Gateway Gardener
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2018
THE
®
Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes
Celebrating the Holidays Festive Family Activities
Holiday Gift Guide Bringing Monet’s Garden Home Hygge & Houseplants
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Have a happy and safe holiday season! From our family, to yours
Your Garden Center that’s OPEN YEAR ROUND! Stop in this winter for Holiday Gifts, Firewood and Plant Super Sales! Like us on Facebook for coupons, updates and specials! 2701 Barrett Station Rd. • St. Louis, MO 63021 www.kirkwoodgardens.com • 314-966-4840
Gateway Gardener THE
®
Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 Volume 14, Number 9
Founded in 2005 by Joyce Bruno & Robert Weaver Publisher and Editor Robert Weaver Columnists Diane Brueckman Rosarian Abby Lapides Nursery Professional Steffie Littlefield Edg-Clif Winery Jennifer Schamber Nursery Professional Crystal Stevens EarthDance Organic Farm School Scott Woodbury Native Plant Specialist
Printing: Breese Publishing, Breese, IL The Gateway Gardener® is published 9 times/year by Double Dig Communications, Inc. to promote enjoyable, successful gardening and livable landscapes in the St. Louis greater metropolitan area. The magazine is distributed free to the public at designated garden centers, nurseries, garden gift shops, lawn equipment rental, repair and sales establishments, and other locations supporting sound gardening, lawn and landscaping practices. Please send letters-to-the-editor, questions, event announcements, editorial suggestions and contributions, photos, advertising inquiries and materials, and any other correspondence to: The Gateway Gardener Magazine® PO Box 220853 St. Louis, MO 63122 Phone: (314) 968-3740
info@gatewaygardener.com www.gatewaygardener.com The Gateway Gardener® is printed on recycled newsprint using environmentally friendly soy-based ink, and is a member of the PurePower® renewable energy resources network.
A
From the Editor
big part of the holiday season for our family has always included an admiration of lights! When Mary and I were dating, it was an annual event for us to pile in a car or two with her brothers and sister and drive to “Santa’s Castle,” a private North County residence that—rare in those days—covered nearly every square inch of landscape and home with lights, animated characters and other holiday ornamentations. More recently, for several years we rented a large passenger van with chauffeur to drive the whole extended family, now including spouses and our own children, through Tilles Park’s Winter Wonderland, and then beyond to exceptionally embellished homes and neighborhoods we had scouted and mapped out beforehand. St. Louis Hills’ “Candy Cane Lane” was a must-see destination with an obligatory stop at Ted Drewes. Last year, we opted instead to pack it all into one stop: the festively lit Anheuser-Busch grounds downtown, where the family was equally split on the trade-off of frozen custard for complimentary adult beverages.
include them in your holiday family celebrations!
With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, sometimes we need to take a break and just enjoy the moment. On page 6, Jennifer Schamber introduces us (well, at least she introduced me!) to the Danish concept of “hygge”, a lifestyle practice in which we seek to create our “happy place” during what No such trade off is necessary at can be an otherwise dreary the Missouri Botanical Garden’s time of year—especially for Garden Glow. I’m pretty sure I gardeners! For me, the need recall frozen custard—or at for hygge usually comes after least ice cream--from a personal the holidays, but Jennifer’s visit last year, and I know they suggestions can suitably be have hot chocolate as well as implemented anytime cabin adult beverages (though not fever sets in. complimentary). Plus the lights are spectacular! Over a million Whether your hygge moment is of them providing family photo found in a quiet living room by a opps everywhere you turn. crackling fireplace or amidst the And this year a bonus: The joyous merriment of a holiday Gardenland Express miniature outing, my family and I wish train exhibit is included in you peace and contentment in the price of Garden Glow this holiday season, and health admission. These Garden and happiness in the new year. attractions are just two of many horticultural holiday festivities Good Gardening! we’ve highlighted on page 12, including many Open Houses and Holiday events hosted by our friends at various nurseries and garden centers. Be sure to
On the Cover... Once again, the Missouri Botanical Garden is decked out for the Garden Glow. For more about this and other Horticultural Holiday Festivities, see page 12. (photo by Incrocci, courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden)
IN THIS ISSUE 4 Bringing Monet’s Garden Home 6 Hygge & Houseplants 8 Holiday Gardeners’ Gift Guide 10 Long-Lived Native Plants 11 MoGIC Conference 2018 12 Horticultural Holiday Festivities 13 Dig This! 14 Upcoming Events
Bringing Monet’s Garden Home by Abby Lapides Claude Monet, French, 1840–1926; Water Lilies, c.1915–26; oil on canvas; 78 3/4 inches x 13 feet 11 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Steinberg Charitable Fund 134:1956
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any visitors to the St. Louis Art Museum have undoubtedly paused for long periods of time, as have I, to admire The Water
Lilies masterpiece painting displayed in the Museum. It is a perfect example of the inspiration given to Monet by his gardens at Giverny, France.
