The Gateway Gardener October 2023

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®

OCTOBER 2023

Volume 19, Number 6

Founded

in 2005

by Joyce Bruno & Robert Weaver

Publisher and Editor

Robert Weaver

Columnists

Abby Lapides

Sugar Creek Gardens

Steffie Littlefield

Edg-Clif Winery

Samantha Zale

Greenscape Gardens

Scott Woodbury

Cacalia Design & Wilding

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

Ifirst met Dave Wehmeyer a number of years ago, when he was on the Washington, Missouri, America in Bloom committee, just a year after I had served on the Kirkwood, Missouri, committee for the same community enhancement effort. I enjoyed his enthusiasm for plants as he and some other Washingtonians conducted a tour of the city’s horticultural highlights for a few America In Bloom dignitaries. So it was with pleasure that I found in my email box one day an article submissiion about Dave and his experience keeping a country club landscape fresh well into the fall season. Dave shares some of his secrets for doing just that in our own gardens on page 10.

You can tell our contributing writers are reluctant to let the gardening season go, as several of them put their own unique perspective on extending the gardening season to first frost and maybe beyond. In addition to the advice from Dave, Steffie Littlefield took that topic and applied it to the vegetable

garden on page 6. And on page 8, Samantha Zale gives us the Gardening 101 version for achieving garden glory throughout the autumn garden. They all agree, it ain’t over yet! As the coaches tell the sprinters, run through the finish line.

Of course, part of the autumn gardening experience involves not just focusing on the current look of the garden, but the future. And fall is a great time for planting: spring flowering bulbs, late season bargains for the perennial garden, and especially trees and shrubs. Abby Lapides seizes the opportunity to introduce us to the skinny jeans of the tree world,

columnar (narrow) versions of trees we might have thought were too big for our little landscapes, or which might just do the trick for a privacy hedge or wind screen in our landscape. Turn the page to learn more.

Finally, Scott Woodbury gives us the skinny on a dilemma that perplexes many native garden enthusiasts, particularly those new to the native plant world. Do I have to get rid of ALL of my old non-native favorites? The answer is found in the rule of 70 (and it’s NO). Read all about it on page 12.

Personally, I’m living by the rule of 72 (my age) and thinking to myself, I’m okay with the advancing first frost, and feeling no guilt at all about the declining condition of my garden as it staggers to the finish line. There’s always next year. But for those of you with more energy and higher standards…

Good Gardening!

Narrow Trees Perfect for Small Spaces, Hedges

by Abby Lapides

Having plant material high above our heads offers joy and serenity that is second to none, but with smaller yards it can be difficult to get that great feel of height when we don’t have the width to match. Adding narrow trees to the yard can give us the canopy or privacy we desire without taking up too much space. Explore some of my favorites. With glossy green leaves, the stately upright tree ‘Regal Prince’ oak

forms into a dense column. Leaves are slightly upright, showing off their sage green velvety underside. Growing about 50’ tall and 15’ wide, ‘Regal Prince’ makes an excellent choice for small gardens or use as a privacy hedge. ‘Regal Prince’ was designated a Plant of Merit by the Missouri Botanical Garden for its beauty and ease of care. Need an even narrower oak? Try ‘Kindred Spirit’. Like ‘Regal Prince’, but much smaller, growing about 30’ tall and 6’ wide.

Touring castles and estates in the Mediterranean can bring about a lot of feelings of jealousy – over the Italian cypress trees! While we can’t grow these narrow beauties in St. Louis, we can grow something close – the ‘Taylor’ juniper. Growing 20-25’ tall, sometimes even taller, but only 3-4’ wide, this evergreen tree shoots out of the ground as a living obelisk. While it looks like it belongs right along a Provencal chateau, it is a selection of the Missouri native cedar. It, too, is designated a Plant of Merit by the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Oak ‘Kindred Spirit’

Sugar Maple ‘Fall Fiesta’

Juniper ‘Taylor’

Josh Nadler

Missouri Botanical Garden Missouri Botanical Garden

Want some flowers on your narrow trees? Try a saucer magnolia, in particular, try ‘Yellowbird’. In spring large bright yellow flowers adorn this tree looking like birds perched on its branches. Growing about 40’ tall and 15’ wide, ‘Yellowbird’ easily fits into smaller gardens or along sidewalks and streets.

