planting with native grasses, sedges, annuals and perennials. $15 ($10 Garden members).

Whitmire Wildflower Garden at Shaw Nature Reserve. For reservations or more information, call (636) 451-3512 or visit www. shawnature.org.

5:30pm—The Ultimate Hydrangea Guide. Kim Reiss, President of the St. Louis Hydrangea Society, discusses the top choices for sun and shade. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 965-3070.

May 16th 9:30-11:30am—A Morning in the

The Gateway Gardener®

May 17th & 18th 10am-5pm—Chinese Culture Days.

Annual celebration features a Grand Parade with 70-foot dancing dragon, authentic regional cuisine, t’ai chi and acrobatics. Special tours in the Grigg Nanjing Friendship Garden (the Chinese Garden) focus on the symbolism of many plant species and architectural details. $12 adults (ages 13 to 64), $5 children (3 to 12), $5 members. Buy tickets in advance online at www.mobot. org.

May 20th 5:30pm—Colorful Shade Gardens.

Learn how to create a shady retreat with the ever expanding selection of perennials and ferns, along with our cherished natives. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 965-3070.

May 20th-22nd 81st Annual Convention of the Federated Garden Clubs of Missouri.

Celebrating “Flowers and Friends Forever”. Frontenac Hilton Hotel. For information on how to start a garden club or join a club, contact Susan Marie Reed, smreed39@gmail.com.

May 22nd 5:30-6:30pm—Permaculture: Weaving It All Together. Melissa Breed-Parks, Educator at Maplewood Richmond Heights School District discusses how to produce healthy, organic fruits & veggies while working with Mother Nature. Greenscape Gardens, 2832 Barrett Station Rd., Manchester, MO. (314) 821-2440.

GreenscapeGardens.com.

6729, www.hillermann.com.

May 22nd 5:30pm—Curb Appeal 911. Learn creative ideas to make the most of your home’s appearance to entice a buyer, or to give a warm welcome to your friends and family. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 965-3070.

May 24th-June 28th Saturdays, 10am-noon—The 2014 TreeKeepers Classes. Presented by Forest ReLeaf of Missouri and sponsored in part by the Missouri Department of Conservation. This free class educates citizens about trees, their benefits and care, and provides practical, hands-on learning in six key areas: identification, biology, soils, planting, pruning, and insects and diseases. Graduates are asked to provide 24 hours of volunteer service to Forest ReLeaf or in forestryrelated projects in their community. The class is free of charge and limited to the first 50 registrants. Meet in the Powder Valley Nature Center auditorium. The final class will be held at CommuniTree Gardens Nursery in Maryland Heights (weather permitting). To register, please email info@moreleaf.org or call 314533-5323.

May 27th 5:30pm—Sugar Creek Gardens Nursery Tour. Tour the nursery, see what’s in bloom, what’s coming into bloom, along with the best plants of the year. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 965-3070.

May 29th 5:30pm—The American Cottage Garden. Combining roses, perennials and annuals for the delightful cottage garden look. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 965-3070.

May 31st Noon-2pm—Vino Van Gogh Painting Event. Paint, Drink and be Merry. A fun event bringing the experience of art and wine together! Vino Van Gogh provides all art supplies: canvas, brush, paint & an apron to wear. The art instructor leads the class through a 2-3 hour session following a featured painting. $38.00.

Refreshments available. Bring your own wine. Seating may be limited. Sign up at http://www.vinogogh.com/ or call 866390-9917.

May 23-26th Memorial Day Weekend & Orphan Plant Sale. Pick up items for your weekend gardening projects. Don’t let orphan plants stay here without a home!

Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-

31

COMPOST! THE SOLUTION TO SUSTAINABLE SOIL AND WATER International Compost Awareness Week • May 5-11, 2014 Visit St. Louis Composting on May 6, 7, & 10 for lunch and learning with the experts during International Compost Awareness Week!

Lunch at Fort Bellefontaine Compost Facility May 6 at 11am Lunch at Belleville Facility May 7 at 11am Meet Mike Miller, Host of KMOX1120’s Garden Hotline at Valley Park May 10 at 8-10am Lunch with the Experts at Valley Park May 10 at 11-1pm Above image is the 2014 ICAW Poster Contest Winner hosted by the USCC - more information at http://compostingcouncil.org/icaw/

Grow a Bountiful Bouquet from your vegetable garden this spring. Apply STA-Certified Compost to reduce water consumption and increase nutrients in your soil.

VALLEY PARK, MO 39 Old Elam Ave. 636.861.3344

BELLEVILLE, IL 5841 Mine Haul Rd. 618.233.2007

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, MO (This is a drop off facility only) 314.423.9035

FORT BELLEFONTAINE COMPOST FACILITY 13060 County Park Rd. 314.355.0052

ST. LOUIS, MO 560 Terminal Row 314.868.1612 Visit us online at www.stlcompost.com

ENRICHING THE SOIL NATURALLY SINCE 1992