The Gateway Gardener March 2012

Gateway Gardener

MARCH 2012

THE

速

Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes

Dwarfs, Doubles & Dazzlers

New Shrubs for 2012

How to

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Gateway Gardener THE

®

Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes

MARCH 2012

Volume 8, Number 2

Publisher Joyce Bruno Editor Robert Weaver Columnists

Barbara Perry Lawton Garden Book Author and Garden Writer Connie Alwood Master Gardener Ellen Barredo Bowood Farms Diane Brueckman Rosey Acres Joyce Driemeyer Master Gardener Cindy Gilberg Landscape Design Mara Higdon Gateway Greening Glenn Kraemer G. R. Robinson Seed Co. 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:

From the Editor

I

t’s been a crazy winter!

As I write this in late January, we’ve yet to have a noteworthy snow, and at least through December the temperatures have been so mild as to encourage the daffodils in the picture at right (along with our Gateway Gardener mascot Teddy) to cooperate with the advance deadline demands of printed publishing by giving us a decent March scene in January (the first actually opened on Christmas Day 2011!).

oats (see Cindy’s article on page 8 for more native spring flowers). After losing the two main shade-providing trees in February 2011, I began reinventing the area last summer as a sunny bird garden (see “How to Build a Bubbler” on page 16 for one element of the transformation).

Our gardens are always in such a state of change, whether through a slow evolution or more dramatic makeover such as my shadeto-sun project. We plant Regardless of how mild the something somewhere and it rest of the winter will prove, doesn’t work, so we move it I’m sure I’ll still be out in somewhere else. the garden searching for the Whether change is forced first crocuses, witchhazel and upon you, or you just want hellebore blossoms and other to try something new, now signs of advancing spring. I is a great time to plan it and, wonder what I’ll find in what if the weather cooperates, used to be my shady woodland plant it! And this issue has garden. This area used to lots of ideas to help you out. come alive in early spring In addition to the ‘Vanilla with ephemeral woodland Strawberry’ Hydrangea on plants like bloodroot, Virginia the cover, we have other great bluebells and the nodding new shrub varieties suggested yellow blossoms of wild

On the Cover...

The Gateway Gardener Magazine® PO Box 220853 St. Louis, MO 63122 Phone: (314) 968-3740 Fax: (314) 968-4025

info@gatewaygardener.com www.gatewaygardener.com

Even if it wasn’t a particularly trying winter, it’s still nice to welcome in spring in the garden.

Good Gardening!

DEPARTMENTS If you’re looking for some new shrubs to add to your garden, there are some new varieties that will dazzle, including this Hydrangea ‘Vanilla Strawberry’ . For more great new shrubs for 2012, see page 12. (photo courtesy Bailey Nurseries, Inc.)

FEATURES 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.

by several local plant pros (pg. 12). Barbara Perry Lawton writes about another shrub—a real eye-catcher in the fall—beautyberry (page 4). And Steffie plants some ideas in our heads for springflowering containers on page 6.

11 Morpho Mania

4 Callicarpa-Beautyberry 6 Creating a Spring Window

Box Display 8 Native Flowers for Spring 10 Prairie Herbs 14 Wake Up The Rose Garden 18 Starting Veggie Seeds

Indoors

12 New Shrubs for 2012

20 Dig This

16 How to Build a Bubbler

22 Upcoming Events

Callicarpa - Beautyberry

eautyberry is one of a group of some 140 trees and shrubs in the genus Callicarpa, members of the verbena family. The name comes from kallos, the Greek word for beauty and karpos, Greek for fruit. While most of the species are native to the tropics and subtropics, there are several that are valid prospects for our Missouri gardens, including our native Callicarpa americana.

Although this native used to be considered hardy only in southern Missouri, it is now considered hardy throughout the state. Even where cold winters and harsh winds cause dieback, you can follow the same directions as with butterfly bush and herbaceous perennials. Simply cut last year’s growth to about four inches in the fall or wait until spring to prune back to live growth.

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Missouri Native Beautyberry Our native beautyberry is a 3-9-ft. shrub with many branches and somewhat coarse, medium-green foliage. In July and August, numerous pink to lavender flowers grow in leaf axils, followed by showy violet to purple to blue quarter-inch fruits that are sweet and fleshy.

C. dichotoma f. albifructa

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C. dichotoma ‘Early Amethyst’

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C. americana

MBG PlantFinder: Thomas Pope

by Barbara Perry Lawton

In Missouri, the native beautyberry was especially common as an understory shrub in wooded regions along the White River until the river was dammed. It can still be found growing wild in some areas of this region. The fruit is a favorite food of bobwhite quail as well as other birds, including bluebirds, mockingbirds, catbirds and others as well as animals, including gray foxes, raccoons and opossums. The flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

The native American beautyberry, which can be found in some specialty nurseries, makes a good choice for naturalizing at the edge of woods. It can provide an attractive backdrop for ornamental beds. It is most effective when planted in groups. Welldraining soil with ample moisture will bring best results. Although this native will tolerate shade, it will be more fruitful and dense in sunny locations. There are other species of beautyberry but the American one is showier, with a multitude of larger berries.

American Indians had many medicinal uses for beautyberry, including root bark as a diuretic, leaves for dropsy, root and

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.

The Gateway Gardener™

MARCH 2012

berry tea for colic and also in sweat baths to treat rheumatism, malaria and other fevers.

A 2007 study indicated that it might have anti-cancer possibilities.

Beautyberry Relatives Callicarpa japonica was introduced from Japan in the mid-1800s. This is the species most commonly found in nurseries. There also is a cultivar known as ‘Leucocarpa’ that has white berries, though that one is less well-known commercially.

makes an infusion. attractive than the other species, with slender graceful branches that arch to the • Boil the following for 2 minutes: 3 cups of the infusion plus 1 envelope of Sure ground. ‘Early Amethyst’ is a cultivar that Jell and 4½ cups of sugar. bears bright purple berries earlier than other beautyberries. C. dichotoma f. albifructa is • Remove from stove and let it stand until a white-fruiting variety. foam forms. Skim off the foam.

American Beautyberry Jelly Beautyberry jelly is sweet and bland. The recipe calls for the American species but I’m sure that the others would work as Callicarpa bodinieri, the Bodinier well. The American beautyberry is another species that you may beautyberry fruits find in nurseries. First introduced from China are larger, which in the late 1800s and more often grown in makes harvesting a Britain than in our country, it has leaves that bit easier. are more narrow than those of C. japonica and flowers of lavender to purple followed • 1½ quarts of beautyberries. by berries that are blue-lilac to violet.

Remove leaves ‘Profusion’ is a cultivar with handsome and stems. Wash bronze-purple spring foliage that matures to berries. dark green.

• 2 quarts water.

Callicarpa dichotoma, is an 1800s import • Boil the two from the Orient. The small lavender-pink ingredients above flowers are followed by one-eighth inch for 20 minutes, violet to lilac fruits. The three-to fourthen strain—this foot shrub itself is thought to be more

• Pour into sterile jars and cap.

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5

Creating a Spring Window Box Display

A few notes about the structure of your window box. Make My favorite part is the plants sure it can withstand being wet and their arrangement. I love the for extended lengths of time, old-fashioned spring annuals

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does not rot or rust too easily and is secure enough to the windowsill or wall to hold quite a bit of weight from wet soil and growing plants. Now please use fresh potting soil each year and include a slow release fertilizer that will continue to feed your plants when you are on vacation in the summer. Also arrange for adequate water supply from a drip irrigation system or from a scheduled routine including you or your neighbor while you are out of town. Plants need water to grow and thrive even when you are not around!

