The Gateway Gardener April 2016

Gateway Gardener

APRIL 2016

THE

®

Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes

e il m lco affod e W d D ion rl ent o W onv 6-10 C pril . 6 A e pg Se

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Pollinator Pleasing Plants!

Delightful Daffodils 2016 Eco-Product Guide Attracting Hummingbirds FREE Courtesy of:

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The Gateway Gardener™ APRIL 2016

Gateway Gardener THE

®

Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes

APRIL 2016

Volume 12, Number 3

Founded in 2005 by Joyce Bruno & Robert Weaver Publisher and Editor Robert Weaver Columnists

Barbara Perry Lawton Garden Book Author and Garden Writer Connie Alwood Master Gardener Diane Brueckman Rosarian Joyce Driemeyer Master Gardener Molly Rockamann EarthDance Farms Steffie Littlefield Nursery Professional Abby Elliott Nursery Professional Jennifer Schamber Nursery Professional Scott Woodbury Native Plant Specialist Printing: Breese Publishing, Breese, IL The Gateway Gardener® is published 9 times/year by Double Dig Communications, Inc. to promote enjoyable, successful gardening and livable landscapes in the St. Louis greater metropolitan area. The magazine is distributed free to the public at designated garden centers, nurseries, garden gift shops, lawn equipment rental, repair and sales establishments, and other locations supporting sound gardening, lawn and landscaping practices.

Please send letters-to-the-editor, questions, event announcements, editorial suggestions and contributions, photos, advertising inquiries and materials, and any other correspondence to: The Gateway Gardener Magazine® PO Box 220853 St. Louis, MO 63122 Phone: (314) 968-3740

info@gatewaygardener.com www.gatewaygardener.com The Gateway Gardener® is printed on recycled newsprint using environmentally friendly soy-based ink, and is a member of the PurePower® renewable energy resources network.

APRIL 2016

W

From the Editor

ith all the attention paid to monarch butterflies and honeybees in recent years, one might be excused for thinking that all the other busy bees and butterflies out there are doing splendidly, thank you. Sadly that’s not the case.

Long before honeybees were imported to North America to work the orchards and fields, approximately 4,000 species of native bees did that work quite efficiently. Sweat bees, carpenter bees, leafcutter bees, masked bees, mason bees, digger bees and the docile, lumbering bumble bees helped pollinate our flowering ornamental plants and food crops. Today, sadly, they may be even more endangered than the honeybees. Many species have already disappeared, due to pesticides, loss of habitat and disease, according to the St. Louis Zoo’s Center for Native Pollinator Conservation.

Just as gardeners and communities have stepped up in the past few years to recreate habitat to support the monarch migration, so too can we make changes in our landscapes and gardening practices to benefit the native bees and other native insect

Of course pollinating insects are attracted to many types of plants, and they are especially keen on the fragrant species found in the herb garden. Joyce Driemeyer mentions some of her favorites on page 18. And for larger winged pollinators like ruby-throated hummingbirds, Scott Woodbury instructs how to attract them to your garden on page 12.

My personal welcome to our daffodil visitors, with--if my records are accurate-N. ‘Bittern’. pollinators. Jennifer Schamber outlines some programs and practices aimed at helping with this goal on page 8, including a list of 11 native plants and the pollinators they attract (pg. 10).

For more buzz on bees, check out Welcome to the daffodil Project Pollinator, a collaboration enthusiasts, welcome to the among The Missouri Botanical pollinators, and welcome Spring!

Garden’s Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House, the St. Louis Good Gardening!

County Parks Department and the St. Louis County Library System. Visit ButterflyHouse. org/projectpollinator for details.

On the Cover...

With monarchs and honeybees getting all the press, lost in the hoopla has been concern over declining populations of native bees and other native pollinators.

This month we highlight plants to please pollinators. like this black and yellow bumble bee visiting monarda.

See page 8. (Photo courtesy of The St. Louis Zoo, Ed Spevak photo.)

IN THIS ISSUE 4 Delightful Daffodils 6 World Daffodil Convention 8 Pollinator Buffet

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Finally, there will be plenty else abuzz in St. Louis this month, as the Greater St. Louis Daffodil Society welcomes Narcissus lovers from around the world to the Gateway City for the 10th World Daffodil Convention (see page 6). While our warm spring may have pushed the daffodil season past its prime locally, there will still be many beautiful and informative sites for the group to enjoy. We do our part to salute them with our look at daffodils on page 4.

12 14 17 18 19 19 20 22 24 26 28 30

Attracting Hummingbirds Growing A Vegetable Garden Know the Pros Herbs for Fragrance and Pollinators Recipe April Herb Sales Eco Product Guide Making Scents with Roses Hort History: Dintelmann’s Growing Brassicas Dig This Upcoming Events 3

Delightful Daffodils

by Barbara Perry Lawton

Daffodils, bulbs of the genus Narcissus, are native mainly to southwestern Europe. There are many different types of daffodils. There are some 50 to 100 species and, unbelievably, more than 25,000 daffodil cultivars, mostly developed in the British Isles. The Royal Horticultural Society of England has established twelve horticultural divisions of daffodils, based on the physical characteristics of each group. The Dutch are second only to the English in the world’s production of daffodils.

The Daffodil World of St. Louis Here in St. Louis, we are fortunate to have Jason Delaney, an acknowledged daffodil expert, on staff at our Missouri Botanical Garden. Some 20 years ago when he was in high school, Jason visited the Garden and realized that some of the daffodils were mislabeled—his knowledge of daffodils already was impressive. His professional ambitions were born on that

Keep the party going all summer!

visit—and he hoped to correct the Garden’s daffodil collections.

A few years after that, he got an internship at the Garden and, upon completing his degree in horticulture, he was hired full-time. There were fewer than two dozen daffodil varieties when Jason first joined Missouri Botanical Garden.

Today there are about 600, mainly due to his efforts. Now 35, Jason has come a long way—he currently is supervisor of the North Gardens as well as the bulb collection specialist. He began breeding daffodils in 2002 and has a few of exhibition quality in his collection. His finest to date is one dubbed ‘Orpha,’ named for his cat.

Jason Delaney

W

hen the daffodils begin to poke their noses up in our beds and borders, we know the glories of spring will soon be with us. And this spring in St. Louis, April 6 through 10, daffodils will be getting even more than their usual share of attention: The10th World Daffodil Convention is being held in St. Louis and promises to attract daffodil enthusiasts from around the world (see page 6). There will be thought-provoking presentations and tours, all Jason’s ‘Orpha’ with daffodil themes.

Jason has earned his spurs in the daffodil world, having served two terms as president of the Greater St. Louis Daffodil Society, and two terms on the board of the American Daffodil Society. He also was chairman of the 51st annual National Daffodil Convention held in St. Louis in 2005.

The ABCs of Growing Daffodils Growing daffodils ideally begins with a rich loamy soil that drains well and has a pH of about 6.5 to 7.0. The location should be sunny during the blooming season. Choose fat, firm, large bulbs that promise to produce many flowers. You’ll be happy to note that deer and rodents do not eat daffodils.

Ideally, you should plant daffodils in the fall before the first hard freeze.

Planting later probably will result in later blooms as well as shorter stems.

The rule of thumb for planting depth is that you should plant bulbs at a depth that is about three times the height of the bulb. This means that big daffodil bulbs should be planted at a depth of about nine inches. Use a balanced fertilizer such as Bulb Booster or other fertilizers that are formulated especially for bulbs. Follow the directions on the package.

Handy hints: Mark where you plant daffodils so that you don’t dig them up by mistake when planting other ornamentals. Don’t plant daffodils in rows like military formations. Planting them in drifts and swaths is far more effective.

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Jason’s Top Ten Missouri Botanical Garden’s Jason Delaney gave us his 10 favorite daffodils for the St. Louis area, including the Cultivar name, classification and brief attributes.

fragrance.

‘Marieke’ (Trumpet).

Classic golden yellow, thrives in our climate, perennializing better than any other all-yellow trumpet daffodil. Nice

‘Classic Garden’ (Trumpet). Golden-yellow petals and a rich orangered trumpet. Superb perennializer, floriferous, consistent, and showy.

‘Pink Charm’ (Largecupped). Possibly the best commercial “pink” daffodil for St. Louis. Lots of flowers with a rosy-pink ruffled white cup.

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.

‘Ice Follies’ (Largecupped). One of the most widely-grown daffodils. Weatherproof, early, long-lasting, perennial, and strongly floriferous.

classic “pheasant’s eyes” daffodil, or “poet’s daffodil”. Sweetly fragrant, late-flowering, and graceful.

