Gateway Gardener
ing t a r THE leb
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SEPTEMBER 2020
15ars! Ye
®
Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes
Crazy Plant Lovers
New Twist on Garden Clubs
Plant Now for Spring Flowers Peppers for Every Purpose Taking Stock of the Rose Garden SEPTEMBER 2020
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The Gateway Gardener™ SEPTEMBER 2020
Gateway Gardener THE
®
Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes
SEPTEMBER 2020
Volume 16, Number 5
Founded in 2005 by Joyce Bruno & Robert Weaver Publisher and Editor Robert Weaver Columnists Diane Brueckman Rosey Acres Abby Lapides Sugar Creek Gardens Steffie Littlefield Edg-Clif Winery Jennifer Schamber Greenscape Gardens Scott Woodbury Shaw Nature Reserve
Printing: Breese Publishing, Breese, IL The Gateway Gardener® is published 9 times/year by Double Dig Communications, Inc. to promote enjoyable, successful gardening and livable landscapes in the St. Louis greater metropolitan area. The magazine is distributed free to the public at designated garden centers, nurseries, garden gift shops, lawn equipment rental, repair and sales establishments, and other locations supporting sound gardening, lawn and landscaping practices. Please send letters-to-the-editor, questions, event announcements, editorial suggestions and contributions, photos, advertising inquiries and materials, and any other correspondence to: The Gateway Gardener Magazine® PO Box 220853 St. Louis, MO 63122 Phone: (314) 968-3740
info@gatewaygardener.com www.gatewaygardener.com
The Gateway Gardener® is printed on recycled newsprint using environmentally friendly soy-based ink, and is a member of the PurePower® renewable energy resources network.
SEPTEMBER 2020
I
From the Editor
f you remember this cover, you get special recognition for being a charter FOGGer—Friend of Gateway Gardener! This was, of course, our premiere issue cover from September 2005. In that debut, we celebrated the new colorful seasonal plantings on Market Street, Tucker Boulevard and Kiener Plaza in downtown St. Louis. In the 15 years since, we’ve documented and celebrated countless other horticultural happenings around the bi-state region, most inspired and achieved by hard-working volunteers from groups like Gateway Greening, Brightside St. Louis, Master Gardeners from St. Louis, St. Charles and Illinois, St. Louis County Parks Department, dozens of local garden clubs and hundreds of other plant-loving individuals. Thanks to all of you for making our communities a better place. As long as I’m in a thankful mood, I’m going to use my allotted space this month to thank some other people for making these 15 years possible. First of all, THANKS to the readers and advertisers who have shown their ongoing support and interest. Publishing this magazine has made my hat size increase many fold, as so many people have written or stopped by our booths at events over the years to kindly tell me how much they enjoy the magazine. And our area independent garden centers, primarily, as well as other green industry businesses, have heard it as well from their customers, and so have shown support through the
among our contributors many leaders of the local horticulture industry. When I receive those compliments mentioned above, I always assure the source that it is these experts who are the deserving recipients.
years. Never has this been truer or more appreciated than in this past year. So many print publications shut down their presses this year, and so many retail businesses have succumbed, but the gardening industry has largely prospered, thanks to the support and interest of gardeners both new and seasoned.
I want to thank especially those professionals who have contributed their valuable time and expertise to the advice and information found within these pages. Many free magazines fill their pages with “advertorial” content that usually amounts to a 400-word ad for the author’s business. We were never interested in that format. Our contributors get recognition for their business or association in their bio, but otherwise offer non-promotional content guided by the contributors’ dedication to the horticulture industry, and their desire to promote sound, current gardening education and garden success. I’ve been so proud to count
On the Cover...
Houseplants like this Echeveria ‘Blue Atoll’ are hot, and spawning a new generation of garden groups like the Crazy Plant Lovers of Metro St. Louis. Read more about them on page 6. (photo by Hillary Fitz)
The Gateway Gardener™
Finally, I want to thank my family members who have put so much into The Gateway Gardener over the years. My sister-in-law Joyce Bruno teamed up with me in the beginning to make the words I supplied look great on the page, as well as share duties of sales, distribution, bookkeeping and all the other functions handled inhouse in those formative years. She remains a valued behindthe-scenes business partner and occasional recipe contributor. And of course, thank you, Mary, my beautiful and indulgent wife of four decades plus. You not only keep the business engines running, but have supported my pursuit of this labor of love for these 15 years. To all the rest of those unmentioned who have played often significant roles in our history, my apologies for running out of space. Thank you, thank you, thank you, and….
