The Gateway Gardener April 2013

Gateway Gardener

APRIL 2013

THE

速

Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes

Magnificent Magnolias!

From Our Native Giant to Beautiful Cultivars

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‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’

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Gateway Gardener THE

®

Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes

APRIL 2013

Volume 9, Number 3

Publisher Joyce Bruno Editor Robert Weaver Columnists

Barbara Perry Lawton Garden Book Author and Garden Writer Connie Alwood Master Gardener Ellen Barredo Bowood Farms Diane Brueckman Rosey Acres Joyce Driemeyer Master Gardener Cindy Gilberg Landscape Design Mara Higdon Gateway Greening Glenn Kraemer G. R. Robinson Seed Co. Printing: Breese Publishing, Breese, IL The Gateway Gardener® is published monthly by Double Dig Communications, Inc. to promote enjoyable, successful gardening and livable landscapes in the St. Louis greater metropolitan area. The magazine is distributed free to the public at designated garden centers, nurseries, garden gift shops, lawn equipment rental, repair and sales establishments, and other locations supporting sound gardening, lawn and landscaping practices.

Please send letters-to-the-editor, questions, event announcements, editorial suggestions and contributions, photos, advertising inquiries and materials, and any other correspondence to: The Gateway Gardener Magazine® PO Box 220853 St. Louis, MO 63122 Phone: (314) 968-3740 Fax: (314) 968-4025

info@gatewaygardener.com www.gatewaygardener.com

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.

I

From the Editor

t’s always risky to put projections down in print, but I’m going to go out on a limb and predict this will a beautiful spring for magnolias. In recent years, early mild weather has coaxed saucer and star magnolias into early and subsequently tragic blooms as late frosts turned their artwork to brown mush. This spring, though, has given us a throwback to more traditionally seasonal cool temps (as illustrated by the lateMarch, still-full-flowering witch hazel in this picture), keeping those sensitive magnolia buds tightly tucked away. My hope is they’ll be out in their splendor just as the Magnolia Society International convenes its 50th Annual Conference right here in our fair city.

It is to welcome them that we dedicated the cover and several pages in this issue to the glory and diversity of magnolias. In putting the features together on pages 4-8, and tapping the knowledgeable resources of Barbara Perry Lawton and area tree experts, I’ve learned a lot about the genus Magnolia. I knew, for example, that Missouri

has its own native magnolia, the cucumber magnolia (M. acuminata), but didn’t realize that it serves as a parent for many beautiful hybrids, especially the popular, newer yellow-flowering cultivars such as ‘Yellow Bird’ and ‘Butterflies’, and the creamy ‘Elizabeth’ pictured on our cover.

I’m constantly learning new things in my role as wrangler of the monthly accumulation of professional contributions found in each issue of The Gateway Gardener. Elsewhere in this issue, I’ve been introduced to many great new annuals for containers and borders (pg. 20).

I’ve seen some in press releases and other outlets, but it’s always fascinating to see what excites

On the Cover...

We wanted to welcome the Magnolia Society International to St. Louis this month with a cover photo of our native cucumber magnolia, but couldn’t find an suitable photo. So we chose the next best thing, a hybrid magnolia crossed between our M. acuminata and the Yulan magnolia (M. denudata). This one is ‘Elizabeth’ a beautiful cream-flowering cultivar.

See more magnolias on page 6. (photo courtesy Monrovia)

FEATURES 6 Magnolia Shapes and Colors 16 Gardening Under Trees 20 New Annuals 22 Compost Awareness Week

the area garden center pros in their research. While many gardeners may take the winter off from plants, these horticultural hounds spend the dreary months attending conferences, trade shows and other events throughout the country, learning about the newest, most exciting plant introductions—then culling them down to the best and only those inclined to perform well in the St. Louis region.

Performing well in the St. Louis area is what I hope the magnolias will do this month. Not only will it save my reputation as a prognosticator in the first paragraph, but, as I write this on a cold and snowy St. Patrick’s Day, it will mean that the warm weather has welcomed the magnolia lovers to St. Louis, and blessed the rest of us already here. Happy spring, and Happy Earth Day!

Good Gardening!

24 2013 Eco-Products Guide 29 Veggies with Super Powers DEPARTMENTS 4 Magnificent Magnolias 8 Native Herbal Shrubs 10 Eat Your Weedies 12 Northern Invaders--Crossbills 14 New Perennials 15 April is Safe Digging Month 18 Rose Bed Preparation 26 Sensible Lawn Care 27 Housplant Trends 28 Dig This 30 Upcoming Events

M

Magnificent Magnolias

by Barbara Perry Lawton

David Sherwood

agnolias are prized for their The Right Magnolias For You showy fragrant flowers in There are magnolias suitable for Southern Magnolia shades of white, yellow, temperate zones that have cold winters, ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ pink, red and purple. There are more especially if they have protection than 200 species of magnolia shrubs from harsh winter winds. Magnolias and trees native to temperate, tropical prefer full sun to light shade. Our and subtropical regions. A number summer days are often blisteringly hot; have become so popular that they are therefore you should shelter magnolias grown throughout much of the world. from afternoon sun. Since magnolia Some magnolias are evergreen with branches are notoriously brittle and the foliage that is leathery and glossy, often large flowers are easily damaged, be with nappy gold to brown hairs on sure to protect them from strong winds. the undersides. Others are deciduous.

Although magnolias are fairly Some are evergreen in more southern adaptable to most soils—loam, sand or locations, deciduous where winters clay—they will thrive on slightly acid are cold. Below is an overview of the soils that are moist and well draining. types of magnolias popular in our area.

Most of these are not plants for wet or For specific recommendations, see the poorly draining soils. When shopping companion article on page 6. Also, our Missouri Botanical Garden for magnolias, note that you would be wise to plant deciduous is an ideal location for studying magnolias to see what you like and species when they are dormant. Evergreen magnolias are best if they grow well in our region. Check the MBG website (www. planted in early spring. These are guidelines only. Containerized mobot.org) for more details on various magnolia species and plants may be planted successfully just about any time you can work cultivars. the soil. For the first year, all magnolias will become established more quickly if mulched and provided with the equivalent of an inch of water per week. Once established, magnolias are tolerant of droughty periods and resistant to pests and disease. Choose healthy plants. Avoid any with injuries, poor branching patterns and foliage that appears unlike typical magnolia foliage.

A Few Great Magnolias

IN BLOOM

flowering trees & annuals

There are wonderful cultivars for magnolias. Once you’re familiar with the species, you may want to become familiar with some of their cultivated species.

Star magnolia (Magnolia stellata), at 20 feet and about 15 feet in diameter, is a small tree or large shrub with fragrant white, star-

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APRIL 2013

like flowers that open in early spring before the leaves appear. Star magnolia’s role in your landscape is as an accent or specimen plant.

Sweet bay magnolia (M. virginiana) is evergreen in the south, deciduous in our region. In the south, it will grow into a 60-foot specimen. In our part of the world it is more likely to grow to a height of 10 to 20 feet with an equal spread. Its flowers that appear in early summer are very fragrant. In addition to the beautiful flowers, this magnolia has smooth gray bark and attractive foliage.

Sweet bay is a favorite species that often is planted near a patio or terrace where it can be enjoyed at close hand. An added asset for sweet bay is that its silvery foliage is highly deer resistant. Unlike most magnolias, sweet bay will do well in wet and even swampy soils.

Saucer magnolia (M. soulangiana) is a shrubby plant that will grow to a height of 20 feet or more with an equal spread. The aromatic flowers, which appear before the leaves, are cup- shaped and pink- or purple-tinged white. Often used as an early-flowering specimen or in small groups, this magnolia is especially effective against a backdrop of evergreens. Its one problem is that late spring frosts occasionally hit and transform its flowers into a frozen loss.

The many handsome cultivars of this magnolia have earned its popularity as a favorite of many gardeners and landscapers.

The southern magnolia (M. grandiflora) is, at its best, a large evergreen tree up to 60 feet or more. The large dark green leaves are shiny above and often slightly hairy underneath, and, frustrating to some, tend to drop throughout the year. The wonderfully fragrant flowers are up to a foot in diameter. We are at the northernmost level of this magnolia’s territory. It must be sheltered from both hot sun and cold winds. I have seen enough specimens around St. Louis to make it worthwhile to try to grow this magnificent plant. Welldraining, acid with good texture is ideal for the southern magnolia.

Saucer Magnolia

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These are just a few of the gorgeous plants in the magnolia genus.

Take a good look at some of the more than three dozen magnolia species and cultivars at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Over 250 magnolias are on the grounds so you are sure to find several that you can’t live without.

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 PostDispatch. 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.

APRIL 2013

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Garden Heights Nu rsery 1605 S. Big Bend • Richmond Heights MO 314.645.7333 www.gardenheights.com 5

The Many Colors and Shapes of Magnolias

by Robert Weaver

F

or a general overview of the beautiful magnolia family, see Barbara Perry Lawton’s article on page 4. To accompany it, we asked several local tree experts to give us some of their favorite recommended magnolias for the St. Louis area. We’ve broken them down by the most popular magnolia types grown in our region.

Southern Magnolia

As Barbara mentioned, downsides to this species are its size, especially in smaller modern landscapes, its tendency to drop leaves all year round, and its borderline hardiness in our area. Several cultivars offer improvements in all those areas.