styled bridge. We all may not be able to build a large pond and bridge in our own backyard, but a well-placed statue, small foot bridge, arbor, or interesting shrub provides a focal point to build the garden around. Wisteria crawl over the side of the Japanese bridge giving a Monet’s garden is composed of dramatic bloom in late spring two main parts, a vibrant flower along with Japanese irises and garden near his house named the roses and of course, the famous Clos Normand Garden, and a water lilies. All these plants Japanese-inspired water garden grow well in St. Louis; give where many of his most famous wisteria a strong support system paintings were composed. to hold up its heavy stems. If Aside from the water lilies, the you don’t have a pond, consider most iconic piece from Monet’s plants with the pale pinks, garden is the green Japanese- yellows and peaches of water Monet loved his garden; he once said ‘My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece.’ He also said ‘All my money goes to my garden.’ – A true gardener indeed! Employing some of Monet’s ideas into our own gardens may help us to create our own masterpieces.
The Clos Normand Garden Grand Allee, photo by Ron Ryan. 4
The Gateway Gardener™ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018
sunflowers growing wildly. The effect is remarkable. There are The Clos Normand Garden is made up of many small beds many recreations of Monet’s garden in the U.S., one being at the surrounded by a grid of garden paths. Monet loved to experiment Overland Park Arboretum in Kansas. If you are looking for a with color in his plantings. In each bed he would utilize a certain weekend getaway I’d highly recommend it. There, they recreated color theme. In some areas he would plant monochromatic masses the Grand Alleé with annual flowers that thrive in the Midwest. that ranged in value; in others he would plant two contrasting Tall and short zinnias, cleome, angelonia and gomphrena vibrantly colors. For a study of red in a sun garden, use the red, pink, or white bloom along their garden path. Though the feel is informal, thought Drift® roses in the front, ‘Lady in Red’ peony, ‘Sassy Summer has clearly been used in planting this pleasing display. Contrasting Sangria’ yarrow, and ‘Cinderella’ butterfly weed for mid-level colors of orange zinnias and blue angelonia loosely frame the height; clematis Avant Garde™ and ‘Airbrush Effect’ hibiscus for walkway while the taller annuals create a striking backdrop in a the backdrop. In Monet’s garden, though each bed was its own riot of color. Another bonus—most of these plants make excellent design, they all harmonized. When choosing plants, think beyond cut bouquets. the front middle and back of your garden bed; take into account the Monet was a master artist who not only produced master class elements across the yard or even in your neighbor’s yard. If that paintings, but gardens as well. Using his gardens at Giverny to beautiful lavender crepe myrtle clashes with your orange tickseeds inspire can help us build a beautiful legacy in our own gardens that in a neighboring bed you may want to pick a better coordinating will last for years. color. lilies to create a similar effect.
Monet appreciated the use of straight garden paths that look formal in the winter and spring before being overtaken by flowers. One of the main features of the Clos Normand Garden is the Grand Alleé, a wide path with green iron arches for roses to climb upon and gardens on either side. In spring, this path is framed by beautiful tulips and pansies tidily blooming away. Come summer it is almost completely overtaken by nasturtium with dahlias and
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Plus we have beautiful hand-crafted grave blankets made right here. A “study in red” the author selected as potential for your own Monet moment, clockwise from upper left: Achillea (Yarrow) ‘Sassy Summer Sangria’, Drift Rose White, Asclepias (Marsh milkweed) ‘Cinderella’ and ’Hibiscus ‘Airbrush Effect’. Photos by Walters Gardens, Inc., except Drift Rose White, courtesy Star Roses. Abby Lapides is owner and a speaker at Sugar Creek Gardens Nursery. She has degrees from the University of Missouri, and is a member of the Landscape and Nursery Association of Greater St. Louis. You can reach her at (314) 965-3070.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 The Gateway Gardener™
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Lake St. Louis Garden Center www.lakestlouisgardencenter.com 636-561-0124
3230 Technology Dr. Lake St. Louis
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Hygge + Houseplants = A Happy Winter Season for Gardeners
123rf. com
by Jennifer Schamber
BIG, EASY, AND BEAUTIFUL
Dazzle everyone this holiday season with the spectacular blooms of easy-care Amaryllis. Plant bulbs now for holiday display. 1011 N. Woodlawn • Kirkwood, MO www.SugarCreekGardens.com 314-965-3070 MORE PARKING Now Available!
VOTED #1 BEST GARDEN CENTER! 6
comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture).” As gardeners, we can easily find our “happy place” during the growing season, but it can be a challenge to satisfy our craving to connect with the natural world during the long, dark months of winter. Turns out, the Danish and other Scandinavian cultures have cracked the code on the cure for the winter blues (they have had a lot of practice!), and there’s an endless list of things we can do to keep our senses fully engaged when the ground outside is frozen. Simplicity is key for creating a hygge lifestyle and houseplants can be the key ingredient to enhancing a sensory experience indoors. Houseplants add life and an energy to a room that cannot be replicated by any innate object. One easy and fun project is growing paperwhites. Simply put some rocks in a jar or vase, fill with water and place the bulbs on top. These fast-growing bulbs will flower a month after planting. The anticipation of waiting for them to flower is just as satisfying as actually seeing them bloom. Start a new batch every couple of weeks to keep them going all winter long.