A true giant that doesn’t take up much space, the dawn redwood is a narrow stunner. Growing upwards of 80’ tall, but only about 20’ wide, this behemoth fits easily into most yards. Thought to be extinct, it was known only in fossil records. In the 1940s a stand was discovered in the forests of China and has become a popular shade tree for yards ever since. Red exfoliating bark and soft ferny leaves are reminiscent of the giant redwoods in California, but unlike the coastal redwoods, this ancient beauty thrives in our Missouri climate.

We all love ‘Green Giant’ arborvitae. It cannot be beaten for its ruggedness and its ability to create a quick privacy hedge. But it is huge! Reaching almost 20’ wide when mature, it can take a large bite out of a smaller yard. Try ‘Norther Spire’ arborvitae instead. Growing about 20’ and only about 5’ wide, this tough beauty is a much more manageable size for smaller spaces.

While still quite large, one of my favorite “narrower” trees for

fall color is the ‘Fall Fiesta’ sugar maple. Large green leaves turn vibrant shades of yellow, orange, and red all on the same tree. This cultivar of the Missouri native sugar maple was selected for better shape, fall color and ruggedness. Growing a whopping 70’ tall, but only 40’ wide, ‘Fall Fiesta’ is a perfect shade tree for a smaller yard.

When choosing a location to plant your tree be sure to take accurate measurements, especially the diameter of the future canopy width. Planting too close to a house or walkway is a common problem. Also, look overhead. Too many aspiring trees come to an early mauling by utility companies protecting their cables! With a little planning and correct plant selection, any yard can become an oasis filled with trees.

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.

Located at the corner of Clayton Road and Hwy 109. Across from Lafayette High School

Missouri Botanical Garden Jeff Smith Ann Lapides

The Cornucopia Corner

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

Refresh the Garden for Fall

By Steffie Littlefield

keep weeds from taking over during the dormant months. If you are ambitious, get some frost-cover cloth and put in hoops over open beds and start those cool season veggies again. I’ve had great luck with Blue Curled kale, broccoli, cabbage and kohlrabi under these protective little shelters. October is also the perfect time to plant out garlic sets to grow for next summer.

It’s so much fun to go outside with the cooler weather and regular rainfall because the whole earth seems to be happier and fresher. It always inspires me to dig back into the garden and clean things up, start some new things for now and plan for next year. First off, there’s so much still to harvest. Not only are tomatoes ripening by the bucket loads, I still have cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, tomatillos, scallop squash, baby watermelons and yard long beans. As I rush to get them in before frost it reminds me that the sweet potatoes need to be dug, beets are ready to pickle and the okra pods, celery and fennel are now perfect for fall soups. A few things will hang out until after the first frost like the horseradish, shallots and leeks. Of course, the pumpkins, okra stems and winter squash should be used for fall decorating by now.

But what else can we do to “refresh the garden” in October? Clean up and compost all spent or done squash, beans, lettuce plants, etc. and replant those beds with some fall radishes and baby greens that love the damp cooler weather and sunny short days. Larger beds can also be sown with “winter cover crops” to improve the soil and

Steffie Littlefield is a St Louis area horticulturist and garden designer. She has degrees from St. Louis Community College at Meramec and Southeast Missouri State and is a member of Gateway Professional Horticultural Association, Missouri Botanical Garden Members Board and past president of the Horticulture Co-op of Metropolitan St. Louis. She is part-owner of Edg-Clif Winery, Potosi, MO. www.Edg-Clif.com.

Some of my veggies produce seeds for the next year and now is the time to gather and/or ensure their success if left in the garden to self sow. I collect pods from yard long beans, edamame, and hyacinth beans to save for next year. I encourage my walking onions to self-propagate with their own bulbs from their flower heads, and unharvested garlic will produce flowers filled with seeds that can go right into the garden. The same thing happens with my tomatillos, malabar spinach, parsnips, and dill. So, I want to be careful not to remove too much before they can sow their own seed. I will lightly compost these areas with clean new compost to protect the seed over the winter and try not to disturb those beds too much. When digging horseradish and shallots I do not want to remove too many so there will be more to cultivate next year, After that hard frost in October, it is good to clean up the damaged plant material and add it to the growing compost pile. I try to get that turned once or twice during the winter. Then I apply the fresh composted material on the beds to keep them clean and ready for spring.