Good Gardening!
IN THIS ISSUE 4 Plant Spring Flowers Now 6 Crazy Plant Lovers 9 Roses 2020 10 Front Yard Conversations 12 Peppers for Every Purpose 14 Dig This 15 Upcoming Events
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Looking to the Future
Plant Bulbs and Roots in Fall for Spring Flowers by Abby Lapides beautiful flowers, squirrels love to eat tulips’ nutrient-rich bulbs. Some of the best ways to keep squirrels away from bulbs is to use animal repellents like PlantSkydd®, fence them with chicken wire, or to plant tulips by other bulbs the squirrels can’t stand. Good choices are Alliums, Hyacinth and Fritillaria.
Tulip ‘Ice Cream’
Sometimes waiting until spring for flowers can be difficult, but why wait? Try planting ‘Rijnveld’s Early Sensation’ daffodil, which looks like your traditional daffodil but it holds a secret- it blooms two weeks earlier than other varieties. This cheerful daffodil provides a muchneeded break from dreary winter days. A must for the cut flower enthusiast, enjoy bouquets as early as January! Bright yellow star shaped petals surrounding large cups bloom on tall stems that stand up extremely well to cold snaps and snow. To get daffodils to bloom as early as possible be sure to plant them in spot where they will get full sun in the winter. ‘Rijnveld’s Early Sensation’ Daffodils, and most spring shrugs off a light dusting of blooming bulbs, need at least 10 snow.
Robert Weaver
The unique flowers of Ice Cream Tulip remarkably resemble a raspberry-pink ice cream cone topped with whipped vanilla ice cream. Considered a double tulip, it’s loaded with petals, almost twice the amount as others. In St. Louis tulips usually must be planted year after year. They are best planted in late fall. As much as we love to look at their
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ou prepped the bed, dug the hole, waited all winter. The anticipation builds and up pops the yellow daffodils, purple crocus or blue Virginia bluebells. The excitement of experiencing the first blooms from a well-tended plant is second to none. Did you know most spring blooming bulbs and many perennials are best planted in fall? Explore some of the best plants for fall planting and tips and tricks to get them nice and cozy in the garden bed before winter comes.
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The cutest of the woodland ephemeral plants are trilliums. Blooming in spring we get to enjoy these beauties for a short time before going dormant in summer. With their well-balanced 3 leaves, 3 petals, 3 sepals it’s no wonder that trilliums are also known as the trinity flower. The best time to plant these are during their dormancy in early fall. Other spring ephemera that like fall plantings are Virginia bluebells, celandine poppy, old-fashioned bleeding hearts and bloodroot. These plants are home in Bleeding humusy soils around deciduous trees where they can enjoy the heart early spring sun before the trees’ leaves emerge.
Many perennials are offered as bare roots this time of year, meaning they come as dormant roots with no top growth that are ready to be popped into your garden in the fall. When planting bare root perennials make sure the soil has been well amended with compost and use a fertilizer that contains the mycorrhizae fungus. This wonderful fungus has a symbiotic relationship with plant roots, helping plants quickly access water and nutrients. Planting depth is absolutely critical to flowering performance of peonies. If the eyes are planted too shallow or too deep they may not flower; this is the most common reason that peonies fail to flower. Peonies must be planted with their eyes 1½ to 2 inches below the soil line.
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.
Robert Weaver
The queen of spring flowers is the peony. While planting peonies in spring is perfectly acceptable they are best planted in the fall. Peonies grow many of their roots in the cooling soils of fall. Rooting is triggered in response
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to the falling temperatures of soil, which allows plants to settle into Peony their new home quickly. One of ‘Joker’ the newest varieties of peonies to hit the market is ‘Joker’. This trickster looks almost like two different peonies. ‘Joker’ opens dark pink then the petals mature to white in the center with dark pink picotee edges. Tree peonies, like their herbaceous counterparts also prefer fall plantings. ‘Hanakisoi’ tree peony is coveted for its enormous pink blossoms that appear in spring. Loaded with velvety petals, their blossoms bring ethereal, exotic beauty to the garden.
Robert Weaver
weeks of cold weather to bloom. They’re best planted once we start getting temperatures consistently in the 50s. A general rule of thumb is plant your bulbs by Thanksgiving. (Don’t tell anyone, but I have planted bulbs on Christmas Eve and they still did great for me). Most bulbs prefer well-drained soils Trillium that have been amended with compost. Use a starter fertilizer when planting and fertilize perennial bulbs like daffodils, crocus and muscari after flowering has completed with a dedicated bulb fertilizer.