123rf. com
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olding your coffee cup with two hands and savoring the flavor and aroma, gazing out a window on a snowy day wearing soft socks and reading a great book recommended by your friend, lighting a candle arranged beside a glass terrarium you just planted with your sister, cuddling with a pet… these experiences help define the concept of “hygge”. One definition of hygge (pronounced “HOO-gah”) is “a quality of coziness and
Consider adding plants to your home that can enhance the quality of the air. Knowing that the spider plant in a child’s room is purifying the air gives a feeling of satisfaction that you’ve created a healthier space at very little cost. Other easy-togrow houseplants to add include: snake plant, ZZ plant, pothos, The Gateway Gardener™ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018
Safe Digging Jennifer Schamber
starts with
YOU
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philodendron and schefflera. Terrariums can help fill the void that gardeners feel in the winter months, these simple “gardens in glass” can be filled with tropical foliage or succulents. (Ed. Note: see Abby Lapides article in our October 2018 issue on more “Houseplants for Health” suggestions.)
Call or Click 3 Working Days Before You Dig.
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Creating a ritual in your home during the winter to care for houseplants can also help fend off the winter doldrums. Sunday mornings can be a good day to water, mist the plants and check to make sure they are healthy. It’s also a good time to rotate them or shift them to sunnier spots. Consider installing LED grow lights if you don’t have enough light for plants that prefer high light. If a plant isn’t thriving, consider moving it to another spot, or sending it to the compost pile. A failing houseplant will detract from the goal of seeking out simple pleasures.
Wait the Required Amount of Time.
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Confirm Utility Response.
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Respect the Marks.
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Dig with Care.
Learning to appreciate the “break” that winter brings might just help us take the time to re-charge our batteries and give us a chance to reflect upon what we want to focus on in the next growing season. The best things in life really are quite simple and free, and when things get complicated during this holiday season, let’s be reminded about the concept of “hygge” and let that guide us toward a happy and healthy winter season. Jennifer Schamber is the General Manager of Greenscape Gardens, and plays leaderships roles in the Western Nursery & Landscape Association, GrowNative!, the Landscape & Nursery Association of Greater St. Louis and the Horticulture Co-op of Metro St. Louis. She has earned Green Profit Magazine’s Young Retailer Award, and Greenscape Gardens was named the National Winner of the 2015 “Revolutionary 100” Garden Centers by Today’s Garden Center Magazine.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 The Gateway Gardener™
Jennifer Schamber
Jennifer Schamber
Another favorite “hygge” practice in the winter is collecting seed catalogues and dreaming about the garden this coming Spring. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and Seed Savers Exchange have great catalogues that tell the stories of their seeds. Their catalogues can be read like a book and enjoyed with a cup of hot tea beside a fire on a cold day.
mo1call.com
1-800-DIG-RITE or 811 7
Holiday Gifts
Looking for that special gift for your favorite gardener? We asked area garden cen or clip and leave conspicuously lying arou Sugar Creek Gardens 1011 N. Woodlawn Kirkwood, MO 314-965-3070 SugarCreekGardens.com
way to bring the outdoors in this Holiday season. Whether you choose from one of prepotted options, or take the time to select your own container and plants, we’re certain we can help add a dash of mother nature to your holiday season.
Hillermann Nursery & Florist 2601 E. 5th Street Washington, MO 63090 636-239-6729 Hillermann.com
OK Hatchery 115 E. Argonne Dr. Kirkwood, MO 63122 (314) 822-0083
Butterfly Garden Give your family and friends the gorgeous garden that will create butterfly habitats. Seed collection from Botanical Interests. Includes both host plant and nectar plant seeds to keep monarchs coming to your garden for weeks. Garden Heights Nursery, Inc 1605 S Big Bend St. Louis, MO 314-645-7333 GardenHeights.com
Studio M Yard and Garden Art St. Louis-headquartered Studio M, a division of MagnetWorks, specializes in artfully designed products for your yard and garden, including mailbox wraps, seasonal, holiday and special occasion flags, doormats and more. Support our local businesses!