A favorite for many years is one recommended by David Sherwood of Sherwood’s Forest Nursery and Garden Center: ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’. This cultivar grows a bit smaller than the species, topping out in the 30-50’ range, but only after many years. Producing the same large, creamy, fragrant flowers one expects in a Southern magnolia, it is the foliage that sets Bracken’s apart and gives it its name. Shiny dark green on top, the underside of the leaves are covered in a rusty brown felt, giving the tree a distinctly bi-color appearance. The leaves are smaller than the species, and tend to drop less.

An even smaller Southern is ‘Little Gem’, reaching only 20’ in height. Suggested by Jean Harkey of University Gardens, its size makes this cultivar perfect for smaller urban landscapes. ‘Little Gem’ also sports the brown fuzzy underside on its foliage. Even more diminutive, says Jean, is the Teddy Bear® magnolia, peaking at 15’ or so. For those who may not care for the brownish leaves, Mike Rood of Pea Ridge Forest recommends ‘Edith Bogue’, a 30-footer with cleaner, “less brown” leaves. All these cultivars are considered more cold-hardy for this region than the

6

Sweetbay Magnolia Moonglow®

Southern Magnolia Teddy Bear®

Hybrid Magnolia ‘Jane’ straight species.

Sweetbay Magnolia

Barbara mentioned most magnolias’ intolerance for wet soils. The sweetbay is the exception, and in fact enjoys a wet, even swampy, spot in the garden— perfect for a rain garden! By far the favorite cultivar named by all our experts is Moonglow®, an introduction of our area’s very own Earl Cully of Heritage Trees in Jacksonville, Illinois. Moonglow features a more upright, narrower profile than the species, making it fit better in smaller landscapes.

Barbara also mentioned ‘Henry Hicks’ as a favorite.

Saucer Magnolias

and

Star

Both these beautiful bloomers are early-to-flower and thus, as Barbara indicated, often fall victim to spring frost that turns their blooms into mushy, messy

Star Magnolia ‘Royal Star’ brown! Still, when Mother Nature cooperates, they put on a beautiful spring show. In the Saucer family, Dave Sherwood likes the ‘Black Tulip’ variety with its “dark purple, gigantic flowers up to 12 inches wide”. Barbara also suggested ‘Lennei’.

One of the favorites in the Star magnolia category is ‘Royal Star’, suggested by Jean Harkey.

Otherwise to avoid the early freeze problem, many people, including our experts, like the hybrid “Little Girl Series” magnolias. These are

Saucer Magnolia Black Tulip™ crosses between the star magnolia and lily magnolia (M. liliiflora), resulting in a shrub with similar appearance, but offering up later blooming flowers. Joel Foster of Frisella Nursery joined several of our pros in recommending the ‘Ann’ magnolia, one of this series featuring deep purple-red flowers in a compact, shrub form. Dave Sherwood picked ‘Jane’, another in the series, as a late, darkpurple blooming alternative to the saucer magnolia. Mike Rood also recommends ‘Daybreak’, another star magnolia hybrid with “big

The Gateway Gardener™

APRIL 2013

society’s 50th Anniversary Meeting this month, right here in St. Louis (see sidebar), and enjoy the magnificent world of magnolias! photo credits:

‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ seeds & foliage Hybrid Magnolia ‘Yellow Bird’ Cucumber Magnolia

beautiful pink flowers.”

Cucumber Magnolia Hybrids

and

The largest magnolia you’re likely to find in a St. Louis landscape also happens to be the only magnolia native to Missouri, our cucumber magnolia (M. acuminata).

According to Wayne Lovelace of Forrest Keeling Nursery, this giant native can easily reach 60-80 ft. or more at maturity, and is the most cold-tolerant of all the magnolias.

Its huge, deciduous leaves can

Springfield, Illinois

reach up to 10” in length, and produces large, tulip-like greenishyellow blossoms in early summer, followed by cucumber-shaped seed clusters that give the tree its name.

The Missouri Botanical Garden and Tower Grove Park offer some of the largest cucumber trees in the area.

Not only is it our only native, but the cucumber tree is especially important to lovers of yellowflowering magnolia hybrids, since it is the source of the yellow flowers for these crosses. Among those recommended by our experts are ‘Butterflies’, ‘Elizabeth’, and ‘Yellow Bird’.

Other Magnolias

This by no means completes the versatile magnolia family. For white-flowering magnolia lovers, Joel Foster also recommends the Loebner magnolia (M. loebneri) ‘Merrill’. And Mike Rood included a Kobus magnolia, ‘Wada’s Memory’, among his recommendations for whiteflowering varieties with unusual

peachish-pink foliage as it emerges in new growth.

For more about magnolias, visit the Magnolia Society International’s website at www.magnoliasociety. org; or better yet, meet many of the world’s top magnolia experts at the

Black Tulip™ and ‘Yellow Bird’, courtesy Monrovia.

Moonglow® courtesy J. Frank Schmidt

Teddy Bear® courtesy Garden Debut®

‘Jane’, ‘Royal Star’ and Cucumber magnolia, courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder, Thomas Pope, Glenn Kopp and Chris Starbuck.

Magnolia Lovers Return to their Roots The Magnolia Society International is holding its 50th Annual Meeting in St. Louis this month, and in doing so returns to the place the society was founded in 1936. Today the society boasts more than 600 members representing 40 countries, and many will come to St. Louis April 19th-21st to celebrate the magnificence of magnolias!

While in St. Louis, the group will hear from several local tree and plant experts, including renowned plantsman Dan Hinkley, and President Emeritus of Missouri Botanical Garden Dr. Peter Raven. Regional and local tree experts will also address the group, including Bill Spradley of Trees, Forests and Landscapes, Roy Klehm of Wisconsin’s Klehm’s Song Sparrow Farm and Nursery, Alan Branhagen of Powell Gardens, Guadalupe Rios of Forrest Keeling Nursersy, and others. The group will also tour several area horticultural landmarks, from Missouri Botanical Gardens and Tower Grove Park to Bellefontaine Cemetery (a registered arboretum) and Earl Cully’s Heritage Trees, Inc., where many popular tree introductions have originated, including the Moonglow® sweetbay magnolia.

Welcome to St. Louis MSI members, and happy 50th anniversary!

We hope your stay with us is magnolificent!

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APRIL 2013

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7

By Joyce Driemeyer

a member of the laurel family and found in most of Missouri except for the far north. It can get 6’-12’ tall, and all parts of this shrub are very aromatic when crushed or broken. The blooms are tiny yellow and fragrant, and appear in early April before the foliage. It is trouble free and will grow in sun or part shade. The red fruit appears in September on the female plant and persists after leaf fall. For fruiting you need a male plant for pollination. The fruit has been used as a substitute for allspice. Tea is made from the leaves or twigs or fruit and has been used to stimulate blood circulation and other health problems. In the Civil War the Calycanthus floridus (Carolina leaves were used for tea. The tea allspice) has dark green foliage is lemon flavored. Dried leaves that turns yellowish in fall and are also useful in potpourri. is very aromatic when crushed.

Lindera benzoin (spicebush) is Many birds feast on the fruit, Plant gets 6’-9’ tall and has a and swallowtail butterfly larva use the leaves for food.

in June/July when few other shrubs are blooming. They smell of sandalwood, a rare fragrance found only from a tree in India.

Fall color of foliage is scarlet and persistent. ‘Henry’s Garnet’ is an excellent cultivar.

Myrica pensylvanica (bayberry) is a deciduous aromatic shrub that can be kept pruned as a hedge like privet.

The waxy gray berries form only on the female plant, so you will again need a male for cross pollination. Berries are very ornamental and fragrant, and are used to make bayberry candles. I have had sprays of the berries in containers with water since early November and they have persisted over the holidays until late January. They can also be used for wreath adornment like holly berries. All parts of the plant are aromatic when crushed. The shrub is tolerant of full sun to part shade and most Itea virginica (Virginia soils except very heavy clay. It sweetspire) has a suckering is even tolerant of salt spray and habit and can form large can be planted near roads that colonies, but can be controlled, get salt in winter. and is worth the space. The spire-like fragrant white blooms appear at the ends of branches Robert Weaver

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rounded habit. The 2” reddishbrown (maroon) colored blooms appear in mid-May and have a fruity fragrance. The bark has been used as a cinnamon substitute, and the wood of the stems has a camphor-like fragrance. It is great and nearly trouble-free in the shrub border in sun or part shade. Pruning to maintain size is best done after flowering.

Robert Weaver

ast month I wrote about elderberry, just one of many wonderful native shrubs for the landscape. Here are a few more favorites of mine. They all have multiseasonal appeal as well as herbal benefits.

Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder: Crhis Starbuck

L

Notable Native Herbal Shrubs

EARTH DAY CELEBRATION Join Us April 20th & 21st

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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.

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APRIL 2013

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APRIL 2013

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by Cindy Gilberg

human.” A case in point is the stinging nettle that grows in moist, low woodlands. This plant is loaded with high levels of minerals, vitamins and even protein. Perhaps because it is highly valued as food, medicine and fiber, it evolved with stinging hairs on its stems and leaves to survive heavy foraging. Wear long sleeves and gloves when collecting and preparing it to avoid its sting. Yes, it is worth it. Prickly pear cactus, also Purslane is just one common lawn weed that could find its way to known as nopale, is another your dinner table. plant that fiercely protects itself, it. Many edible plants have edible native plants to include yet once the spines are gone, its look-alikes that can fool you. in your landscape. Here are leaf ‘pads’ are quite popular in There are many great resource other rules worth mentioning. Mexican cooking. Delicious red There are basic rules to live by books on identification of Always ask permission before fruit ripens in late summer and when foraging for Missouri’s edible native plants—use them collecting plants on private native edible plants. First and along with a good field guide to property and do not collect foremost, always properly Missouri native plants. Another plants from conservation areas. identify a plant before you eat way to avoid misidentification Avoid collecting plants from is to buy already identified areas where they may have been sprayed with pesticides (i.e. roadways, along the edge of agricultural fields etc) and always wash the plant parts prior to preparing them for a Prickly pear pads are popular, meal. especially in Mexican cooking.