The next most important task is to stop and remember in writing what was successful, what didn’t work, what did I forget to do this year and what did I do differently. The is invaluable information to have in February and March when you get to start your garden over from scratch. Enjoy!

Fall…When Smart People Garden!

Gardening 101

Extending the Growing Season

October is a great time to be out in the garden with the cooler temperatures and the colors of the fall season! Many plants thrive at this time of year; for example, vegetables, perennials, trees and shrubs. All it takes is a little elbow grease, the right tools and a plan. Don’t fret if you didn’t get to create a plan in the spring, because fall can be considered the beginning of the

Go-To Annuals

planting season, so there is still plenty of time to put on a show! With the cooler temperatures we have another shot to do cool season veggies. Here in St. Louis, we have three solid seasons for veggies (spring, summer and fall). Keep in mind that veggies requiring pollination for fruit or seed production may not be as successful this time of year. That’s one reason we tend to grow leafy greens, cole crops and root crops. Most of the time, with these plants you harvest the roots and shoots and don’t need the flowers unless you want to save the seeds to start again next year. The typical time to start most veggie seeds is February & March

Pansies

Snapdragons

Sweet Alyssum

Million Bells

Petunias

Dianthus

Samantha Zale is a Content Creator for Greenscape Gardens, and also manages Front Desk Operations and Customer Support.

Graphics and Text by Samantha Zale

Japanese Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’

Robert Weaver

for spring and summer crops and then at the end of July and into August for fall crops. Seedlings, however, can be purchased and planted through October, which should give you enough time to get a harvest before freezing temperatures become the norm. There are a handful of go-to plants that can be found in all areas of a garden center that can help to extend our growing season. Annual faves: pansies, snapdragons, sweet alyssum, million bells, petunias, dianthus and cool season veggies. Perennial faves: coral bells, hellebores, rudbeckia, coneflower, anemone, sedum. Native fall faves: spicebush, beautyberry, milkweed, goldenrod asters, trees. Evergreen faves: cypress, spruce, pine, juniper, arborvitae. Many of these provide beautiful bursts of color, late-season benefits for pollinators such as birds looking for seeds and interest into the winter with long-lasting evergreens.

Trees and shrubs can really steal the show in the fall with all their vibrant colors. Fall is a great time to plant because the ground temperature is still warm, which helps the new plantings more readily adapt to their new environment. Additionally, the air temperature, for the most part, is milder, which puts less stress on the plant along with making watering an easier task. The same goes for perennial and native plants.

Now for the planting: Be generous with the width of the hole, but skimp on the depth, digging only as deep as the root ball, or a little less, especially for trees and shrubs. Scruff up the roots to encourage them to grow out, and not around. And don’t forget the root starter! This is an important practice for any plant—tree, perennial or shrub, because it helps establish root growth, which is the main thing that we need the plant to do going into winter. Along with maintaining a regular watering schedule, use of a root stimulator sets a plant up for the best possible outcome. Whenever you are making your fall purchases, remember to talk to the folks at your local garden center about the best root starter for your situation. With so many brands and options on the market, it never hurts to talk it through with your garden center folks.

The other thing to remember when planting in the fall, especially for trees, is protection from deer. If deer pressure is a problem in your area, use repellent products like Liquid Fence or Milorganite, and physical barriers like tree trunk protectors. It is vitally important to protect the bark of a tree from deer, usually from rubbing their antlers, because especially going into winter we do not want to create an open wound in the tree and make it more susceptible to disease and insects. Swing by your local garden center to get this season started!

