Upcoming Events

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

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

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

March 1st-5th 13th Annual Community

Agriculture Conference. Virtual sessions March 1-4, 6-7pm. Held via Zoom. Tuesday is Working with Wildlife, with St. Louis Audubon Coordinator Dan Pearson. Wednesday is Seed Starting Basics for a Homegrown Harvest, by Jessica Blessing-Patterson of DIG Annual and Perennials. Thursday presents Getting Produce to Those Who Need it Most, by Janett Lewis, Rustic Roots Sanctuary and GROW Spanish Lake Community Garden. Friday is Propagating Shrubs & Trees, again by Blessing-Patterson. Saturdays sessions are both in-person and virtual and feature several sessions from from 8:40 through 12:30. For more information and to register for virtual or in-person classes, find the link at SeedStL.org/events-classes.

March 4th

8am-12pm—Native by Design:

Successful Gardens for Pollinators

and People. Enjoy Keynote speakers Nadia Navarrete-Tindall and James Faupel talking about how you can integrate your native garden into your community with the use of edibles and other ecosystem supporting strategies as well as how to measure the long term success of your garden. The workshop will also feature presentations from other local and regional speakers. The Leclaire Room at N. O. Nelson Campus of Lewis and Clark Community College, 600 Troy Road, Edwardsville, IL 62025. (At deadline, it was still to be determined if this event will be virtual or in person. For the latest and to register, go to moprairie.or/event/ native-by-design/.)

March 5th

9am-1pm—2022 Virtual Weekend Gardener. University of Illinois Extension is offering a FREE (Donations accepted) day of gardening topic talks in a relaxing virtual format. You can attend any or all of the virtual sessions. Classes start on the hour from 9amnoon, including Making Homes more Pollinator Friendly, Extending Your Harvest, Container Gardening with Fruit, and Beyond Flowers for Color in the Garden. Sessions include downloadable handouts. To register visit: go.illinois.edu/ WeekendGardener. For questions email ruth1@ illinois.edu or call (618) 939-3434. University of Illinois Extension offers equal opportunities in programs and employment. Advance registration by Feb. 28th is required.

March 9th 8am-4pm--Gateway Green

Industry Conference. Featuring 6 breakout sessions, with topics ranging from Emerald Ash Borer, Urban Tree Diversity, Invasive Pest Threats, Ecology and the Built Environment, and Understanding Herbicide Damage to Trees, to Prescribed Fires, Tree Pruning, Xeriscaping, Pollinators, Rain Gardens and more. Continuing Education Units will be available for certified arborists, landscape architects, golf course professionals and IL Park and Rec employees. Cost for the entire session is $80, with discounted rates for certified master gardeners and master naturalists. Registration is due by March 1, and can be completed at https://go.illinois.edu/2022GGIC. No lunch or trade show this year. Gateway Center, One Gateway Dr. Collinsville.

March 10th

3pm—Virtual Program: Let It Be An Oak, Keynote. Author and Speaker Doug Tallamy discusses what plants to add to our properties to improve ecological integrity, focusing on oaks and their many ecological and aesthetic attributes. Presented by Partners for Native Landscaping and coordinated through St. Louis County Library’s Adult Programming. Registration required. For more details of the talks and for registration links, go to partnersfornativelandscaping.org.

A Virtual Class: How to Plan

Your Backyard Vegetable Garden. Presented by Seed St. Louis (formerly Gateway Greening) in partnership with St. Louis County Library. Looking to put in a new backyard vegetable garden or just adding to your exiting one? This class will cover the best practices in design and spacing. Adults. Registration required. Participants will receive Zoom information via email immediately after registering. Go to partnersfornativelandscaping.org for more information or to register.

6pm—A Virtual Class: Spring

Crops and Planning Your Growing

Space. Presented by Seed St. Louis (formerly Gateway Greening). Director of Education Dean Gunderson will cover how to prepare your garden for the growing season and how to create a plan to keep your garden producing all year. Learn the best crops and techniques for springtime in St. Louis and how to keep your vegetables healthy. https:// www.facebook.com/SeedStLouis/ events/.

March 13th-19th

Horticulture Therapy Week. Visit with members of the Therapeutic Horticulture team at Missouri Botanical Garden on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. Share your thoughts on well-being and engage in a sensory activity to take home. Missouri Botanical Garden.