Know which part of the plant is used for juice and jellies. is edible and how to prepare it We carry St. Louis’ LARGEST selection of Other weeds that are properly. Eat small amounts the easier to harvest and also organic soil amendments, fertilizers and first time you eat a new plant to highly nutritious include natural weed and pest controls, including: be sure you are not sensitive to lambsquarters, purslane and • Cotton seed meal • Bagged organic • Floating row cover it. Recipes abound in various • Soy bean meal garden soil plantain. Lambsquarters, when • Organic mineral books so have some fun trying • Corn Gluten • Cotton burr compost supplements cooked, has a taste reminiscent • Bone meal • Alfalfa Pellets • Minerals different ones. Each season of spinach. Purslane contains • Blood Meal • Super N • Organic chick starter offers different plants to harvest • Corn starch • Super P • Organic Chicken food more omega-3 fatty acids than so an awareness of what and • Alfalfa meals • Green Sand • Organic Potatoes any other leafy vegetable. How • Feather meal • Green potash • Organic Seeds when a plant is ripe or ready • Fish meal • Live Microbes • Mushroom logs often have you heard “how do keeps your seasonal kitchen • Kelp meal • Diatomaceous Earth • Neem oil I get rid of violets”? You can • Sulfur • 20% vinegar • Organic Lawn Fertilfull.

• High calcium lime • Magnesium Sulfate izers eat them! The leaves are high • Gypsum • Liquid kelp • Soil Mineralizer Many highly nutritious native in vitamin C, A and E and the • Bagged compost • Cover crop seeds • And More! plants rank among those flowers are a delightful addition deemed as “weeds”. What of color to salads, muffins, makes it a weed? Some say a pancakes and desserts. Other weed is a plant out of place or plants with edible flowers Let us test your soil and recommend an organic lawn and a plant without value or use. include redbud, the native yucca garden program so you can spend less and grow better!

My favorite definition comes and wild rose.

8621 Hwy. N, Lake St. Louis, MO 63367 • 636.561.6637 from the late and great J.C. Mon.-Sat. 9-6, Sun. 10-5 Some curiously tasty recipes in Raulston—“A weed is a plant www.GreenesCountryStore.com my favorite wild food cookbook that has to deal with an unhappy

Bring Us Your Dirt!

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APRIL 2013

Missouri Botanical Garden PlanfFinder

E

at your weedies is not only the title of a cookbook by the Wild Ones who volunteer at the Burr Oak Woods Conservation Department but is also a concept for enjoying the taste and value of native foods. What a delectable sampling of recipes are available using all sorts of Missouri native plants. What we see as a natural landscape, Native Americans saw as a bounty of useful plants for food, medicine and fiber. Learning to identify and cook some regionally native plants makes eating local foods about as local and seasonal as it gets.

Eat Your Weedies!

Dandelion wine, anyone?

include young cattail-shoot stir fry, chickweed salad, dandelion wine, and red clover fritters. It doesn’t take much to encourage the growth of most of these edibles—mostly it takes some knowledge and tolerance of “weeds.” The reward is a free harvest of nutritious plants that can enhance your diet and surprise your guests.

For More Information About Native Plants: Missouri Prairie Foundation Grow!Native program: www.grownative.org Missouri Botanical Garden Native Plant Garden, Classes and Plant Finder: www.mobot.org Shaw Nature Reserve Whitmire Wildflower Garden, Native Plant School and other special events: www.shawnature.org Wild Ones a non-profit organization with local chapters: www.for-wild.org

Cindy Gilberg is a horticulturist and Missouri native who writes, teaches and does consulting and design work in the St. Louis area. Her work focuses on both native plant landscapes as well as other styles of landscape design. Contact cindy. gilberg@gmail.com www.cindygilberg. com

Don’t Want to Eat Weeds?!

Find Something Delicious and Support Missouri Prairie Foundation at Whole Foods Market® Community Support Day, April 18th!

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t the two Whole Foods Market® stores in St. Louis on April 18, five percent of all proceeds will benefit the Missouri Prairie Foundation (MPF)! In addition, MPF volunteers will be on hand from 11am-7pm in both stores with prairie conservation information, native landscaping information, native pollinator information, and activities.

Other special activities will also take place at each store during the event. At the Town and Country Store, enjoy a presentation and walking tour of oak savanna restoration and invasive honeysuckle control from 11am-noon with Jon Wingo, president of the Missouri Prairie Foundation and DJM Ecological Services. Artist Julie Weigand will also be on hand from 11am-1pm painting nature-inspired art in the café. At 7pm, Mike Arduser, insect heritage biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, will give a presentation on pollinators.

There will also be a native plant sale at the Town and Country store from 11am-7pm. Native plants from Hartke Nursery will be available for sale with 25% of proceeds benefitting MPF. At the Galleria store, shoppers can learn from prairie restorationist Bill Davit how to make their own bracelet out of prairie plant cordage from 11am-1pm. From 5-7pm Plein Air Artist Theresa Long will be painting nature-inspired art.

There is also a pre-event Raingardens Tour at Deer Creek Park on April 13th, 10-11am. The tour is free and open to landscaping and park professionals, homeowners, and other landscaping enthusiasts.

For more information on all activities, see www.moprairie.org or www. grownative.org for details on all event activities.

This column is written in collaboration with Shaw Nature Reserve (Missouri Botanical Garden) in partnership with the Missouri Department of Conservation. Visit the Whitmire Wildflower Garden (at Shaw Nature Reserve), a 5-acre display garden, for ideas on native plant landscaping. Native plant conservation and the promotion of native plants in our landscapes is vital to restoring the rich biodiversity of our region.

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The Gateway Gardener™

11

Northern Invaders

by Connie Alwood

Y

Crossbills and redpolls are never common in our area, especially the White-winged Crossbill. In fact, I have only seen the White-winged Crossbill once before in the St. Louis area. The Red Crossbill, on the other hand, shows up every few years or so. Both species are named for their unusual bills,

the feeders and refuses to leave until either satiated or dislodged by another bird.

Margy Terpstra

ou missed it! And most of them have already gone back north across the border, but we had an alien invasion here in Missouri this past winter.

No, it wasn’t the Montreal Canadians visiting the Scottrade Center. Several species of birds, including Common Redpolls, both White-winged and Red Crossbills, Pine Siskins and Redbreasted Nuthatches all came rushing out of their northern winter range and descended on us this winter. Oh! Were St. Louis birders ever joyful. We couldn’t get enough of them. Most of us planned trips to Carondolet Park in south St. Louis, or Faust Park’s Music School, even to several residential subdivisions looking for these winter finches.

Crossbills at a backyard bubbler. which make cracking pine, spruce and hemlock cones easier than your hand held nutcracker.

They especially like Canadian Hemlock cones. In 1988 a pair of Red Crossbills visited hemlocks in Webster Groves. Almost as soon as I saw them, I went home and planted five hemlocks. Those trees are not native to Missouri, and most do not do well here, not liking our hot summers.

Nevertheless, one of them still stands and had numerous cones this summer. At Faust Park and at Carondolet Park, however,

there are multiple hemlocks and the crossbills munch down on the cones like pigs in a cornfield.

Both crossbills will come to feeders; however, I have yet to hear of any coming to them this winter.

Living in the Canadian north, the Common Redpoll, named for the dark red on its head, can obviously withstand freezing temperatures. He, like the other northern species, has invaded our area, not because of the harsh winter alone, but because of the lack of mast crops in the north, especially spruce cones and birch seeds. Along with fifty or so Pine Siskins, a Common Redpoll has been coming to my mixed finch* feeder since December 7th. He comes with the siskins, and like them, he squabbles for a perch on

The Red Crossbill actually has a large breeding area, including out west and even in Mexico. Even the White-winged Crossbill will breed in some areas of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado; however, both species have a larger breeding ground in Canada. Both crossbills and the redpoll also breed in Eurasia. None of these birds are endangered.

A few Pine Siskins and Redbreasted Nuthatches can usually be seen every year, but this year is an irruption year for these two species also. Both readily come to residential feeders. The Pine Siskins prefer thistle and sunflower chips, while the Redbreasted Nuthatch gobbles down peanut chips and suet. All five species are dimorphic, meaning that the male and female are unalike in appearance.

Okay, you missed the northern invasion this winter, but don’t gnash your teeth, for the spring migration is here. Dust off that old pair of binoculars and get ready for the warblers. *Mixed Finch feed is a combination of sunflower chips and thistle or Nyjer seed. It can be purchased at specialty stores.

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Connie Alwood is a Master Gardener and co-author of Birds of the St. Louis Area: Where and When to Find Them.

The Gateway Gardener™

APRIL 2013

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Exceptional New Perennials

by Steffie Littlefield

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Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’

t’s spring again and time to update those crazy out of control perennial borders.