Peace-Love-Happy Skin Care Locally hand crafted from organic ingredients and essential oils. Soaps, face and eye creams, body butters/ balms and lip balms. Custom gift sets available and can be delivered! A must have for everyone on your list this holiday season! Daniel’s Farm & Greenhouse 352 Jungermann Rd. St. Peters, MO (636) 441-5048 DanielsFarmAndGreenhouse. com
Grand Trunk Hammock Ready to hang wherever your journey takes you. 20% larger than the average hammock. Assorted colors, single/double hammocks available. Trunk straps and tree slings also available. The Potted Plant 1257 St. Peters Cottleville Rd. Cottleville, MO 63376 (636) 447-9000 PottedPlant.net
Fresh greens, wreaths, pine roping, holly and poinsettias. Decorated or plain grave blankets and grave sprays. Cut balsam and fraser fir Christmas trees and live green spruce. And be sure to bring your camera for a great holiday photo op with our antique Russian sleigh! Frisella Nursery 550 Hwy F, Defiance, MO (636) 798-2555 FrisellaNursery.com
Custom Potted Planters With a wide variety of indoor plants and planters, creating a personalized gift is the perfect 8
The Gateway Gardener™ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018
for Gardeners
nters and other related shops for some suggestions to make your shopping easier-und as a not-so-subtle hint to your Santa. Hazel Village Animals These adorable handmade woodland animals are the perfect gift for the child who has it all. Each doll is made from organic cotton and can be dressed in different outfits and accessories. Start a tradition with a new doll each year and shortly you will have a cute-ascan-be collection. Rolling Ridge Nursery 60 N. Gore Webster Groves, MO (314) 962-3311 Rolling RidgeNursery.com
festive holiday greens. Makes a lovely seasonal gift!
Edg-Clif Farms & Vineyard www.edg-clif.com steffie@edg-clif.com
Sherwood’s Forest Nursery 2651 Barrett Station Road Ballwin, MO 63021 (314) 966-0028 Sherwoods-Forest.com
Gift Craft Metal Bee Bench Nice metal garden bench with bee pattern fits two people! Perfect accent for your pollinator pantry garden. Timberwinds Nursery 54 Clarkson Road Ellisville, MO (636) 227-0095 TimberwindsNursery.com
Karen Didion Santa Handcrafted by a local artist, these Santas come in a wide range of designs: traditional, vintage and themed, and will
add character and style to your holiday décor. Stop in to see our full collection.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
A Great Holiday Gift!
Citrus Give the gift of sunshine this holiday season! Citrus trees can thrive indoors through the winter and and outdoors in the spring and summer. Enjoy the deep green leaves and fragrant white blossoms. We offer them potted with a red bow! Effinger Garden Center 720 South 11th St Belleville IL 62220 618-234-4600 www.effingergarden.com Holiday Greens Containers. Brighten up your entryway or porch with these fragrant,
Edg-Clif “Hollyberry Red” Chambourcin Wine Something different for your holiday parties. Greet your guests with aromas of cinnamon, orange, cloves, honey and berries from the crock pot of warm spiced mulled wine to make them feel welcome! Hollyberry Red Chambourcin is a rich dark red wine, semi-sweet with the a distinct blackberry, dark cherry and ripe grape aroma and flavor. Edg-Clif Winery, 10025 Edg-Clif Drive, Potosi, Mo 63664. 573-438-4741, Steffie@ edg-clif.com for more info.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 The Gateway Gardener™
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City, State & Zip: Phone: Email:
Please make your check payable to The Gateway Gardener and mail it with this form to: The Gateway Gardener PO Box 220853 St. Louis, MO 63122
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Naturally Natives
Tips and Resources for Growing and Landscaping with Sustainable Native Plants
Surviving the Test of Time
I
by Scott Woodbury
near old farmhouses in Dutzow ’m grateful for and fascinated and Union. They are easy to by the things that stick around see in winter because they are a long while. Like a bur oak evergreen. They survive the test of (Quercus macrocarpa) that spans time because they tolerate shade, generations, yet keeps getting better flooding, drought and cattlewith age. Like a patch of daffodils grazing. At one time they were that outlives the usefulness of an made into fishing rods, pipe stems, old farm house. These are beacons garden stakes and fire crackers. of familiarity and beauty that go Throw a fresh green stem segment unnoticed in a rapidly shifting in a campfire and you will discover world. But now that I’ve gained why they are called BAM-boo. Big some perspective, I think about bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) them more often. They subtly light grass can live for hundreds of up the world around me. Like the years in the wild. Obviously I decades-old aromatic aster (Aster don’t know this first-hand but am oblongifolius) clump surrounded told by my elder-colleagues, that by lawn at an old house up the road. large clumps in remnant prairies My active mind imagines a sibling can be very old. The oldest ones or parishioner who passed along a grow in the shape of a doughnut beautiful plant found growing at or crescent with other species the rocky edge of town a century growing in the middle. A former ago. Or a worker who was building volunteer, Bill Schuler, grew big the railroad tunnel through Gray bluestem surrounded by lawn at his Summit who dug a clump of the home near Union and had great fun lavender-blue flowers for his wife showing it to friends and collecting on the occasion of their tenth Former Shaw volunteer Bill Schuler stands beside the seeds to share. He was amused by wedding anniversary. tall, old clump of big bluestem he has enjoyed for years the colorful “striped” eight-foot for its value as a conversation piece. Then there is the stately grove of tall stems and flower clusters that shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) resemble a turkey foot. He truly had fun with big bluestem that envelopes another neighbor’s house like an Ozark timber stand. Was it planted by an ex-logger who moved closer to St. perhaps because he endured the ups and downs of life through