The Gateway Gardener September 2014

Gateway Gardener

SEPTEMBER 2014

THE

速

Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes

Welcome

(Re)Bloomers!

New Shrubs that Bloom and Bloom Again!

Dahlias Big and Tall Natives Fall Lawn Care FREE Courtesy of:

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Gateway Gardener

From the Editor

THE

®

Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes

September 2014

Volume 10, Number 7

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 Scott Woodbury Native Plant Specialist 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.

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sually, after a typical sweltering St. Louis summer, I look forward to the moderating days of September. And though, by our standards, this has been a quite tolerable, even enjoyable summer, I still find myself anticipating the changing season. Rain, cooler temperatures and shorter days bring a new cast of characters to the garden stage. One of my favorites is pictured here with me. Japanese anemone—this one’s even called ‘September’s Charm’.

Its delicate pink blossoms are such a nice change from the warmer yellows and oranges that seem to dominate the fall floral palette.

Japanese anemones are a traditional fall bloomer, but today, thanks to the mad plant scientists who constantly tinker to bring us something new and different, my pink anemone might be joined in September by a purple lilac, burgundy weigela, red azalea, or some other spring blooming

landscape interest you can enjoy from your window view, as Scott Woodbury describes on page 6.

Speaking of garden plants with hyperactive pituitaries, dahlias have been a traditional garden favorite since grandma’s day, yet ongoing breeding and selection processes have made for a whole new world to explore among these beautiful summer-blooming bulbs.

Barbara Perry Lawn gives us a dahlia update on page 4.

shrub, because once-aseason blooming is no longer enough—reblooming shrubs have become the rage! When you see what’s reblooming on page 10, you may do a double September is a great month for take! planting, rejuvenating turf, and just enjoying being outdoors No such tinkering is allowed and in the garden. We hope in the native garden—at least this issue will give you some not if it wants to be called ideas and help with whatever a true native. But then, the you find to do. Have a great natives provide their own one! oddities. Natives competing for sunlight and survival on the grassland prairie quickly Good Gardening! learned that taller was better, and so it is that many prairie forbs (deciduous perennials) have a penchant for stretching to the skies. This makes them perfect for creating some

On the Cover...

Hydrangeas in full, fresh bloom in September?

Outrageous, yet true.

New hydrangeas, like this Let’s Dance® ‘Diva’, are one of many new, reblooming takes on old standards. See some of our pro picks for other reblooming shrubs on page 10. Photo courtesy Proven Winners.

IN THIS ISSUE 4 Dahlias 6 Big and Tall Natives 8 MO Master Gardener Conference

9 10 12 14 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22

Dig This Re-Blooming Shrubs Fall Lawn Renovation Lettuce and Spinach JT’s Fresh Ideas Spiced Apple Pie September Harvest List Back to School with Plants Fall Field Day 2014 Repairing and Maintaining A Legacy--The Japanese Garden Management Strategies for Rose-Rosette Disease Downsizing by Necessity Upcoming Events

Dahlias

A Garden Gift from Mexico

by Barbara Perry Lawton

The story of dahlias is a strange one. Mexican Aztecs knew their native dahlias for their food value as well as their beauty. In 1789, the year of the French Revolution, dahlia tubers were sent to a French priest who was chief gardener at the royal gardens near Madrid. He named the new plant after Dr. Dahl, a leading botanist.

The botanist priest tried and failed to introduce dahlias as edible tubers that would be alternatives to potatoes.

Those who saw dahlias in bloom were impressed by the large colorful flowers. A sneaky gardener or a plant bandit snatched a few tubers and took them to Looking for France where they initially were Something Unique for horticultural failures. Somehow your Garden??

Napoleon’s Josephine learned how to grow them and became Come Stroll Thru Our both proud and possessive of her Gardens and Discover collection. Betrayed by dishonest the Pleasure of Plants! courtiers, she banished the Natives, Not-so-common Trees, thieves and destroyed her dahlia Shrubs & Perennials collection.

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Thanks to an import of dahlias from Mexico to Germany years later, the plants were grown and developed, becoming very

popular and much less expensive. That’s how this brightly colored Mexican native came to the gardening world.

Dahlias look like multi-hued daisies on steroids. They are bushy herbaceous perennials, composites closely related to sunflowers, chrysanthemums, daisies and zinnias. The genus Dahlia includes some three dozen species, many of which are grown and extensively hybridized for our gardens.

The plants range in size from 12-inch dwarfs to 6- to 8-foot giants.

They have little or no fragrance and so fortunately succeed in attracting pollinators with their brightly colored flowers, which come in just about every color except blue. Flowers are from as small as two inches in diameter to huge ones the size of dinner plates. Today’s dahlias come in forms from single to semi-double to fully double and from pompons to cactus to other fancy types.

As of 2010, there are 14 classification groups of dahlias—enough choices to suit every gardener!

In our region, dahlias are summer-blooming tubers planted every spring and dug to be stored in the fall after killing frosts. Plant them in April and they will begin to bud up in July, then be in full flower in late July and August. Deadhead fading blooms to encourage reblooming. Cut dahlia flowers will usually last in arrangements 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 Post-Dispatch. 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.

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Plant dahlias in full sun for healthiest, most productive plants.

Plant tubers in six-inch deep holes. Some people prefer growing dwarf dahlias from seed. Sow seeds six to eight weeks before planting outside. Soil should be well draining and slightly acidic.

If you have heavy clay soil, work in ample amounts of compost to improve the texture and organic content. Dahlias are heavy feeders and require ample moisture. I use a slow-release organic fertilizer, and I use my moisture meter to see that the soil remains moist but not soggy.

Taller dahlias will require staking. Just like chrysanthemums, you can create bushier more compact plants by pinching them back when the dahlias are about a foot tall. On large dahlias, if you want to create gigantic flowers, remove all of the side buds from the end of the branches throughout the growing season.

Dig Deeper.

Don’t miss the Greater St. Louis Dahlia Society Show at the Orthwein Floral Display Hall, Missouri Botanical Garden, Saturday and Sunday, September 20-21, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

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Naturally Natives Big and Tall Plants Fill a Window View

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By Scott Woodbury

n gardening there are times when one may choose to plant big and tall plants like when a window view with greenery is desired on a hot summer day.