I’m really excited about some of the new perennials available this year. Many of them have compact growth habits, sturdier stems, more foliage color and

Monarda ‘Pardon My Pink’ other improvements. I’m a big fan of blue flowering plants in the garden. So, I welcome ‘Amsonia Blue Ice’, which has a darker blue flower and tighter growth habit. Great to get such a tough, long-lived plant with good blue flowers. A

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Baptisia ‘Lemon Meringue’ new Russian sage ‘Peek-a-Boo’ will have the same clear blue flowers and grey foliage of its cousin, but on a smaller, sturdier plant. Another favorite of mine is also going to be available in a new variety, catmint ‘Junior Walker’. Here is a tremendous re-blooming plant with purple blue flowers but is low growing.

What could be more perfect?

Heuchera ‘Circus’ scrumptious yellow/green huge leaves forming a striking large vase-shaped plant.

For sunny dry gardens look for the newest sedums ‘Dazzleberry’, ‘Lime Zinger’ and ‘Cherry Tart’, all make smaller cushion-shaped plants.

If yellow is your favorite color in the garden, we’ve got you covered. The best new rubeckia by far is ‘Little Goldstar’, a shorter but long-blooming winner for sure. I’m looking forward to planting baptisia ‘Lemon Meringue’. I love vigorous growing baptisia and it’s bluish foliage, especially with sunny yellow flowers.

Other fun new plants to look for are Clematis ‘Abilene’. A reblooming vine covered in bright pink flowers. Also new favorites are the monardas. Mondara ‘Pardon My Pink’ and ‘Pardon My Purple’ are bushy fragrant plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard.

Love those colors in my garden.

Color in foliage is also big this year. ‘Aralia Sun King’ shines with chartreuse to gold leaves that is wonderful in the shade.

‘Hibiscus Midnight Marvel’ has stunning purple leaves in contrast to its bright red flowers. ‘Carex Blue Zinger’ is perfect for the shady border with light blue grass blades.

Heuchera ‘Circus’ also glows in the part shade with gold leaves tinged maroon that are really vibrant in the fall. When you see Penstemon ‘Dark Towers’ you will find it hard to believe it is real. Who would think that a dark wine purple plant could be crowned with bright pink Photos courtesy Walters flowers? And hosta collectors Gardens, www.waltersgardens. find room for Hosta ‘Liberty’, com.

Steffie Littlefield is a horticulturist and garden designer at Garden Heights Nursery.

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.

The Gateway Gardener™

APRIL 2013

April is Safe Digging Month

Spring is finally here! It’s getting warm and the trees are greening up, eager homeowners are ready to start those outdoor digging projects. Before you reach for that shovel and start digging, remember to call 811, the national “Call Before You Dig” number, to ensure that your buried utility lines are marked.

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Damaging an underground line can result in injuries, expensive repair cost, legal fees and outages. Landscaping your yard, installing a culvert, building a fence or even installing a mailbox requires that you call in to have the utilities marked before beginning your work.

Every digging project, no matter how large or small, necessitates a call to your Missouri One Call center. Notifying Missouri One Call will allow the utilities to mark their underground facilities permitting your excavation to safely proceed.

An underground utility line is damaged by digging once every three minutes.

One out of every three facilities damaged is the result of not notifying the One Call center to have the facilities marked prior to digging.

Using your Missouri One Call System is free of charge, and you can process your request 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It only takes a few minutes to complete the process of notifying the utilities of your intent to dig.

Here’s how the One Call System works:

Three working days before you begin your work, place a locate request. Call 1-800-DIG-RITE or 811 or go online to www.mo1call.com. Our operators will map the dig site from excavator information and notify the utilities that have facilities in the area. The utilities will respond by marking their facilities or notifying you that they have no facilities at the dig site. The utilities will mark the facilities that they own, usually up to the meter.

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15

Gardening Under Trees byKim Reiss

Use caution when planting in the shade, but set your standards high.

of air, nutrients, and water.

That’s why those volcano mounds of mulch around trees should be outlawed. 2”-3” of mulch is plenty!

S

ome of the most beautiful gardens I’ve ever seen were shade gardens, planted under and around trees.

You don’t get the dynamite pop of color that comes with roses, coneflowers, and other brightly colored perennials, but you can do a lot with variegation, leaf size, and texture.

First things first – some trees just aren’t good candidates for under-planting. These include silver maples, sweet gums, and birch trees, where you’ll find tree roots very close to the surface of and often above the soil. It’s almost impossible to plant a 3-gallon shrub under one

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of these shallow-rooted trees without running into tree roots.

And you don’t want to cut tree roots!

Also, never add soil around

Assuming you have a tree that will tolerate some underplanting, then consider some plants with variegated leaves – Hostas are a great example. The white in the leaf will pick up any light in the area and reflect it back – very showy! You can also find variegated shrubs, like Hydrangea macrophylla and azaleas, and other variegated the base of the tree and over perennials, like Brunnera, its root system (and no more Solomon’s seal, and ivy. than a few inches of mulch), because you’ll starve the tree of And yellow-foliaged plants oxygen and make the roots even brighten up a dark corner in shallower as they rise in search the garden like a spotlight.

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The Gateway Gardener™

APRIL 2013

Kim Reiss works at Sugar Creek Gardens, a nursery in Kirkwood, Mo., that specializes in unusual perennials, annuals, roses, shrubs, and vines. You can reach her at 314-965-3070.

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some ferns, which come in a surprising variety of shapes and sizes. My favorite is the five-fingered maidenhair fern, as dainty as can be. But I also recommend the Christmas fern a lot because of its evergreen qualities and glossy green fronds. And both are Missouri Leaf size is another way to natives to boot. Easy peasy! make a dramatic – or dainty – statement. Some perennials, If you find yourself planting like Ligularia and a variety of and re-planting in the same Hostas, including ‘Empress spot and nothing will grow, but Wu,’ and the annual elephant you would still like some color ears get extremely large and can or impact, consider adding be seen from quite a distance. a colorful, ceramic birdbath Way to make a statement! or some fanciful garden art.

And other perennials, like Sometimes a clean mulch ring Epimedium, sweet woodruff, and some wind chimes blowing and the very airy Thalictrum are in the breeze are enough to best enjoyed up close where you please the senses. can appreciate their fine foliage.

And you don’t have to water And finally – texture. No shade wind chimes when it’s 105 garden is complete without degrees!

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Likewise, Hosta ‘Sum and Substance’ and H. macrophylla ‘Lemon Daddy’ are a good choice for adding color.

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17

Simplifying Roses--Easy Bed Prep

By Diane Brueckman

I

have been growing roses for over 50 years. My enthusiasm has not diminished with time but my body has slowed down just a “little”, which leads me to the subject of this article. I have been looking for easier ways to grow roses and other plants as well.

One of the first things I tried was the noprep flower bed. This has worked very well. My pH is in the 6.3-6.8 range and the soil is heavy but not unworkable. So I felt I could get away without doing a major overhaul of the soil.

Step 1 is to mark the desired size and shape of the bed. To edge the bed I make a cut about 2” deep, then go into the bed and cut again into the first cut forming a wedge that I lift out and turn with the grass side down. This forms a welldefined edge that is easy to maintain.

Step 2 was to drop the mower to the lowest setting and scalp the grass for the entire bed. Leave the grass clipping in the bed. Mark the placement of the plants and dig a large hole – the old adage “dig a $50.00 hole for a $5.00 plant.” I remove the turf and amend the soil with some compost and add 1 cup of “Chicken Soup for the Garden.” Place the plant in the hole and water well. I did this with 10 rose bushes spaced 4 feet apart. When the bed was finished, I had 10 rose bushes with grass growing between the plants.

remove any weeds that came up near the plants where I did not use the paper. The beds looked good all summer and the plants thrived. Since my first experiment, I have used newspaper and cardboard to cover the grass. The obvious advantage to those materials is they are cheap and available. The disadvantage is you get more weeds because there are more spaces between the pieces of paper and the irregular shapes of the cardboard pieces. Stay away from the heavy weight cardboard and cardboard that is glossy and printed with colors. I have also used Step 3 is to mulch the bed. The first time grass clippings as mulch with success.

I used this method, I bought paper mulch which decomposed after one year. I This year I ordered enough mulch for spread the paper mulch covering the entire all of my beds but the grass clippings bed, except for the actual planting hole. I decomposed and I believe helped my then mulched the entire bed including the soil. When I plan ahead, I prepare my planting hole with a compost/shredded beds the year before. I edge the bed (in hardwood mixture. I was able to apply this case my vegetable garden), then and work in additional fertilizer and cover the entire area with a cloth weed

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The Gateway Gardener™

APRIL 2013

barrier. In spring when we are ready to till up the garden all the weeds and grasses are dead. Just remove the weed barrier, roll it up and reuse it. I put it between the rows in my garden to keep the mud down and again mulch with grass clippings. Going organic is easier and cheaper than using a lot of chemicals. You can spray with glyphosate (Round-Up® or other brand) to kill all of the unwanted vegetation, wait for 2 weeks and have a clean bed to work with, but I like the idea of recycling my paper and cardboard and saving my back at the same time. The grass clippings should not be so deep that they start to heat up as they decompose. By the end of the season my grass clippings have been worked into the soil as I cultivate around my plants.

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.

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The Gateway Gardener™

19

Pro-Picked Annuals for 2013 Stuck in the same old rut every year when you go to the garden center to buy annuals for your summer containers? We asked several area garden center plant pros for their favorite new or time-tested summertime container annuals. Here are some of their picks and why they chose them. hardy elephant ear introduction that is cold hardy with dramatic color. 36” tall, beautiful black velvet foliage. Full sun to part shade.

(Variegated Papyrus) ‘Midnight Candy’ Zaluzianskya capensis ‘Purple Majesty’ Salvia guaranitica

Skagit Gardens

‘Snap Daddy Yellow’ Variegated Snap Dragon.