Louis for a job opportunity in the 50s? Did the seedlings come laughter and song. I can hear him now singing “A peanut sitting from the Missouri Department of Conservation George White on the railroad track, its heart was all aflutter. Choo-choo came Nursery back in the early days when seedlings were grown to round the bend; toot-toot, peanut butter”. reforest timber harvests? Or were they dug and transplanted Life is short. There is so much fun to be had when you garden in coke bottles, one-by-one during family camping trips to the with native plants, so what are you waiting for? The spring plant Ozarks. Either way, it’s a mystery that faintly calls to me for an sale season is right around the bend; toot-toot peanut butter! answer; an answer that keeps me wondering and knocking on doors. Horticulturist Scott Woodbury is the Curator of the Whitmire Wildflower Garden I’ve found other native plants to be particularly interesting and at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, long-lived, like wild indigo, giant cane and big bluestem; and MO, where he has worked with native plant if given the chance, I’d plant them in the old-fashioned style; a single clump surrounded by lawn. White wild indigo (Baptisia propagation, design, and education for alba) is a curious plant, one that can play a disappearing act. more than 20 years. He is also an advisor Now you see it, now you don’t because it has the ability to go to the Missouri Prairie Foundation’s dormant for a few years and reappear as if to say “surprise”! GrowNative! program. I’ve observed this in two small remnant prairie patches and in the Whitmire Wildflower garden. Giant cane (Arundinaria gigantea), not to be confused with Oriental yellow-groove bamboo, is a plant with staying power. I know of two patches 10
The Gateway Gardener™ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018
The Green Industry’s Next Generation By Robert Weaver
gardeners, students, and of course, green-industry professionals wishing to improve their skills and knowledge of the industry’s latest technologies, practices and equipment. The Missouri Green Industry Conference features educational tracks on Landscape Opportunities, Landscape Keynote presenter Vance Crowe Management, Sports Fields, ance Crowe has had Golf, and Water Management, a varied and often plus an opportunity for adventurous work pesticide applicators to experience, from volunteering for the U.S. Peace Corps in Kenya to working as a deckhand on an eco-tourism ship. These experiences plus more mainstream positions have helped shape and inform his current duties as Director of Millennial Engagement for Bayer Crop Science. Vance will share some of those experiences as well as what attracted him to the complex world complete recertification. A vendor exhibit will display the latest plants, equipment and materials available to the industry. Managing hosts for the conference include the Gateway Chapter Sports Turf Managers Association, Mississippi Valley Golf Course Superintendents Association, and Missouri Green Industry Alliance.
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The Missouri Green Industry Conference will take place on November 28th, 2018, at St. Charles Convention Center in St. Charles, Missouri. To register, or for more information on the conference, visit www. mogic.org. The pre-registration deadline is November 14th at Vance’s presentation is just noon. Interested attendees can one in a day-long schedule of still register after that up to and national and local presenters including the day of the event. at the Missouri Green Industry Conference geared for master gardeners and other serious of agriculture, plus provide insights on attracting the green industry’s next generation of talent in his keynote presentation “The Edge of Order and Chaos: What the Green Industry Can Do to Attract and Retain the Next Generation.”
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 The Gateway Gardener™
Wednesday, November 28th, 2018
St. Charles Convention Center St. Charles, MO
Keynote by Vance Crowe, Director of Millennial Engagement Bayer Crop Science “The Edge of Order and Chaos: What the Green Industry Can Do to Attract the Next Generation” Learn what attracted him to the complex world of agriculture and insights into what the Green Industry offers the next generation of talent. Kelly Norris, Director of Horticulture and Education Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden Presenting “Plants With Style” And a full day of educational programs in
Six Educational Tracks
Landscape Opportunities • Landscape Management Golf • Sports Fields • Water Management Pesticide Applicator Recertification (Cat. 3) CEUs (Continuing Education Units) Available
Full Schedule and Online Registration at:
www.mogic.org
Special Pre-Registration Rate DEADLINE: Wednesday, Nov. 14th, NOON! MoGIC Sponsors
Managing Organizations
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Horticultural Holiday Celebrations
The winter holiday season always offers so many activities. Here are a few highlights of some family events and activities put on the calendar by our friends in the St. Louis-area horticultural world. rt obe
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Missouri Botanical Gardens Garden Glow, Gardenland Express and More
Garden Glow features a million lights surrounding visitors with a spectacle of unique installations • Enjoy interactive photo opportunities, traditional holiday music and festivities, delicious food and drinks • The Gardenland Express Holiday Flower and Train Show features six tracks of animated model trains and hundreds of festive holiday plants • Both events run November 17th through January 1st.
ri Missou ohen, C e ir en Cla al Gard Botanic
Over 200 different varieties of poinsettias • Casual guided tours from 10-3 with acres of red, pink, white and other popular poinsettia colors • Shop for poinsettias and other holiday plants • Visit with Santa • Enjoy caroling and dance performances • Shop the holiday market for homemade gifts from area crafters • Bring your camera for one-of-akind holiday photo opportunities • Just a few minutes from the J.B. Bridge on Route 158 toward Millstadt, Illinois.