‘Barrett Browning’ (Small-cupped). Early and tall, with creamy white petals framing a brightly colored orange cup.

Strongly perennial and floriferous.

‘Tahiti’ (Double). Soft yellow and red, hands-down the best double daffodil for St. Louis. “blast-resistant”, strongly perennial, and quite floriferous with strong stems.

‘Tweety Bird’ (Cyclamineus). Strongly perennial, floriferous, early, bold, and dramatic.

‘Pink Wonder’ (Split-corona).

Clean “pink” corona against white petals. A bit later to flower; consistent and a strong grower and perennializer. photos courtesy John Scheepers and Van Engelen Bulbs

‘Geranium’ (Tazetta).

Heady fragrance, multiple stems per bulb, multiple florets p e r stem, with cheery white-petaled, orange-cups.

‘Actaea’ (Poeticus) The

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affodil experts and enthusiasts from the world over will meet in St. Louis this month for the 10th World Daffodil Convention.

Held every four years, this year’s global convention is hosted by the Greater St. Louis Daffodil Society, and will introduce visitors to our area’s “rich scientific and botanical history and current global-level leadership in botanical and agricultural research,” according to the organizers.

educational symposium, tours daffodil photography from of our area’s horticultural around the world. The public highlights, and many is invited, and admission is free, on April 7, 1pm-5pm, April 8, 10am-3pm and April 9, 10am-5pm.

opportunities to socialize and share Narcissus notes with The local group has put colleagues. together an enriching “Show Me Daffodils,” the program, including a daffodil daffodil show, will feature cut show, vendor trade show, flowers, floral displays and

Among the full slate of tours, convention guests will have the opportunity to visit Shaw Nature Reserve, the daffodilrich Haeffner Farm and historic Hermann, Missouri, The Missouri Botanical Garden, Jason Delaney’s own daffodil fields in Flora, Illinois, and the horticulturally resplendent Bellefontaine Cemetery. With Mother Nature’s grace, Narcissus and other spring bulbs will be in bountiful bloom at each stop!

Keynote and Symposium speakers feature a collection of notable experts and entertaining storytellers from around the globe.

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ollowing the The first focus in remarkable building the program success of was selecting key Grow Native!’s pollinators to “Monarch Café” feature. The cuckoo lineup of tags bee, featured on the that was released golden groundsel in spring of 2015, (Packera obovata) tag, plans were set for lays its eggs in other the team to build upon the bees’ nests and is known

By Jennifer Schamber concept of purpose-driven to be an indicator of healthy mindfully A public relations landscape plants. Gardeners reports. selected native plants that bee populations. The leaf-cutter campaign was conceptualized to across the country have been would serve as the first course bee cuts small circular pieces of

Bumble Bee on Hydrangea

Carpenter Bee on Aromatic Aster

Baptisia

Mervin Wallace

Cuckoo Bee on Packera

very aware of the decline of the honeybee and Monarch butterfly, but lesser known species of native beneficial insects have been overlooked by most media

help raise awareness about the plight of the pollinator and to help change the public’s relationship with the insect world. The idea of creating a new tag program of

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of the “Pollinator Buffet” was born, and a team of experts was formed in early spring of 2015. Key collaborators that worked with the Grow Native! team included Ed Spevak (Curator of Invertebrates at the St. Louis Zoo), Dave Tylka (a biology professor at St. Louis Community College / Meramec and author of Native Landscaping for Wildlife and People), and Mike Arduser (retired Missouri Department of Conservation Naturalist).

leaves and flowers to make their nests and can be seen as the featured pollinator of slender mountain mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium).

The featured species were chosen to serve as “ambassadors” of the insect world, meaning they are known as generally friendly and nonaggressive when unprovoked.

The second focus of the program was to ensure that bloom cycles of the chosen plants would cover as much of the foraging season as possible. Different NO

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Longhorn Bee on Ironweed

Digger Bee on Zizia Leafcutter Bee on Slender Mtn. Mint

pollinators can be most active at different times of the year and one of the most important foraging periods is in the fall when energy must be built up and reserved to survive the long winter season. If everything in the garden blooms at the same time in the spring and summer, like it magically does in the artist renderings in catalogs, the rest of the year will be barren. This can also ensure proper pollination in nearby edible gardens (your neighbor will certainly thank you for their late season bumper crop of tomatoes).

is recommended to stay on top of controlling the weeds in the area on a monthly basis and delaying cutting back dead foliage until March. It is best to leave foliage and debris throughout the yard in the fall to allow for winter insulation and protection for both the plants and some pollinators. One must also be aware of the usage of pesticides in the area, since many pesticides can be detrimental to pollinator health, especially when misused.

The last main focus of the program was to highlight plants that fit well into an urban environment and have a high aesthetic appeal when used and maintained properly. When incorporated into a thoughtful design, these plants can contribute to a living landscape with nice curb appeal especially when planted en masse.

Pollinators are drawn to large groupings of like plants, so it is important to design in groups of 3 or more. For maintenance, it

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Jennifer Schamber is the General Manager of Greenscape Gardens, and plays leaderships roles in the Western Nursery & Landscape Association, GrowNative!, the Landscape & Nursery Association of Greater St. Louis and the Horticulture Co-op of Metro St. Louis. She has earned Green Profit Magazine’s Young Retailer Award, and Greenscape Gardens was named the National Winner of the 2015 “Revolutionary 100” Garden Centers by Today’s Garden Center Magazine.

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cont. from previous page

Goldenrod

Mervin Wallace

March through the fall growing season. By engaging with these insects we can help build a relationship with them that will help create a brighter future for us all.

Photos Courtesy St. Louis Zoo, Ed Spevak photos, unless noted.

Penstemon

Mervin Wallace

Mervin Wallace

Blazing Star

Scientific Name Baptisia australis

Common Name Blue wild indigo

Common Pollinators Brown-belted bumble bee

Hydrangea arborescens

Wild hydrangea

Eastern bumble bee

Blazing star

Skippers

Monarda fistulosa

Bee balm

Black and yellow bumble bee

Packera obovata

Golden groundsel

Cuckoo bee

Liatris scariosa

Penstemon digitalis

Foxglove beardtongue Two-spotted bumble bee

Pycnanthemum tenuifolium

Slender mountain mint

Leafcutter bee

Showy goldenrod

Halictid bees

Aromatic aster

Carpenter bee

Vernonia arkansana

Curlytop ironweed

Longhorn bee

Zizia aptera

Golden Alexander

Digger bees (and host for black swallowtail)

Solidago speciosa Symphyotrichum oblongifolium

Visit your local independent Grow Native! member garden center to learn more and purchase plants.

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Naturally Natives Get Ready for the Ruby-throated Hummingbird

by Scott Woodbury

I

t pays to look in the right place at the right time and keep a pair of binoculars handy. Recently I witnessed a hummingbird flying back and forth to a spider web near the porch where I sip my morning coffee. It was plucking insects from the web faster than you can say “silk pajamas.” Makes me wonder what in the world was going on. Spiders and hummingbirds have been on Earth together for 22 million years. Over time have they worked out a survival method A feast at royal catchfly is fit for a queen! that benefits both or do can capture hummingbirds. protect spiders from other prey? victimized spiders plot revenge? Do hummingbirds somehow Is there a statute of limitations I’ve read that orb-weaver spiders on stolen goods in the natural FREE

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garden? Does the spider even notice or is she offering gifts?

Things to ponder on the patio over a cup of coffee. The garden never ceases to amaze me.

Hummingbirds have a remarkable ability to extract nectar and pollen from the largest-flowering native plants using a two-inch long tongue.

The tongue can lap nectar 13 times per second. Now that’s humming! Their favorite native plants include trumpet creeper, red buckeye, coral honeysuckle, crossvine, wild bergamot, American aloe and wild columbine. When red buckeye and columbine begin blooming in April it’s time to look for ruby-throated hummingbirds that are returning from central America. Like most people, they prefer bright red and orange flowering plants like copper iris, jewelweed, cardinal flower, Indian pink, and royal catchfly but visit flowers of other colors too. I’ve seen them on Virginia bluebells, giant hyssop, beardtongue, soapweed and garden phlox. Keep in mind, the higher the plant diversity, the higher

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Tips and Resources for Growing and Landscaping with Sustainable Native Plants the wildlife diversity. Why? Native plants attract insects, insects attract birds and many bird species are in decline.