Senetti® Pericallis hybrid that shout cheerful, charm and elegance. These include snapdragons, alyssum, dianthus, linaria, lobelia, stock, nemesia, ranunculus and the queen of spring, pansies. For something new, try the beautiful Senetti® Pericallis hybrids, or ‘Laser Synchro’ cyclamen. The list can go for pages since I seem to love all flowering plants, but the point here is to find a combination of florific plants that have colors that blend and contrast well and are bright enough to stand out from a distance or even from 8-10’ below. I like to start with a neat row of upright flowering plants like snapdragons or stock in a scrumptious color

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Cyclamen Laser Synchro Pink alyssum ‘Snow Princess’ or ‘Plentifall’ pansy, lobelia, nemesia or even add variegated ivy or golden creeping jenny.

Good design dictates that you start with an odd number and fill in the spaces with an even number, but if you have a large planter or are running window boxes in a continuous row, then just space your upright plants about 6-8 inches apart and fill in your box properly. Then select a bushier type plant to fill in around the other plants. Some

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and then pair that with some trailing plants with flowers or colorful foliage to highlight the taller plant’s color. Here is where you use the new trailing

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harming, frivolous, challenging; a window box display of spring annuals is all of these, and really worth it. Design of a good window box planting is critical to its success and longevity.

Plants that grow to the proper portions, adequate numbers of plants to start with, the best planting soil, a water source and slow release fertilizers must all be taken into consideration.

Like any good recipe, don’t skimp on the ingredients or your soufflé may fall flat.

by Steffie Littlefield

Plentifall Pansy Mix

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MARCH 2012

Proven Winners

will trim them and shape them once in a while to encourage strong new growth as the season wears on. Deadheading flowers and trimming leggy vines just improves their vigor and stimulates new shoots to revive tired looking plants, keep the clippers handy. When the weather turns really warm, thin out the waning flowers and slip in some heat tolerant zinnias, begonias and periwinkle to refresh your display.

Alyssum ‘Snow Princess’ of my favorites include elegant ranunculus, darling linaria, and sweet dianthus. Here is where you have to get brave and pack in the plants, because for a window box to really be memorable it must be filled to overflowing, to the point of being lavishly opulent. Yes, stuff those plants in if you want your neighbors to be jealous and the mail carrier to take a second look.

As your plants grow large and lush, it is expected that you

MARCH 2012

The Gateway Gardener™

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Upcoming Events FREE Organic Vegetable Gardening Workshop March 13, 2012 7 - 9 pm Christ Church-UCC 7120 Bruno in Maplewood

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Native Flowers that Welcome plants are quick to flower before the leaves of larger trees emerge, expand and shade the woodland floor. Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) is a small tree that blooms in March with numerous small yellow flowers. Next to bloom is serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea), another short statured tree with showy white clusters of flowers.

A

Cindy Gilberg

Wild Geranium and Sweet William

By late March and early April, the ground has warmed up enough to encourage a fast-paced succession of flowers. In the woodlands, sky-blue flowers of Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium reptans) rise above semi-evergreen foliage, blooming along with many other woodland perennials such as pale blue wild sweet William (Phlox divaricata) and pink-flowering wild geranium (Geranium maculatum). Lowgrowing, evergreen groundsel (Senecio obovatus) forms a ground cover that is blanketed in spring with yellow flowers. Blue crested iris (Iris cristata) also flowers now and is a short, woodland iris that grows 8”-10” tall.

fter a long winter with pent-up cabin fever, gardeners can hardly wait for the first sign of spring. For the impatient, Ozark witch hazel (Hamemalis vernalis) is one of the first Missouri native plants to bloom and is definitely one to add to the landscape. On warm days in late January and February the sweet scent of witch hazel flowers teases us into thinking spring is here.

This large shrub bears fragrant, yellow-orange flowers and can be pruned into a tree form to allow for plantings beneath.

Cindy Gilberg

As spring progresses from April into May, yellow celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum) begins to bloom with large, bright yellow flowers rising above the white flowers and succulent, round leaves Soon thereafter, it is the early March chorus of spring peepers that of woodland heralds the beginning of Missouri’s springtime show of flowers. stonecrop (Sedum The woodlands have an abundant vernal display as many understory t e r n a t u m ) .

Hummingbirds For More Information About Native Plants: begin to arrive at this time in spring Missouri Department of Conservation Grow!Native program: www.grownative.org attracted at first to Missouri Botanical Garden those flowers that Native Plant Garden, Classes and Plant Finder: www.mobot.org sport bright red flowers. Favorites Shaw Nature Reserve Whitmire Wildflower Garden, Native Plant School include the blooms and other special events: www.shawnature.org of red columbine Wild Ones (Aquilegia a non-profit organization with local chapters: www.for-wild.org canadensis) and Blue Crested Iris red buckeye tree (Aesculus pavia). In mid-April Missouri’s state tree, flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), is in full bloom. There are several other dogwoods that flower in April and May with clusters of small white flowers instead of the more familiar large flower.

There are many garden-worthy spring bloomers that grow in more open, sunnier locations in the landscape. An early-to-bloom native shrub, golden currant (Ribes odorata), adds a spicy, clove-scented fragrance to the garden with small yellow flowers in early April.

Missouri’s native Viburnum species bloom with large, flat clusters of white flowers in late April and May. Viburnums are large shrubs that can be planted as hedges, as specimens or pruned in a multitrunk tree form. Later in the season, the currant, dogwoods and 8

The Gateway Gardener™

MARCH 2012

viburnums are important for wildlife, producing berries that are favored by birds.

Shining bluestar (Amsonia illustris) and false indigo (Baptisia spp.) are both great choices for late spring bloom in full sun gardens.

Bluestar, tolerant of wet and dry soils, is a large perennial with numerous light sky-blue flowers in May. Also flowering at this time are the yellow or blue flowers of false indigo (color depends on the species). Lance-leaf coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) provides a blast of yellow that is only rivaled by the large flocks of yellow goldfinches that come to feast on its ripe seeds later in the summer.

From a design point of view, add spring-blooming native plants throughout the landscape to put a quick end to winter’s cabin fever. Leave room for the addition of later blooming plants to have continuous bloom and interest throughout the garden in each season. Always include a path that leads to sitting areas in order to enjoy and relax in the garden.

For more ideas on which native plants will work in your landscape, Shaw Nature Reserve’s Native Plant School offers topics that include habitat gardening, deer-resistant native plants, flowering trees and shrubs and many more. They also host a Spring Wildflower Sale May 12, 2012 where like-minded native plant enthusiasts can meet, share ideas and find the perfect plants to add to their gardens.

Cindy Gilberg, horticulturist and Missouri native, founded and ran the garden center at Gilberg Perennial Farms with her husband Doug for 28 years. She now focuses on garden design, consulting and teaching, and also works part-time in the Whitmire Wildflower Garden at Shaw Nature Reserve, emphasizing the use of native plants in home landscaping. You can reach her at cindy.gilberg@gmail. com.

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MARCH 2012

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9

I

t was the summer of 1980, and not unlike the summer we just experienced in 2011: very hot and dry! In fact, it was August and 102 degrees as we stomped about tall green fields, while the surrounding countryside of cultivated corn and soy beans was brown and desiccated. The experts said the prairie was stunted in growth; nevertheless, it was quite green and I was impressed. So impressed with what I learned at that Prairie Conference in southwest Missouri that I determined to learn more.

Prairie Herbs

By Joyce Driemeyer

accordingly. From that original acreage there now exists less than 1%. Missouri, alone, was nearly 40% prairie in presettlement days, about 13,000,000 acres.

According to Walter Shroeder, formerly of University of Missouri-Columbia, in the early 19th century, prairies occupied 61% of the present city of St. Louis and 17% of St. Louis County.

Prairie country is characterized by hot, dry summers, very cold winters with little snow cover and constant winds. Plants had long since adapted to these All plants were native American grasses and herbaceous plants conditions with reduced leaf structures, hairy leaves and stems called forbs—which in later years I have called prairie herbs. and extensive tap or fibrous root systems. It is not uncommon These plants have in the past as well as present continued to be for roots to extend 6-10 ft. underground, with some as deep as useful to man.