Also available as ‘Snap Daddy Pink’, with gorgeous blooms and strongly variegated leaves. Tolerates cold temperatures as well as the hot summers and keeps blooming!

18-24” tall. Full sun.

‘Blushing Princess’ Lobularia. Fragrant flowers and a blush lavender color make this plant a summer standout. Planted in hanging baskets or in the landscape this vigorous grower will continue to bloom all summer long.

20

Plants Nouveau

Proven Winners

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‘Madeira’ Colocasia. A new

Ball Horticultural Co.

‘Good & Plenty Orange’ Petunia. Spice up your garden with these tangerine colored blooms! Remember to feed them well and they’ll reward you will non-stop blooms. Best of all they bloom in the center of the plant as it spreads!

Also recommended: ‘Acapulco Orange’ Agastache ‘Betty White’ Bacopa

Ann Lapides Sugar Creek Gardens

‘Hot Springs Dark Blue’ Lobelia – The highly soughtafter true blue flower is finally here – AND it loves the St. Louis heat and humidity! One plant packs a big punch and will fill a pot quickly, and bloom its head off all summer.

Sun to part shade.

‘Double Yellow’ Datura.

Striking, HUGE, double yellow blooms! 3-5’ tall. Full sun.

Plant parts may be toxic.

Also recommended: ‘Mekong Giant’ Musa (Hardy Banana) Cyperus variegata

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‘Blue a Fuse’ Petunia. No two blooms are alike on this trailing multi-colored petunia. Blooms in shades of violet, yellow and white with a deep purple throat. Perfect in a hanging basket or in combination planters.

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Sandy Richter Sandy’s Back Porch

‘Neon Rose’ Petchoa –Perfect for the pots by the front door, or in your most cherished

The Gateway Gardener™

APRIL 2013

garden spots where a megawatt display is wanted. Petchoas are hybrids of petunias and calibrachoas, inheriting the abundance of blooms of calibrachoa and the large vivid colors of petunias—and no sticky foliage!

Patty Lynch Hillermann’s Florist & Nursery

APRIL 2013

Proven Winners

Dig Deeper.

Proven Winners

Plants Nouveau

‘Lemon Slice’ Superbells Calibrachoa. Blooms from spring to frost, great in

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Torenia Summer Wave Series. Great in the shade, low maintenance, no dead heading. stand up and garden

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‘Puckered Up’ Colocasia.

Shimmering chocolate, amazingly puckered leaves makes ‘Puckered Up’ the most fascinating of all Elephant Ears. The way the light plants off the glossy pockets is truly amazing. Place this wonder on your patio or deck for guaranteed fun conversation at your next party. Full sun to part shade. Grows 3-4’ tall and wide.

Also recommended: ‘Lemon Slice’ Superbells ‘Trailing Rose’ and ‘Strawberry Drop’ Trailing Coleus

containers or beds, no dead heading, These mini-petunia wannabes look like a bowl full of lemons.

Also recommended: ‘Calliope Dark Red’ Geranium

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Celebrate International Compost Awareness Week May 7-11

W

hether experienced or aspiring, gardeners from across the bistate area are encouraged to join in celebrating International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW)! This year’s theme is “Compost...Nature’s Way to Grow!” Planned activities span the globe with events scheduled across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Europe and Australia. Composting advocates will encourage everyone, everywhere, to compost.

For many families in the bi-state region, “Nature’s Way to Grow” means planting a backyard vegetable garden – the ultimate way to go green and assure that the produce they set on their tables is same-day fresh and packed with nutrition. As any seasoned vegetable gardener will attest, the best way to boost yields is to condition garden soil with compost.

Compost delivers four primary benefits, all of which are beneficial to the

Specialists in Care & Enhancement of Estate Gardens Offering Professional:

• Compost improves plant/turf quality. Compost reduces spring transplant shock and over the long term, decreases plant stress response to drought, disease and insects. Because compost piles generate intense heat, compost is free of weeds, insects and insect eggs/larvae. Compost also reduces salt damage and provides nutritional balance.

• Compost helps soil stay productive year after year. Water, whether from clouds or from a sprinkler, leaches chemical fertilizers out of soil, quickly stripping it of nutritional properties. Conversely, compost binds with soil and releases its nutrients over multiple years.

• Compost “fixes” problem soils. Compost reduces compaction in heavy soil, enhances the productivity of sandy soil and increases top-soil and soil fertility in rebuilding wornout soil. Over time, compost makes any type of soil easier to work.

• Compost holds six times its weight in water. This magical property reduces the need for irrigation during periods of drought.

But, perhaps most important to remember when planting is that using all-natural, STA-certified compost completes a 100% efficient recycling cycle!

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environment.

n our area, St. Louis Composting is doing its part by hosting community events at two of its composting centers plus a workshop May 11 at Valley Park. Participants can enjoy complimentary BBQ, snacks and veggies that grow great in St. Louis Composting’s compost and soil blends. All events start at 11 a.m.

• May 7 at the Fort Bellefontaine Compost Facility in Florissant, Mo. (13060 County Park Road) • May 8 at the Belleville, IL Facility (3521 Centreville Ave.) Then, at noon, Saturday, May 11 at Valley Park, St. Louis Composting will present its popular “Give Compost a GROW at Home” workshop. Learn all about compost from the experts – including alternative composting methods and options – and how to start your own compost pile. Home composters will be available to order, plus those who complete the workshop will receive one free cubic yard of compost to take home! (Free compost available only May 11, 2013.)

If you’d like to put your garden on the path to producing an abundant crop in 2013 and beyond, this is the workshop to attend! No registration required. Just show up ready to COMPOST!

The Gateway Gardener™

APRIL 2013

PRES EN TE D

: BY

FESTIVAL

+ Pet y l i m Fa ly!

Friend

SUNDAY APRIL 21 2013 11 AM – 6 PM THE MUNY GROUNDS FOREST PARK FREE & Open to the Public

uis

Lo St.

“The Earth is what we all have in common.”

— Wendell Berry Author

BUY LOCAL | ENGAGE + LEARN | CREATE MEET FREINDS | LISTEN + DANCE EAT + DRINK

DON’T MISS

y.org a d h t r a e uis www.stlo day arth

@stlouise

EARTH DAY EVE APRIL 20, 2013 | 4 PM – 7 PM THE MUNY, FOREST PARK

Suggested Donation of $5 – FREE to Festival Sponsors, Partners, Vendors and Volunteers.

APRIL 2013

The Gateway Gardener™

23

2013 Eco-Garden Product Guide You can make your green thumb even greener, by practicing sustainable gardening in your landscape! Here are some suggestions from area retailers for products that can help us all establish our own greener gardening habits.

Happy Earth Day! Lake St. Louis Garden Center 3230 Technology Dr. Lake St. Louis, MO 63367 (636) 561-0124 LakeStLouisGardenCenter. com

Hillermann Nursery & Florist 2601 E. 5th Street, Washington, MO 63090 636-239-6729 www.hillermann.com

Ok Hatchery Feed & Garden Store 115 E. Argonne Dr. Kirkwood, MO 63122 (314) 822-0083

your family, your pets, and the environment. Covers 5,000 sq. ft. $29.98.

Frisella’s Nursery 550 Hwy F Defiance, MO 63341 (636) 798-2555 FrisellaNursery.com Algreen Rain Barrels.

Decorative rain barrels ranging from 54 gallon to 100 gallon.

Harvesting rainwater is like catching a little of Mother Nature in a barrel, what a great way to save on money on your water bill while watering your landscape and garden with chemical free water! $130.99$259.99 Effinger Garden Center 720 South 11th St. Belleville, IL 62220 ph. 618-234-4600 www.effingergarden.com Espoma Organic Lawn Food.

Espoma’s new All Natural Lawn Food nourishes the grass so that it becomes more resistant to heat, drought and other stress.

And because the product is 100% organic it is safe for 24

moss liners.

Sustainably harvested moss reduces water requirements by up to 50%, improves plant health compared to coco-fiber liners. Starting at $10.99.

Espoma Organic Fertilizers.

Espoma organic fertilizers, soils, and garden remedies are designed with your gardens specific needs in mind. Using organics in the garden is a great way to be environmentally friendly, but are safe to use around your family and pets.

Starting at $6.99 Rolling Ridge Nursery 60 North Gore Ave. Webster Groves, MO 63119 (314) 962-3311 www.rollingridgenursery.com

Recycled Glass Terrariums.

Made using recycled glass and a free-blown method that is over 2,000 years old. Each terrarium is unique and carries a rustic feel that is typified by irregularities such as bubbles, dimples and rippling. Three sizes available. $153.99-$214.99

Soil Mender Minerals Plus.

A blend of 3 paramagnetic volcanic rocks with a blend of natural trace minerals. Contains lava sand, granite sand, basalt, rock phosphate, humate, and montmorillonite. $20.75

Visit The Gateway Gardener booth at the Earth Day Festival, Forest Park, Apr. 21st!

Angel Moss Basket Liners.

Dried liners swell when wet to create beautiful stringy The Gateway Gardener™

APRIL 2013

Garden Heights Nursery 1605 S. Big Bend Blvd.