Fortunately ruby-throated hummingbird populations are stable and growing.

in mind is that everything is tiny with hummingbirds so it helps to have good binoculars. I have owned a number of binoculars over the years and have been frustrated looking at wildlife until I discovered the Nikon Monarch binocular. I can see clearly now!

With native plant sales popping up across the region, you won’t have any trouble finding native plants near you. Visit Grow Native! for a plant sale near you and happy gardening ya’ll!

You may be lucky enough to see a nesting hummingbird so Photos courtesy Margy Terpstra. You can enjoy her birding photo it never hurts to prepare. They blog at http://hummerhavenunltd.com/blog. use milkweed, dandelion and thistle seed fluff to line Horticulturist Scott Woodbury is the nests. Mosses and lichens Curator of the Whitmire Wildflower Garden camouflage the outside of at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, This hummer finds interest in the nest cup and sticky spider MO, where he has worked with native plant Virginia bluebells. web strands hold everything propagation, design, and education for together. They even use pine sap to stick the nest to a branch. more than 20 years. He is also an advisor Gardens full of native plant diversity are usually home to garden to the Missouri Prairie Foundation’s spiders so keep an eye on webs. Hummingbirds feed their young GrowNative! program. mosquitos, yes mosquitos! They also feed on gnats, fruit flies, bees, spiders, caterpillars and aphids; all common insects that are attracted to gardens full of native plants. The other thing to keep

A Grow Native! Top 10 List FEATURED CATEGORY:

TOP 10 NATIVE PLANTS TO ATTRACT RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS Plants that attract wildlife • Plants with bright red and orange flowers HEIGHT

1

NATIVE PLANT NAME Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

2

Copper iris (Iris fulva)

2 ft.

Full sun

3

Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) Indian pink (Spigelia marylandica) Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) Red buckeye (Aesculus pavia) Royal catchfly (Silene regia) Trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans) Wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

8–12 ft.

Sun

>30 ft.

Sun/shade

Grows up mature trees, blooms in treetops

1–2 ft.

Shade/ pt. shade Sun/ pt. shade Sun/ pt. shade Sun/ pt. shade Sun/ pt. shade Shade/ pt. shade

Small-scale, clump-forming

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

3 ft.

3–5 ft.

10–15 ft.

3–4 ft. >30 ft.

2 ft

SHADE Sun/ pt. shade

UNIQUE QUALITY Ideal for rain gardens Groundcover, rain gardens Small-scale, clump-forming vine

Butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and songbirds that is!

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Weedy annual, seeds pop, children enjoy Small-scale tree, looses leaves loses leaves earlyearly Requires good drainage, summer bloomer Aggressive suckering, isolate with lawn Tolerant of dry-avg. soil and rock crevices

Note: The plants on this list are not in ranked order.

Grow Native! is a native plant education and marketing program of the

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Why and How to Grow a Vegetable Garden

by Steffie Littlefield

Everyone knows I’m a huge vegetable gardening addict.

From the time I could walk I helped and played in my darling grandmother’s vegetable garden. It was a classic kitchen garden layout of low raised beds bordered by bricks, set at a slant, with crushed stone pathways. It was bordered by white ranchstyle fencing with chicken wire attached at the bottom. The perimeter beds were filled with brambles at the back and cutting flowers along the front with a huge white bent wood arbor over the gate for some of her favorite heirloom roses. Strawberries lined the borders of some of the beds.

That was my sister’s and my responsibility, to pick the juicy red berries.

Some were too good to make it in the basket and were consumed on site. Along the east side of the garden were wooden raised beds with slanted tops of glass—cold frames for starting seedlings and cuttings for the vegetable garden and her many flower beds. Here we tended small marigold plants that we later helped plant along the walk to the

kitchen. All summer we were to pinch the dead flowers off to keep the plants clean and tidy. Every weekend we visited we would “ooh and aah” over the colorful fresh vegetables we helped to harvest. On Sundays we went with her to visit her elderly friends and take them baskets and crates of asparagus, potatoes, tomatoes, squash, peppers, flowers and herbs. It brought so much joy to everyone’s life; who wouldn’t want to make this a lifetime hobby?

As I embarked on my quest to create vegetable and flower gardens big enough to share with friends and family I ran into the same challenges my grandmother might have, which are also those that my gardening friends and clients share. How do we make our gardens efficient and not so much work that we dread going into the garden?

I have followed her example of doing raised beds but even to the next level of filling them with clean compost and worm castings. My

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aisles are also paved with crushed stone to eliminate mowing, and I have studied companion planting theories to make an environment to promote healthy plants and avoid common pests. Through trial and error I have discovered vegetables that are easy and reliable and have eliminated those that are only marginally successful. I have also managed to cultivate a lot of plants that are perennial and therefore do not need to be replanted every season.

g. prin s s i r s th

Ge t

o indo g n i grow

Here is my list of ‘must haves’ in the vegetable garden:

Lettuces—several varieties planted in succession to harvest into late June/early July

Parsnips—which I let go to seed the first year and now they are perennial in my garden Celery—‘Red Venture’ is my favorite, it is fairly winter hardy and easy to sow from seed, few pests French Sorrel—perennial, producing wonderful lemony salad greens even in summer

Rhubarb—perennial if kept from blooming and makes great pies and jellies

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Bok Choy—so easy to start in the garden and so versatile, also rather pest resistant

Sugar snap peas—planted on a fence with beets at the base, then plant cucumbers for summer Okra—pretty flowers, love the young pods for soups, dried stalks for fall decorating Tomatillos—they reseed in my garden and are prolific in the heat of the summer cont. on next page

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cont. from previous page

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Malbar spinach—they reseed on two towers adding height, a delicious summer green for salads Yard long beans—a hearty reseeder that produces right through the heat of summer into fall

Asparagus—perennial, providing years of harvest over two months in spring Sweet potatoes—plant the plants in May and harvest bushels of sweet potatoes to eat all winter Bush beans—Direct sow in late April; green, yellow wax, purple, colorful and good for the soil Tomatoes—plant many varieties since not all will do well every year, plant near asparagus

Peppers—Hot, sweet and mild, red yellow, green and orange, pest resistant, so versatile

Horseradish—perennial, prolific, harvest in November, pest control plant for potatoes Patty Pan Squash—the most insect resistant of the summer squash, fast growing Tiger melons—very heat tolerant and sweet and fragrant squash

Eggplant—loves the heat, loves to be grown near beans for the nitrogen fixing attributes.

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Italian fennel—reseeds, love to cook the greens, sauté the base and the seeds for soups

Leeks—buy the plants, very pest resistant, plant early, harvest in the fall for Thanksgiving

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The Gateway Gardener™ APRIL 2016

Onions—plant the plants for large onions, cut flowers to keep them from producing seeds Shallots/Egyptian onions—these have hearty bulbs on stalks that make them perennial and the greens are great for cut green onions all summer Herbs—dill, basil, cilantro –reseed themselves thyme, oregano, winter savory, sage, lavender—perennial parsley, burnette—biannual

Those who tend even a small one-bed vegetable garden not only can harvest fresh, healthy food but also experience the satisfaction of a successful gardening project and the joy of sharing their plentiful crops.

Steffie Littlefield is a horticulturist and garden designer at Garden Heights Nursery and part-owner of Edg-Clif Farms & Vineyard. She has degrees from St. Louis Community College at Meramec and Southeast Missouri State and is a member of Gateway Professional Horticultural Association and past president of the Horticulture Co-op of Metropolitan St. Louis.

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A Little History…

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Rick Effinger started Effinger Garden Center in 1980 with the help of his mom and some of her homemaker friends. The original operation consisted of one old glass greenhouse, a pick-up truck, and a lawn mower. Rick’s vision, a passion for horticulture, a love of people, and 37 years of hard work helped transform the business from its humble beginnings. Today Rick, his wife Trudy, and a staff of 10 seasonal employees grow a large selection of quality perennials, unique annuals, herbs, flowering shrubs, roses, ornamental trees, water plants, Burpee® vegetables and native plants. All the good stuff!

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The comprehensive selection of PW annuals, perennials and Color Choice® shrubs at Effinger’s. You’ll find three greenhouses full of perennial plants including sun-loving and shade-tolerant perennials. Selection includes peonies, coneflowers, clematis, coral bells, hostas, daylilies and a large assortment of ground covers. Aside from the perennials, customers can browse through another three greenhouses full of the popular and new varieties of 5-inch flowering annuals. Best sellers include geraniums, million bells, lantana, coleus, petunias and elephant ears. Service is supreme at Effingers, including custom potting service—just drop off your pots, pick out your plants and they’ll do the rest!