Extending Seasonal Color is Par for the Course

By Aneeta Brown

For many gardeners, fall is the season to take a break from the toils of the soil. But not for Dave Wehmeyer. He is the chief landscaper/gardener at Franklin County Country Club (FCCC) in Washington, Missouri, about 50 miles west of St. Louis. “Our club is open year-round, and our golfers play a lot in September,” he said. “The golfers like color, and they expect to see blooming flowers until the first frost.”

For most of us, our gardens start to look bedraggled by the end of the season. Since that’s not an option for Wehmeyer, he practices a lot of tips and techniques learned from his associate’s degree in horticulture, and 40+ years of experience in commercial landscaping prior to joining the golf club in 2019. He shares some of those secrets with us here.

Plants that last Wehmeyer’s gardening style is mass planting with lots of tiers, mixing annuals with perennials—both native and non-native—for visual interest. FCCC’s 500 members are greeted with an explosion

of color and texture as they approach the clubhouse. A carpet of annuals and perennials is anchored by shrubs and flowering bushes. The color begins in early spring and doesn’t stop until frost.

Some of his favorite annuals that last into the fall include ‘Red Onyx’ ornamental pepper, Red Sun Coleus, Profusion Red, Yellow and Bicolor zinnias, Dragonwing Red begonia, and ‘Bonanza’ and ‘Big Duck’ marigolds. Perennials that provide color into fall include ‘Autumn Joy’, ‘Matron’ and ‘Angelina’sedum, ‘Autumn Gold’ helianthus (sunflower), ‘Salsa’ Helenium. ‘Luna Roja’ heliopsis, aromatic aster, and native grasses like ‘Shenandoah’ panicum and ‘Black Hawk’ and ‘Holy Smoke’ big blue stem.

KeeP them Fresh

A longtime friend of The Gateway Gardener’, the late Cindy Gilberg, was fond of saying “gardening is a verb”, meaning it’s not something you do once and it’s done; it’s an ongoing process. Wehmeyer and his part-time assistant, Lisa Coffman, adhere to that philosophy as well. “Deadheading and pinching back are weekly duties,” he says. Doing so keeps annuals blooming more profusely, and keeps everything looking fresh and tidy. Some plants, most

Dave Wehmeyer at the Club’s All-America Selections Display Garden.

Dave Wehmeyer

Dave Wehmeyer

Aneeta Brown

notably mums, also require pinching back regularly until July 1st, to maintain the compact rounded shape people associate with that favorite of fall flowers.

Of course, weeding and mulching are big parts of contributing to the overall beauty of the fall garden, as it is all year long. “We use about 140 cu. yds. of mulch every year!”

Maintaining constant water for most annuals and perennials is critical. Once they start to wilt a bit, it’s hard to get them back to their best appearance. “We have over 80 beds and 50 pots and hanging baskets,” says Wehmeyer. “Not all of the beds are on an irrigation system, and none of the pots and baskets are.” In addition to watering, he uses a product in the pots and baskets called Moisture Manager that absorbs water, then doles it out as the soil starts to dry. Annuals, especially those in pots and containers, also require ongoing fertilization to stay fresh and blooming. Many people fertilize with a slow-release plant food in the spring and, because the products often advertise that you can “feed once and be done”, they leave it at that. But, says Wehmeyer, a season of heat and watering usually uses up that spring feeding by midsummer, and reapplication of fertilizer is important to keep the root system and plant healthy all season long. Wehmeyer says he reapplies the slow-release fertilizer in July, but also supplements with liquid fertilizer every 2-3 weeks. He also uses a product called Bio Boost several times a year to maintain plant health.

Fill in For Fall

Even the best laid plans through the summer will lead to bare spots. Wehmeyer isn’t afraid to assess the gardens’ condition and add to it when needed. He’ll supplement with additional mums already in bloom, as well as seasonal garden accents like pumpkins and other gourds and fall décor to provide additional color and interest.