17 ft. Because of adequate soil and moisture, Missouri was in The French called the open, treeless grasslands that stretched tall grass prairie country, where grasses grew “taller than a man across mid North America “prairie”—their word for meadow. on horseback” and still the major portion of the plant was below Unlike a meadow, however, these lands were a climax community ground. of plants “of ancient lineage with every possible ecological niche “Breaking the prairie” was the expression used to define what was occupied by one or more organisms adapted to it through natural required to plow through the prairie grasses in the 1800s. There selection.” were called the sodbusters and until the development of the steel It is a land dominated by grasses and virtually devoid of woody plants except on its eastern fringes where precipitation encourages creeping forests.

In presettlement times, prairie extended from what is now Indiana to the Rockies, probably about 1,000,000 sq. miles. The Rockies created dryness with annual precipitation of 10 inches, while the eastern edge of the prairie lands had precipitation of about 40 inches. The prairie existed on all types of soil, from flinty unglaciated areas to deep loess, wet to dry, and vegetation adapted

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plow, the American pioneer was unable to turn over the rootimpregnated soils. But change the land they did, and vast prairies are now replaced by wheat, corn, beans and cattle. Disturbing what had been centuries of accumulated organic matter resulted within 60 years in loss of more than a third of stabilizing humus.

The loss of this protection resulted in the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, when drought hit the country.

Missouri has at least 26 designated prairies, mostly managed by the Department of Conservation, with lands purchased by The Nature Conservancy and the Missouri Prairie Foundation.

Aside from the beautiful grasses, the plants that have had my interest for years have been the forbs or prairie herbs. These plants with an historic past were often used by Native Americans not only for food but for medicinal and household purposes. Many make beautiful garden inhabitants today and can be used for roadside plantings and for land reclamation work.

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.

The Gateway Gardener™

MARCH 2012

St. Louis “Blues”

See Morpho Mania FREE!

Morpho Mania Returns

Each Monday in March, we’ll give away 3 tickets to a randomly chosen “Facebook Friend”.

Mark Deering

If your aren’t already a Facebook Friend, just go to GatewayGardener.com and click on the Facebook icon, then click on the “Like” button on our Facebook Page. Not only will you be eligible, you’ll also get to share gardening photos, questions and tips with our network of Gateway Gardener friends.

A

Not into Facebook? No problem! Just send us a postcard with your name and address, and we’ll have one special drawing during the month for non-Facebook Friends.

Winners will be announced on Facebook and in the May issue of the magazine. Good luck!

visitor favorite is returning to the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House this March. The Common Blue Morpho is one of the jewels of the butterfly collection living inside the tourist attraction’s 8,000-square-foot tropical conservatory. Any other time of year, visitors would see about 300 of these iridescent turquoise creatures in free-flight, but during the month of March the conservatory will be filled with up to 2,000 of them! Experience a sight unlike any other during March Morpho Mania®, March 1 through 31 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily (closed Mondays).

Common Blue Morpho butterflies (Morpho peleides) are native to Central and South America. The collection at the Butterfly House mainly hails from El Bosque Nuevo, a sustainable butterfly farming operation in Costa Rica.

The most celebrated feature on a Blue Morpho butterfly is its pair of wings, which can span up to eight inches across. Tiny scales on the wings refract light as they flutter, producing flashes of bright blue that bewilder predators. When at roost with closed wings, predators are also fooled, as their underside is colored in a spotty brown camouflage.

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Witness hundreds of Blue Morpho males cruising about the 85-degree conservatory during the day, trying to attract females and establish their territory. Hundreds more can be seen fluttering amidst the greenery of the lush tropical plantings or dining on bananas and other fruit presented on hanging feeding plates.

Visitors are welcome to bring a hand-held camera to capture the experience of seeing these 2,000 blue butterflies in action. No tripods, monopods or external flash equipment allowed.

The Butterfly House is located at 15193 Olive Blvd. at Faust Park in Chesterfield, Mo., accessible from Interstate 64 at exit #19B. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays (closed Mondays). The last ticket is sold 30 min. prior to closing each day.

March Morpho Mania is included with Butterfly House admission of $6 for adults, $4.50 for seniors (ages 65 and over) and $4 for children (ages 3 to 12). Children ages 2 and under and Missouri Botanical Garden members are free.

For more information, visit ButterflyHouse.org or call (636) 530-0076.

MARCH 2012

The Gateway Gardener™

11

Dwarfs, Doubles ‘n’ Dazzlers!

New Shrubs for 2012

By Robert Weaver

S

hrubs are the foundation of a great mixed border, providing a visual break in structure and texture from the shorter perennials and annuals surrounding them. Plus they’re a must-have element in a bird-friendly garden, giving cover and sometimes food to your feathered friends. If you’re looking to add some shrubs to your landscape, here are some new or recent introductions that area nursery professionals are excited about for 2012.

Ninebark ‘Little Devil’

but retains the beautiful deepwine foliage and pretty pink Think Small Nothing is more frustrating spring flowers. than a shrub that immediately outgrows its space, adding to Also in the small stature/big maintenance problems with its bang category are the newer pruning demands. So it’s not Drift Roses. Annie Stanley surprising to find our experts of Sappington Garden says, recommending several new “I love, love, love the color of dwarf shrubs. Steffie Littlefield the Peach Drift Rose, and they of Garden Heights Nursery smell great!” These roses are a likes ‘Little Devil’ ninebark cross between a groundcover (Physocarpus opulifolius rose and miniature rose, and ‘Donna May’), a cross between only reach a height of 1-2’ with the popular ‘Diablo’ purple-leaf masses of blooms. They come ninebark and Dwarf Ninebark. in a variety of colors, including This diminutive shrub only red, pink, peach, coral, apricot, reaches a height of 3-4’, and a new ‘Sweet Drift’ double compared to its 6-10’ cousins, pink. Best of all, they’re highly

Peach Drift Rose

Pink Home Run Rose

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aniel’s Farm

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disease resistant and bloom all season long! Slightly larger at 3-4’, but also mentioned

by Steffie Littlefield as well as Jamie Granger of Lake St. Louis Garden Center is the Pink Home Run Rose.

Another dwarf favorite of Jamie’s is the butterfly bush (Buddleia) Lo and Behold ‘Purple Haze’. This compact version of the popular butterfly magnet offers fragrant purpleblue flowers from midsummer to frost, is heat tolerant and best of all, deer resistant!

Hydrangea ‘Minuteman’ Ellen Barredo of Bowood Farms added another delectable dwarf with her pick, the oakleaf hydrangea ‘Minuteman’ (H. quercifolia) (formerly ‘Ruby Slippers’), a true dwarf variety (3-1/2’) that produces huge white clusters of flowers that turn pink to red late in the season.

Twice as Nice

If one set of petals is good,

The Gateway Gardener™

MARCH 2012

Encore Azalea ‘Autumn Lilac’

Double Play ‘Artist’ Spirea

Finally, there are some new shrubs that dazzle with spectacular foliage. Steffie and Annie both mentioned the ‘Golden Dream’ boxwood (Buxus macrophylla), a compact (2’) boxwood with green leaves edged in yellow. Ellen voted for a couple shrubs with foliage power, including the barberry ‘Orange Rocket’ (Berberis spp.), a compact (2’) barberry with coral orange new foliage and bright orange-red fall color, and ‘Fire Chief’, a green arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) with red tips.

Photo Credits: ‘Little Devil’ Ninebark,’Great Star’ hydrangea courtesy Bailey Nurseries, Inc. Peach Drift Rose courtesy The Conard-Pyle Company Pink Home Run Rose courtesy Gene Sasse (©2007) of Weeks Roses ‘Autumn Lilac’ Azalea, courtesy Encore Azalea Double Play ‘Artist’ spirea, courtesy Proven Winners.