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The Gateway Gardener™

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Search our website’s membership directory or look for the LNAGSL logo in members’ ads in The Gateway Gardener.

17

The Cornucopia Corner

Gardens for Fragrance..and Pollinators!

By Joyce Driemeyer

W

ith all the media and other emphasis on the need for encouraging pollinators, bees, birds, hover flies and wasps and butterflies, it is a great time to plan on including herbs in your garden or on your patio, even if only in large pots or containers.

One does not have to have a separate herb garden, but think about including herbs among your perennials, or vegetable garden or along pathways and entries. Fragrances emitted by these plants will please both you and nature. Many strongly aromatic plants are repugnant to deer!

and sachets.

Nasturtiums. Both flowers and foliage can be used for flavoring. High in vitamin C. Heliotrope (Heliotrope arborescence ). A must-have for fragrance in the garden.

Popular in Victorian times when it was carried over inside pots.

For pollination and cross fertilization, bees rely on color, they especially love yellow; butterflies rely on heavily perfumed flowers. In my own garden, all blooming herbs seem attractive to bees.

Other than the usual favorites and must-haves like basils, oregano, sages, parsley, chives, rosemary, scented geraniums, here is a list of some less common herbs that I include in my own plantings. Some are annuals or are marketed so for our climate.

Passion flower or ‘May Pop’ (Passiflora incarnate). A favorite vine with lovely sweet-scented flowers of white to lavender or pink centers, blooms late summer and tolerates partial shade. Train on trellis or along a fence. Fruits are edible as are leaves for tea.

Agastache. Flowers and foliage are fragrant. Flowers come in a wide range of color, including pink, red, blue and orange.

Blooms all summer. Try ‘Summer Breeze’, an annual. Bees, birds and butterflies love it; deer do not!

Artemisias. For fragrant foliage, Southernwood and ‘Powis Castle’.

not

flowers.

Try

Salad Burnet (Poterium sanguisorba). Pinnately divided leaves, pinkish flowers, blooms early summer. Young leaves are good in salad, with a cucumber flavor. Try young foliage in yogurt or cream sauce.

Dianthus. Any and all for edging.

Patchouli (Pogostemon patchouli). A real favorite of mine for pots for the patio; tolerant of some shade. Foliage has a wonderful fragrance, and can be dried for use in potpourri 18

Robert Weaver

Honeybees on Sedum

Lavenders of all kinds. Even some of the non-hardy fringed lavenders are a must.

red flowers. Hummers love it!

Pineapple sage (Salvia rutilans.) Blooms late in summer into frost with showy

Sweet Mexican Marigold (Tagetes lucida). Showy yellow flowers. Leaves and flowers have tarragon flavor and can be used as such. Likes hot, dry summers. Can be grown in containers or in ground.

Scarlet Monarda. Used by Oswego Indians for tea; Monarda didyma, also called bee balm because the blooms attracted bees. Blooms June-September in rich woods or semi-wooded areas. Grows to 3-3½ ft., spreads by runners. An infusion of leaves has an orange flavor.

Dittany of Crete (Origanum dictamnus). Loves growing in a hanging container on the patio where it gets mostly morning sun. Blooms with small reddish flowers for months. Visited by hummers.

Sedums. Fall-blooming flowers loved by bees.

Syrian Oregano or Zaatar. A newish plant for Middle Eastern dishes. It is native to the Mediterranean area and is reported to have a mixed spicy mint flavor.

There are many more plants I use that have much fragrant benefit, but these are a few of my favorites.

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™ APRIL 2016

Tips for Growing, Buying and Cooking Fresh, Locally Sourced Food for Your Table Herb Sales in April

If you are interested in herb plant purchases, do not miss the 14th Annual Herb Days sale at Missouri Botanical Garden by the St. Louis Herb Society. They are featuring the Herb of the Year—Peppers— plus a wide variety of basils, lavenders, thymes, and many other herbs available, some of which are uncommon. The sale is open to the public April 29th and 30th from 9am-5pm with a special member’s only sale April 28th from 5-8pm.

Hope to see you there.

Another popular annual herb sale is hosted by the Webster Groves Herb Society on April 30th from 8:30am-2pm at the First Congregational Church in Webster Groves.

There you’ll find thousands of culinary, medicinal and ornamental herbs, heirloom tomatoes and other vegetables, plus herb-related books, demonstrations and lots of helpful herb lovers to answer your questions. For further information visit their website at www.wgherbs.org.

Get a Dose of Nature No Measure. No Mess.

Easy dose Auto fill cap

Of course April offers dozens of plants sales throughout the region, most of which feature herbs among the wide selection of plants. Be sure to check out the Upcoming Events calendar in the back of this issue, and online at G a t e w a y G a r d e n e r. c o m , where updates to the printed version often feature other events that don’t make the print deadline.

Jt’s Fresh Ideas K ale & Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

courtesy www.jocooks.com

½ cup quinoa, dry 1 cup water 2 chicken breasts, chopped small 1 tbsp olive oil salt and pepper to taste ½ tsp ground garlic 4 to 5 cups of kale, chopped very small ¼ cup sunflower seeds ¼ cup golden raisins ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For Lemon Vinaigrette ¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup fresh lemon juice 2 garlic cloves, minced ½ tsp salt ½ tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp honey

Preparation Instructions

Start by combining 1 cup of water with the dry quinoa in a saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium high heat. Cover the saucepan and reduce the heat to low, let it simmer for about 15 minutes until the quinoa is tender. If there’s any water left, make sure you drain the quinoa first.

While the quinoa is cooking, you can prepare the chicken. Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium high heat. Add the chicken pieces, season with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook for about 8 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink but it’s just starting to brown a bit. Remove chicken from skillet and let cool.

chicken, quinoa, sunflower seeds and raisins.

For Lemon Vinaigrette

Whisk together all the ingredients for the lemon vinaigrette in a small bowl. Adjust salt and pepper as necessary.

Pour the vinaigrette over the kale salad and toss really well. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving. recipe courtesy of www.jocooks.com Please share some of your favorite recipes with us.

You can e-mail us at: info@gatewaygardener.com.

I hope you enjoy this salad as much as we do!

Happy Spring!

In a large bowl toss together the kale, cooked

APRIL 2016

The Gateway Gardener™

Jt

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The Gateway Gardener™ APRIL 2016

flower heads of deep pink blossoms attract butterflies and other beneficial insects in vast numbers. Perennial.

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Fox Farm Organic Soils.

Ocean Forest Potting Soil is everything your plants need in one bag. This is a powerhouse blend of premium earthworm castings, bat guano, sea-going fish & crab meal. Happy Frog Potting Soil is alive with beneficial microbes & fungi that help breakdown organic matter and feed the plant roots. $9.9919.99 Worms Way 1225 N. Warson Rd. Saint Louis,MO. 63132 314-994-3900 WormsWay.com

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Kirkwood Gardens 2701 Barrett Station Rd. St. Louis, MO 63021 (314) 966-4840 KirkwoodGardens.com

APRIL 2016

Effinger Garden Center 720 South 11th St. Belleville, IL 62220 (618) 234-4600 EffingerGarden.com

The Gateway Gardener™

Pine Straw Bales. Attractive organic mulch ideal for beds featuring acidic-loving plants like azaleas, hollies, dogwoods and more. Great for garden paths!

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to visit our Gateway Gardener booth at Earth Day events this spring,. The Gateway Gardener is once again proud to serve as a media sponsor for the St. Louis Earth Day Festival in Forest Park, April 24th, 10am-6pm, and also the Riverbend Earth Day Festival April 16th, noon-6pm at Piasa Harbor on the Great River Road in Illinois near Alton.

We will aslo have a booth at the O’Fallon (MO) Garden Expo in Fort Zumwalt Park May 7th from 10am-2pm.

Stop by and say hi or ask your questions on how to practice more sustainable gardening!

21

Making Scents with David Austin Roses

David Austin Roses

by Diane Brueckman

fell by the wayside as well as the variation in form of bloom and growth habit. David Austin started in the 1950s to reverse the trend. In 1961 ‘Constance Spry’ (once-blooming) was introduced, considered a forerunner of the English Rose. ‘Constance Spry’ is a magnificent climber with huge old-fashioned pink blooms with a myrrh fragrance not found in new roses since the 1830s.

David Austin, left.

R

oses are one of the most venerated plants in the world.

For centuries, they have fascinated us with their beauty, fragrance and usefulness as medicinal plants. As modern hybridizers “perfected” the rose by increasing bloom sizes, color range and stem strength, the charm of the old roses was lost.