Richmond Heights, MO (314) 645-7333 www.gardenheights.com

Eco Egg Birdhouses. Made from 100% natural bamboo in lots of bright summer colors. They are moisture resistant providing excellent insulation for the birds, and feature a 1.5” hole ideal for small birds, easy cleaning, ventilation, drainage holes, inside steps for fledglings to step out when ready and a glavanized hanging cable. $18.99 Greenscape Gardens 2832 Barrett Station Rd. Manchester, MO 63021 (314) 821-2440 www.greenscapegardens.com

Chick Magic Organic Fertilizer. This all-purpose processed chicken manure fertilizer contains high quality nutrients, trace elements, amino acids and vitamins. It is safe for use around people and pets and has no offensive odor. $14.99/50 lbs. (covers 2,500 sq. ft.)

APRIL 2013

Greene’s Country Store 8621 Hwy. N Lake St. Louis, MO (636) 561-6637 www.greenescountrystore. com

Sherwood’s Forest Nursery & Garden Center 2651 Barrett Station Rd. Manchester, MO 63021 (314) 966-0028 www.Sherwoods-Forest.com

Dry Aragonite. A sea calcium that is exceptionally high in calcium and low in magnesium.

Many soils have had dolomite lime added for years and the magnesium may be tying up other nutrients in the soil. Gypsum and aragonite should be used to offset a high magnesium content soil.

Foxfarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil. 100% natural and Espoma Organic Lawn Food organic with “an exceptional keeps your lawn beautiful and is blend of good things from the safe for your pets, children and earth and ocean”. Ready to use the environment. This product and contains premium select contains kelp, calcium and earthworm castings and bat natural microbes to promote guano. $9.99-22.99 / bag plant growth. $22.95 for 35 lbs. Worms Way

Sugar Creek Gardens 1011 N. Woodlawn Kirkwood, MO 63122 (314) 965-3070 www.SugarCreekGardens. com

Rice Hull Pots.

100% Biodegradable pots are environmentally friendly pots made from rice hulls that can be planted in the ground. They have been engineered to grow superior plants. Vigorous roots and leaves have an increased tolerance to stress, temperature and disease. We’ve filled these pots with top annuals and veggies; just pop in your garden or containers for instant, vibrant color or delicious vegetables-and no landfill plastic! $5.99

The Gateway Gardener™

University Gardens 8130 Delmar Blvd.

St. Louis, MO 63130 (314) 863-1700

Sappington Garden Shop 11530 Gravois Rd. (314) 843-4700 SappingtonGardenShop.com

1225 N. Warson Rd. Saint Louis,MO. 63132 314-994-3900 www.wormsway.com

John’s Recipe Liquid Fertilizer. A blend of seaweed, humic acid, cane molasses, fish emulsion and minerals. Use as a foliar spray or soil drench. 1-qt. concentrate makes 32 gallons.

No synthetic chemicals. $13.99/ qt., $34.99/gal.

Sunleaves Worm Farm. Turn kitchen waste into rich, allnatural fertilizer that’s great for any garden. The farm is a four-layer home for red wiggler worms, which will eagerly devour those unwanted food scraps. An eco-friendly way to produce fertilizer right at home. $108

Dig Deeper.

Visit GreenGardeningStL.com for More on Sustainable Gardening 25

Tips for a Sensible St. Louis Lawn

C

By Glennon Kraemer

ultural practices are what really determine the sustainability of our lawns here in St. Louis. We will discuss what I consider be the most important cultural practices for both warm season (zoysia) and cool season (fescues/blues) lawns. My list includes: Mowing, Fertilizing, Watering, Aerating.

Cool season lawns usually respond best to infrequent deep watering cycles (some soil types just won’t allow this). I like to suggest you water for two days in a row (morning is best), take a day or two off and repeat. This is only for the hot times of the year (June-August). Once or twice a week early and late in the year is usually fine. Warm season lawns are easier.

Mowing: Cool season lawns like to be mowed at 3-3½”, You can water 2-3 times a week, any time of the day for 15except for the first 2-3 mowings of the year, right before 30 minutes. They have a lot less disease issues than their cool aerating or overseeding, and again in early November. You season counterparts and they love the hot weather! should mow at 2-2½” at these times. Shorter mowing helps Aerating: “Core” aerating is more like it. If you don’t remove the lawn to green up, get more seed in contact with the soil a “core” it’s not really aerating. Mainly, stay away from and helps prevent leaf accumulation. Taller mowing allows “spike” aerating. When you remove the core, you allow the the roots to go deeper, which provides better drought and introduction of air, water and organic matter (compost) to disease resistance. You mow less in the summer months reach the root zone quickly. If you overseed too, you provide because cool season lawns don’t grow as much in the summer! a safe harbor for that seed to germinate in. Cool season lawns Warm season lawns are easy…just mow at 1-2” all year. should be aerated in late March through Mid-May and again Short mowing encourages spreading, which helps choke out from late August through October. Warm season lawns should weeds. Be careful mowing that short; tree roots can damage not be aerated until Mid-May and not much past mid August. mowers and vice versa. Sharpen your mowing blade after 8 Of course there are other cultural practices, but I wanted to hours of use and alternate your mowing pattern to avoid soil get you what I consider the most important ones. Sustainable compaction. lawns should require fewer inputs! If you lower your Fertilizing: Cool season grasses like little- to-no fertilizer in the summer. I recommend and organic-based fertilizer from April through August. 1-3 shots at ½-lb. of nitrogen/1000 ft. sq is plenty. Fall is when you should apply high nitrogen fertilizers to cool season lawns. Warm season lawns are totally opposite. They want to be fertilized with high nitrogen fertilizers in May, June and July. That is when they put on their growth as opposed to cool season lawns (hence the names).

Watering: Remains one of the most difficult subjects to get across in articles such as these. Percolation rates, water pressure, slope, wind etc. all play a part in determining how much water to apply per cycle and how many cycles per week the lawns get. Here are my simple suggestions:

expectations for cool season lawns during the hot months of the year (tolerate a few more brown patches knowing they will be fixed in the fall) that will make them more sustainable too. Thick healthy lawns are the best defense against weeds and bugs, not a bunch of chemicals. Mow your cool-season grass high, water properly and you will be rewarded with a good-looking lawn.

Glenn Kraemer owns and operates GR Robinson Seed and Service, and can be reached by phone at 314-432-0300 or by email ag gmmseed@sbcglobal.net.

Put a SMILE on your face Two Convenient Locations to Serve You. and color in your garden West County with our Unsurpassed Variety, 2463 Barrett Station Road Brilliant Color and Great Value!

WIETHOP GREENHOUSES, INC.

We are YOUR Spring Destination for Hanging Baskets, Buy Direct from the Grower & Save!

Vegetable Plants, Garden Planters and Beautiful Annuals and Perennials.

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 26

(314) 821-2598

(1/2 mile south of Manchester Rd.)

South County

6129 Lemay Ferry Road (314) 845-3083

(Lemay Ferry at Meramec Bottom Rd.)

The Gateway Gardener™

APRIL 2013

2013 Houseplant Trends

by Ellen Barredo

shared. I personally have a terrarium board and a sedum and succulent board. favorite children’s book. This is pure fun for all ages! All the local garden centers are into this trend!

The author, left, and Jennifer Schamber of Greenscape Gardens particpate in a plant swap.

Plant Swapping Believe it or not I have had several customers participating in plant swaps!

Usually a group comes in.

Each person shops for a plant that can be propagated by cuttings or divisions. Soil, plant food etc. is shopped for, then off for home where food, drink and an afternoon of dissecting begins! The same situation has occurred with terrariums. FUN! Three new indoor plant favorites!

Medinilla: Medinilla Magnifica is the newest unique plant in North America. It is proving to be the

best new upcoming plant with its amazing exotic flowers blooming several times and easy care requirements. For more information visit www. medinilla.ca/ Basil Savour: What a wonderful grafted basil tree!

A culinary delight and a beauty to boot! Fits great in a windowsill!

Mini violets: Everything mini is still all the rage (see below)!

Not new but back in popularity: BOwl/ mini Gardens Hyper tufa troughs, bowls and pots.

Combine that with a little imagination and something beautiful is created! Think about it….create a past vacation destination, a scene from a

Chicken Soup

Home-Grown

F or Rose s

Flowering Shrubs

“The Original” 100%

Organic Fertilizer

Sun Perennials Small Trees Hostas and Ferns

Originally formulated for roses at the Missouri Botanical Garden, but will benefit the WHOLE garden!

Available at $10/5lb Bag

READY FOR YOU!

ROSEY ACRES

(618) 785-3011

Email: droseyacres@egyptian.net

APRIL 2013

The Gateway Gardener™

1021 W. Delmar Ave. Godfrey, IL 62035 (618) 466-8475

A new way to keep track of plants!

Pinterest: a social media site that allows users to share photos on virtual bulletin boards. This site is gaining popularity as a place to collect ideas, collections, wish lists etc.

Lots of websites and mail order companies with online catalogs are allowing their photos to be pinned and

Start by going online and Google Pinterest.

Start a search with the word houseplant….Let the fun begin!

Ellen Barredo is a Missouri Certified Nursery Professional with more than 30 years in professional horticulture. She works at Bowood Farms and can be reached at (314) 454-6868 or ebarredo77@gmail. com.

Annual Plant Sale Saturday, April 27 9am – 3pm V.F.W. Hall Post 3500 1717 South Big Bend Blvd.

Shop Rain or Shine!

Annuals • Perennials Herbs • Veggies and More!

Come early for the best selection and Come late for the best bargains!

Join us for a Gardening Up Close Workshop Landscape Design April 9 – The Heights at 8001 Dale • 7pm Bring questions & pictures of your yard/garden and get advise from a professional landscape designer. For more info and upcoming workshops & lectures

www.richmondheightsgardenclub.org

27

Dig This!