Lets face it. When gardening in Missouri’s hot summers it makes sense to create opportunities to view plants, birds and butterflies from inside. We don’t spend all of our time outside and we can arrange our views to look outside at something beautiful and full of surprise. Texas green eyes, Berlandiera texana grows three to five feet tall and 3 feet wide depending on the soil fertility. It has red stems, fuzzy leaves and a rounded form. I enjoy its yellow

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150 E. Argonne Saturdays, September 6th & 13th 8 am - 4 pm

Shaw Nature Reserve Fall Wildflower Sale & Open Garden at the Whitmire Wildflower Garden Friday, September 5th, 4-7:30 pm Prairie Day Saturday, September 20th, 10am-4pm

Tyson Research Ctr. Eureka Wolf Fest September 27th,, 9am-5pm

Best of Missouri Market at Missouri Botanical Garden St Louis

October 3rd, 6-9pm (First Look Friday) October 4th & 5th, 9 am - 5 pm Pick up orders at the Sales Order in advance (by Wed.), or choose from our selection at the sale locations.

Missouri Wildflowers Nursery 573-496-3492, fax: 573-496-3003 www.mowildflowers.net mowldflrs@socket.net 9814 Pleasant Hill Rd. Jefferson City MO 65109

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butterflies, bees and later birds that come for the seeds. One other good choice is sarsaparilla (also called American spikenard), Aralia racemosa, which grows in part to full shade. It is a big perennial (dies to the ground each winter). In late March mature plants produce stems that rapidly pop out of the ground with substantial bulbous stalks that keep reaching upward and outward until they reach their maximum size of about 5-6 ft. tall and wide. By early July some trimming may be needed if planted too close to a house or sidewalk. It flowers in July and produces tight The scene from this “window” photo illustration includes clusters of glistening ruby-red fruits in late August and September. tall native plants like cup plant, prairie dock, big All of these plants are well-placed bluestem, milkweed, and gray-headed coneflower. about three to five feet away from flowers and hungry gold finches the exterior wall so they can still get rain water, not touch the that visit continuously outside house and be in line with windows that are 3-4 feet above the my office window from late May outside ground level. If you have windows that are 6-10 feet off through September. The finches the ground consider planting taller plants like a small flowering seem addicted to the seeds, as tree. Downy serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) (10-15 feet), there isn’t a day they don’t fly pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) (10-15 feet) or fringe in for a fix. In July and August tree (Chionanthus virginicus) (8-12 feet) are good choices Eastern blazingstar, Liatris that produce showy flowers and berries about 5-15 feet off the scariosa comes into bloom on ground. Serviceberry is somewhat open and see-through when 4-5 foot spires of bright purple planted in shade so is a good choice to view through to the flowers. The upright spiky form garden beyond. It also provides good bird viewing when berries contrasts nicely with the rounded are ripe for the beaking. Same is true of pagoda dogwood when Texas green eyes. With it appear planted in shade but in the sun both can be quite dense and provide screening. Fringe tree grows best in full sun to partial shade and has separate male and female plants. You need both male and female to produce good berries but plants are typically not sold separately in garden centers. I noticed that the male Custom DESIGNS flower petals are about one to one-and-one-half inches long and for each unique site female petals are considerably shorter. You could shop for plants INSTALLATION of in April when in full bloom or shop in July when fruits begin beautiful plants and walls, paths, and to appear (plants must be big enough to flower). For added fun patios hang a wren house from a branch or place a feeder in view.

Meticulous MAINTENANCE of every property entrusted to our care

There are many tall plants to choose from. Other perennials to consider for shade include goats beard, Aruncus dioicus (4-5 feet), garden phlox, Phlox paniculata (3-5 feet), and Joe-pye, Eupatorium purpureum (5-7 feet). Perennials for sun include The Gateway Gardener®

SEPTEMBER 2014

Tips and Resources for Growing and Landscaping with Sustainable Native Plants New England aster, Aster novae-angliae (4-5 feet), cup plant, Silphium perfoliatum (6-8 feet) willow-leaved sunflower, Helianthus salicifolius (6-8 feet), curly-top ironweed, Vernonia arkansana (4-6 feet) and showy goldenrod, Solidago speciosa (4-5 feet). Keep in mind that tall plants like these that bloom in late summer or fall may flop over, reach out too far or simply get too tall. Give these plants (not spring or early summer bloomers) a haircut in late April or early May by cutting 4060% of the stems off. Plants will come back shorter and bushier but be careful as they may not reach up in view looking out your window.

Shrubs that prefer full sun to part shade include wild hydrangea, Hydrangea arborea (4-5 feet), beautyberry, Calicarpa americana (4-6 feet) and black chokeberry, Aronia melanocarpa (5-7

A Grow Native! Top 10 List FEATURED CATEGORY:

Big and Tall Native Plants

Attractive • Durable • Long Lived • Tall and Upright Habit • Attracts Birds and Butterflies NATIVE PLANT NAME

1 2 3 4 5

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t is with the deepest sadness that I inform our readers of the passing of our friend and native gardening correspondent Cindy Gilberg. Cindy died peacefully on June 30th among family after a long, courageous battle with illness. Cindy was not only a friend, but had one of the most dedicated groups of followers of any of our magazine’s contributors.

Many of you may have read our tribute to Cindy in the July/August edition. If not, I’ve reprinted it on our website at www.GatewayGardener.com/articles, with the addition of more memories, photos and tributes to Cindy from friends, co-workers and our Gateway Gardener Facebook Friends. She meant so much to the local--and even national--horticultural community, especially those passionate about native plants and sustainable landscaping.

Our sincere condolences to Cindy’s mother, Barbara Perry Lawton, her husband Doug Gilberg and all her family and friends. We will miss Cindy’s friendship and her inspiration in the garden. --RW

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Cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum) Curlytop ironweed (Vernonia arkansana) Eastern blazingstar (Liatris scariosa) Goatsbeard (Aruncus dioicus) Pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) Purple Joe-pye (Eupatorium purpureum) Red elderberry (Sambucus pubens) Sarsaparilla (Aralia racemosa) Texas green eyes (Berlandiera texana) Willow-leaf sunflower (Helianthus salicifolius)

HEIGHT 6-8 Feet 4-6 Feet 3-5 Feet 4-5 Feet 10-15 Feet 5-7 Feet 6-8 Feet 5-6 Feet 3-5 Feet 6-8 Feet

UNIQUE QUALITIES Yellow sunflower-type flowers mid-summer. Full sun.