Fragrance and disease resistance

David Austin became inspired to try his hand at hybridizing while visiting a nursery in Shropshire in England. The owner, James Baker, had introduced many perennials including the Russell Lupines.

While looking for suitable plants to work on, he was given a book on old roses. Austin immediately saw the beauty of the old roses at the same time recognizing their flaws, namely the lack of repeat bloom and no yellow or apricot in the

color palette. Most of the Hybrid Perpetuals (repeat-blooming old roses) did not perform that well and tended to be weak, rather unattractive plants with charming flowers.

Austin’s first crosses were made from old once-blooming roses he found particularly beautiful like ‘Belle Isis’ and ‘Tuscany Superb’.

These old roses were crossed with Floribundas with less- thanspectacular flowers but looked like they would produce good hips, such as ‘Dusky Maid’ and ‘Dainty Maid’. The aim was to produce repeat blooming roses with oldfashioned blooms on a shrubby bush. Disease resistance was not an issue at the time. However, disease resistance is an offshoot of strong healthy plants and that has always been a goal. To David Austin Roses good health goes hand-in-hand with beauty.

In formulating questions for David Austin, I asked about disease resistance. In particular, the RRD (Rose Rosette Disease) problem.

The UK does not have RRD and hopes never to have this horrid disease.

However, the Austin Nursery is sending varieties to Dr. Dave Byrne at Texas A&M for testing.

I visited the Austin Nursery in Shropshire in 2003. It is a heavenly place with gardens containing the English Roses as well as old roses. The test area has row upon row of tiny rose seedlings waiting in the wings for an approving nod from the breeding team. David Austin who turns 90 in February is still an active participant in the development of the English Roses.

Austin has put together a breeding team to supervise the 150,000 crosses made each season and grow out the 250,000 seedlings per year

LET’S GET OUTSIDE Longer days and warmer weather are filling our days with joy and flowers.

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22

The Gateway Gardener™ APRIL 2016

from the resulting seeds. In 8 to 10 years, perhaps 2 to 4 roses from any one year will make the cut. An Austin rose must be as tough as it is beautiful to become an official David Austin English Rose.

David Austin Roses

This year, there are three roses being introduced that are sure to please. One is ‘Olivia Rose Austin’. “Possibly the best rose we’ve ever bred” according to Michael Marriott, technical director and senior rosarian of David Austin Roses in Albrighton,

‘Olivia Rose Austin’ England. This pure pink rose is fragrant and very disease free, and to add to its other charms it blooms a full three weeks earlier than other roses.

The second rose is ‘The Poets Wife’ a rich yellow rose with excellent repeat and disease resistance. As many may know, disease resistance in a yellow rose is rare. Its other attribute is a strong fruity fragrance, in fact it’s

so strong that it has made the list of Most Fragrant English Roses.

The third rose is an equally unusual rose – a repeat-blooming fragrant rambler. Ramblers are a type of climber with flexible canes and rarely have repeat bloom or fragrance. ‘The Lady of the Lake’ (blush pink) is short for a rambler being 10 to 15 feet with excellent repeat and a strong citrus fragrance. This is the perfect rose for climbing trellises, walls, pergolas, even small trees.

A bit of David Austin garden philosophy – “A low maintenance garden is definitely a good thing.

But some garden maintenance is appealing, don’t you think? If there is nothing to do in the garden, it is boring. The major part of the fun of a garden is gardening. Gardeners like to do things in anticipation of what will happen in a few weeks’ or months’ time. Deadheading is a great chance to get close to the roses, looking at the beauty of the flowers and appreciating their fragrance. Planting is all about anticipation of the wonderful blooms that will be produced later in the year.” How true that is.

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.

Celebrating 57 years of growing with you.

Thank you for letting us be your year-round

nursery and garden center!

60 North Gore, Webster Groves 63119 www.rollingridgenursery.com APRIL 2016

The Gateway Gardener™

23

St. Louis Hort History Edited by Robert Weaver

Dintelmann Nursery: 125 Years and Still Growing!

D

intelmann Nursery and Garden Center Inc. has continued a family business for 125 years. The nursery is one of the only three nurseries in Illinois that has remained in the same family for 125 years.

In 1891, Louis F. Dintelmann started Dintelmann Nursery on 80 acres of land owned by the Dintlemann family. Louis began the business by raising and selling fruit trees. As the nursery grew, he added peonies and gladiolas for cut flowers, later selling the plants and bulbs as well. The small business sold mainly to homeowners

24

trees. Henry used mules in the fields instead of horses, claiming horses stepped on the plants.

During the 1940s the nursery expanded its market area to include much of Southern Illinois.

Louis Dintelmann, circa 1916, delivering fruit trees. but in the 1900s he expanded to include retail and wholesale customers.

The nursery continued to grow

and expand. In the 1930s Henry Dintelmann, the nephew of Louis, joined the business.

By 1934 they were growing evergreens, shade and flowering

In 1949 the Dintelmann’s embraced modern technology, replacing the mules with their first tractor and other implements. In 1953, an aging Louis sold the nursery to Henry, and Henry’s son Richard joined the business. 1954 brought larger tractors making both the nursery work and the row crop farming easier and faster. While severe drought and soaring

The Gateway Gardener™ APRIL 2016

temperatures took their toll on the nursery and the farm that year, by 1955 the business rebounded and again was thriving. Henry’s other son, Robert joined the business in 1959, the same year the first hydraulic tree spade was purchased. That tree spade was just the first of many that would keep the nursery moving forward, and moving locations, first to State St. and in 1973 to its present location at 1710 Centerville Ave. in Belleville.

Richard’s two sons Dean and Dale with help from sister Lynn continue to push the business forward. The nursery carries soil, mulch, stone, trees and shrubs, as well as annuals, perennials and bulbs. The store also has a large variety of pesticides and fertilizers, and has grown to include statuary, fountains and a great selection of yard ornaments. Most importantly they offer customers the benefits of 125 years of experience carried down for generations past.

From time to time, The Gateway Gardener recalls a slice of the St. Louis area’s horticultural history and the families that have contributed to it. If you have some photos, memories or other bit of history you’d like to share with us, send them to us at info@gatewaygardener.com or by mail to PO Box 220853, St. Louis, MO 63122. Or call us at (314) 968-3740.

ry e t e m e C e n i a t n Bellefo

’s

nt e v e s r u o h r e t f a An April 13 May 1n1 e 1 Ju

BALLWIN NURSERY

& LANDSCAPE CO.

Family-owned since 1958

Greenhouse NOW OPEN!

West County’s #1 Nursery!

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636-394-7776

BALLWIN NURSERY 112 OLD BALLWIN RD.

Mon-Fri 8-7 Sat 8-6 • Sun 9-5

located behind Elco Chevrolet wwwballwinnurseryandlandscape.com

APRIL 2016

Enjoy delicious wines and hors d'oeuvres as you walk through Wildwood Valley Gardens on the grounds of St. Louis’s most historic cemetery and arboretum. Hear stories of famous (and infamous!) St. Louisans from our master guides, all as you sip and stroll. Hosted by the Friends of Bellefontaine Cemetery.

The Gateway Gardener™

T I C K E T S A VA I L A B L E AT

www.bellefontainecemetery.org/events 25

Successfully Growing Brassicas

By Brigitte Zettl

B

rassicaceae is a plant family with popular spring garden members including broccoli, kale, collards, radish, and cabbage. Brassicas are super foods high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and the cancer-fighting sulfur compound isothiocyanate.

Avid gardeners must take care to meet the special requirements of brassicas, or risk disappointment at harvest time! Species in this family generally have high nutrient requirements, and are quite susceptible to pests. As with any cool-season crop, timing is important since they languish and bolt under the strain of high midsummer temperatures. Despite being a bit more challenging to grow, their nutritional value and excellent flavor make brassicas an indispensible addition to a proper vegetable garden!

Planting

The spring planting window for this family is from mid-March though late April when daytime temperatures average 50 degrees. Use transplants in the garden where possible, since mature plants have a better chance for survival. Root crop brassicas like turnips are the exception, and seeds

Lets get ready to plant, plant, plant!

Find everything you need to make your gardens beautiful!

are sown directly into the garden. Heading and crowning species like cabbage and broccoli prefer full sun, while the leaf and root cole crops such as kale and turnip develop well in part or full sun. All benefit when shaded from western exposure. To transplant, harden off for several days, then bury stems below the soil line up to just below the bottom of the first leaves. Space appropriately, leaving 12”-24” between plants depending on the species. After transplanting, water well and cover plants immediately with floating row cover.