Fall Planting For sPring Beauty

Not all the work in the fall results in fall color. Some of it extends the color season in spring. The most labor-intensive jobs each fall at the golf course are planting 2500 tulip bulbs. Wehmeyer and his assistant also remove the tropical plants surrounding the swimming pool—massive hibiscus bushes, elephant ear plants, and seven ornamental banana trees that grow about eight feet tall and have a canopy about four feet wide. Each plant is dug by hand, and to extricate the roots of each banana tree requires hours of spade work. All the plants are placed in winter storage in the greenhouse.

some JoBs not Done

Wehmeyer likes garden creatures and some insects almost as much

Pet Plants and the Golden Rule of Seventy text and photos by

Scott Woodbury

Over the years, there have been special plants that linked me to a particular place, food, or person. In my youth, most of them were not native plants, as native landscaping wasn’t as popular when I was younger as it is now. There was ‘Lodi’ apple, which a friend turned into the best applesauce ever. Bleeding heart that emerged from the ground like bolting asparagus. The rhubarb of my childhood, whose leaves grew into giant elephant ears. A daisy that I dug up for my mom in fifth grade. The cheery daylily given to me by a dear old gardener friend. These are some of the plants that I have gardened with for decades, and will continue to care for in my gardens. They are conduits of happiness

Tips and Resources for Growing and Landscaping with Sustainable Native Plants

decreasing some of the non-natives. Here’s why.

Doug Tallamy and his graduate students discovered that 70% native/30% percent non-native is the minimum ration for successful bird nesting. This means that at least 70% of the leaf volume in our neighborhood gardens needs to be from native plants. It also means that when this number drops below 70, baby bird numbers decline. Currently the amount of native leaf tissue in our yard is about 50%, thanks to two maples and a river birch. We have a ways to go to get to 70% and beyond, so we are busy planting.

I’ll add that birds and wildlife of all kinds depend on plant diversity, so planting many types of native trees, shrubs, perennials, vines, and grasses is as important as the 70% rule. Plant diversity promotes insect diversity, which supports many types of birds. Also, convert as much lawn as you can manage, to diverse native gardens. We have way too much lawn, and it’s an easy opportunity to get closer to 70.

and fond memories, and therefore loved dearly.

These pet plants are not unlike the seven cats that have appeared at my door over the years: Claude, Willy, Sally, Persimmon, Fang, Huckleberry, and Domino. They needed my regular pats, food, and shelter; and I needed their soft fur, affirming purrs, and the attention they lavished on me. Makes me wonder if some plants and cats are in the same boat. Wandering the seas, in wait of someone to take care of them, to dote on them. Is it possible that certain species are adapting to cultivation and couch life? Probably.

I digress. These aren’t all of the plants that have stumbled into my life, after all, I’m a plant guy. But they are the first few—a powerful few. Fortunately, I continue to gather plant-based memories; new plants continue to pour into my life. Nowadays though, most, but not all, are native plants.

So what is a native wildflower expert to do with daylilies and daisies? Will my reputation tarnish? Will my butterflies head for greener pastures? Will mouths go hungry? I don’t think so, and I certainly hope not, not on my watch. My wife Abigail and I planted 19 native trees and shrubs this spring at our new house. Because we inherited many non-native plants from the previous owner, we are trying to increase the ratio of natives to non-natives primarily by increasing the number of natives, but also by

Scott Woodbury was the horticulturist at Shaw Nature Reserve for 30 years and stepped down from that position in June 2022. He continues to work on contract for Shaw Nature Reserve to carry out native landscaping education and has launched his own business called Cacalia: Native Garden Design and Wilding. Find suppliers of native plants, seeds, and services at the Grow Native! Resource Guide: www. moprairie.org.

I will always remember my first plant loves and will likely keep space in the garden for them. I believe that’s ok. In most gardens that I encounter, native plants are mixed with non-native plants. As long as I strive to increase the number of native plants, and keep Tallamy’s rule of 70 in my sight, I am moving in the right direction. Will I evict the peony, the daylily, and Dutch iris of which I’ve grown so fond? Chances are no, because they are like beloved pets. Will I continue to adopt native plants, now that I understand their incredible value to wildlife? You bet ya’! And I will love them too, with all of my heart.

Happy gardening y’all!