Purple flowers mid-summer.

Butterfly magnet. Full sun.

Purple flowers mid-summer.

Part shade.

Woodland plant. Creamy white flowers.

Shade.

Birds love purple berries in summer.

Red fall color. Part to full shade shrub.

Lavender bowling-ball flower clusters.

Sun to part shade.

Spring blooming shrub in part shade.

Birds eat red berries.

Shade or part shade. Ruby-red fruits.

Yellow flowers summer. Full sun. Finch magnet.

Late summer blooming. Narrow leaves.

Full sun.

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

feet). A new favorite plant of mine is red elderberry, Sambucus pubens, which grows in part shade and grows 6-8 feet tall. Unlike common elderberry, which has dark purple berries in August, this one has bright red berries in June and blooms in late April and May. Birds quickly eat the berries.

The next time you are washing dishes, drinking coffee, reading your favorite magazine or brushing your teeth, think about what you could be seeing framed through your window.

The possibilities for including taller plants are great and the opportunities they provide for viewing songbirds and butterflies even greater.

ZICK’S GREAT OUTDOORS CELEBRATING OUR 34TH YEAR

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SEPTEMBER 2014

The Gateway Gardener®

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State Conference Celebrates Our Garden-Pollinating Partners!

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coops, natural bird-friendly habitat gardens, and some of the area’s finest garden centers. Guests will have six tours to choose from, each covering a different area of the region, including the City, and counties of St. Louis, St. Charles, Jefferson and Franklin. A 7th advance tour promises a contrast of the old and new, with visits to EarthDance Farms, the region’s oldest organic farm, and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, home of groundbreaking contemporary plant technology research.

ore than 300 statewide Missouri Master Gardeners will swarm to St. Louis September 12th-14th to participate in the 19th Annual Missouri Master Gardener Conference. Presented by the St. Louis Master Gardeners in cooperation with the Missouri Master Gardener Association, Missouri Botanical Garden and the University of Missouri Extension, the event this year celebrates “Our Partners in Gardening: Birds, Bees, Butterflies and Bats.”

Participants will be treated to a variety of classes, programs and garden tours complementing the theme, including presentations on “How to Become a Beekeeper” and “Gardening for Pollinators” among the nearly 40 classes and workshops offered. Garden tours will highlight some of the St. Louis region’s most beautiful private and public garden spaces, including City landmarks like Missouri Botanical Garden and CityGarden, the Shaw and Lafayette neighborhoods and Forest Park. In the ‘burbs, visitors will tour backyard chicken

In between these activities, Master Gardeners can visit among the more than 20 sponsor and vendor booths (including The Gateway Gardener). Registration is open through September 5th, and is available only to Master Gardeners.

For more information visit the conference website at www. momgconference2014.org.

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The Gateway Gardener®

SEPTEMBER 2014

Dig This!

Gateway Gardeners and Businesses in the News Garden Club Honors Vets

Clayton Garden Club past president Patti Reineke (left) and current president Julie Cobaugh.

On May 22, 2014, on the occasion of its 75th anniversary, the Clayton Garden Club dedicated a Blue Star Marker honoring Veterans. The marker was placed by the flagpole at The Center of Clayton in Shaw Park. Kathy Fulstone of the Clayton Garden Club chaired the event and Julie Cobaugh, President of the Clayton Garden Club introduced guests and officials. In attendance were members of the Garden Club, civic officials and several veterans.

several other local sponsors, hosted a “Tasting from the Garden” event in June at Queeny Park in Town & Country. Visitors could dine from a choice of several food trucks, and enjoy beverages while they strolled among several garden-related vendor booths at Queeny’s beautiful Jarville Gardens.

Expert gardeners, the Saint Louis County Health Department, local florist and a variety of other vendors provided gardening and cooking tips, educational information and demonstrations such as how to dress Members of the St. Louis Herb up your table using Society give tips on growing herbs. your garden and growing your own vineyard.

Participating groups included the Landscape and Nursery Association of Greater St. Louis, St. Louis Herb Society, Greenscape Gardens, Sugar Creek Gardens, Edg-Clif Vineyard Garden Center and St. Louis Community College at Meramec, to name a few. A silent auction Where ordinary also helped raise money for just won’t do! the St. Louis County Parks’ Children’s Garden Club.

The Blue Star Memorial Program honoring service men and women began in 1944 as a living memorial to veterans of World War II. In 1945, the National Council of State Garden Clubs adopted the program and began a Blue Star Highway system, which covers thousands of miles across the Continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii. The program was expanded to include all men and women who had served, were serving or would serve in the armed services of the “Let our Turf Experts Help United States. Memorial Markers and By-Way you Repair Your Stressed-Out Lawn.” markers were added to the Highway Markers, to be Custom Seed Blends & Top Quality Products + 50 Years of Helping Customers used at locations such as National cemeteries, parks, = A Great Looking Lawn!! veteran’s facilities and gardens.

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Saint Louis County Parks Department, along with SEPTEMBER 2014

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www.rollingridgenursery.com 9

Blooming Shrubs with a Second Act!

By Robert Weaver

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hrubs are the bones of a mixed border, and provide sculptural height and textural contrast to the perennials and annuals that associate with them.

If that’s all they did, it would be enough, but many also provide some color--what a bonus!

Many great shrubs do just that, and today, there’s a double bonus: some of our favorites now have the capability to bloom not once, but repeatedly!