March 15th

2pm—Virtual Program: A 3-year

Suburban Landscape Makeover.

Presented by Partners for Native Landscaping and coordinated through St. Louis County Library’s Adult Programming. Dave Tylka Co-Founder of STL Audubon’s Bring Conservation Home Program explains the approach, process and results of transforming his typical suburban home landscape with nonnatives into biodiverse prairie, glade and forest habitat beds over a 3-year period. Adults and teens. Registration required. Participants will receive Zoom information via email immediately after registering. Go to partnersfornativelandscaping.org for more information or to register.

March 16th 7pm—Virtual Program: Life in

the Soil. Presented by Partners for Native Landscaping and coordinated through St. Louis County Library’s Adult Programming. Jerry Pence, St. Louis Community College, discusses learning how to know what is going on underground before you plant. Knowing your soil can play a big role in helping you select the proper plants and have great success with them. Registration required. Participants will receive Zoom information via email immediately after registering. Go to partnersfornativelandscaping. org for more information or to register.

March 19th

1:00-5:30pm--Wildwood Lawn and Garden Summit. Handson demonstrations and info from Wildwood gardening businesses and groups. FREE. Wildwood Town Center. More info at CityofWildwood. com

March 22nd

2pm—Virtual Program: Native

Plant Gardens Bring Pollinators.

Presented by Partners for Native Landscaping and coordinated through St. Louis County Library’s Adult Programming. Nina Fogel and Jenny Mullikin of the Billiken Bee Lab at St. Louis University give an overview of how native plants enhance pollinator diversity and abundance in urban gardens. Registration required. Participants will receive Zoom information via email immediately after registering. Go to partnersfornativelandscaping. org for more information or to register.

March 23rd

7pm—Virtual Program: Investing

in Native Trees and Shrubs.

Presented by Partners for Native Landscaping and coordinated

through St. Louis County Library’s Adult Programming. Meridith McAvoy Perkins of Forest ReLeaf of Missouri, discusses native tree species that support common landscape goals, how to plant for success, and provide stewardship tips to keep your trees growing strong. Registration required. Participants will receive Zoom information via email immediately after registering. Go to partnersfornativelandscaping. org for more information or to register.

March 29th

2pm—Virtual Program: Garden

Maintenance for Wildlife: A New

Way to Garden. Presented by Partners for Native Landscaping and coordinated through St. Louis County Library’s Adult Programming. Scott Woodbury, Shaw Nature Reserve, describes how to maximize plant and wildlife diversity in your yard, while still having time to enjoy it. Learn about different landscape styes and the latest maintenance practices that promote pollinators and song birds. Registration required. Participants will receive Zoom information via email immediately after registering. Go to partnersfornativelandscaping. org for more information or to register.

March 30th

7pm—Virtual Program:

Rainscaping with Native Plants.

Presented by Partners for Native Landscaping and coordinated through St. Louis County Library’s Adult Programming. Rob Kennedy, Sustainability Programs Manager at Missouri Botanical Garden, discusses rain garden and rainscaping basics as described in the Missouri Botanical Garden Rainscaping Guide. Also learn about funding opportunities such as the MSD Rainscaping Small Grants Program. Registration required. Participants will receive Zoom information via email immediately after registering. Go to partnersfornativelandscaping.org for more information or to register.

April 5th

2pm—Virtual Program:

Homegrown National Park.

Presented by Partners for Native Landscaping and coordinated through St. Louis County Library’s Adult Programming. Jean Ponzi, EarthWays Center of Missouri Botanical Garden, explores the potential of creating a cumulative “national park” by improving the nature-rich qualities of individual yards and community spaces. Registration required. Participants will receive Zoom information via email immediately after registering. Go to partnersfornativelandscaping. org for more information or to register.

April 6th

7pm—Virtual Program:

Gardening for Backyard Wildlife.

Presented by Partners for Native Landscaping and coordinated through St. Louis County Library’s Adult Programming. Erin Shank, Missouri Department of Conservation, explores how small yards in urban and suburban environments can offer important habitats for wildlife from migratory songbirds to subterranean invertebrates. Learn how to support biodiversity in your backyard. Registration required. Participants will receive Zoom information via email immediately after registering. Go to partnersfornativelandscaping. org for more information or to register.

A 3-Year Suburban Landscape Makeover

These VIRTUAL programs are FREE, but advance registration is required. For more details: www.partnersfornativelandscaping.org