As the great Bobby Knight said, “I don’t believe in luck, I believe in preparation!” Planning (or planting!) in the fall for spring will help keep your garden gorgeous and thriving.
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Crazy Plant Lovers of Metro St. Louis A Modern Twist on the Traditional Garden Club by Jennifer Schamber
P
Aspin Kleiboeker
lant people have always is by no means an offensive been the best people. stereotype, it is actually They value the gifts something a large group of that nature has bestowed, they both women and men have now are generous and helpful, and embraced. It was through this they are always excited to get channel that plant enthusiast, dirt (okay, soil) under their Aspin Kleiboeker, had a vision fingernails and on their boots. to start a new Facebook group They are natural nurturers where these “crazy” people and tend to keep trying, could have a safe haven to regardless of the risk of ask for advice, post their finds failure. These types of people and make new friends. Aspin tend to gravitate towards one and fellow co-founder, Sara another, traditionally through Cooper, launched “Crazy Plant garden clubs, societies and Lovers of Metro St. Louis” on associations. Over the past A Crazy Plant Lovers meet up in the fall of 2019 pre-COVID-19. Facebook in August of 2019 few years, there has been (after several name changes to a resurgence of interest in growing plants, driven primarily by be all-inclusive). An affiliate group called “Crazy Plant Lovers of millennial consumers and the influential power of social media Metro St. Louis BST” (buy, sell, trade) quickly followed and the platforms like Instagram and Pinterest. The traditional “crazy cat group has had several in-person meetups (pre-COVID). The very lady” figure has jokingly evolved into the “crazy plant lady,” which active group is now around 2,500 people strong. Here’s what Aspin and Sara have to say about this new era of houseplants and what excites them.
FPO
Sara: There are so many reasons why new people are being drawn to plants. A very large facet is interior design, but I believe people are also drawn to them because it helps them feel grounded in their spaces, whether they are in a city-style lofted apartment or out in the country. The ability Co-founders Aspin Kleiboeker, to pause with nature helps calm left, and Sara Cooper. and re-center the mind. Starting a collection usually happens when you fall in love with plants. For Jennifer Schamber is the General Manager of Greenscape Gardens, and plays leaderships roles in the Western Nursery & Landscape Association, GrowNative! and the Landscape & Nursery Association of Greater St. Louis. She has earned Green Profit Magazine’s Young Retailer Award, and Greenscape Gardens was named the National Winner of the 2015 “Revolutionary 100” Garden Centers by Today’s Garden Center Magazine.
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The Gateway Gardener™ SEPTEMBER 2020
Aspin Kleiboeker
Jennifer: Why do you think people are being drawn to plants (is it mostly for interior design, collecting, therapy, etc...)?
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some people, the collection may be 5-10 plants, and some people (like me) fall so deeply in love with plants they go crazy (in a good way) and have to care for them all. Aspin: I truly believe everyone is drawn to plants for many different reasons. During this pandemic, and really over the past 3 years, the industry has flourished. Whether it’s for companionship, the meditative nature of caring for them, or the joy of watching something grow in a way that is visible, can really draw people in. There are also physical benefits, e.g.: plants can reduce toxins from the air, improve concentration and productivity, reduce stress and boost your mood! Jennifer: Has the group been growing more or less quickly during the pandemic? Aspin: I personally have seen the momentum traveling in an upward motion, now more than ever. Pandemic plants are absolutely a thing!
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Sara: The group is definitely still growing. On March 15th we reached 1000+ members, on May 1st we hit 1500, and by early cont’d on nex page
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cont’d. from previous page June we broke 2000 and didn’t even realize it until we were at 2025. Since COVID, the group has more than doubled, and I don’t foresee us slowing down anytime soon.
to face. Jennifer: What was your first plant?