Incrocci, M issouri Bota nical Garden
Millstadt Gardens/N.G. Heimos Greenhouses Poinsettia Wonderland Open House Nov. 18th 9am-4pm
Garden Center Holiday Open Houses
Many Garden Centers transform seasonal showcase areas into family-friendly holiday shops, and several kick off the season with an open house. Music, treats, visits from Santa and more are often on the agenda. Here are just a few scheduled events of which we’ve been made aware. Check out our Upcoming Events calendar for more details. November 11th Webster Groves Business District
November 17th & 18th Hillermann Nursery & Florist December 1st Frisella Nursery
December 1st Rolling Ridge Nursery
December 1st & 2nd Garden Heights Nursery
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The Gateway Gardener™ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018
Dig This!
Gateway Gardeners and Businesses in the News Proposition 2 Puts Parks’ Future in Hands of Voters Last year, developers backed by St. Louis County began grading and stripping bare a large area of land in Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park in preparation for development of a proposed ice skating complex. This was done despite the County not yet having the approval from the National Park Service, required because portions of the park had been established using federal Land and Water Conservation funds. The project was immediately opposed by a coalition of conservationists who ultimately succeeded in having the project shut down. In August, the St. Louis County Council voted unanimously to place Proposition 2 on the November ballot to help avoid such mistakes in the future and provide additional protection to county parks. Prop 2 will require that any future development proposals on St. Louis County Park land will have to be put before a vote of the people before being approved for advancement. The proposal doesn’t ban all development, nor does it raise taxes or fees. It simply gives residents of St. Louis County—the owners of the parks—a say in how the park lands will be used. Similar laws are already in place in the City of St. Louis and several St. Louis County municipalities. Though The Gateway Gardener doesn’t usually take sides in the politics of our region, we do support this reasonable initiative, and invite readers to learn more about Proposition 2 by visiting YesForOurParks.org. There you can see the complete wording of the proposition, arguments for it and a list of organizations and influential individuals supporting it.
Saying Goodbye Gardener Friends
to
Longtime
Gateway
It is with sadness that we’ve recently learned of the closing at the end of this season of two longtime gardeners’ shopping destinations and friends of The Gateway Gardener, Cottage Gardens and Sappington Garden Shop. Cottage Garden in Piasa, Illinois, has been a true destination shopping point for gardeners throughout our region for years. It was a common site at Cottage Garden for a busload of garden club members to pull down its gravel driveway and unload passengers giddy at the opportunity to explore the unique and exotic plants Chris and Bill Kelley would travel the continent—and sometimes the world—to discover and share with their customers. Chris NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 The Gateway Gardener™
and Bill started their nursery in their Alton, Illinois, backyard in 1984, and word quickly spread through the gardening community that Cottage Garden was a place to find plants few others offered in the region. They were one of the first in the area to champion native plants and plants touted for their pollinator-attracting ability as much as their beauty. In addition they specialized in colorful and unusual annuals, tropicals, hummingbird plants, and perennials, all selected with assurance they would thrive in our Midwestern climate. Much of the attraction of a visit to Cottage Garden was the opportunity to stroll through their colorful and often whimsical demonstration gardens. Also closing after 50 years of serving the South St. Louis County gardening community is Sappington Garden Shop. The nursery was opened at its Gravois Rd. location by Norwin and Shirley Heimos in 1968, and has been managed for years by their daughter Annie Stanley. The building itself was unique in that it is largely constructed of petrified wood from the National Forest of Arizona. But it was the plant offerings and customer service that truly stood out for customers. In addition to a tremendous plant selection, including an emphasis on locally grown plants that would thrive in the St. Louis growing climate, Sappington Garden Shop was especially known for its huge selection of garden accessories and gift items. The Holiday store was a must destination for seasonal decorating and gift shopping. Additionally, Annie Stanley organized a series of very popular gardening education classes each spring. We’ll miss both these long-standing destinations, as I’m sure will our readers.