The first heavily marketed such reblooming (remontant is the scientific term for a plant that blooms more than once in a season)

cascade down the shrub, creating a soothing waterfall of color.” Our other two experts, Tom Mee of Frisella’s Nursery in Defiance, and Patty Lynch of Hillermann’s Nursery & Florist in Washington, went old school with the Endless Summer Series, but noted some of the Series’ newer additions. Tom not only noted the beautiful, Hydrangea repeating blooms, but added ‘Twist n Shout’ of the ‘Twist n Shout’ selection in this series, “ in late summer Endless Summer is Heavenly Hydrangeas reblooming still, and now in Since it all began with or early fall the leaves turn to several newer variations. hydrangeas, we’ll start with orange and red finally ending But today, it’s just one of them. Every one of our polled with a deep maroon before many reblooming species experts picked at least one available to gardeners hydrangea among their favorites. hoping to extend the Trudy Effinger of Effinger’s performance of their Garden Center in Belleville, garden’s bones. Here are likes the Let’s Dance® series some favorites, from area for their “improved flower coloration and attractive H. ‘Bloomstruck’ garden experts. foliage.” (See our cover for a picture of ‘Diva’, one in this defoliating. This is a great Series.) Ann Lapides of Sugar pick that provides interest Creek Gardens in Kirkwood beyond blooms.” Patty couldn’t concurred. She said the ‘Diva’ contain herself, and listed three lacecap features “colossal Endless Summer favorites: the blossoms that easily reach over original pink/blue snowball, the 1 foot across. Graceful and ‘Blushing Bride’ white-pink elegant, the massive blooms bloomer, and ‘Bloomstruck’,

shrub I can recall was the Endless Summer® reblooming Hydrangea macrophylla. It promised not only a longer bloom period, but a solution to the problem that has plagued H. macrophylla lovers in our region—loss of a season’s bloom due to cold weather or poorly timed pruning.

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

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The Gateway Gardener®

SEPTEMBER 2014

Grandma’s Plants Get a Makeover!

with purple/rose blossoms.

Amazing Azaleas!

I first heard about reblooming azaleas a couple years ago, at which time they were being sold mostly in the South, and I presumed they didn’t perform as well here. But experts in the industry say otherwise. Our pros were nearly as unanimous with their choice of an azalea among their picks as they were with hydrangeas: Bloom-AThon®! Ann Lapides couldn’t pick a favorite in the Series, describing the various options

Bloom-A-Thon® Lavender Azalea

Some, if not all, of these reimagined old-fashioned plants may require pruning after the initial bloom period to encourage the best re-bloom.

All of the rebloomers will most likely be more prolific in their traditional season of bloom, with perhaps less dramatic flair for follow up. And there’s a bit of a “buyer beware” caveat associated with some reBloomerang® blooming hydrangeas, claiming Lilac more marketing than substance in some cases. The esteemed then repeat in late summer!” hydrangea expert Dr. Michael Another fragrant choice is Tom Dirr has published findings Mee’s pick, Bloomerang® of a field study on remontant Purple Lilac, which has the hydrangeas, which you can Sonic Bloom™ added bonus of being mildew find at www.dirrplants.com.

Weigela resistant, a common plight But the study is now 4-5 years of the traditional spring lilac. old, so newer introductions may Trudy Effinger, it was Sonic Finally, Patty Lynch offered the perform even better than the Bloom™ Weigela, with its ‘Rose Creek’ Abelia, which she groundbreakers. At least our “heavy-blooming, showy May describes as featuring a dense, experts think so! flowers followed by repeat compact growth “with shiny Photo credits: blooms until frost.” Ann evergreen foliage. Clusters of Hydrangea ‘Twist n Shout’ and Lapides recommended the white tubular flowers appear in H. ‘Bloomstruck’ courtesy Bailey Nursery All other photos courtesy ‘Snow White’ Mock Orange, late spring.”

Proven Winners. which not only is a repeat

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of, “lilac, pink, red or white, that appear first in the spring, then again throughout summer and well into fall.” Tom Mee likes the Lavender in particular, which he says “is the strongest in the Series for our area,” while Patty Lynch chose the Pink. You may also find another reblooming azalea series, named (appropriately) the ReBLOOM™ Azaleas.

bloomer, but features double blossoms as well! “Double Several of the old-fashioned pristine white blossoms give shrubs I throw into a “grandma’s a spice orange scent in spring, plants” category, including lilac, weigela, abelia and mock orange, have entered the 21st century with reblooming panache! Each of our panel of pros had an updated oldiebut-goody to recommend. For

Mock Orange ‘Snow White’

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SEPTEMBER 2014

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11

Rescue & Renovate Your Cool-Season Lawn

By Glennon Kraemer

A

s of 07/25/14 it is 83 degrees and very nice. We are dry as heck, but rain is coming. It’s been a very cool and wet summer compared to 2012! This summer reminds me of 2009! Cool-season lawns need “cool” temperatures at night for them to recover from the high daytime temps. When we don’t get cool nights and rain, the lawns suffer (get diseases & weeds) and they won’t recover until the cool nights return. Most of the time cool-season lawns go “dormant” in the summer and rebound as soon as cool September nights return. It is shaping up to be a very mild summer compared to the last 2012. Also, a lot can happen in 5 weeks so remember when this was written and forgive me if I’m wrong with my weather prediction.

One of the most important cultural practices we can have done to our lawns is aeration and over seeding. “Core” aeration will relieve compaction, allowing water, air, nutrients and organic matter to get into our soils. A healthy soil is the foundation for healthy grass.

What we can control is how we prepare our lawns for next summer.

• Mow down to 2”. You won’t be able to mow again for 2-3 weeks, but remember to raise the mower back up to 3-½”!

The following steps should be taken to insure a healthy lawn this fall and into next summer: • Spray weeds if needed. Read the label and wait the recommended time before aerating and seeding.

• Remove all clutter in the yard and use top soil to level any uneven spots.

• Mark irrigation heads and or dog fence wires.

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• Consider applying ½” of compost over the lawn to add organic matter to the soil profile. This can be expensive and time consuming, but if you want a better yard…. Core aerate in 2 directions.

• Spread your “starter” fertilizer (I like 11-23-0 or Milorganite®) and seed. Knowing your square footage is important to be sure you get the right amount seed and fertilizer. An educated garden center will insure you get the right kind and amounts of seed.

• Power rake or hand rake the yard smooth. This insures good seed to soil contact which will prevent the seed from drying out and eliminate the need to use straw. (I hate straw as I think it adds more weed seeds than anything).

• Water everyday (and sometimes twice a day) for 2-3 weeks.