Aspin: My first plant was my Pilea peperomioides, aka the Chinese money plant. Pinterest roped me into the indoor jungle world, and it was all down hill Aspin: I think this is a great question. The group is full of people from there! haha. 300+ plants from a range of backgrounds who can offer insight on any kind of later, and I thank my Pilea for plant it seems and I think people recognize that. A plant is a plant, dragging me down the rabbit and we want EVERYONE to feel comfortable asking questions or hole. advice for any and every type of plant. While the majority of our Sara: I don’t remember what group is houseplant lovers, we welcome everyone. my first plant was, but my best Sara: So as winter melted to spring, the conversations shifted friend, Danielle, reignited my Pilea peperomioides, Chinese towards what houseplant people call “the great migration.” With love for plants when she gifted Money Plant. that, came talk of seedlings and garden beds. With us, as long as me a few succulents, and it went it’s plant related, it’s welcome! We will surely see another shift nuclear from there. in conversation in the next few months when the second “great Jennifer: What is your favorite plant you have now? migration” begins. We will shift the conversations to lighting, Aspin: Currently my favorite plant would be my Philodendron watering, and how to keep everything happy in the cold months to tortum, it’s a great grower for me, and was my unicorn plant for come. We hope to be a continual resource for everyone in the plant quite a while. I acquired it at a nursery in Southern Missouri where community including outdoor gardeners, and maybe even inspire it was imported from Thailand. I would be kidding myself if I them to try a plant friend on a bright windowsill. As we navigate said I wasn’t partial to all my plants though for each one sparks a this difficult year, we have all been so fortunate to have each other different kind of joy for me! to lean on through it all. We have become a family, and I hope to have a massive swap and more “planty” adventure days in the Sara: If I have to choose a favorite, I would choose my albino future, where we will be able to meet all of our new friends face Monstera deliciosa; although, I love all my (roughly 400) plants for different reasons. Jennifer: The group started out with mostly houseplants as the key interest, it seems like it is starting to move to outdoor hardy plants as well. Do you foresee it staying mostly houseplant-centric or does it seem to be shifting?
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Jennifer: What plant is at the top of your wish list? Aspin: As I become more knowledgeable in keeping houseplants, my wish list has grown into more of collecting more rarer Philodendrons. However, I love the more uncommon Hoyas and Sansevierias... Ugh, see how that happens!? It’s a rabbit hole, I tell ya! It’s like the game Pokemon, gotta catch ‘em all! Although, the top two of my list (currently) are the Philodendron spiritus sancti and the Anthurium warocqueanum. Sara: Several plants share the spotlight at the top of my wish list, so I like to separate them by genera and family. Of Sansevieria, I have a goal to obtain one of all 83 known species. Of aroid, I really can’t choose. Of hoya, I would love a ‘Jody’s Silver’. Aspin Kleiboeker is a full time mom and owner of Queen Bee Cheesecakes, a micro cheesecake business that focuses YOUR TREES DESERVE THE BEST CARE on sustainable packaging and locally grown, high quality ingredients. She loves tending her little farm with multiple fruit trees, a large garden, 2 dogs, 3 cats and 4 goats. Tim Gamma – B.S. Horticulture Board Certified Master Arborist Tom Gamma ISA Certified Arborist P R U N I N G ■ F E R T I L I Z AT I O N ■ P L A N T I N G S P R AY I N G ■ T R I M M I N G ■ R E M O VA L
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Sara Cooper is a grower for Ritter Greenhouse, a wholesale growing operation in Bridgeton, MO and a horticulture student at Southwestern Illinois College majoring in Greenhouse Management.
The Gateway Gardener™ SEPTEMBER 2020
A Year to Remember by Diane Brueckman
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or many reasons 2020 will be long remembered. The country was shut down and most of us were on a forced vacation confined to our homes. Many of us rediscovered gardening. I see vegetable gardens where there used to be lawn, next came flower gardens and of course, roses. I believe there are many new rose growers, judging from the customers who bought our roses. This is an exciting result from an otherwise very depressing year. Working in one’s garden is relaxing, at least it is for me. Up to September, we have been keeping the roses watered and fertilized. Dead-heading has been an almost daily routine for my garden because the roses have been blooming profusely all summer long. Disease and insect control has been an ongoing chore. I have had many calls about blackspot because of all the rain and humidity. Keeping ahead of the disease is the best approach. Start early in the season with a fungicide for disease and neem oil for disease and bugs. If you get on the disease early it should not be a big problem. Picking diseased leaves off plants is also helpful in keeping disease at bay. This is also a good time to take stock of the roses in your garden. Which roses had the least disease? With all the new disease resistant roses, you might consider replacing some of the more disease prone varieties. Fall is a good time to plant new roses or move an existing rose that is unhappy in its current location. September is a transition time for rose care. You want blooms and healthy plants but hold off on any quick release nitrogen. The idea is to slow down the plants. Having the roses put out basal shoots (new canes coming from the bud union) this late in the season is a waste of the plants energy. Chances are the canes will not harden off before the cold weather and they will die. Keep up with dead-heading but don’t do any hard pruning.