‘Minuteman’ Hydrangea, courtesy Ellen Barredo

Hydrangea ‘Great Star’ another is even better, or so seems the thinking behind many new varieties. Don Sherman of Hillermann Nursery and Florist likes the new Double Take ‘Orange Storm’ Quince (Chaenomeles spp.), featuring bright orange double flowers in early spring. It’s thornless and deer resistant (but for quince jam lovers, sorry, it’s sterile).

Jamie at Lake St. Louis also mentioned the ‘Pink Storm’ and ‘Scarlet Storm’ versions.

Double attractions sometimes mean something besides double flowers. Both Don at Hillermann’s and Annie from Sappington Gardens recommended the Double Play Spireas, so named because they offer a “double MARCH 2012

A couple new hydrangeas made the “new and exciting” list, including Steffie’s picks, First Editions Great Star (Hydrangea paniculata), with huge, white star-shaped flowers, play” of color, first in colorful and First Editions Vanilla emerging spring foliage Strawberry, with large creamy followed by the delicate white panicles turning to pink in summer flowers. The ‘Artist’ late summer (see the cover). variety features purple/red spring foliage turning to green in summer, while the ‘Big Bang’ version offers up bright orange foliage in spring turning 6967 Route 111 Piasa, IL 62079 Phone (618) 729-4324 to a summer yellow.

Doubles can also be represented in repeat bloomers. Encore azaleas promise blooms in both spring and fall. According to Angela Jackson of Home Nursery, a local wholesaler of these azaleas, not all Encores are hardy in St. Louis. For our area, she recommends Autumn Amethyst (lavender), Cheer (medium pink), Lilac (lavenderviolet), Sundance (deep pink), Twist (white with purple stripes), Sunset (orange-red) and Carnation (cotton candy pink) all hardy to Zone 6A. Autumn Carnation, in fact, doubles its double gifts, producing semidouble blossoms!

Dazzling Debutantes

Where plant excitement rains...

Our greenhouse is open

March 1st!

Celebrate spring with succulents, creatively potted in vintage ceramics.

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Hundreds of Tropicals, Annuals, Perennials, and Hummingbird Plants.

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In addition to the doublers Hours: and the dwarfs, a few other Mon - Sat 9-5 pm recommended new shrub & Sun 10-5 pm varieties dazzle in other ways.

Hundreds of varieties of Tropicals,

The Gateway Gardener ™ Annuals, Perennials

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w

and Woody Shrubs.

Find the Hummingbird Plants of Your

—June Hutson, Kemper Center, Missouri Botanical Garden

Bill & Chris Kelley www.CottGardens.com

13

Waking Up the Rose Garden arch is here and we are all tempted to go out and wakeup our sleepy roses.

Let’s proceed slowly! No matter what the weather, DO NOT uncover your roses before the 15th of April.

There are many other things we can do. Late February and March, is an ideal time to prune and retie your climbers.

Those out-of-control shrubs, like Knock Out, will do well with a good haircut at this time as will other hardy shrubs such as Rugosa roses. DO NOT prune any once-blooming roses, Old Garden Roses or most rambling roses. Rambling roses are a class of climbers that have very pliable, whip-like canes. These roses will crawl along the ground if not supported, unlike climbing tea or hybrid tea roses that will send up long canes that are thicker and stiffer and will support themselves for a while. Most modern climbers are repeat blooming roses with one exception, the David Austin climber ‘Constance Spry’.

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Any climber that has been in the ground for 3 years can probably benefit from a good pruning. Look over the crown of the plant and assess the canes. Look for healthy, thick canes coming from the crown.

Ideally you will have 3 or more good canes. Leave the best canes and remove diseased, broken and dead canes. The next step is to cut back the lateral canes to an outside facing bud, leaving 4 to 6 buds on the cane. Now tie the main canes to their support being sure to stress the cane slightly. If you do not stress the main canes, they will only have blooms at the ends of the canes and you will have a very tall rose bush with very few blooms. Rambling roses are pruned after they bloom, usually late June is a good time.

Brian Schultz

M

By Diane Brueckman

Those Knock Out roses that are full of dead wood and 5 to 6 feet tall will look much better if the dead wood is removed and crossing canes are taken out. Then, it is a matter of trimming back the canes to a moderate size. Be careful not to take out more than a third of the live wood. The 1/3 rule is a good one for most pruning. Of course, dead wood does not count in the 1/3.

Now that the roses are cleaned and retied, it will be easier to get at those weeds before they bloom. Remember, by removing weeds before they set seed you will reduce next year’s weeds by 20% (that only applies to annual weeds). Finish off with a spring feeding of organic fertilizer and a new layer of mulch.

Garden Consultations Your beginning to a beautiful outdoor space

With over 2,000 varieties of exceptional and rare perennials, shrubs, roses and annuals along with of all the best in gardening!

free

For a limited time, we are offering free 45 minute garden consultations at the nursery with our Design Professionals.

Call 314-965-3070.

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 14

Your beginning to an extraordinary landscape 314-965-3070

1011 N. Woodlawn • Kirkwood, MO 63122 www.SugarCreekGardens.com “for exceptional & rare plants”

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MARCH 2012

March is also a good time to move roses and to plant bare-root roses provided the soil can be worked. If you prepared your beds last fall for new roses you’re one step ahead. You can move roses any time from now until the end of April and be pretty sure of success. There are two things to keep in mind when planting bareroot roses. First soak the plant in a mild bleach solution for several hours to overnight before planting (1-2 tablespoons of bleach to a gallon of water). The purpose of soaking the plant is to kill any bacteria on the roots. It’s a hedge against crown gall. I then use the water to water the plant in. The second thing you MUST DO is cover the rose as if you were winter protecting the bush, even if the weather is very warm. Cover the rose with mulch to the tops of the canes. If the leaves open out before the roots can take up

Meet us at Kirkwood Market 150 E Argonne

April 7, 14, 21, & 28 May 5 Saturdays 9am - 4pm Pick up orders at Kirkwood Market

moisture the plant could die. Uncover in about 2 weeks.

Order in advance (by Wed.), or choose from the selection at the Kirkwood Market.

After April 15th, uncover, prune, feed, weed and mulch your existing roses. Have a great spring! Love those roses!

Shaw Nature Reserve Saturday, May 13th 9am-4pm

.

Diane Brueckman is a retired rosarian with Missouri Botanical Garden, and currently owns Rosey Acres in Baldwin, Illinois.

You can reach her at (618) 7853011.

Nursery Hours at Brazito MO Opening Day - March 17th Mon - Sat 9am - 5pm Sunday 12- 5pm

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

11530 Gravois Road, St. Louis, MO 63126 (314)843-4700 1-1/4 Mi. East of I-270, just one block east of Sappington Road on Gravois

2012 FREE Gardening Seminar Series

March 1–31

You are cordially invited to attend our FREE gardening seminars, starting Thursday Feb. 23rd running through March 29, 2012.

Attend and receive professional advice on how to be successful with your gardening and landscape endeavors.

Seminars Each Thursdays at 2 PM and 7 PM February 23rd Perennials for Shade and How to Care for Them Barry Ritter, Owner, Ritter Perennials

March 1st Sun Perennials: Select, Care & Use Barry Ritter, Owner, Ritter Perennials

March 8th Solving the Mystery of the Dahlia John Fox, Speaker for the St. Louis Dahlia Society

March 15th Conquering Rose-Growing in St. Louis Robyn Wilkerson, American Rose Society, Consulting Rosarian

March 22nd

Habitat Gardening Cindy Gilberg, Horticulturist, Gilberg Design and Consulting

March 29th

Vegetable Gardening: How Does Your Garden Grow? Or Does it?

Nancee Kruescheck, Continuing Education, Meramec Comm. College These are great programs by professional industry experts, come as often as you like—and don’t forget to

BRING YOUR QUESTIONS WITH YOU!