Gateway Gardeners and Businesses in the News 4th Annual Mud Ball Party

The Fleur de Lis Garden Society held its 4th Annual Mud Ball Party to reduce stormwater runoff on February Scouts and leaders from Girl Scout Troop 5th.

The !507 get their hands dirty at the Mud Ball g r o u p Party. partnered with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri to make 364 mud balls in 20 minutes! Members collected the wildflower seeds from their gardens and also from BJC Progress West HealthCare Center’s flower beds last fall. Compost was donated by Roy Gross of St. Louis Composting, Inc. The seeds were rolled into the mud balls, and were scheduled to be planted in late March

From backyard gardeners to botanists, we are a community of plant lovers who want to learn more about the cultivation, conservation, taxonomy and propagation of Magnolias. Benefits of membership include: • Magnolia, the Society’s Journal, published twice yearly • New Cultivar Registrations

in bio-swales around St. Peters. More details at www. fleurdelisgardensociety.org.

Creve Coeur Seeks Honeysuckle Removal Help

On Saturday, April 20th at 10am the City of Creve Coeur will hold its 1st annual Honeysuckle Removal Day at Millennium Park behind BJC West, at the southeast corner of Olive and Mason.

Lots of parking is available in the lot.

City Public Works staff will work alongside volunteers cutting and dragging honeysuckle to a specific location Before (above) and after scenes to be turned into wood from a previous honeysuckle chips. The chips will cleanup in 2010 (Master Gardener be recycled as path Alan Raymond digs in!) material for walking trails in the cleared area. Finally, saplings will be planted and native seed will be scattered to help renovate the forest.

If you want to remove honeysuckle in your own yard, this is a perfect opportunity to learn the right way to do it. Or if you just want to visit one of the city’s beautiful parks, meet some neighbors, and do something good for your community, join them! Scouts, church groups or students looking to work off some service hours are encouraged to participate! Gloves, snacks and drinks will be provided.

Contact Claire Chosid at ckc@conversource.com or 314579-9876 for information.

• MSI Newsletter, distributed semiannually • International Seed Distribution: An annual opportunity to acquire otherwise unobtainable seeds of wild collected plants and original hand-crosses from prominent Magnolia hybridizers • Annual Meetings: Held both in the US and internationally Annual Membership: $30 US, $35 non-US. For information, visit our website:

www.magnoliasociety.org Or contact: Beth Edward, 3000 Henneberry Rd Jamesville, NY 13078 USA beth.edward@gmail.com

28

Open Saturday’s 8:00 am– Noon May 4th– October 26th NEW LOCATION: ARNOLD CITY PARK Don’t forget to like the Arnold Farmers Market Facebook!

For Vendor Information, visit our website at www.arnoldmo.org or contact Dan Bish at 636-282-6673.

The Gateway Gardener™

APRIL 2013

Veggies with

uper Powers

By Evelyn Alemanni

I

SuperNaturals Grafted Vegetables 2013

f you could grant your vegetable plants one super power, what would it be?

Fast growth? Disease resistance?

Amazing yields? Glow in the dark?

Vegetable plants with these “super powers” have been on the market for two years - you may have already tried one of the Mighty ‘Mato series of tomato plants in your garden last summer. They are tomatoes grafted to a superhardy rootstock that results in terrific yields.

I grew the Big Beef Mighty ‘Mato variety last summer along with non-grafted Big Beef tomatoes.

As an international judge for America in Bloom, I was gone for nearly five weeks - during the peak growing season. This is a challenge for the wellbeing of any plant in my garden, but one that the Mighty ‘Mato handled easily. The fact the plants thrived while my husband, “the chainsaw gardener” was in charge is saying a lot. He’s a hardscape kind of guy and not into fussing with plants. But the harvests! Oh my goodness! So many tomatoes that the handle on a basket broke.

When I returned from my travels, there were bowls and baskets of tomatoes lining the kitchen counter and filling the ‘fridge.

For days, I canned tomato sauce and made gallons of vegetable juice, combining the tomato juice with celery, peppers, carrots, onions and other treats from the garden. The grafted tomato plant kept producing long after the others gave up, and we enjoyed fresh tomatoes until the end of December. We had no problems with diseases of any kind. When I finally removed the plant from the garden, it sported a “trunk” of nearly five inches in diameter.

Mighty indeed!

So, as you might imagine, I was looking forward to planting

APRIL 2013

A comparison of a Big Beef Mighty ‘Mato grafted tomato (right) with a non-grafted Big Beef variety. them again, only to discover that important, you need to plant it at this year 39 varieties of grafted the same soil level as it was in the tomatoes will be available. pot. Keep the graft above the soil Choices range from Amish Paste, line at all times. to Black Cherry (I saw this one So enjoy some grafted mighty at the California Spring Trials veggies this summer. The only in 2012, it is really impressive), Chocolate Stripes, Cherokee Purple, Yellow Mortgage Lifter, and many more. With regular tomatoes, it might be fun to try one of each, but the yields are spArAgus so enormous on these plants that Ingredients maybe that would be a project to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter share with a few neighbors instead 1/2 cup onion finely chopped of growing them all yourself. A 1/2 teaspoon salt Pepper to taste complete list of varieties can be 1 lb. asparagus, ends snapped found at www.mightymato.com. off, cut into 1” lengths

Jt’s A

Even more exciting is that this year, the ‘Matos are being joined by other Mighty VeggiesTM - using the same grafting principles.

There are three eggplant varieties and six kinds of peppers ranging from small, hot jalapenos to my favorite, Big Bertha, a large, sweet bell pepper that can reach 7” long. I can’t wait to give them a try.

Growing conditions for grafted vegetables are the same as for those lacking super powers. Just remember to give your grafted veggies lots of room. If you must grow one in a container, the smallest recommended container size is a half whiskey barrel. Most

The Gateway Gardener™

super power they don’t have yet is the ability to glow in the dark, but someone’s working on that, too (http://www.plosone.org/ article/info:doi/10.1371/journal. pone.0015461).

While we usually reserve our pages for local garden experts, occasionally we happily accept reports from friends in far places, including this one from Evelyn Alemanni, who keeps us advised on trending garden topics from her awardwinning garden in Elfin Forest, California. She also serves as an international judge for America in Bloom and for Communities in Bloom in Canada, as well as for the LivCom Awards, an international awards program for livable communities. Visit Evelyn’s garden at www.allea. com/gardening-ea.htm.

Fresh Ideas FrittAtA

6 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup shredded swiss cheese

Preparation Instructions Pre-heat oven on broil.

Heat butter in 10” skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute for approximately 3 minutes, until they soften and turn translucent. Add asparagus, season with salt, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook covered for 3 minutes.

Pour in eggs and cook until almost set, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over eggs and put in oven and broil until cheese is melted and browned, about 4-6 minutes. Remove from oven with oven mitts and place on serving platter. Cut into wedges and enjoy!

This recipe adapted from http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/asparagus_frittata/ Please share some of your favorite recipes with us.

You can FAX your recipe to 314.968.4025 or email us at info@gatewaygardener.com.

29

Upcoming Events Updates to this information are often posted on our online events calendar at www.GatewayGardener.com, so check there for the latest details. If you have a smartphone, scan this code to go directly to the Upcoming Events online calendar.

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.

How to reach us: Mail: PO Box 220853, St. Louis, MO 63122 Fax: (314) 968-4025 Email: (314) 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 6th 9am—Fairy Gardens. FREE, no reservations required, everyone welcome.

The Children’s Garden Club is designed to educate and bring delight in gardening to children with projects they do themselves.

For the Garden by Haefner’s, 6703 Telegraph Rd., (314) 846-0078.

PLANT SALES AND SHOWS April 13th 8am-noon—Premier Plant Sale.

Sponsored by the Area Agency on Aging of Southwestern Illinois. Perennials for sun and shade, fruit plants, vegetables, hostas, daylilies, iris. Proceeds go to improve accessibility for seniors in their homes.

Big-R Rural King parking lot, Highway 159, Swansea, IL.For more information, call 618-222-2561.

30

April 20th 8:30am-2pm—Webster Groves Herb Society Spring Herb Sale. The 41st Annual spring sale is celebrating the herb of the year, elderberry, plus more than 10,000 culinary, ornamental, and medicinal herbs for sale. Ask for a personal assistant to help with your selection! 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.

9am-noon—St. Charles Garden County Master Gardener Tour and Plant Sale.

Vegetables, Missouri natives, annuals, herbs, perennials, seeds and more. Tour demo gardens, “Ask a Master Gardener” booth, container raffle and more!

University of Missouri Extension, 260 Brown Rd., St. Peters, MO. Call 636-9703000 for directions and info.

April 20th-21st 9am-5pm—Metropolitan St. Louis African Violet Council Plant Sale. New cultivars and old favorites are sold by the area’s top growers, who are on hand to give plant care advice and share informationi about their organization. Missouri Botanical Garden-Ridgway Center.

April 22nd-27th 3-6pm Mon., Tue., Thurs., Fri., 3-7pm Wed., 9am-3pm Sat.— St. Louis Master Gardener Plant Sale. MG’s are growing beautiful annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, succulents, natives and water plants.

Proceeds support programming at the South Technical High School greenhouse, 12721 West Watson, Sunset Hills 63127.

April 25th-28th Herb Days, presented by the Garden Gate Shop and the St. Louis Herb Society.