And all the lives we ever lived and all the lives to be are

cont’d. from pg. 11

as plants. So not every dead stem or spent flower is removed. Hydrangea stalks are not trimmed until late spring because the bushes might be providing safe harbor for useful insects such as praying mantis. Last year he and his assistant planted 600 milkweed plants to attract even more Monarch butterflies than normal. For years, the distinctive orange and black beauties had congregated primarily near the clubhouse entrance at the registered Monarch Way Station that Wehmeyer built. Now, the tall milkweed is in a sea of green grass, and Monarchs dot the sky where golfers play. The cardinal flower lures hummingbirds to its petals, and hundreds of coneflowers and coreopsis offer delicious seeds to American Goldfinch in late summer and fall. Some of the flower bed soil is rich with earthworms that have loosened the packed clay. For better blooms, add anything organic to the soil, advises Wehmeyer. The worms will come.

Throughout the fall, Wehmeyer continues to update his garden journal, noting which seeds/plants were successful and which were not. He photographs every flower bed every season. Then next spring, it all starts again. Just par for the course!

Aneeta Brown of Washington is a widely published freelance writer whose features have been published in The Washington Post, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, AKC Family Dog Magazine, Presbyterians Today, Missouri Life, the national magazines of the Elks, Lions, Kiwanis, and Rotary, and dozens of other national and regional magazines.

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Please Help Us Update Our Garden Club and Plant Society Information

Garden clubs and regional plant societies are a great way for new as well as experienced gardeners to meet with others from a certain community, or with interests in certain types of plants. They can share or gain information while enjoying the fellowship of others. They also often provide much appreciated volunteer cleanup and beautification for their communities. That is why we provide a list of many of the regional garden clubs and plant societies on our website, www.gatewaygardener.com. The sites includes details such as meeting times, dates and locations, as well as contact information for interested newcomers to learn more about the organization.

But the site is only helpful if the information is kept up to date. Recently it was brought to our attention that some of the listings include outdated contacts or other inaccurate information. This is understandably frustrating for people looking for more information about your organization. It also reflects poorly on your organization, as it does The Gateway Gardener for providing the misleading information. Unfortunately we at the magazine have no way of keeping group details up to date unless we receive notifications from the groups themselves.

Below is a list of groups listed on our website whose listings seem to include invalid or outdated contact and/or other information. Some of these organizations may not even be in existence any longer.

Boone Country Garden Club

Caseyville Gardeners

Fleur de Lis Garden Society

Greater St. Louis Orchid Society

Herbs For Health & Fun Club

Highland Garden Club

Horticulture Study Garden Club

Jeffco Iris Society

Richmond Heights Garden Club

Southwestern Illinois Hemerocallis Society

Three Rivers Rose Society

Thyme to Garden Club of Centralia

Troy Garden Club

If you are associated with any of these garden clubs or plant societies, or know anyone who is, please check out your listing at https://gatewaygardener.com/clubs-and-societies. There is also a separate list of just regional plant societies at https:// gatewaygardener.com/links/regional-plant-societies. If any of the information is out of date or invalid, please contact us by email at info@gatewaygardener.com, by phone at 314-968-3740, or by traditional mail at PO Box 220853, St. Louis, MO 63122

In fact, if you are a member of a garden club or plant society, even it if is not listed above, please take a moment to visit the page and confirm that the information is correct. The contact details may be operational, but out of date, leading to callers needlessly bothering past contacts of the group. And if your group isn’t listed at all, please feel free to submit the information to us so we can help interested gardeners get in touch with your organization.

If we do not receive updated/corrected information by November 15,, 2023, we will delete the listing, so as not to continue to provide incorrect information.

Thank you for your help, and thanks to Nancy Luechefeld of Unique Journeys garden travel agency for researching the above. --Ed.

Upcoming Events

Oct. 4th

2-4pm—Garden Conservancy

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 March 2024 issue is February 1, 2024.

How to reach us:

Mail: PO Box 220853, St. Louis, MO 63122

Email: info@gatewaygardener.com

FUN FOR KIDS

Oct. 7th

9am—St. Louis County Parks and Recreation Children’s Garden Club. FREE. Sherwood’s Forest Nursery & Garden Center. 2651 Barrett Station Rd., Manchester, MO 63021. Pre-registration is required on the St. Louis County website at https://tinyurl.com/yc3v3pfj or by calling 314-615-4386.