Culture

Compared to many vegetables brassicas are heavy feeders. They require fertile growing medium rich in organic matter, which can be achieved by amending garden soil with compost. Three weeks after planting, top-dress the soil around plants with granular organic fertilizer. Follow up every 3 weeks with a liquid organic fertilizer such as fish emulsion.

Broccoli and cauliflower especially are not likely to form crowns without a strict fertilization schedule. 1”–1.5” of water should be applied weekly by drip irrigation.

Pest Control

Row cover goes a long way toward avoiding a pest invasion, especially from flea beetles. Cabbageworms are the most pervasive brassica pest.

White moths hatch solid green caterpillars that chew large curved holes in the leaves. Once present these are sprayed weekly with a Bacillus thurgenensis product to control. Aphids tend to be a minimal problem for healthy mature plants. Spraying them with soapy water while brushing them off with your fingers and holding back on fertilizer applications reduces populations. Harlequin beetles are a more serious threat.

Watering the soil with neem or spraying the ground with Beauveria bassiana spores early in the season kills beetles in their larval stage. If adults are present the only thing to do, provided you don’t want to slowly kill yourself with synthetic pesticides, is pick them off by hand and drop them into soapy water. Wireworms can ruin brassica root crops, and mustard is interplanted as prevention. If overhead watering is avoided and spacing allows good airflow, diseases are not likely to trouble these plants. If fungal infection does occur, spray plants with baking soda and water, neem, or horticultural oil.

Brigitte Zettl is a horticulturist, farmer & herbalist working to facilitate civic sustainability with botanical medicine and agricultural education. She is the founder and manager of Crown Valley Organics.

We carry a large selection of grow native perennials.

Perennials in quarts and gallon size.

Full selection of shrubs, trees, planters, soils, mulches, rock, garden yard ornaments, birdbaths, benches & a whole lot more.

Landscape Consulting Services

Visit us today!

Landscape Planning & Design Custom Plant Growing

1 11530 Gravois St Louis, MO 63126 (314) 843-4700 www.sappingtongardenshop.com

26

Annuals, Perennials, Tropicals, Cacti, Bonsai, Succulents & More!

5130 Mexico Road St. Peters, MO 63376 (636)-244-5533 www.annsgandg.com

The Gateway Gardener™ APRIL 2016

find out how trees reduce stress - www.TREESWORK.org APRIL 2016

The Gateway Gardener™

Trees Work_Rural Missouri 9.875x13.5 Ad_05_2013.indd 1

5/16/13 7:50 AM

27

Dig This!

Gateway Gardeners and Businesses in the News Community College Earns Community Honor

The Webster Groves-Shrewsbury-Rock Hill Chamber of Commerce bestowed its annual “Heart of the Community Awards” to several groups recently. Among those honored was the St. Louis Community CollegeMeramec Horticulture Department. The Horticulture Department, led by coordinator and associate professor Jerry Pence, was recognized for an urban farming project called the Meramec Urban Farm Initiative.

Produce grown organically on the campus is sold to the campus cafeteria and to students and staff at a campus farm stand. Produce is also given to the campus Brown Bag program, which provides lunches to lowincome students. The Horticulture Department was also recognized for other sustainable landscaping practices, including installations of native plants, rain gardens and pollinator/butterfly gardens.

National Magazine Highlights Local Wildlife Landscape The April 2016 issue of BirdWatching magazine featured five “Bird-Friendly Yards” from across the U.S., including among them the home landscape of Kirkwood residents Dan and Margy Terpstra (who frequently—including in this issue—provide bird photos to The Gateway Gardener). All five yards were chosen from recommendations submitted by local Wild Ones chapters of the national native

landscaping organization. The Terpstra landscape, which they have named “Shady Oaks” is a Certified Monarch Waystation, St. Louis Audubon Society Gold Level Bring Conservation Home landscape, and National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat. The article describes how the Terpstra’s removed 8,000 sq. ft. of invasive shrubs and vines, replacing with, or allowing dormant, native trees, shrubs, perennials and groundcovers to fill in. An avid birder, Margy has recorded 147 bird species in their yard.

Grow Native! Workshop Draws Packed House

The Grow Native!

Southwestern Illinois Event Committee hosted nationally renowned award-winning author Doug Tallamy recently during a workshop at the N.O. Nelson Campus of Lewis and Clark Community College in Edwardsville. Tallamy spoke to a sold-out audience of 300 about the importance of native plants for attracting pollinators and supporting the food web in our landscapes.

Tallamy’s humorous and informational presentation focused on the life and struggles of the chickadee and other birds requiring caterpillars and other invertebrates to feed their young – and these insects are almost exclusively found on native trees and plants. If there are no native trees or plants, these birds struggle to survive.

The workshop also featured remarks from Edwardsville Mayor Hal Patton and Lewis and Clark Community College President Dr. Dale Chapman, a panel of native plant practitioners moderated by Jean Ponzi, and a fast-paced series of presentations on successful native plant projects around the region. For more information about the 16-year-old Grow Native! program, visit www. grownative.org. For more information about the Missouri Prairie Foundation, visit www.moprairie.org.

One-stop shopping for the greatest varieties of herbs, heirloom tomatoes and vegetables for your garden!

Annual Spring Herb Sale Saturday April 30, 2016 8:30-2:00

First Congregational Church of Webster Groves, MO (at Lockwood & Elm) FREE admission, plenty of parking!

WEBSTER GROVES HERB SOCIET Y

• Thousands of culinary, medicinal, and ornamental herbs, heirloom tomatoes and vegetables • Books, recipes and herb growing advice

www.wgherbs.org 28

The Gateway Gardener™ APRIL 2016

Parkview Gardens Florist & Greenhouses

Open Mon - Fri 8:30-5:30 Sat 9-5 Sun (April 10 - June 26) 11-3

We grow Fabulous Flowers in our own Greenhouses!

Stand Up and Garden on your Balcony or Deck

FLOWERS

See Displays at: Greenscape Gardens 2832 Barrett Station Rd. 63021 314.255.1845

FOOD

Outdoor Living, Inc. 845 S. Holmes 63122 618.334.2504

$5.00 OFF

any Greenhouse Purchase of $50.00 or more

Cannot be combined with any other discounts or promotions.

One per customer please.

(Expires April 30, 2016)

1925 Randolph Street St. Charles, MO 63301

(Opposite Blanchette Park)

636-946-7641 www.parkviewgardens.com/

(FORMERLY GILBERG’S PERENNIAL FARM)

grand opening april 1st NATIVES PERENNIALS TREES

SHRUBS ANNUALS SUCCULENTS

BAGGED MULCH, POTTING SOIL, COMPOST, TOPSOIL, VINTAGE GOODS BY JO TYRELL & MORE!

2906 OSSENFORT ROAD • WILDWOOD, MISSOURI 63038 PAPILLONPERENNIALS.COM

APRIL 2016

The Gateway Gardener™

29

Upcoming Events Meetings, Classes, Entertainment and More

projects they do themselves. For the Garden

by Haefner’s, 6703 Telegraph Rd., (314) 8460078.

Updates to this information are often posted on our online events calendar at www.

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 the June issue is May 1st.

11am-2pm—First Saturday Kids–Bring the kids by to plant a marigold/zinnia Butterfly Garden - $5.00 fee. Make a butterfly plant marker - FREE. Please call to RSVP for the Butterfly Garden activity. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www.hillermann. com.

How to reach us: Mail: PO Box 220853, St. Louis, MO 63122 Email: info@gatewaygardener.com GARDEN CLUBS AND PLANT SOCIETY MEETINGS Interested in Joining a Garden Club or Plant Society? We have meeting dates, locations and contact information on more than 50 area garden clubs on our website at www.

GatewayGardener.com. Don’t have access to the internet? Just call us at (314) 968-3740, or write us at PO Box 220853, St. Louis, MO 63122, and we’ll get the information to you. So share your joy for gardening and join a garden club or favorite plant society today!

FUN FOR KIDS April 2nd 9am—Fun 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

THE PLANT SALE IS COMING! ANNUALS

PERENNIALS

NATIVES

VEGETABLES

April 28 & 29 8 to 6 11333 Big Bend Rd St. Louis, 63122 West Parking Lot K Cash or Check

Presented by Horticulture Club Fall Class Registration Begins April 13 PLEASE JOIN US!