MARCH 2012

The Gateway Gardener™

Sophia M. Sachs

a division of

15193 Olive Blvd.

Chesterfield, MO 63017 (636) 530-0076 www.butterflyhouse.org

15

How To Build A Bubbler Photos, Text and Illustration by Margy and Dan Terpstra

A

surefire way to draw birds to your garden year round is to provide fresh moving water. It doesn’t take ‘Niagara Falls’ to get their attention. A simple pondless bubbler will provide the trickling, sound and sufficient water for drinking and bathing that will keep birds and their offspring coming to your garden year after year.

the bucket over the landscape fabric • Sheet metal screws - 6 - #8 x 1/2” • Small fountain pump - Little Giant rated at 170 gph • De-icer or Pond heater - thermostatically controlled Ice Chaser, 1250 watts • Tubing - 3 to 5 ft. of 1/2” i.d. black tubing to run from the pump up through the bubbler rock Tips: Place your bubbler near a window where you can enjoy • Lava rock - 1 cu. ft. bag to put around the bucket as bio-filter watching the birds. Also, nearby small trees or shrubs will provide • Gravel – Meramec River gravel in two sizes: 9 bags “B” and 4 safe places for the birds to hide, and other plants that provide food bags “C” (This totals approximately 1/2 cubic yard of gravel or and nesting material will also help attract more birds.

1300 pounds) Time to complete job: 2-3 hours (not counting electrical work)

Step-by-Step Construction: 1. Determine the location of the bubbler and have a licensed electrician run a dedicated 15 amp circuit to the area with a GFCI duplex outlet.

Tools Needed: Heavy duty hammer drill (can be rented or have the rock drilled at 2. Use a hammer drill to drill a 3/4” hole straight through the chosen a material supplies facility). bubbler rock.

• 3/4” masonry bit 3. Prepare the bucket by • 3/8” drill drilling 15 1-1/2” holes • Hole Saws: 7/8”, 1-1/4”, & 1-1/2” diameter around the outside in a • Tin snips (to cut hardware cloth) pattern of 3 alternating rows • Scissors (to cut landscape fabric and pond liner) of 5 holes each. Drill two • Screwdriver holes in the bucket lid, • Shovel opposite one another; one • 2’ Spirit level and 4’ straight board (or 4’ level and no board) 7/8” hole for the tubing and one 1- 1/4” hole for both List of Materials electrical cords to go (for a 5 ft. diameter pondless bubbler): through.

• Attractive ‘bubbler’ rock – approximately 10” – 12” thick • A ‘magic’ perching branch 4. Wrap the bucket in • Pond liner - 10’ x 12’ (40 mil thick) landscape fabric and secure • 5-gallon bucket with lid – clean and chemical free sides and bottom edge with duct tape.

• Landscape fabric- 18” x 36” piece to wrap around the bucket • Duct tape 5. Cover the wrapped bucket with the hardware cloth, cut out • 1/4” or 3/8” mesh hardware cloth- 18” x 40” piece to wrap around around the bucket handles to fit, overlap the ends and secure with 16

The Gateway Gardener™

MARCH 2012

sheet metal screws at several places around the bucket.

covering the edge of the 6. At the bubbler site, dig a hole approximately twice the diameter liner and up to the edge of the gravel. of the bucket and a few inches deeper than the bucket’s height.

16. Add a magic branch and watch the birds come in!

Maintenance: Water should be added as needed in dry conditions, even in the winter.

Use natural microbial products called MicrobeLift to reduce the scum buildup from bird droppings and dead 7. Remove more soil to make a ledge around the hole approx. 5 ft. leaves. If algae becomes a problem, use Oxy-Pond Cleaner in diameter and a few inches deep, sloping toward the hole. (see www.microbe-lift.com). We got ours at O.K. Hatchery in Kirkwood. Never add chlorine bleach, but a few ounces of 3% 8. Place the bucket in the hole and check that the perimeter is level hydrogen peroxide added once or twice a month would help acrossthe entire basin area; remove bucket. oxygenate the water.

9. Lay the pond liner across the excavated area and carefully work it down into the hole. Stand in the hole and work the material around the edges until it lays reasonably flat with the folds evenly distributed.

10. Build up a 3”- 4”-high berm at the perimeter of the excavated area to help keep debris from washing into the basin. The liner should cover the berm and extend a few inches beyond it.

11. Place the bucket in the lined hole. Put in the pump, attach the tubing and fill the bucket and hole with water. Plug in and test the pump, adjusting the flow control so that the water spouts up 3” above the end of the tube.

Watch the Video!

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Margy and Dan Terpstra enjoy gardening, photographing and observing wildlife around their Kirkwood home and elsewhere.

12. Place the heater in the bucket where it will float above the pump. Feed the plugs and tubing through the holes in the lid. Secure the lid. Stuff a small piece of landscape fabric into the cord hole to keep gravel and debris out.

13. Surround the bucket with the lava rock that acts as the biological filter.

14. Place larger gravel on top of lava rock. Lower the bubbler rock over the tubing and position it where desired on top of the bucket.

Fill the rest of the basin with gravel out to the top of the berm.

Scoop a puddle area in the gravel for the birds to bathe in.

15. Distribute mulch around the perimeter of the bubbler basin, MARCH 2012

The Gateway Gardener™

17

Starting Veggie Seeds Indoors

By Mara Higdon

L

ike other gardeners throughout the area, I am eagerly awaiting spring to plant my garden. To prepare for the gardening season you can start your own cool crops indoors using inexpensive lights and a shelving system or bookcase. With baby seedlings in hand, you can get that first tasty bite of lettuce almost a month earlier! Here’s what you need to start.

Seeds Soilless potting mix Clean containers – yogurt containers, butter containers Old cake pans, cookie sheets (should have sides) Shop lights Eye hooks or S-hooks Timer Small fan Wire shelves or an old bookcase Spray bottle Sharpie marker I start by making sure my containers have sufficient holes for water drainage. You can use a knife or a small drill depending on your containers. Moisten your potting soil with water.

If you take a handful of the mix and squeeze it, you want it to be damp, but not dripping water.

Fill your container and slightly firm up the mix with your hand. Once all the containers are full, I line them up and decide how many plants of each type I want to seed.

Seeds should be planted to a depth 2-3 times the length of the seed. Lettuce and other greens seeds can be very small and often flat. For the smaller seeds, I make a slight indentation with my finger into the mix and place a seed in the indentation. I then go back and sprinkle a bit of mix on the top to finish it off. For larger seeds, I use my finger or a pencil/chopstick to

make a hole 2-3 times the depth of the seed, drop the seed in, and pinch the hold closed.

As you seed the containers be sure to label the containers with the date and variety of plant that you seeded.

Once all your seeds have been planted, spray them initially with warm water from a spray bottle. You don’t want to disrupt the seed by using a hose or the faucet directly.

Next, you need to prepare and place your shelves. Set up your shelves in an area that is above 65-68 degrees at all times. If your location is a little cooler, please note that the shop lights themselves will put off a little heat as well. If you are buying new shop lights, it should come with two chains. You can also use string or twine. Use the eye hooks on wooden book cases or S-hooks on wire shelves to attach your lights to the underside of the shelf.

The lights will shine down on your seedling containers. Adjust the lights to hang 3-4 inches away from the containers. This maximizes the amount of light that the plant will need to germinate. However, there are some seeds that don’t need light to germinate initially and can begin this process in darkness. Only after you see the first signs of germination do they need light. Raise the lights as the plants grow.

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618-585-3414

Place your seedling containers on the cookie sheets or cake pans.

Try to keep uniform heights of containers together on the same sheet. Place the trays on the shelves underneath the lights.

Set the timers to be on for 14-16 hours every day. Most cool weather vegetables should germinate

within a week or so. If not, check the container and reseed if you cannot find the old seed. Be gentle when checking! Water daily as necessary with the spray bottle or you can flood the cookie sheet with water, leave for 30 minutes, and then dump the excess.