You want to keep the top ½” moist, but not saturated! Penn Mulch® is a good top dressing material as this will not add

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The Gateway Gardener®

SEPTEMBER 2014

weed seeds, but will help prevent erosion and keep the soil moist.

• Consider a fall application of preemergent to stop chickweed and henbit (cool season weeds) next spring. Radical concept but it works!

• Mowing at 3 ½” all fall will be important. As will removing leaves. Depending on the tree species, you may have to blow Consulting with a knowledgeable garden center is important to get or vacuum leaves every other day to prevent the smothering of good, quality seed and fertilizer. It’s what we do in the fall to our cool season lawns (coupled with our cultural practices) that dictates those new seedlings you worked so hard to establish. success next summer! Remember folks, it’s just grass!

• Water infrequently after mowing 2-3 times. Usually Mother Nature does this for us this time of year, but don’t let it dry out!

• Spot spray weeds after 2-3 mowings. Turflon ester® is an Glenn Kraemer owns and operates GR Robinson Seed excellent herbicide to use in the fall. It works on violets and in and Service, and can be reached by phone at (314) 427-0300 or by email at gmmseed@sbcglobal.net. cool temps.

• Try to get all seed jobs done before October 15th.

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The Cornucopia Corner Quatre Saisons’, a reddish green bibb variety; ‘Mignonette Bronze’, a bronzy, slow to bolt

By Mara Higdon variety with frilly leaves; ‘Little wherever I can Gem’, a cute small romaine find a free space. variety; and ‘Gentilina’, an It grows just Italian variety with bright green, about anywhere frizzy, leafy heads. and really benefits from being For spinach I almost always ‘Bloomsdale Long’ shaded by the grow standing as it does well in hot remnants of your tomato plants or weather. If you can’t decide other cool season on one type or another, try a packet of salad mix seeds. Most crops. suppliers have “lettuce blends” owards the end of Go ahead and try that provide varieties that grow summer, I get a little out the different varieties of well together and are quite tasty. lazy, especially when it lettuce and spinach available comes to lettuce and spinach. on the market today. They are To plant, I broadcast seed on In the spring, I plant my lettuce gorgeous and add a lot of color top of the planting area and then in rows, organize the colors, to salads other than your typical sprinkle them with a light layer and set out designs. But in the green shades. A few varieties of soil or compost. It is best fall, I put in lettuce or spinach that I like are ‘Merveille des to barely cover them. Water

Spinach and Lettuce

T

Jt’s For a Beautiful Weed-Free Lawn!

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• Strengthens root systems during the winter.

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• Proven cool-weather performance.

Use a pair of scissors to harvest what you need for dinner and leave the rest. New leaves will form and continue to do so till it starts to get cold. In the fall, use an old bed sheet to cover your lettuce and spinach if nighttime temperatures drop below freezing or remain cold for a couple of days. Uncover them if sun and warmer daytime temperatures are expected and they will perk right up.

Fresh Ideas

Spiced Apple pie in A MASon JAr Ingredients

2 cups of peeled and diced granny smith apples (4 apples approx.)

2 T. flour 4 T. sugar 2 t. cinnamon 1 t. nutmeg pinch of salt (I use sea salt) 2 T. Milk (I used half-n-half) 2 T. unsalted butter (divided) 1 prepared pie crust (great time saver!)

8 4 oz. mason jars

Preparation Instructions

Weed-Free Zone

carefully so you do not create rivers of water that wash away your seed. Heavy seeding keeps the weeds out, but requires you to thin out the plants to reduce crowding.

Daily thinning keeps the plants in check and the larger plants will fill in the space quickly.

Preheat oven to 350˚ F. In a large bowl, mix together the apples flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

Roll out the pie crust. Use a mason jar lid to cut out circles for the top crust.

Using the rest of the dough to place in the bottom and sides of the mason jars.

Place fruit mixture into each mason jar and top each with divided butter and milk. Cut out a shape of the circles for a vent and top each jar & seal edges. You can use a fork to do this.

Place mason jars on a cookie sheet (I used 11 x 7 cake pan) with ½” of water in the bottom. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until crust is light brown. You may need to cover the tops with a sheet of aluminum foil to prevent the crust from burning and to allow the bottom crust to cook through.

Please share some of your favorite recipes with us.

You can e-mail us at: info@gatewaygardener.com.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do. I like to warm them up and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!

Look for these and other ferti-lome products at your favorite independent nurseries and garden centers.

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14

The Gateway Gardener®

SEPTEMBER 2014

Tips for Growing, Buying and Cooking Fresh, Locally Sourced Food for Your Table When planting your lettuce or spinach, throw in a few radish seeds as well. They can be a delicious addition to your

bountiful lettuce and spinach harvest that will last well into the fall season. All I need now is a good salad dressing recipe!

Mara Higdon is the Program Director at Gateway 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.

September Harvest

Here are some fruits and veggies you might find in the garden or your local farmers’ market this month:

Vegetables

Radishes Rhubarb Spinach Squash Sweet Corn Sweet Potatoes Tomatoes Turnips

Beans Beets Broccoli Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Cucumbers Eggplant Garlic Greens Herbs Horseradish Kohlrabi Lettuce Okra Onions Peas Peppers Popcorn Potatoes Pumpkins

Fruits

Apples Blackberries Blueberries Canteloupe Gooseberries Grapes (wine) Nectarines Peaches Pears Plums Raspberries, red Watermelon

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The Gateway Gardener®

15

Back to School--with Plants Text and Photos By Ellen Barredo

When September rolls around, I often find teachers, professors, and students searching for that perfect houseplant to display in their classroom, faculty office or dorm room.

Summer break is over and people once again find that they are spending more and more of their time in an indoor setting. One sure way to relieve stress is to surround yourself with a few green plants! If you really want to step out, you might choose a blooming plant!

Here are a few easy plant options to green your indoor space:

of e ts n n o s pla a e w or s ous d f i h Th an ini pot m : rst ol a a ni i fi co n t mi o tt ery per Pu a i v !