30

GARDEN TOURS, PLANT SALES AND SHOWS April 16th 9am-noon—Boone Country Garden Club Plant Sale. Choose from a large selection of perennials, annuals, herbs, and vegetables -grown by garden club members. This year’s plant sale is one component of the St. Charles County Earth Day celebration in Broemmelsiek Park, located in Defiance, MO, off Highway DD. April 16th-17th 9am-5pm—Metropolitan St. Louis African Violet Council 61st Annual Show and Sale.

Horticulture-Design exhibits, educational culture info and supplies for African violets, Streptocarpus and other gesneriads. Missouri Botanical Garden, Orthwein Hall, 4344 Shaw Blvd.

April 21st-22nd “Elements and Principles of Design Using Flowers” Flower Show. Garden Club flower show, arrangements and horticulture exhibits.

Community of Christ Church, 830 N. Kirkwood Rd., Kirkwood, MO. Free to public.

April 23rd 10am-2pm—Seven Pines Garden Club Plant Sale. Annuals, vegetables. Swimming pool grounds in Seven Pines subdivision, Maryland Heights/Creve Coeur area. Rain date April 24th.

April 23rd-24th 9am-5pm—St. Louis Horticulture Society Plant Sale. New cultivars and old favorites are shown and sold by the area’s top growers, who are on hand to give plant care advice and share information about their organization. Missouri Botanical Garden.

9:30am—Olivette in Bloom Native Plant Sale. Native plants at great prices until sold out! Get there early! Stacy Park Pavilion (Old Bonhomme Rd. just south of Olive in Olivette.) www.olivetteinbloom.org.

April 28th-29th 8am-3pm—Spring Flower Sale. Plus flea market and boutique with handmade items.

Intersection of Hwy 28 and 1st St., Owensville, MO. 8am-6pm—St. Louis Community College, Meramec Horticulture Club Plant Sale.

Annuals, perennials, vegetables, native and pollinator plants. Cash or check. Parking Lot K, 11333 Big Bend, Kirkwood.

April 28th-30th Herb Days. Choose from a wide selection of potted fresh herbs, including new and hardto-find varieties. Herb Society members will give demonstrations and guidance on selecting, planting, growing and using herbs. Included with Garden admission or membership.

Members Only sale 5-8pm on Thursday. Friday and Saturday doors open to the public 9am-

5pm at the MBG Orthwein Floral Display Hall.

April 30th 8:30am-2pm—Webster Groves Herb Society Spring Herb Sale. Huge varieties of quality herbs, heirloom vegetables and pollinator plants!

Herb-related books, demonstrations and member availability to answer your questions. No admission charge and great parking. Proceeds help the society support and maintain several gardens plus provide scholarships to local horticulture students. First Congregational Church of Webster Groves, 10 W. Lockwood. Free admission and parking.

8am-1pm – 5th Annual Lincoln County Master Gardener Plant Sale. Plants of many varieties available, plus garden art. Troy, MO, at the Valvoline Express Care, 47 The Plaza .

Rain date May 7th.

9am-noon—St. Charles Garden County Plant Sale. Vegetables, Missouri natives, annuals, herbs, perennials, seeds and more.

University of Missouri Extension, 260 Brown Rd., St. Peters, MO. Call 636-970-3000 for directions and info.

8-11am.—St. Clair County Garden Club Plant Sale. Milkweed plants and seeds, along with annuals, perennials and shrubs. Schnuck’s Plaza in front of Wild Birds Unlimited, Hwy. 159, Swansea, IL. April 30th-May 1st 9am-2pm Sat., 11am-1pm Sun.—U. City in Bloom’s Annual Plant Sale. Perennials, annuals, native and wildlife-attracting plants, culinary herbs and vegetables. (Opening Night Party and Plant Sale April 29th, 5-7:30pm. $20 donation, includes wine, cheese and snacks.

Reservation required.) Heman Park Community Center, 975 Pennsylvania Ave., University City.

UCityinBloom.org, 314-973-6062.

COMING MAY 6TH or 7th—Plant Sales hosted

by The Twenty-Five Gardeners, Central Missouri Master Gardeners, Kirkwood Garden Club, Lakeview Garden Club, Kress Farm Gardens Preserve, St. Louis Master Gardeners, Mississippi Valley Garden Club, Webster Groves Women’s Garden Association and Shaw Wildflower Market.

More information in the May issue calendar.

CLASSES, LECTURES AND EVENTS April 1st 9am-5pm—Arbor Day Tree Giveaway. The Kemper Center for Home Gardening will give away Missouri native tree saplings. Tree saplings will be distributed on a first-come, first served basis, one per visitor while supplies last.

Master gardeners will answer questions and give advice on planting trees. While supplies last. Missouri Botanical Garden. Included with Garden admission. www.mobot.org or call 314577-5100.

Papillon Perennials Grand Opening.

2906 Ossenfort Rd., Wildwood, MO. PapillonpPerennials.com.

April 2nd 10am—Garden Kick off. Stephanie from Bailey Nurseries talks on rose plants. Rage Roses FREE to the first 200 Garden Club Members attending. Cupcakes to celebrate our 65th Anniversary! Garden Club Specials available. The 65th Anniversary block display will be unveiled. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www.hillermann.com.

April 2nd-3rd

9am-5pm—Meet Me (Outdoors in St. Louis Garden Weekend. The Garden re-opens the popular perennial experiences for 2016 - the Doris I. Schnuck Children’s Garden, Tower Grove House, and tram rides! In addition, celebrate the grand re-opening of the recently renovated Brookings Center, and the debut of the new PlantLab, a greenhouse-like learning space for hands-on plant science and stewardship. Missouri Botanical Garden.

April 6th-10th World Daffodil Convention. See page 6 for details.

April 7th 5:30pm—Bring Conservation Home. Learn how this program of the St. Louis Audubon Society can help you enrich your landscape with native plants to improve animal habitat for even the smallest urban landscapes.

Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 965-3070.

5-7pm—Ladies’ Night Out - (5:00 - 7:00 pm) Just for the Girls! Vendor booths, samples and demonstrations including container and mini gardens during the event. Spring Wreath MakeN-Take workshop at 5pm - $40.00 fee - limit 20 people (sign up when you RSVP). Please call 636-239-6729 to RSVP by 4/4/16. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www. hillermann.com.

April 9th 10am—Easy Landscape Design. Free.

Hands on workshop with one-on-one advice.

Bring photos, pictures and sketches. Effinger Garden Center, 720 South 11th St., Belleville, IL. (618) 234-4600, effingergarden.com.

April 9th Noon-1pm—Organic Gardening Simplified.

Join Brigitte Zettl of Crown Valley Organics for a practical approach to growing fruits and vegetables organically. Then, from 1-2pm— The Edible Landscape. Briggite will describe how to integrate edibles with more ornamental plants for a beautiful landscape that also works for you. Frisella Nursery, frisellanursery.com/ events, 636.798.2555.

9am-noon—Bark for Life and Safe Paws Event. Fun activities for your dogs and you.

Vendor booths, training demos and a Silent Auction. $10 entry fee includes a t-shirt, goody bag and activities. All proceeds benefit Relay for Life of Franklin County. Contact Rhonda Mueller at washmoblf@gmail.com for more information. One FREE Dogwood tree seedling per person will be given away, while supplies last. Tips to keep pets safe outdoors. Bring dog treats for a collection to mail shoeboxes to military dogs across seas. Monarch Café open 10:30-2. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636239-6729, www.hillermann.com.

April 12th 5:30pm—Landscaping with Missouri Native Plants. Learn how you can ditch the lawnmower, watering system, fertilizer spread and leaf blower, while attracting more birds and butterflies in your garden. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood.

FREE. April 13th Sips, Souls & Strolls. Enjoy wines and hors d’oevres as you walk the grounds of St. Louis’ most historic cemetery and arboretum. Hear stories of famous and infamous St. Louisans from master guides. Hosted by Friends of Bellefontaine Cemetery. Tickets available at www.bellefontainecemetery.org/events.

5:30pm—Successive Blooms.

Learn techniques and plants needed to keep your garden blooming spring till fall. Sugar Creek

The Gateway Gardener™ APRIL 2016

Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood.

FREE. Call (314) 965-3070 for reservations.

April 14th 5:30pm—Growing Under Trees. Learn how to garden under your trees without damaging them. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. 1-4pm—Native Plant School: Gardening with Native Groundcovers. 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. For reservations or more information, call (636) 451-3512 x0 or visit ShawNature.org.

April 15th Celebrating 60 Years of Japanese Flower Arranging in St. Louis. Demonstration of floral arrangements, exhibit of Ikebana designs, and Japanese style lunch. $10. For reservations call (314) 821-2498. Community of Christ Church, 830 N. Kirkwood Rd., Kirkwood, MO.