Finally, once the seeds have germinated, I set up the small circulation fan on low to discourage damping off and pesky bugs. This air current also stimulates stronger growth of the plants as they learn to adjust to the movement – similar to what they will experience once planted outside.

After your seedlings have their second set of true leaves, you can transplant them to larger containers. To prepare the seedlings for the outdoors, begin leaving the seedlings outdoors in a protected area such as a sun porch or open garage for a couple of hours. Increase the number of hours that they spend each day outside in the elements. After two weeks the seedlings should be hardened off and ready to plant outdoors.

Once you have planted the seedlings outdoors, be cautious and watch the weather. You can cover your newly transplanted seedlings with row cover, leaves, or create a barrier with straw bales and a light bed sheet if very cold weather strikes unexpectedly.

Grow a diverse selection of plants just in case one crop gets hit with a disease or bug. Have fun with it! And remember to share when you’ve got an excess of seedlings. You don’t want all that hard work to go to waste!

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.

The Gateway Gardener™

MARCH 2012

Houseplants: Green Heroes!

by Ellen Barredo

H

ouseplants, our Green Heroes, work tirelessly purifying our home and office environments removing common pollutants and continuously releasing oxygen and moisture into our homes and offices.

Houseplants improve our lives, naturally cleansing the very air we breathe. A recent news report noted that people in general spend 90 percent of their lives inside their home or office.

YOU NEED A HERO, a houseplant in your life and yet you have resisted the purchase of one.

WHY? The number one reason customers tell me is, “I don’t want to kill it.” This month I want to review some general guidelines about houseplants in an effort to encourage those of you who have failed to try again! Tip! You learn from your mistakes!

Light Requirements: All houseplants require light to manufacture food and to grow. Window coverings, trees outside your windows, and the type of houseplant will play a factor when deciding where to place your houseplants.

Most houseplants like 8 - 10 hours of light per day, and will grow well with bright indirect sunlight. It helps to KNOW what your plant needs in terms of light. When placing plants near windows, pay attention to the direction the windows are facing. South and west windows generally provide the most sunlight. Remember that south- and west-facing windows, especially during the summer months, produce the most heat and light, which is not suitable for all houseplants. Many customers struggle with a north window and what plant to place there.

Never fear, there are plants that will survive in this lower light exposure! East windows are very accommodating. Many plants grow in this location happily! TIP! Purchase plants from an independent garden center where an educated sales associate can assist you!

Watering Requirements: More plants are killed by improper watering than any other problem. The amount of water and the frequency of watering will depend on how much light the plants receive, the temperature and humidity in the home, and how close the plant is to heating and cooling vents. The type of plant and size of container also determine how quickly water is used. Generally, when watering, you should water so that some of the water makes its way into the saucer. Do not leave water in the saucer.

Water standing in the saucer should be removed within a few hours after watering. The best way to tell if your plant needs water is to feel the soil! Stick your finger about an inch down in the soil and if it feels dry, it is time to water.

MARCH 2012

There are many organic and synthetic fertilizers readily available from your local independent garden center to choose from. Houseplants require less fertilizer during the winter months when the plants are not actively growing.

During the growing season (spring-fall) it is recommended to fertilize every 4 - 6 weeks.

Some plants such as orchid have a feeding schedule to follow. TIP! More is not better!

For additional tips on repotting and common problems and cures associated with houseplants, please see the expanded version of this article at GatewayGardener.com, or write for your FREE printed copy.

If the plant is still very moist, wait a couple of days and check it again. TIP! During winter, houseplants will not require as much water as they do in the summer.

Temperature & Humidity: Houseplants are generally tropical plants and do not like extreme changes in temperatures. If you are comfortable, most likely the plant will be comfortable. Most houseplants do not like temperatures below 50 degrees and temperatures above 80 degrees.

And just like you, houseplants will not want to be sitting by a drafty window. Cold drafts can Ellen Barredo may be reached at damage foliage. Because most houseplants are Bowood Farms (314) 454-6868. She tropical, they prefer some humidity during the is also co-hosting monthly on AM 550 winter months. To increase the humidity in your KTRS, the Inside Out Show with Host home for your houseplants try the following John Shea, Saturdays from 12-3 p.m. suggestions: 1. Group your houseplants together.

2. Place your houseplants on a water tray filled The Oldest Farmers Market with pebbles so that the West of the Mississippi!

Services bottom of the pot rests Underground Utility Installation • Water Services • Downspout Drains • Stump on the pebbles above the Removal • Grading Excavation for Foundation water level.

Drainage Issues • Trenching • Site Prep for Retaining Walls • Ponds • Bobcat Work 3. Lightly mist the leaves Licensed, Bonded and Insured in the with a spray bottle.

City of St. Louis & St. Louis County 4. Get a whole house humidifier. TIP! I hang small misters on the side Visit US Year Round for Fresh Veggies & Fruits, Hand Made Cheese, Fresh Cut of pots that require more Family-Owned & Operated since 1983 Flowers, Meats, Seafood And More! misting than others.

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730 Carroll St. • (314) 622-4180 http://stlouis-mo.gov/soulardmarket.com

19

Dig This!

Gateway Gardeners and Businesses in the News St Charles Parks & Recreation Receives year-old lawn banning chickens. The new law now allows up to 12 hens per private residence, depending upon lot Citation of Commendation size. Other restrictions are also included in the ordinance.

Gateway Greening Names New Director

Gateway Greening, a nonprofit organization promoting urban community gardening throughout St. Louis, recently named Michael Sorth its new executive director.

Mr. Sorth brings extensive private sector, government and non-profit experience to Gateway Greening and hopes to expand the visibility of the organization and to lead Chris Atkinson and Pat Halle fundraising efforts to sustain The Fleur de Lis Garden Society presented Chris and grow the organization’s Atkinson, Asst. Dir. of Parks & Recreation, St. Charles, community gardens, youth Michael Sorth with a Citation of Commendation on recently for the programs, Urban Roots Department’s stewardship and conservation of the historic downtown landscape initiative and urban farming, including trees in its city parks. a new program called Farm Works. Farm Works will include private developer Craig Heller and a collaboration of St. The St. Charles County Parks Department, along with the Patrick Center, Gateway Greening and other partnering St. Charles Tree Council, created a brochure identifying organizations. The program will consist of greenhouses 19 champion trees in St Charles County. Brochures may with hydroponics, aquaponics and an outdoor garden be picked up at the St. Charles County Parks Department, that will be used to profile and showcase urban farming 201 N. Second St., S-510, St. Charles. Pat Halle, 2011 techniques and tools. The partnership hopes to have the Tree Tour Chairman made the presentation. This is the Farm Works project structure in place in 2012.

4th year that the garden club has toured these historic trees in St. Charles and the surrounding areas. The City Three Amigos On the Radio of Hazelwood and Lindenwood University also received citations this year.

The Fleur de Lis Garden Society is a member of National Garden Clubs, Inc. and meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 pm at the Kisker Road Library. The location and date are subject to change. Guests and new members are always welcome. Visit their website at FleurDeLisGardenSociety.org for more information.

Communities Getting Chicken Friendlier

The City of Richmond Heights recently amended its existing law restricting backyard poultry to allow the keeping of up to 5 chickens for single residence private homes, and has eliminated a proposed requirement that would have required a privacy fence. The city began issuing permits in early January. The new ordinance was promoted by a group known as the Friends of Richmond Heights Foundation, which promotes projects relating to public art, sustainable development and parks expansion in Richmond Heights.