F u l n my d s rfu a i y! n a lo oni aut co tt be fi xi ma

Me Or dini Lo chid lla (P lo w li ): ng gh Wha hil i t bl t, a ppin oo l o b mi e ng w wa eau . te ty! r an d

16

Staghorn fern: Sure to be a conversation piece! This unusual fern can hang or stand.

Rhip s Cact alis (Mi us): stle P t cera mic lace in oe cont a an e ny ai a deco sy-going ner to make r stan ation th living d on at c a a de sk. n hang o r

Sansevieria (Snake plant): I am not sure who thought up this living dĂŠcor idea but it is very modern looking.

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.

The Gateway GardenerÂŽ

SEPTEMBER 2014

Pros Refine Skills at Field Day

A

rea green-industry professionals will have the opportunity to update their skills in a number of areas by attending the day-long Fall Field Day, hosted by the Horticulture Co-op of Metro St. Louis, sponsored by several area companies and taking place September 18th at St. Louis Community College-Meramec in Kirkwood.

The day features a variety of presentations on general horticulture topics as well as education for arborists with ISA CEU credit.

Programs range from topics on “Tree Risk Assessment” and “Successful Tree and Shrub Planting Te c h n i q u e s ” to “The Good, Bad and Ugly of

SEPTEMBER 2014

The Gateway Gardener®

Annual Plants”, “Understanding Soil Test Results”, Insects and Diseases”, “The Know Maintenance Perennial Landscape” and more. Seventeen different programs in all are offered during the day.

Participants can also enjoy lunch, visit vendor booths to see what’s new in industry equipment and services, and have a chance to network with their associates in green businesses throughout the region.

Cost for the event, which is open to professionals and advanced landscape enthusiasts only, is $45 per person. The program is held rain or shine, so dress for the weather. For more information, visit www.

HortCo-op.org.

17

RePairing and Maintaining A Legacy Text By Steffie Littlefield, Photos by Robert Weaver

O

ne of the real treasures at the Missouri Botanical Garden is the Japanese Garden, “Seiwa-en”, garden of pure clear harmony and peace. This garden was opened in 1977 and has been considered one of the most significant gardens of its type in North America. After 37 years of visitors, weather and water

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some of the infrastructure was beginning to fail. It was determined to begin a multi-phase repair and maintenance schedule to prevent further deterioration and what could be a major future overhaul of the gardens waterfalls, waterways, bridges and docks. The goal is to avoid damage to the mature and very valuable plant specimens found throughout the garden. Last winter the work began with lowering the water level in the lake and repairing eroded spillways.

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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.

The Gateway Gardener®

SEPTEMBER 2014

The bridges were stripped and structural posts and supports replaced, and stone and granite elements were secured and their foundations reinforced. All of this was done without changing any of the original design of the garden itself.

For over 37 years the Japanese Garden has delighted many visitors young and old with its gorgeous cherry blossoms in the spring, elegant Japanese iris display in summer, dramatic fall color display of crimson foliage and serene vistas of sculptural evergreens in the snow. With the reopening of the Japanese Garden in May very little has changed. Visitors may once again explore the garden on its many bridges and experience the various water features that are the very substance that creates the theme of this amazing garden. Each element was designed and placed to form an experiential journey where the visitor is transported to a place of harmony and peace.

Children still feed the Koi fish, but on a more secure “Flat Bridge”, adventuresome visitors explore the newly rebuilt “Zig-Zag Bridge” out over the water and hobbyists photograph the intriguing and reinforced “Drum Bridge”. The waterfalls once again roar with the sound of rushing water over the granite boulders and spillways down the slopes to the lake, while at the same time frequent visitors find that their favorite spot to rest has not moved and that one special tree still shades the pathway. Thank you to those who

have made sure that this magnificent garden will endure for many more years and many more visitors to come.

Why not take some time to stroll the renovated Japanese Garden during the Japanese Festival this Labor Day weekend, August 30th to September 1st. See the Upcoming Events Calendar for details.

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Management Strategies for Rose Rosette Disease

By Diane Brueckman

F

Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder

or many years we have been warning rose as ‘ witches’ broom’. There are many rubbery growers to be vigilant in their gardens prickles. Often the infected cane is thicker than looking for Rose Rosette Disease. Over the cane it is coming from and very weak. the past years the Missouri Botanical I have recommended cutting off the infected cane Garden has removed all of the roses from the at the bud union when the disease first appears.

Lehmann Rose Garden twice and from the If the disease reappears remove the plant. That Gladney Rose Garden once. This year, so strategy only worked about 10% of the time for far, the gardens have been free of the disease. me. The problem is the mite population balloons The Belleville Rose Society invited Dr. Mark if diseased plants are left in the garden and you Windham to speak on RRD at the Illinois-Indiana have defeated the purpose by trying to save that District Convention, and for the first time I feel one plant. It is not known how long the disease we have some strategies that might keep the lays dormant in the plant before signs of the disease at bay. Dr. Windham is a professor in the disease reappear.

Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology The mite does not have a firm hold on the plant at The University of Tennessee. He has been therefore it can be blown off very easily or studying RRD among other things for many shaken off when working on the plant. The years as well as being an ardent rose grower. This Witches broom growth on a rose recommended means of removal is to put a black article is too short to give all the information we plastic bag over the entire plant and tie it off at gleaned from Dr. Windham, but I would like to infectected with Rose Rosette disease. the bottom then cut the plant off at the ground. pass on some of his management strategies. Dr. Dr. Windham’s research team has found that if you leave the black bag Windham also blew up some of the myths that have been on the internet out in the sun the mites will ‘cook’ since they are intolerant of high and in various articles that are not based in any fact. temperatures. Check the bag for punctures and double bag if necessary RRD is caused by a tiny eriophyid mite that blows in the wind like dust. to prevent the mites from escaping. The final step is to dig out as much The most obvious symptom is the bunchy growth at the top of a cane root as possible but don’t be concerned if a piece of the root is missed. where the leaves are usually red, strappy and twisted, often referred to As for replanting in the same bed, go right ahead. Dr. Windham suggests waiting about 7 days before replanting, since mites can only live 3-5 days without a host (according to Dr. James Amrine). People have been concerned about roots left in the ground from the diseased plant contaminating the new plant. The root would have to graft onto the new plant and that is highly unlikely.