henbit and chickweed babies they will die over the winter. NOT TRUE! Get them out now and save yourself a lot of trouble in spring. I have given in to temptation and used a pre-emergent on some of my beds to prevent germination of weed seeds. One problem is you must get it down and not disturb the soil surface or the protection is gone. Whenever you use any chemical read the instructions and follow them to the letter. Most herbicides and that includes pre-emergent will harm the soil so use with caution. I only use herbicides where I have had a bad problem in the past. It isn’t too early to think about the mulch you will need in November to cover your roses for winter. There are several different types that will work. Woodchips from tree trimmers that includes both wood and green material is great and free. Single ground wood chips are the preferred mulch used by the EarthKindtm program. In the case of EarthKindtm it is also their only fertilizer. There are disadvantages to the single ground wood chips one being tree seeds and another is it is not pretty. Double ground hardwood is much more attractive and stays in place well over winter. Shredded leaves and compost are good for the soil but tend to disintegrate or blow off the plants, so you will need to check the cover periodically.
CALL US CRAZY.
CRAZY FOR HOUSEPLANTS.
Bloom booster liquid feeds work well in September. These fertilizers typically have a fairly low nitrogen value and high phosphorus and potassium values. They will increase your bloom but won’t encourage the production of new canes. Potassium also improves the overall health of the plant. Of course, organic fertilizers are always good as they will feed the soil, improving the growing medium for your roses. Weeds! Now is the time to do a thorough cleaning of your beds. Don’t be lulled into believing if you miss those tiny
Diane Brueckman is a retired rosarian with Missouri Botanical Garden, and currently owns Rosey Acres in Baldwin, Illinois. You can reach her at (618) 785-3011 or droseyacres@ egyptian.net.
SEPTEMBER 2020
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2832 Barrett Station Rd, Ballwin, MO 63021 www.greenscapegardens.com
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Naturally Natives A Good Time for Front Yard Conversations by Scott Woodbury
Margy Terpstra
had consumed part of my day. If there ever was a silver lining It was the highlight of my days. to the current health crisis, it is that people are spending more What a treat from the depressing new normal of visiting with time outdoors and yearning to coworkers, friends and family connect with other people. In on a computer screen. the past week, while strolling the sidewalk, I struck up But it got me thinking about conversations with two people the messages (and potential who were gardening in their messages) we send to our front yards. I was drawn in by neighbors through the frontthe attractive gardens, and then yard garden. The scent of the thrilled to have a face-to-face roses and lovely masses of chat over the split-rail fence, lemon-yellow daylilies (both, over the low-clipped hedge. non-native plants) briefly These days it is so easy to break Signage at the Kirkwood, MO, home of Dan and Margy Terpstra interrupted my mundane the ice. People are yearning for clearly explains the goals of their bird-friendly habitat. routine. I instantly sensed human connections. I simply beauty with my nose and eyes, said, “Your roses smell so nice” and “Are those ‘Happy Returns’ and then had the unique opportunity to follow up with a question daylilies?” and before I knew it, a few minutes of blissful chit-chat
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Meet us at one of these locations in the St. Louis area. Give us your order by Tuesday before a sale, and we will bring it to the location. Kirkwood Farmer’s Market, 150 East Argonne Dr. Kirkwood MO 63122. Prepaid orders are encouraged, but there will be a selection to pick from. Aug. 29, Sept. 5 and 12; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. St. Louis Monarchs at the Meadows, Lake St. Louis Market, Meadow Cir. Dr., Lake St. Louis, MO 63367. Prepaid orders are encouraged, but there will be a selection to pick from. Sept. 19, 8 a.m. to noon. St. Louis Native Plant Expo & Sale, Schlafly Bottleworks, 7260 Southwest Ave., St. Louis, MO 63143. Details at www.stlouisaudubon.org. Benefitting St. Louis Audubon’s “Bring Conservation Home” program. Prepaid orders are encouraged, but there will be a selection to pick from. Oct. 3, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. St. Louis Best of Missouri Market, Missouri Botanical Garden , Missouri Botanical Garden. 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63110. Oct. 4, 5 & 6, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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The Gateway Gardener™ SEPTEMBER 2020
Robert Weaver