The City of Creve Coeur also recently overturned a three20

left to right, Ellen Barredo, Steffie Littlefield and Jennifer Schamber at a 2011 class Radio station KTRS (550 AM) has debuted a new team of gardening and plant experts to fill the shoes vacated

by Rolling Ridge’s Jim McMillan, who retired last fall from the Inside Out Show radio program. Co-hosted

by John Shea, the show’s home maintenance and improvement expert, the gardening side of the fence is now The Gateway Gardener™

MARCH 2012

fielded by a rotating team consisting of Bowood Farms’ Ellen Barredo, Garden Heights’ Steffie Littlefield, and Greenscape Gardens’ Jennifer Schamber. The three have frequently teamed up for symposium and class programs, so much so that they are affectionately known in the industry as the “three amigos!”

know what to take and what to leave. Hardy, lowmaintenance sun and shade perennials are particularly desired. For more information on how to become a dig site and what is involved, contact Hannah@gatewaygreening. org or 314-588-9600x28.

Though the show has aired on Sundays throughout the winter because of sport programming conflicts, it will return to its regular slot this spring on Saturdays from 12:153pm.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released the new version of its Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM), updating a useful tool for gardeners and researchers for the first time since 1990 with greater accuracy and detail. The new map is available online at www.planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

Donate Your Perennial Divisions

New USDA Zone Maps Released

For the first time, the new map offers an interactive format and is specifically designed to be Internet-friendly. The map website also incorporates a “find your zone by ZIP code” function. Static images of national, regional and state maps have also been included.

Do you have perennials in need of dividing, but don’t have the time or energy to do the work? Gateway Greening and their team of “dig crew” Master Gardeners need your plants!

Our region, which used to straddle the 5b-6a zone, now falls in the 6a-6b category, depending upon proximity to urban areas, bodies of water, elevation and other factors.

Many area gardeners have even experiemented with Zone 7 plants with degrees of success. Ask your favorite nursery professional what new plants you might now be able to grow reliably now!

For more than ten years, backyard gardeners from the entire St. Louis region have turned their trowels into weapons against urban decline by donating thousands of plants dug from their own yards during the Great Perennial Divide.

Plants donated by these gardeners are made available to 200 Gateway Greening community and youth gardens in the inner city core.

Digs occur during the first month of spring, or March 20-April 20, and are scheduled by personal appointment.

In order to qualify to host a “dig crew” at your home, you must have enough work to accommodate a minimum of four volunteers for at least two hours. The volunteers are experienced and conscientious gardeners, but you must also agree to direct and supervise the volunteers so they

MARCH 2012

The Gateway Gardener™

21

Upcoming Events February 23rd 2pm & 7pm—Shade Perennials and How to Care for Them. Barry Ritter, Ritter Perennials, guest speaker at Sappington Garden Shop, 11530 Gravois Rd. (314) 843-4700. FREE.

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

How to reach us: Mail: PO Box 220853, St. Louis, MO 63122 Fax: (314) 968-4025 Email: info@gatewaygardener.com

GARDEN CLUBS AND PLANT SOCIETIES

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 GatewayGardener.com.

Don’t have access to the internet?

Just call us at (314) 968-3740, or write us at the above address, and we’ll get the information to you.

Share your joy for gardening and join a garden club or favorite plant society today!

FUN FOR KIDS March 3rd 9am—Children’s Garden ClubGrowing in the Garden. FREE, no reservations required, everyone welcome. The Children’s Garden Club is designed to educate and bring delight in gardening to children with projects they do themselves.

Sherwood’s Forest Nursery & Garden Center, 2651 Barrett Station Rd., (314) 966-0028.

CLASSES, LECTURES AND EVENTS Now through Mar. 25th 9am-5pm--Annual Orchid Show.

Features 800 orchids from one of the worldís premier collections. Missouri Botanical Garden Ridgway Center.

Garden admission plus $5. Free for members.

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March 1st 2pm and 7pm—Sun Perennials: How to Select, Care and Use. Barry Ritter, Ritter Perennials, guest speaker at Sappington Garden Shop, 11530 Gravois Rd. (314) 843-4700. FREE. 6-8pm—Composting, Recycling for Better Soil. Learn steps in composting including materials that can be composted, plus how compost improves soil properties resulting in healthier, better yielding plants. Presented by Matt Herring, Agronomy/Natural Resources Specialist, University of Missouri Extension. Register at 636239-6729. FREE. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, Hillermann.com.

March 3rd 8am-4pm--St. Louis Garden Blitz: Solve, Grow, Enjoy. Join nationally and locally recognized horticulture professionals for an informative and inspiring day of classes, demonstrations, exhibits and workshops. The keynote speaker is Doug Tallamy, author of Bringing Nature Home. Also featured will be Diane Ott Whaley, founder of Seed Savers Exchange. Produced

by Missouri Botanical Garden and the Horticulture Co-op of Metro St. Louis in association with the St. Louis Master Gardeners. Missouri Botanical Garden; members $70; non-members $85.

Parkland Master Gardeners Symposium. For gardeners of all levels of interest and ability. $18 includes catered lunch (advance registration Jan. 10th-Feb. 20th only.

Fee must be paid with registration and is non-refundable.). Mineral Area College, Park Hills, MO. For more information, contact Ginny Smith at (573) 756-2284.

10-11:30am—Landscape Design.

Ron Gatewood, Certified Arborist, will discuss the most important steps to take when designing, installing, and maintaining your landscape.

No reservations required. FREE. Sandy’s Back Porch, 2004 West Blvd., Belleville, IL. (618) 235-2004, or SandysBackPorch.com.

6th Annual Native Plant Seminar.

Dave Tylka featured guest speaker, plus Grow Native vendors. Ages 18 and up. Conservation Center,

Cape Girardeau, MO. Hosted by The Missouri Department of Conservation and the Cape Girardeau County Master Gardeners. For more information call (573) 290-5218.

10am—Bloom Gloom No Doom.

Guest speaker Karen Collins, author of Karen’s Garden Calendar, offers tips for early spring gardening. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 9653070 for reservations.

March 8th-11th 8:30am-5:30pm daily—Permaculture Training. This four-day foundational training course in permaculture design features classroom and project components geared for the suburban or city resident who wants to transform their immediate environment into one of natural beauty, productivity and functionality.The workshop earns credit toward Permaculture Design Course (PDC) Certification. Optional evening activities at the Missouri Botanical Garden and local project sites. $595 ($550 for Missouri Botanical Garden and USGBC members). Advance registration required by Mar. 5. www. usgbc-mogateway.org/events.

March 8th 1-4pm—Native Plant School: Deer-resistant Native Plants. Bring your questions, comments, photos, drawings, and plant specimens for discussion. Session includes hands-on tours and demonstrations. Audience participation encouraged. $15 ($12 Garden members). Whitmire Wildflower Garden at Shaw Nature Reserve. Register and pay online at ShawNature.org, or call (636) 4513512 ext. 0.

2pm and 7pm—Solving the Mystery of The Dahlia. John Fox,St. Louis Dahlia Society, guest speaker at Sappington Garden Shop, 11530 Gravois Rd. (314) 843-4700. FREE. 6-8pm—Garden Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Can Improve Your Health. Learn simple techniques to boost the amount of fruits and veggies for every occasion.Presented by Mary Schroepfer, University of Missouri Extension Center. Call 636-239-6729 to register. FREE. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, www.hillermann.com.

6-9pm—Organic Gardening. Learn the A to Z of growing vegetables, herbs, annuals, perennials, and shrubs without harsh pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides.

Includes handy resources for natural gardening. St.

Charles County Extension Center, 260 Brown Rd., St. Peters MO. Visit http:// extension.missouri.edu/stcharles/ gardenclasses/aspx or call 636-9703000 for information. Pre-registration required. $25.

March 9th 1-4pm—Native Plant School: Book Review 2 (Bringing Nature Home).

Bring your questions, comments, photos, drawings, and plant specimens for discussion. Session includes hands-on tours and demonstrations.

Audience participation encouraged. $15 ($12 Garden members). Whitmire Wildflower Garden at Shaw Nature Reserve. Register and pay online at ShawNature.org, or call (636) 4513512 ext. 0.