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Putting a barrier such as Miscanthus sinensis upwind of the rose planting will reduce the incidence of the disease. The mite is incapable of directing itself to a rose bush but lands on the tallest obstacle in its path.

‘Knock Out’ roses are no more susceptible to RRD than any other rose.

That perception arises because the ‘Knock Out’ roses are used in so many mass plantings, and often the disease goes unnoticed until it has spread to others in the mass planting.

It is not known if miticides work, or if some do, which ones will work on the eriophyid mites. No one knows if a miticide will lead to a reduction of rose rosette in your garden. Therefore, the use of a miticide is not recommended at this time.

We can keep the disease at bay if we are vigilant and watch for the first signs of disease. Rogue out any diseased plants and carefully kill off the mites in a plastic bag. Our best defense is to keep the mite population down.

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20

Firebrick Fame™ ReBLOOM™ Azalea PP24494

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>.

The Gateway Gardener®

SEPTEMBER 2014

Downsizing by Necessity

by Joyce Driemeyer

pomegranate, Punica granitum var. nana—a true dwarf that never stops blooming and is visited by hummers—myrtle (Myrtus communis), another dwarf; Calamondin oranges, which bloom all year and produce half-dollar-sized fruit that makes delicious marmalade, and even fragrantleaved patchouli—so good for potpourri and sweet bags.

Salvia ‘Black and Blue’

B

ecause of an injury and subsequent surgery, my gardening has been reduced this season to tending pots on the patio, The pots were already filled with plants that had spent the winter and late spring in my greenhouse. In late May, they were moved for me to the patio.

The greenhouse is a coolseason greenhouse, used only in winter to house non-hardy plants. I have been able to enjoy ever-blooming rosemary, both prostrate and upright forms;

Then there is a hanging basket of long-blooming cascading Dittany of Crete (Oregano dictamnus), not an edible oregano, but highly decorative.

Rampant lemon balm has taken over some of my borders, and oregano covers half of the herb garden—the bees have been most happy. But how I have missed my usual plantings of the beautiful tropical sages that provide color over summer into frost and are loved by pollinators. This year I have not had Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha) with its purple

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.

Shaw Wildflower Market in the Whitmire Wildflower Garden Friday, September 5th 4-7:30 pm

Made in the St. Louis Area

accent chicken. I have almost no annual herbs this year, although I did manage to obtain some basil. Well, there’s always next year!

Dig Deeper.

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flower spikes and grey foliage, or Salvia guaranitica—blue and black anise-scented flowers— loved by hummers and blooms till frost. Flowers are great for cutting and arranging. I also missed my pineapple sage with red flowers and foliage, which can be used in teas and punches and even fruit salad for flavor.

And no lemon verbena this year—so wonderful for fruit flavor to tea and drinks and to

The Gateway Gardener®

21

Upcoming Events

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

Give us the details of your upcoming gardening, lawn or landscaping event and we’ll add it to our website and include it in our next issue. Deadline for printing in November/December issue is October 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!

GARDEN TOURS, PLANT SALES AND SHOWS Sept. 5th 4-7:30pm--Native Plant School

22

Wildflower Sale and Open Garden. Purchase native plants for fall planting. Plant experts will be on hand to answer questions, identify plants and give guidance to gardeners wishing to expand their plant palette with native plants. Bring questions, comments, photos, drawings or plant specimens.

Shaw Nature Reserve, I-44 at exit #253 in Gray Summit, Mo. Wildflower Sale and native landscaping consultations are in the Whitmire Wildflower Garden. Cost is $5 (MBG members $3). For more information visit us on the web at www.shawnature.org.

Sept. 6th-7th 9am-5pm-- Gateway West Gesneriad Society Show and Sale. New cultivars and old favorites are shown and sold by the area’s top growers, who are on hand to give plant care advice and share information about their organization. Beaumont Room, Ridgway Visitor Center at Missouri Botanical Garden. Entry included with Garden admission. www. gesneriadsociety.org.

about their organization.

Orthwein Floral Display Hall at MBG. Included with Garden admission. stldahliasociety.com.

Sept. 27 9am-5pm—Rose Society of Greater St. Louis Sale. New cultivars and old favorites are sold by the area’s top growers, who are on hand to give plant care advice and share information about their organization.

Orthwein Floral Display Hall, Missouri Botanical Garden. th

CLASSES, LECTURES AND EVENTS Aug. 30th-Sept. 1st 10am-8pm Saturday and Sunday, 10am-5pm Monday—Annual Japanese Festival.

Taiko drumming, bon odori festival dancing, martial arts, candlelight walks in the Japanese Garden and more. Doors open at 9am. $15 adults (ages 13 to 64), $10 seniors (65+), $5 children (3 to 12), $5 members. Buy tickets in advance online at www. mobot.org. No trams. Missouri Botanical Garden.

Sept. 13 -14 9am-5pm—Greater St. Louis Daylily Society Show and Sale. New cultivars and old favorites sold by the area’s top growers who are on hand to give plant care advice and share information about their organization. Orthwein Floral Display Hall at MBG. Included with Garden admission. www. gslds.com/

Sept. 6th Dining Wild! Hosted by Lincoln University’s Native Plants Program. Native garden tours from 3-5pm, social mixer from 5-6pm and dinner (featuring native edible plants) and presentations from 6-9pm. $25. Scruggs University Center, 820 Chestnut St. Jefferson City, MO. Call (573) 6813553 for information or email HempenA@LincolnU.edu.

Sept. 20th- 21st 9am-5pm—Greater St. Louis Dahlia Society Show. New cultivars and old favorites shown by the area’s top growers who are on hand to give plant care advice and share information

Hillermann’s Fall Market Open.

Fall activities including scarecrow building available. Choose from our great selection of mums, corn, pumpkins, fodder, and so much more to decorate your

th

th

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

10am—Lawn Care 101 with Charlie Kriete. Fall is the best time for lawn seeding and renovation! Make sure to join Charlie at to learn the best steps for fall lawn care and have all your questions answered. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www. hillermann.com.

1 1 a m – 1 2 p m­­– O r g a n i c Landscapes and Lawns. Join us as Dr. William Sadler, a leading expert in the field of Organic Fertilizers, shares techniques on keeping our landscape healthy and how chemicals effect the nutrients in our soils that plants need to thrive. Frisella Nursery, frisellanursery.com/events, 636.798.2555.