Tips and Resources for Growing and Landscaping with Sustainable Native Plants or two. Without the gardener standing there, I would have kept walking and the smells and sights would have quickly evaporated from my memory. But, with the gardener’s words, came greater understanding. I found that roses bloom heavily with hard work and a lot of fertilizer and water, and that ‘Happy Returns’ daylily is a nicer color yellow than ‘Stella de oro’ and available at Lowe’s. And that was it. The message was about flower color and quantity of bloom. OK, Signs posted at the front public that’s fine. That got my attention, sidewalk identify The Gateway for a brief moment. Please don’t Gardener’s home garden as get me wrong, I am so grateful wildlife friendly. for the in-person conversations I have these days, especially with fellow gardeners. But there is so much more that can come from a front yard conversation about plants, and there should be. Native plants are so much more than just beautiful flowers. They feed nectar and pollen to countless bee species, whose populations world-wide are in decline. In return, bees pollinate plants so they can produce fruits like blueberry and watermelon, and seeds eaten by wild birds (Texas green eyes produce seeds all summer for gold finches). Native plants feed moth and butterfly caterpillars’ life-supporting leaf tissue. That’s why there are holes in milkweed and pawpaw leaves. And those caterpillars feed baby birds, whose populations are also in steep decline. White oak tree bark provides a home for bats and overwintering butterflies. Its acorns feed squirrels, chipmunks and red-headed woodpeckers all winter long. And Missouri white oak, flavors the wine and whisky we love to consume. Native plants are so rich, they have depth and are brimming with connections to nature, cuisine, history and folklore. In the book Ozark Magic and Folklore (1947), Vance Randolph writes that many old people think that ironwood trees were planted by the devil’s agents and that sassafras somehow sprout from grub worms. He probably wasn’t aware that ironwood is the best species for tree-climbing (for safety, mulch thickly below the tree). Also, Horticulturist Scott Woodbury is the Curator of the Whitmire Wildflower Garden at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, MO, where he has worked with native plant propagation, design, and education for more than 20 years. He is also an advisor to the Missouri Prairie Foundation’s GrowNative! program.
Randolph writes that pawpaw is well-known to be connected with witch-craft and even zebra swallowtail butterflies (who lay their eggs only on pawpaw) are thought of as “strange” because it is so often seen fluttering around pawpaw trees. If this won’t start (or stop) a front-yard conversation, then nothin’ will. Randolph’s books are chock-full of Ozark stories about plants and people that will either keep your neighbors hanging on your every word, or send them running for the hills. Clearly, I’ve had extra time on my hands and need some face time, I mean real face time. But if you don’t take kindly to chatting with passers-bye, but still see the value in messaging, there are a number of garden signs that may be of interest. St. Louis Wild Ones offers a sign that says “This garden is in harmony with Nature”. St. Louis Audubon’s backyard certification program, Bring Conservation Home, provides a sign that says “This landscape provides outstanding wildlife habitat value”. Grow Native!, a program of the Missouri Prairie Foundation, has five different signs, one of which states “These native plants provide food sources for beneficial insects and support songbirds and other cherished wildlife”. If your goal is to support nature, and memories that last, consider adding native plants and perhaps a sign that tells the neighborhood that you support native gardening. Now, more than ever, nature needs us to step up and do our part. Happy Gardening ya’ll.
GOATS, BEES and PAWPAWS
Oh My!
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 9 AM–4 PM • Taste pawpaw. Yum! • Stretch yourself with goat yoga. • Bee happy. Tour our native plantings. • Save with our G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) sale! Event is outdoors, social distancing practiced, and masks encouraged.
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SEPTEMBER 2020
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The Cornucopia Corner
Tips for Growing, Buying and Cooking Fresh, Locally Sourced Food for Your Table
Peppers for Practically Every Purpose! By Steffie Littlefield
O
ne of my favorite lines in a book on vegetable gardening years ago was to grow “a forest of peppers” in your garden. The very idea inspired me to devote a whole 16’ by 3’ bed to lots of different peppers. Peppers originally came to the attention of the Western World when explorers landed in the new world, tasted the native chili and mistook it for the spice from the Orient known as “pepper”. It was soon found that the various sweet and hot fruits found in the New World are related to the tomato and eggplant. These are also hot weather plants that can easily be started from seed indoors and transplanted to the garden when the ground is warm enough. Pepper plants are very pretty to grow and make fun additions to container garden displays, or even ornamental beds of annuals. They need regular watering to get the
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best and largest fruit. Feed them and prop the larger plants up with small tomato cages or ring supports for the best harvest.