Noon-6pm—Riverbend Earth Day Festival.

Live Music, entertainment, local food vendors, artisans market and environmental information.

Visit us at The Gateway Gardener Booth! Free admission. Piasa Harbor, Great River Road /Rt. 100, Illinois.

April 17th 11am—Miniature Gardening: Fairy Plants, Succulents and Bonsai. Free. Hands-on workshop right in the greenhouse. Effinger Garden Center, 720 South 11th St., Belleville, IL. (618) 234-4600, effingergarden.com.

April 19th 5:30pm—Abby’s Favorite Plants. Sugar Creek Gardens owner Abby Elliott shares her favorite perennials, shrubs and annuals.

Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. April 20th 10am—Plants That Work. Learn about the plants that have been found to be most beautiful, tough and long lived. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE.

April 15th-17th The Potted Plant Grand Opening Event.

Details at www. pottedplant.net. 1257 St. Peters Cottleville Rd., St. Peters (Behind Silky’s).

636-447-9000.

April 21st 5:30pm—Vegetable Gardening 101. Learn the best vegetable gardening techniques and varieties to give you a scrumptious, bountiful harvest. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE.

April 16th 10am—The Queen and her Court. Free.

Learn about honeybees, honey and other products of the Hive. Effinger Garden Center, 720 South 11th St., Belleville, IL. (618) 2344600, effingergarden.com.

April 21st-24th Stark Bro’s Customer Appreciation Days.

Celebrate their 200th anniversary with free gifts, save on products, door prizes, live radio broadcasts, live music and more. West Georgia St., Louisiana, MO. 573-754-3113.

10am-Noon—Rose Pruning Demo. Gardeners of Florissant and The Rose Society of Greater St. Louis are hosts. Bring hand pruners, bucket to collect your clippings. Call 314-521-6824 for info. Florissant Civic Center Rose Garden, 1 James J. Eagan Dr., Forissant.

April 23rd 1 – 2pm—Solving Lawn Problems. Turf expert Matthew Keeven of Emerald View Turf Farm talks about how to diagnose some of the more prevalent lawn troubles in the Midwest.

Frisella Nursery, frisellanursery.com/events, 636.798.2555.

9am-noon—Morning with Missouri Native Plant Expert. Members of Wild Ones Natural Landscapers will be on hand to answer questions and share their knowledge of Missouri native plants and landscaping with environmentally healthy and sustainable natives. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood.

FREE. Dogs and Blooms Pre-Show Analysis and Workshop. Show planners from the East Central District will hold a Pre-show Analysis of the Dogs and Blooms schedule requirements for design and horticulture entries, and a handson workshop targeted to novice designers.

Sessions are free but advance registration for the hands-on workshop and a $10 materials fee is required. Garden club members and any other interested persons welcome. For information or to register, contact Alice Koritta, (618) 7262100, alyssum49@aol.com, before April 10.

10am, 12pm, and 2pm—Garden Planter Design. Planters are no longer just for annuals.

Join us for a discussion on designing garden planters and the recent trends of incorporating perennials, succulents and other plants into them. Frisella Nursery, frisellanursery.com/ events, 636.798.2555.

10am-2pm—Equipment Center Demo Day. Test-drive and find the mower that is right for you, and check out all of the handheld power tools to make your outdoor jobs a breeze. Enter for a chance to win a STIHL FS56 Trimmer.

Plus grilled grub from the Outdoor Kitchen!

Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www.hillermann.com.

APRIL 2016

9am-noon—Arbor Day Event. Hosted by U City in Bloom. A family oriented event, tree planting with expert instruction from Jesse Gilbertson. Majerus Park, Partridge and Raymond Avenues.

10am-3pm—Earth Day & Monarch Café Event. The City of Washington Parks Department will host kid’s events with help from local girl scouts. Monarch Butterfly talk at 10am. – pollinator garden design given away.

Kids story time at 10:30, 11:30; 12:30 & 1:30.

Mayor’s Pledge at 11am. See the Pollinators Bees & Bats talk 1-2pm. Informational booths from various groups. Mulching demos and more. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-2396729, www.hillermann.com.

8:30am-2pm—Community Gardens Workshop. Discussion includes site selection, soil amendments, vegetable production, disease and pest management, harvesting techniques and much more. For groups starting a community gardening or existing community gardeners. University of Illinois Extension Office, 1 Regency Plaza Drive, Collinsville, IL. Registration $25 includes lunch. Register online at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/mms or call 618-344-4230.

April 23 & 24 Earth Day Celebration at Sappington Garden Shop. Poker Chip Discount Days, free saplings, popcorn, and Hootie’s Rescue Haven Pet Adoption! 11530 Gravois Rd. St. Louis, 63126. Call (314) 843-4700. rd

th

10am-6pm—St. Louis Earth Day Festival.

Celebrate National Earth Day at Forest Park. Learn about sustainable products and services offered by local businesses and organizations, meet area non-profits that share Earth Day values, catch local musical acts and performance art, participate in a number of hands-on educational activities, and enjoy diverse cuisine featuring local, organic, vegetarian, and vegan options. Event entry is free. Visit us at The Gateway Gardener Booth!

snacks, door prizes, free plants w/purchase, plus talk on Dazzling Containers at 5:30pm.

Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE.

April 26th or 28th Girls Night Out Planting Party. Ladies will put together their own Night Light Planters.

Refreshments included. $30. Call (314) 8434700 to RSVP. Sappington Garden Shop, 11530 Gravois Rd.

April 30th 8am-4pm—Customer Appreciation Day at Chesterfield Valley Nursery. It gets bigger every year! There is no better time to come in and see all the beautiful plants this spring. Bring your family for fun activities, see new product lines, and tour the nursery. Enjoy refreshments from the Outdoor Kitchen, and take advantage of the best savings of the year on stock plants, trees, shrubs, and new arrivals. See you there!

Chesterfield Valley Nursery, 16825 N. Outer 40 Rd., Chesterfield. (636) 532-9307.

April 26th 5:30pm—Dazzling Containers for Entrance Ways, Patios and Gardens. Learn creative combinations of plants, colors and textures to amaze your family and friends. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood.

FREE. April 27th 10am—Make & Take Container Workshop and Class. Experts help you put together fabulous pots while learning creative combinations of plants, colors and textures.

Bring a contain to plant or purchase one at the store. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. April 28th 5-7:30pm— Make & Take Container Party.

Experts help you put together fabulous pots while learning creative combinations of plants, colors and textures. Bring a contain to plant or purchase one at the store. Free wine, punch and

April 29th, 30th and May 1st Customer Appreciation Days at Dintelmann’s Nursery. Celebrate Dintelmann’s 125th Anniversary and register to win plants and other prizes. 1710 Centreville Ave., Belleville, IL 62220. Call 618-233-4638.

May 21st 8 am--Franklin County Master Gardener Garden Symposium. Learn design, growing, pruning and maintenance tips for a beautiful garden. $25 for 4 classes. East Central Training Center, Bldg. 7 on Audrey Lane, Union, MO. Registration deadline is May 1st. To register, call (573) 459-2454 or online at extension. missouri.edu/franklin, or pick up forms at Hillermann Nursery & Florist or Washington Public Library.

Shaw Wildflower Market for greener gardens!

At Shaw Nature Reserve • Gray Summit, MO

Saturday, May 7th 9am-4pm

Free for members $5 for non-members www.shawnature.org 636-451-3512

Po l Yo He linat ur ad or qu Pl art an ers t !

April 24th

The Gateway Gardener™

31

Get inspired this Spring to grow something DELICIOUS

Special thanks to Hunters Ridge Berry Farm and Cheryl Hughey for the use of their photos grown in our compost.

Visit St. Louis Composting’s six area locations for the largest selection of STA-certified compost, mulch products and soil blends.

BELLEVILLE, IL

5841 Mine Haul Road 618.233.2007

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, MO Schaefer Road Visit11294 us online at www.stlcompost.com 314.423.9035

VALLEY PARK, MO

ST. LOUIS, MO

39 Old Elam Avenue 636.861.3344

560 Terminal Road 314.868.1612

PACIFIC, MO

FLORISSANT, MO

18900 Franklin Road 636.271.3352

13060 County Park Road 314.355.0052

Celebrating 25 years in business in 2016!

Visit us online at www.stlcompost.com 32

ENRICHING THE SOIL NATURALLY SINCE 1992

The Gateway Gardener™ APRIL 2016