Sept. 9th and 11th Daylilies Teleconference. Learn basic care and maintenance plus all the incredible choice of colors, patterns and forms available. Classes held at U of Illinois Extension offices at 901 Illinois Ave., Waterloo (618-9393434), and 1 Regency Plaza Dr., Ste. 200, Collinsville (618-3444230) on both days at 1:30pm, and at the Collinsville location only on the 11th at 6:30pm. $10 for color handouts, $5 for b&w.

Call the location you wish to attend for program topics, dates and registration.

Sept. 11th 1-4 pm—Native Plant School: Landscaping with Vines. Learn what native vines to grow for any situation. $15 ($10 Garden members). Whitmire Wildflower Garden at Shaw Nature Reserve.

For reservations or more information, call (636) 4513512 or visit www.shawnature. org.

The Gateway Gardener®

SEPTEMBER 2014

Sept. 12th-14th Missouri State Master Gardener Conference. See page 8 for details.

Sept. 13th 10am—DIY Home Landscape.

Join Rick to learn tips and tricks to install a DIY Landscape Project.

Create a beautiful landscape for your home. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www. hillermann.com.

Sept. 20th 10am—Fall Shade Tree Selections. Join Rick to learn all about shade trees for the yard and landscape. Learn about tree characteristics, growth habits and what trees will work best for your yard. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www. hillermann.com.

Sept. 23rd & 25th Getting Your Feet Wet with Rain Gardens Teleconference.

Learn how to reduce your Sept. 13th & 20th 10am—Exquisite Fall and impact downstream by building Winter Containers for a rain garden. Classes held at Entrance Ways and Patios. U of Illinois Extension offices Learn about outstanding plant at 901 Illinois Ave., Waterloo combinations and window boxes (618-939-3434), and 1 Regency with color and texture. Sugar Plaza Dr., Ste. 200, Collinsville Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn (618-344-4230) on both days at Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call 1:30pm, and at the Collinsville location only on the 25th at (314) 965-3070.

6:30pm. $10 for color handouts, Sept. 14th $5 for b&w. Call the location 6pm—Chefs in a Garden. Local you wish to attend for program chefs turn locally grown produce topics, dates and registration. from area community gardens into a gourmet smorgasbord, Sept. 27th all to raise funds for Gateway 10am—Creative Fall Combos.

Greening, the community Learn about all the new fall gardening organization. plants, creating beautiful fall Palladium, 1400 Park Place, St. combo planters and adding Louis. For ticket information that fall touch to your flower call (314) 588-9600 x23 or visit beds. Hillermann Nursery & www.gatewaygreening.org.

Florist, 636-239-6729, www. hillermann.com.

Sept. 18th 11am—Cooking Class Fall Field Day. See Page 17.

Harvest Dinners. Join Leigh

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NE ICE 0 0 PR 49,9 $4

Sweet with Tasteful Affair Catering as she demonstrates making ‘Drunken chickee’, KC strip steaks with red-wine butter, grilled water melon & tomato salad w/feta. Samples and recipes of featured foods will be available. $5.00 class fee. Space is limited. Please contact Leigh at 314-488-4184 or tastefulaffair@gmail.com to sign up. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www. hillermann.com.

Sept. 27th & Oct. 4th 10am—From Fall to Winter, Transitional Container Gardening. Learn how to use evergreen perennials and shrubs, along with seasonal ornaments to have your pots looking gorgeous all the way till spring. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 965-3070.

Sept. 28th 1pm – 2pm –­­ Beyond the

Monarch Butterfly. Much has been written about the Monarch butterfly and the plants it’s attracted to. What about the other butterflies that live in Missouri?

Join us and Evelyn Presley for a lively presentation on how to draw these colorful creatures to your garden. Frisella Nursery, frisellanursery.com/events, 636.798.2555.

FUN FOR KIDS Sept. 6th Between11am and 2pm--First Saturday Kids. Bring the kids anytime to play in the garden and enjoy a FREE activity - Make a Birdbath! Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www. hillermann.com.

Sept. 12th 9am—Plant Fall Color.

St. Louis County Parks and Recreation Children’s Garden Club. FREE. Sherwood’s Forest Nursery and Garden Center, 2651 Barrett Station Rd.

Feast Your Eyes on the Perfect Marriage of Land and Home!

682 Shadowridge Dr. • Wildwood 63011

The Most Amazing Park-like Oasis Backyard!

And of course the home is gorgeous too! Desirable open floor plan, dream kitchen, majestic master suite, finished lower level, well-designed for entertaining both inside and out. And best of all, this perennial paradise is easily maintained by irrigation system!

Life Simply Does Not Get Better Than This!

SEPTEMBER 2014

THE IRVINE TEAM

Coldwell Banker Gundaker (636) 391-2100

TheIrvineTeam.com

The Gateway Gardener®

23

For the GREENEST lawn on the block Top Dress with STA-Certified Compost this fall to reduce water consumption and increase nutrients in your soil Visit St. Louis Composting’s six area locations for the largest selection of STA-certified compost, mulch products and soil blends BELLEVILLE, IL

5841 Mine Haul Rd. 618.233.2007

VALLEY PARK, MO 39 Old Elam Ave. 636.861.3344

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, MO (This is a drop off facility only) 11294 Schaefer Rd. 314.423.9035

PACIFIC, MO

18900 Franklin Rd. 636.271.3352

FORT BELLEFONTAINE COMPOST FACILITY

13060 County Park Rd. Florissant, MO 314.355.0052

Visit us online at www.stlcompost.com

Step-by-Step Guide to Top Dressing:

- Core aerate the lawn, concentrating on the most heavily trafficked sections.

- Apply a ½ inch layer of Field and Turf compost, using the Ecolawn Top Dresser - Smooth the surface using a rake or weighted drag mat to break down soil plugs and backfill holes - Spread grass seed, lightly rake, and water – making sure all seeds are covered with soil/compost layer to guard against winter damage - Water as needed, keeping the soil moist until seeds germinate

ST. LOUIS, MO

560 Terminal Row 314.868.1612