Nov. 4th

9am—St. Louis County Parks and Recreation Children’s Garden Club. FREE. Planthaven Farms, 6703 Telegraph Rd., Oakville, MO 63129. Pre-registration is required on the St. Louis County website at https:// tinyurl.com/yc3v3pfj or by calling 314-615-4386.

CLASSES, SALES AND OTHER EVENTS

Oct. 1st

1-7pm—U City in Bloom Garden Tour and Plein Air Festival. Tour is from 1-5pm followed by an art show, reception and sale from 5-7pm at University City Community Center, 975 Pennsylvania Ave. 63130. Tickets $20. For further information contact Judy Prange at judyprange@outlook. com. Visit UCityinBloom.org.

National Speaking Tour Featuring Lady Isabella Tree. How to make a difference facing the enormity of climate change and biodiversity loss. The speaker is an award-winning journalist and author of five books, including the international best seller, Wilding. She will discuss her newest book, The Book of Wilding: a Practical Guide to Rewilding Big and Small. Tickets $45 for Garden Conservancy and Garden members, $55 for the public. Tickets include a wine reception. Learn more at gardenconservancy.com. Missouri Botanical Garden, Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center, Bayer Event Center.

Oct. 6th-8th

Noon-8pm Friday, 9am-5pm Sat. and Sun. (8-9am Sat. members only)— Best of Missouri Market. Handmade artisan and craft items, and food, mostly from Missouri artists and producers, including native plants from Missouri Wildflower Nursery. Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw, St. Louis.

Oct. 8th

10am-2pm—Webster Groves Herb Society Autumn Herb Gathering. Members have been creating wonderful herbal products throughout the summer to sell. Herbal jellies, vinegars, sugars, salts, perfumes, wreaths, planters, lavender sachets, and much more. All herbal! Plus herbal tastings of pestos, herbal cooking wines, butters, cheese and more. Hawken House, 1155 South Rock Hill Rd., Webster Groves, 63119. www.wwgherbs.org.

Oct. 21st

Noon-2pm—Bellefontaine Tree Walk. Join one of Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum’s horticulturalists for a walking tour. This stroll through the cemetery will focus on trees, shrubs, and flowering plants. Be prepared to walk on uneven terrain with moderate slopes. Upon arrival to 4947 W. Florissant Ave, a greeter will give parking and meeting instructions. Presented by Grow Native! To register, email outreach@moprairie.org or call 636303-7418. Bellefontaine Cemetery, 4947 W. Florissant Ave.

Oct. 22nd 11am-2pm—Ghouls in the Garden.

Garden members are invited to celebrate Halloween at a special trickor-treating event. Come in costume and visit several stations throughout the Garden to fill your treat bag with special goodies. See the circus, dance with some trolls, and huff and puff with Three Little Pigs. Enjoy music, dancing, and photo opportunities. FREE for this members-only event, advance registration required. Membership level determines the number of free entries you receive. Nonmember guests beyond your allotment cannot register for the event, but may purchase general Garden admission tickets in advance to participate. Ticket availability is limited. Visit the Garden ticketing website at missouribotanicalgarden. org. Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, 314-577-3100.

Oct. 27th

6-8:30pm—Spirits in the Garden Celebrate All Hallows’ Eve sampling tastings from local and regional distilleries, wineries and breweries!

Strut your stuff in a costume contest. Test your horror movie knowledge in our trivia contest. Solve a scavenger hunt. Dance the night away to spooky tunes spun by DJ Nune. Watch classic horror movies. Meet local paranormal investigators. Learn about the spirited history of the Garden. Enjoy a fortune teller, fire performer and stilt-walking Frankenstein’s monster. Admission includes all activities and tastings. Food available for purchase. Cash bar also available. All attendees must be at least 21 years of age. Purchase tickets in advance through Missouri Botanical Garden. This outdoor event happens rain or shine. Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd., 63110.

Oct. 29th

Success with Houseplants & Indoor Gardening. Passiglia’s Landscape, Nursery & Garden Center, 1855 Hwy 109, Wildwood. Call 636-431-4061 or visit passiglia.com.