There are lots of different kinds of peppers, all shapes and sizes and colors. The sweetest would be the bell peppers, like ‘California Wonder’, ‘Bell Boy’, and ‘Big Bertha’ which are known as green bell peppers. They also come in many wonderful colors from bright yellow gold ‘Sun Bright’, orange ‘Horizon Orange’ and ‘Red Knight’ to ‘Purple Beauty’ and ‘Chocolate Bell’. Sweet peppers are not just limited to bell types. The larger ‘Corno di Toro’ also known as ‘bull horn’ peppers are a sweet Italian variety. Others including ‘Gypsy’ is a horn shape and so is ‘Sweet Banana’. There are even small round sweet varieties like pimento peppers. Hot peppers also come in all shapes and colors from tiny ‘habanero’, orange little cube shape peppers, and both ‘Tabasco’ and ‘Thai’ are tiny colorful finger shape peppers. ‘Tepin Chili’ pepper and ‘Black Pearl’ are very hot round fruits. There are also varying degrees of hotness, from ‘Anaheim’, which are quite pungent to ‘Hungarian Wax’ which are milder. Watch out, because some like ‘Torito’ are so hot one must wear gloves to harvest them.
The uses range from herbal, culinary to pest control. Very hot slim ‘cayenne’ type can be ground and mixed with water and soap to make a spray for aphids, or a pepper powder that is used dry to be dusted on tomatoes and eggplant to repel insects or even used on corn silk to protect against raccoons. I have used a cayenne pepper product on birdseed to keep squirrels from raiding the feeder. Ground pepper pods, onion and garlic steeped in water for 24 hours creates a spray for roses, azaleas, mums and beans to stop insect cont’d. on page 14 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.
The Gateway Gardener™ SEPTEMBER 2020
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Gateway Gardeners and Businesses in the News In Memoriam Nancee Kruescheck, coowner of Naturescapes Nursery in Collinsville, IL, passed away on July 27th, 2020. She was 62. Nancee grew up in Collinsville, and from an early age enjoyed walks in the woods and learning about the plants she found there. A career plantperson, her first horticulture job came at Belle Valley Nursery in Belleville, later working at The Greenery in Godfrey before teaming up with longtime friend Thomas Hardesty to start Naturescapes Nursery in Collinsville in 1988. Perched on a bluff on the edge of town, Naturescapes was atypical in many ways. Rather than display plants traditionally on tables or in greenhouses, the plants at Naturescapes often were displayed in natural arrangements in the landscape behind the garden shop.
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This was especially appropriate because most all were perennials, trees and shrubs, and many were native plants. This was in a time predating common availability of perennnials and especially natives in the retail trade. Nancee earned a vocational teaching degree from Belleville Area College (now Southwestern Illinois Community College or SWIC), and put it to good use teaching horticulture classes for over 30 years. She loved sharing her knowledge of perennials and natives, passing along her experiences at SWIC, St. Louis Community College-Meramec, Granite City Extension Center, and in evening classes as garden centers and nurseries throughout the bi-state area. She also conducted plantrelated activities for Boy Scout and Girl Scout groups. She was a member of Grow Native, The Illinois Nurserymen, and The Perennial Plant Association. Memorials may be made in Nancee’s honor to your favorite charity, local animal shelter, humane society, youth group, local garden, or Missouri Botanical Garden and will be received at the funeral home. Please mail to Barry Wilson Funeral Home, 2800 N. Center Street, Maryville, IL 62062. cont’d. from page 12 infestations (used 2x daily).
Everyone knows the large block shaped peppers are great for stuffing with a meat mixture, but the larger Chili peppers are also great for stuffing with cream cheese blends and roasted. Many thin peppers are easy to dry and save to use all winter as a seasoning for tomatoes, salads and chicken or fish. Some mild to hot peppers are good smoked and then used in salsas or other dips. My favorite is to harvest green bell peppers when they are firm and crisp and chop up in salads and sauces. My sister lets peppers ripen fully on the plant and turn red so she can make her famous red pepper jelly we sell at the winery. You can also slice or cube peppers, spread on a cookie sheet and put in the freezer for one hour and then transfer to small bags and store in the freezer to use in soups and chili recipes all winter. Some reliable sources for pepper seeds include Eden Brothers, Burpee, Johnny’s, Park Seeds, Baker Creek Seeds. Do not order seeds online unless from established reputable providers. Also be wary of unidentified seed packages that arrive in the mail. Many people have reported receiving such unsolicited seeds form China in recent weeks and months. These may be part of a marketing scheme, and could introduce invasive species, pests or diseases that could impact native species, agricultural crops or desirable ornamentals. If you receive such packages, the University of Illinois Extension office recommends that you not throw plant them or throw them out, but contact your local extension office or your state plant regulatory office. The Gateway Gardener™ SEPTEMBER 2020
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 Winter issue (NovemberFebruary) is October 1st. How to reach us: Mail: PO Box 220853, St. Louis, MO 63122 Email: info@gatewaygardener.com U City in Bloom Plein Air Festival. This year’s event will take place virtually. Visit UCityinBloom.org for details. Now through Sept. 18th Brightside St. Louis Bulb Sale. Now is the time to order your Brightside bulbs. Brightside Red hybrid Darwin tulip has returned. Also available are Pink Impression hybrid tulips, plus the popular Carlton daffodils and Brightside’s exclusive Midwest Mix that includes six varieties of hearty daffodils. Visit www.Brightsidestl.org to view bulbs and submit an order or print out a mail-in order. Or call (314) 7724646 before Sept. 18th. Orders will be available in October. Sept. 3rd Pumpkin Field Day. Learn more about commercial pumpkin production including fertility management, variety selection, no-till production and insect disease and weed management. Onehour tours at 10a.m., 1p.m. and 2p.m. with a limit of 20 people on each tour. Presenters will be on hand to address various pest and production-related topics. Light refreshments will be provided. This program is FREE, but pre-registration is REQUIRED. Please register online at: https://web.extension.