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Upcoming Events planter to give to a Veteran in honor of Veteran’s Day. Please RSVP. Hillermann Nursery & Florist (636) 239-6729. Hillermann.com. November 8 9 am—Nutrition, Health, Freshness and You—Children’s Garden Club. FREE. Jefferson Barracks Visitor’s Center, 345 North Rd. th
Meetings, Classes, Entertainment and More Updates to this information are often posted on our online events calendar at GatewayGardener. com, so check there for the latest details. Give us the details of your upcoming gardening, lawn or landscaping event and we’ll add it to our website and include it in our next issue. Deadline for printing in January/February issue is December 1st. How to reach us: Mail: PO Box 220853, St. Louis, MO 63122 314-968-3740 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
November 3rd Hillermann’s First Saturday Kids. Play in the garden and enjoy a FREE activity. 10-11am November: Thank a Veteran; 11am-1pm. Plant and decorate a
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December 1st 8-11:30am—Breakfast with Santa. Visit with Santa as he makes his hearly stop at the Garden for our members-only event. Enjoy making crafts and opportunities to take photos with Rudolph, Frosty, and Mrs. Claus. Don’t forget to bring your wish list for the holidays. Missouri Botanical Garden, Ridgway Center. 9 am—Holiday Decorating— Children’s Garden Club. FREE. Sherwood’s Forest Nursery & Garden Center. 2651 Barrett Station Rd. (314) 966-0028. December 1st and 8th 11am-1pm—Santa at Hillermann’s. The wonder and excitement only Santa can bring comes alive at Hillermann’s! Children are invited to experience the thrill of visiting with Santa and telling him their Christmas wishes. Pets are welcome as well. Children can enjoy holiday crafts and activities. In the giving spirit of the season, donations are requested for this event. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www.hillermann. com. December 8th 1-4pm—Saturday with Santa. Christmas Carols in the Garden. Whisper your Christmas wishes to Santa Claus, rub noses with Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, listen to festive holiday carols and enjoy a free ride with your friends and family to see holiday decor at the Tower Grove House and Kemper Center. Missouri
Botanical Garden.
CLASSES, LECTURES AND EVENTS November 3rd 9:30-10:30am—Holiday PlantsGrowing Tips for Colorful Displays. Discover the most beautiful holiday plants, with the best colors and forms. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 965-3070 for reservations. November 8th 1-4pm—Native Plant School: Success with Native Landscaping. Learn the basics design styles, planning methods and plant selection that maximizes wildlife potential while also fitting in with the neighborhood. $17 ($14 Garden/SNR members). Classes behind the Bascom House at Shaw Nature Reserve. For reservations or more information, call (636) 451-3512 or visit www. shawnature.org. November 10th 10am-2pm—“Dirty Bird” Feeder Clean Up Day. Clean up your bird feeders free of charge. Get them ready for the winter months. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, Hillermann.com. 6pm—18th Annual Celebration of Trees Gala. Habitat for Humanity of St. Charles invites you to help them celebrate and highlight the agency’s accomplishments for 2018. The theme this year is “Home for Christmas”. Ameristar Casino Ballroom, St. Charles, MO. November 11th 10am-5pm—Old Webster Groves Holiday Open House. A tradition in Webster Groves for over 25 years, featuring the Webster Groves Historical Society’s Christmas Market. Refreshments, music, tree seedlings, crafters and more. Be
sure to stop by Rolling Ridge Nursery, 60 N. Gore, Webster Groves. November 16th through January 1st 9am-4pm—Holiday Wreath Auction. Featuring unique creations by some of the area’s finest floral designers. All wreaths are sold by silent auction bidding, with proceeds benefiting the Missouri Botanical Garden. Monsanto Hall, upper level of the Ridgway visitor center. November 17th-18th Holiday Open House. Celebrate the coming Holiday Season at our Holiday Open House along with Downtown Washington merchants. Enjoy refreshments as you browse our gorgeous holiday displays. Free gift with a purchase while supplies last. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, Hillermann.com. November 17th-January 1st 5-10pm—Garden Glow. Visitors will have the opportunity to stroll through the Garden at night surrounded by a spectacle of unique light installations. A million lights will adorn some of the Garden’s most iconic locations. Enjoy interative photo opportunities, traditional holiday music and festivities, delicious food and drinks and more as the Garden is transformed around you into a winter wonderland. Family Night select Wednesdays. Admission to Gardenland Express included with Glow ticket purchase. Tickets are date-specific and sold in limited quantities. Tickets can be purchased in advance at glow. missouribotanicalgarden.org. November 17th and December 1st 9:30-10:30am—Holiday Decorations Using Natural Elements. Learn how to use the bounty of your yard, along with seasonal ornaments and evergreen plants to create exquisite containers and decorations. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn
The Gateway Gardener™ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018
Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 965-3070 for reservations. November 18th through January 1st 9am-4pm—Gardenland Express. Annual holiday flower and train show features G-scale model trains traveling through a miniature landscape of living plants, surrounded by thousands of fresh plants, accented by beautiful poinsettias and flowers. Closed Christmas Day. Orthwein Floral Display Hall, Missouri Botanical Garden. November 18th 9am-4pm—Poinsettia Wonderland Open House. See the largest display of poinsettias in the area. Guided tours of the greenhouses from 10am-3pm. Visit with Santa, and enjoy Christmas carolers, holiday cookies and crafters. Proceeds from sales benefit Millstadt Optimist Youth Club. Millstadt Gardens and N.G.Heimos Greenhouses, 6667 Route 158, Millstadt, IL, 62290. (618) 476-9600. November 24 9:30-10:30am and 1-2pm—Using Natures Bounty for Holiday Decorations. Learn how to use the bounty of your yard, along with seasonal ornaments and evergreen plants to create exquisite containers and decorations. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 965-3070 for reservations. th
November 24th Small Business Saturday. Visit our independent garden center friends for unique holiday gift items and the best customer service and satisfaction! November 27th-December 16th Holiday Porch Pot Classes. Bring your own pruners and harvest some beautiful natural elements to design your own festive holiday porch pot. Classes outdoors, so dress for the weather. Everyone leaves with their own decorated pot to enjoy for the holidays. Weekend classes Dec. 1st-2nd, 8th-9th and 15th-16th (11am Sat, 1pm Sun). Also, Ladies Night Out weeknight classes from 7-9pm
Nov. 27th-30th and Dec. 4th-7th. Private classes are limited to 10 participants so reserve your spot by calling Potted Plant Garden Center, Gift Shop and Florist, (636) 447-9000. $35 per person. 1257 St. Peters Cottleville Rd, Cottleville, MO 63376. Visit www.pottedplant.net or find us on Facebook for more information. November 28th Missouri Green Industry Conference. Six educational tracks and an informational vendor expo. The Educational tracks include Landscape Opportunities, Landscape Management, Sports Fields, Golf, Water Management and Pesticide Recertification Training. Professionals from parks and rec, land care, irrigation, property management, golf course, sports fields, public or private facilities, large or small firms are encouraged to attend, as well as Master Gardeners and horticulture students. St. Charles Convention Center. Go to mogic.org for details and pre-registration.
selection of Christmas trees (live and cut), pine roping, wreaths, live trimmings and holiday gifts for the gardener. Frisella Nursery, frisellanursery.com, 636.798.2555.
a menorah-lighting ceremony, and Chanukah merchandise provided by local vendors and the Garden Gate Shop. Ridgway Visitor Center. Missouri Botanical Garden.
December 1st and 2nd 10am-5pm—Holidays at Garden Heights. Open House, with cookies, cocoa and a visit from Santa (11am-4pm). Garden Heights Nursery, 1605 Big Bend Blvd., Richmond Heights. (314) 645-7333, GardenHeights.com.
December 26th Noon-3pm—Kwanzaa: Festival of the First Fruits. This AfricanAmerican holiday centers around the feast table of the harvest. A Kwanzaa ceremony highlights a day of storytelling, craft and jewelry displays, and authentic African drumming and musical performances. Ridgway Center, Missouri Botanical Garden.
December 2nd Noon-4pm—Chanukah: Festival of Lights. A traditional Jewish holiday celebration that includes festive Israeli music and dance,
Start Your Family’s Holidays at the
Poinsettia Wonderland Open House Sunday, November 18th from 9am-4pm Greenhouse Tours 10am-3pm
December 1st 9am-5pm—Customer Appreciation Day. Refreshments, live music, local artisans and our own Christmas Store for a fun day of shopping and holiday inspiration. Rolling Ridge Nursery, 60 N. Gore, Webster Groves. (314) 962-3311. 10am-5pm – Holiday Open House. Join Frisella’s for their annual Holiday Open House. Caffe Angelina will be providing complimentary baked goods and coffee. They have a large Share the love of gardening Become a Master Gardener Training is the first step and begins February 27, 2019 at the St. Charles County Extension Center 15 weeks Wednesdays, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. $195, all major credit cards accepted
Call 636-970-3000 for more info
equal opportunity/ADA institution
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 The Gateway Gardener™
Come see the area’s LARGEST display of poinsettias! Our Professional Growing Staff will be leading guided tours through acres of beautiful poinsettias. Plus...
Visit with Santa • Christmas Carolers Holiday Cookies & Beverages • Holiday Crafts
Millstadt Gardens N.G. Heimos Greenhouses 6667 Route 158 • Millstadt, IL 62260 (Just minutes from the JB Bridge) (618) 476-9600
Hosted by Millstadt Gardens, N.G. Heimos Greenhouses and the Heimos Family. A portion of sale proceeds benefits Millstadt Optimist Youth Club.
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Top 10 Reasons to Topdress* with STA-Certified Compost this Fall 1. Supplies beneficial microorganisms 2. Encourages a healthy, more disease resistant lawn 3. Increases nutrients in your soil 4. Improves soil structure 5. Helps grow deep and strong roots 6. Reduces compaction in heavy clay soils 7. Aids in building a strong over-winter foundation 8. Improves water retention and drought resistance 9. Increases pore space for better water movement 10. Gives your neighbors LAWN ENVY VALLEY PARK, MO BELLEVILLE, IL ST. LOUIS, MO FLORISSANT, MO 5841 Mine Haul Rd 39 Old Elam Ave 560 Terminal Row 13060 County Park Rd 636.861.3344 618.233.2007 314.868.1612 314.355.0052
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