March 10th 10am—Beginning Perennial Gardening. Steps needed to create a successful perennial garden. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 9653070 for reservations.

10-11:30am—Miniature Gardens.

Bring on the fairies and all the fun that Fairy Gardening can be. Linda Sulentic will show us how simple and easy it is to make a fairy garden. Her lifelong enthusiasm for miniatures will inspire you to create one of your very own. FREE. Sandy’s Back Porch, 2004 West Blvd., Belleville, IL. (618) 235-2004, or SandysBackPorch.com.

1-4pm— Grape Vine Pruning Principles and Demonstration. .

Learn the Fruiting habits of grapes, the Balanced Pruning concept, the importance of light exposure, shoot thinning, shoot positioning, leaf removal and more. St. Charles County Extension Center, 260 Brown Rd., St. Peters MO. Visit http://extension. missouri.edu/stcharles/gardenclasses/ aspx or call 636-970-3000 for information. Pre-registration required. $25.

March 15th 6-8pm—Movie Night at Hillermann’s.

Join Labadie Environmental Organization (LEO), Missouri Organic Association (MOA) and Slow Food for a public screening of “Fresh” a movie that celebrates local, healthy organic food systems.

Call 636-239-6729 to register. FREE. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, www. hillermann.com.

2pm and 7pm—Conquering RoseGrowing in St. Louis. Robyn Wilkerson, American Rose Society,

The Gateway Gardener™

MARCH 2012

Consulting Rosarian, guest speaker at Sappington Garden Shop, 11530 Gravois Rd. (314) 843-4700. FREE. 6-8pm—Native Plants in the Home Landscape. Invest in your home gardens with long lived plants that also attract birds, pollinators and other wildlife to the yard. St. Charles County Extension Center, 260 Brown Rd., St. Peters MO. Visit http:// extension.missouri.edu/stcharles/ gardenclasses/aspx or call 636-9703000 for information. Pre-registration required. $20.

March 17th 9am-noon—Growing Vegetables in Patio Containers. Learn what containers, soils and plants to choose so your family can enjoy growing a successful mini garden this season. St. Charles County Extension Center, 260 Brown Rd., St. Peters MO. Visit http:// extension.missouri.edu/stcharles/ gardenclasses/aspx or call 636-9703000 for information. Pre-registration required. $25.

10am—Beginning Perennial Gardening Design. Learn how to select and combine color, texture, form and bloom time. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 9653070 for reservations.

10am-4pm—Landscape Design: For the way you live outdoors. Meet Frisella designers and let them help you create that ideal outdoor living space. Pictures of projects on display, and designers will be available to answer questions. Frisella’s Nursery, 550 Hwy. F, Defiance, MO. (636) 7982555.

2pm—How to Grow Your Own Potatoes. Bowood’s Lilla Bartko will talk about the many unique potato varieties available as well as planting and care techniques so that you will

be harvesting your own delicious potatoes in no time. Bowood Farms, 4605 Olive St. in the Central West End. Go to www.bowoodfarms.com or call (314) 454-6868 for more information.

FREE. Weekend Gardener. A variety of class topics to appeal to novice and experienced gardeners alike.

Registration information along with the complete program with description available at www.extension.illinois. edu/madisonstclair.

Gateway Convention Center, Collinsville, IL. For additional information or a brochure contact Denise at MadisonSt Clair Unit, (618) 236-4172.

March 20th-21st 9am-4:30pm—The Living Earth – Water and Related Issues. A 2-day seminar sponsored byThe Federated Garden Clubs of Missouri. Program will incorporate interactive activities, open book exam, plus a field trip to Forest Park. Courses can be used for educational credit for Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists.

National Garden Club Headquarters, 4401 Magnolia Boulevard, St. Louis 63110. $50 includes lunches. Contact Sue Reed, 636-220-4143 or smrzr@ earthlink.net, for information and registration. Deadline to register is March 1, 2012.

March 22nd 6-8pm—Simple and Sensational Cooking Class. Taste and enjoy fresh spring veggies at the peak of their flavor.

Demonstration of cooking techniques.

Samples provided. Presented by Mary Schroepfer, University of Missouri Extension Center. Call 636-239-6729 to register. FREE. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, www.hillermann.com.

2pm.and 7pm—Habitat Gardening.

Cindy Gilberg, Horticulturist, Gilberg Design and Consulting, guest speaker at Sappington Garden Shop, 11530

DRAI

Gravois Rd. (314) 843-4700. FREE. March 22nd and 27th 10am (22nd) and 5pm (27th)—Let’s Make a Terrarium. Create a terrarium, including traditional design, fairy garden or more modern looks. Supplies provided and experienced tutor to guide you through the process. Glass containers, soil and plants provided.

Class size is limited and reservations required. $45 ($35 if you bring your own container). Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. Call (314) 965-3070 for reservations.

March 24th 10-11:30am—Curb Appeal. Ron Gatewood, partner of Crain Tree Farm, will show how creating a cohesive plan to maximize appeal is easier than you think. Sponsored by the Southwestern Illinois College Community Education Program. Call 618-235-2700 Ext 5393 or 5618 for reservations. Attendees will receive a Sandy’s Back Porch Gift Certificate to reimburse them for the class feeapprox $8. Sandy’s Back Porch, 2004 West Blvd., Belleville, IL. (618) 2352004, or SandysBackPorch.com.

10am--The Midwestern Native Garden Discussion and Book Signing. Learn how non-native species may be replaced with native alternatives best suited for Midwestern soil and climate in the home garden. For reservations call (618) 467-2521, or email tni3@ piasanet.com. www,thenatureinstitute. org. Talahi Lodge, Godfrey, IL. 2pm– Create a Living Moss Garden.

Adding moss to the garden gives it a sense of calm and age, and is a great low maintenance alternative to grass.

The Live Moss Garden Pack makes it easy – all you need is a shady, damp spot. Bowood’s Kathie Hoyer will show you how. Bowood Farms, 4605 Olive St. in the Central West End. Go to www.bowoodfarms.com or call

NAGE

E SCAP LANDTING and LIGH RS PAVE

(314) 454-6868 for more information.

FREE. March 29th 2pm.and 7pm—Vegetable Gardening: How Does Your Garden Grow, or Does It? Nancee Kruescheck, Continuing Education, Meramec Community College, guest speaker at Sappington Garden Shop, 11530 Gravois Rd. (314) 843-4700. FREE. 6-8pm—Home Grown Herbs. Learn about growing herbs and their many uses. Call 636-239-6729 to register.

FREE. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, www.hillermann.com.

6pm–Journey from Ireland to St. Louis with Dr. Peter Wyse Jackson. Meet Missouri Botanical Garden President, Dr. Peter Wyse Jackson, who will share photos chronicling his journey from his birthplace, Kilkenny, Ireland to the Midwest and share his thoughts on gardening in the unpredictable St. Louis climate. Bowood Farms, 4605 Olive Street, 63108 in the Central West End. Call 314-454-6868 or visit www.bowoodfarms.com for more information.

Mar. 31st - April 1st 9am-3:30pm (Sat.)--No Child Left Inside Conference. A daylong conference to help educators (classroom/center & informal), youth leaders/volunteers and parents of young children (3 – 9 years old) discover ways to get children back outdoors. Keynote speaker Sherri Griffin, Professor of Early Childhood Education, Central Methodist University, and Curt Carter, Environmental Musician/Educator.

Plus optional post-conference field trips on April 1st. $39 registration fee includes box lunch. For more information, or to register, call (314) 516-7250 or visit umslce.org/index. php/catalog (search keyword: no child).

& AINS DENS T N U R FO R GA WATE

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Supplying the Irrigation and Landscape Industries with quality materials since 1991

MARCH 2012

The Gateway Gardener™

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Get inspired this Spring to grow something BEAUTIFUL

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ENRICHING THE SOIL NATURALLY SINCE 1992