illinois.edu/registration/?Registration ID=22482 Registered participants will be notified via email should any such changes be made due to local or state guidelines. It is highly suggested that masks be worn and we will be practicing social distancing. For more information, call 618-939-3434. Sept. 4th 11am-3pm—American Red Cross Blood Drive at Hillermann’s. Give blood and join the lifesaving mission. A mask is required to donate (masks will be available if you don’t have one). There will be temperature checks and a text will notify you when to enter. All blood donations are tested for COVID-19 antibodies - results are sent to the donor app 7-10 days later. Donors will receive a free t-shirt. To make an appointment, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 2601 E. 5th St., Washington, MO. (636) 239-6729, hillermann.com. Sept. 12th 9am-4pm—“Naturally Different” Gardening Event. Featuring G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) native plants, including the fabulous pawpaw tree. Sample pawpaw fruit and learn how Missouri’s native fruit tree can be used in any landscape. Morning and afternoon “goat yoga” sessions, native plantings tours, including a silvipasture process featuring sheep. Experts available to help you choose plant collections for pollinators, songbirds, edibles and rain gardens. Preorder plants or purchase ticket for goat yoga at https://bit.ly/ ShopNatives. Event is free except for $30 for pre-paid yoga tickets. Forrest Keeling Nursery, 88 Forrest Keeling Lane, Elsberry, MO 63343. 800-FKN2401, forrestkeeling.com.
order pick up only, no sales day of event. Contact vendors directly to make your orders by Sept 10. World Bird Sanctuary, 125 Bald Eagle Ridge Road, Valley Park, MO. Vendors: River City Natives. https://www. rivercitynatives.com/shop Gaylena’s Garden. View the plant list on Facebook and submit your order via email to gaylenasgarden@ gmail.: https://www.facebook.com/ Gaylenas-Garden-103825317932028/ Ozark Soul. Order via email or phone: natives@ozarksoul.com; 816-809-4062. Please visit www.ozarksoul.com/ozarksoul.php for a current availability list. In your email or voicemail, please include your phone number and note the date and location of event. Forrest Keeling Nursery. Order by calling 800-356-2401 or online: https:// forrest-keeling-nursery.myshopify.com/ Sept. 19th-Oct. 2nd Hillermann Bucks Redemption Days. Redeem your Hillermann Bucks during these days! Match dollar for dollar with real cash, for up to 50% off your purchase (depending on how many you have collected). Use them for in-stock merchandise in the Garden Center,
Nursery, and Greenhouse. See the back of the bucks for rules. October Bucks will be accepted during this time in 2020. October Bucks will expire after the year 2020. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 2601 E. 5th St., Washington, MO. (636) 239-6729, hillermann.com. Sept. 19th 8am-noon—Monarchs at the Meadows. Learn about monarchs and the native plants that host them. Pick up pre-orders from Forrest Keeling Nursery and Missouri Wildflower Nursery (visit their websites to order). Experts from Wild Ones, Missouri Pollinator Network and more. Meadow Circle Dr., South Parking Lot facing Technology Dr. and Hwy. 40., Lake St. Louis, MO. Oct. 2nd 3rd and 4th Noon-8pm Friday, 9am-5pm Sun. and Mon.—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.
Sept. 12th 11am-1:30pm—Missouri Prairie Foundation Native Plant Sale. Pre-
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SEPTEMBER 2020
The Gateway Gardener™
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