Choose from a wide selection of potted fresh herbs, including new and hard-to-find varieties. The society’s popular cookbook, periodicals and curry powder will also be available. Herb Society members will give demonstrations and guidance on selecting, planting, growing and using herbs. Included with Garden admission or membership. Thursday 11am-5pm, Fri. and Sat. 9am-5pm. www.stlouisherbsociety. com. Missouri Botanical Garden.

Center, University City. UCityinBloom. org, 314-973-3541.

9am-2pm—Boone Country Garden Club Plant & Recycled Garden Craft Sale. Chesterfield’s Amphitheater, 631 Veteran’s Place Dr., Chesterfield. Annuals, perennials, herbs, natives and more.

May 4th 7am-noon—Central Missouri Master Gardeners’ Plant Sale. Featuring natives...natures drought tolerant plants.

7500 square feet of master gardener grown vegetables, heirloom tomatoes, herbs and 2013 introduction perennials and annuals.

1445 Fairgrounds Rd., Jefferson City, MO. 8am-noon—Edwardsville Garden Club Plant Sale. Most of our plants are tried and true, dug out of members’ gardens. St. Mary’s Catholic Church parking lot, 1805 Madison Ave., Edwardsville, IL. 8am-1pm—Huge Plant Sale Event!

Webster Groves Women’s Garden Association will offer great prices and great advice on truckloads of donated perennials from local gardens,) plus nursery grown annuals & hanging baskets. Also featured: Container gardens (perfect for Mother’s Day!), “Garden Treasures” Resale, and a Westlake Hardware gift certificate raffle.

Rain or shine at Webster Groves Masonic Lodge, 12 E. Lockwood (next to City Hall at Elm).

8am-noon—Mississippi Valley Garden Club Plant Sale. A large variety of perennial plants will be available including hostas, day lilies, sedums, iries, herbs and bulbs. Most plants are priced between one and five dollars. The Sportsmen’s Club, 3109 Godfrey Road in Alton.

9am-1pm—Bethel UMC Plant Sale.

Large selection of annual, perennials, houseplants and much more. Great bargains. Bethel UMC, 17500 Manchester Road, Wildwood, MO. For more information call: 636-458-2255.

9-Noon—Four Winds Garden Club Perennial Plant Sale. Members will share hand-raised plants that are tried & true & do well in our region. Clayton Road at Woods Mill Rd. 314-210-7893 New members are always welcome.

April 27h 9am-3pm—Richmond Heights Garden Club Annual Plant Sale. VFW Hall Post 3500 at 1717 S. Big Bend Blvd. Nursery raised annuals, specialty perennials, veggies and herbs, and more. Come early for the best selection and late for the best bargains.

RichmondHeightsGardenClub.org.

9am-3pm—Perennial Plant Sale. The Garden Club of Lebanon will be selling select native perennials, herbs, and vegetable starts from their gardens at the Lebanon May Market. May Market includes other gardening vendors and crafters--fun day for all! 221 W. St Louis Street, Lebanon, IL. For more information see .

8am-1pm – 2nd Annual Lincoln County Master Gardener Plant Sale. In the parking lot of Valvoline Express Care, Troy, MO. There will be lots of annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, bulbs, houseplants and garden decor to choose from. Come early for best selections.

Come late for best discounts.

CLASSES, LECTURES AND EVENTS

April 27th-28th 9am-2pm Sat., noon-2pm Sun.—U. City in Bloom’s Annual Plant Sale.

Perennials, annuals, native and wildlifeattracting plants, culinary herbs and vegetables. Heman Park Community

April 2nd 6pm—Fairy Gardening, Mini Landscaping for Containers and Gardens. Hear about doll-size shrubs, plus the perennials, annuals and vines with tiny leaves and flowers. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood.

FREE. Call (314) 965-3070.

April 3rd 6:30-8:30pm—Soil

Building

Composting.

Topics include soil classification, soil amendments, soil testing, fertilizing, soil ph, composting materials and techniques. St. Charles County Extension Center, 260 Brown Rd., St. Peters MO. Visit extension.missouri. edu/stcharles/gardenclasses.aspx or call 636-970-3000 for information. $20.

6:30-7:30pm—New Plants for 2013.

Learn what is new and about effects of last year’s drought, Hillermann Nursery and Florist owner Sandi McDonald. Pacific Scenic Regional Library. Pacific, MO. April 4th 6pm—Landscaping with Perennials.

Learn how to select and combine plants based on color, texture, form and bloom time, along with the plants that can solve your landscaping problems. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood.

FREE. Call (314) 965-3070.

April 5th 9am-5pm—Arbor Day Tree Giveaway.

The Kemper Center for Home Gardening will give away 600 tree saplings on a firstcome, first served basis, one per visitor while supplies last. Master gardeners will answer questions and give advice on planting trees in the spring. While supplies last. Kemper Center, upper level at Missouri Botanical Garden.

April 6th 9-11am—Growing Small Fruits in Home Gardens. Learn about site selection, soil prep, planting, training, maintenance, pruning, harvesting and preserving. Preregistration required one week prior to class. St. Charles County Extension Center, 260 Brown Rd., St. Peters MO. Visit extension.missouri.edu/stcharles/ gardenclasses.aspx or call 636-970-3000 for information. $20.

8am-3pm—St. Louis Garden Blitz: Get to Know and Grow Your Food! Classes, demonstrations and exhibits featuring both nationally and locally-recognized horticulture professionals, farmers and local chefs. Panel discussion moderated

by Catherine Neville, publisher and editor of FEAST Magazine. Break-out session topics include Raised Bed Gardening, Herbal Cocktails, Sacred Seeds: Global Perspective, Mushrooms, Soap making and much, much more! Tours of our edible gardens and drop-in fun for families will be offered. Fabulous food trucks will be available for lunch! $60. Advance registration required (opens February 1); Missouri Botanical Garden, www.mobot. org/classes or (314) 577-9506.

10-11am—Bring on the Flavor. Learn how easy it is to grow your own healthy, organic herbs. Presented by Pamela HurtBacchetti, who grows fresh herbs for St. Louis restaurants. SWIC community education class-fee. Call 618-235-2700 ext 5393 or 5618 to register. Sandy’s Back Porch, 2004 West Blvd., Belleville, IL. Hillermann’s Anniversary Weekend.

Celebrate Hillermann’s 62nd anniversary with cake and punch all weekend long.

Outdoor Kitchen opens for spring - have lunch in the garden! Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www.hillermann. com.

and

The Gateway Gardener™

APRIL 2013

April 7th 11am—Easy Landscape Design . A hands-on workshop to help you with your garden or yard. Effingers Garden Center 720 S. 11th St., Belleville, IL. (618) 2344600. EffingerGarden.com.

April 9th 6:30-8:30pm—Lawn Care and Maintenance. Learn about soil prep, species selection, seed and sod options, fertilization, watering and core aeration.

Pre-registration required one week prior to class. St. Charles County Extension Center, 260 Brown Rd., St. Peters MO. Visit extension.missouri.edu/stcharles/ gardenclasses.aspx or call 636-970-3000 for information. $20.

7-9pm—Create Your Own Tropical Paradise. Nationally acclaimed garden writer and personality Melinda Myers will share tips on creating and growing lush gardens in any climate. Part of the St. Louis Water Gardening Society 2013 Speaker Series. Missouri Botanical Garden Commerce Bank Center for Science Education, 4651 Shaw Ave., St. Louis. The public is invited. Free parking.

April 9th or 11th Spruce Problems Teleconference.

Program covers cultural, disease, insect and spider mite problems associated with this popular evergreen. University of Illinois Extension, , Waterloo and Collinsville offices April 9, 1pm, Collinsville office only April 11, 6:30pm. Pre-registration deadline is 2 days prior to class. $5 fee for black and white handouts, $10 for color. Register online at web.extension. illinois.edu/mms/ or call (618) 939-3434 for Waterloo office or (618) 344-4230 for Collinsville.

April 9th or 11th 5pm (Apr. 9), 6pm (Apr. 11)—Gardening Under Trees. Learn how to garden under trees without damaging them. Also discussed will be the ever-expanding selection of shade plants and how to combine flower and foliage color, form and texture for season-long interest in your garden. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. April 11 1-4pm—Native Plant School: Practical Gardening with Native Plants. Bring your questions, comments, photos, drawings, and plant specimens for discussion. Session includes hands-on tours and demonstrations. Audience participation encouraged. $15 ($12 Garden members). Whitmire Wildflower Garden at Shaw Nature Reserve. For reservations or more information, call (636) 451-3512 x0 or visit ShawNature.org. th

April 13th 9-10am—Lasagna GardeningPreparing a Garden Bed. Learn a nodig method that allows you to plant the same year. Pre-registration required one week prior to class. St. Charles County Extension Center, 260 Brown Rd., St. Peters MO. Visit extension.missouri.edu/ stcharles/gardenclasses.aspx or call 636970-3000 for information. $10.

9am-1pm—Bush Honeysuckle Removal at Laumeier Sculpture Park. Be part of the solution by joining these volunteer efforts to remove bush honeysuckle. Ages 16+ (youth 12 and over with adult may participate). To register email jnorton@ laumeier.org or call 314-615-5271. St. Louis County Parks and Recreation Department.

APRIL 2013

April 13th 9 am-4 pm--Spring Open House at Sandy’s Back Porch. Oversized, one-ofa-kind hanging baskets, perennials, plus a splendid selection of garden accessories, tools, pottery and gifts in the shop. Sandy’s Back Porch, 2004 West Blvd., Belleville, IL. (618) 235-2004.

April 14th 1pm—Care of Roses. Robyn Wilkerson of the Rose Society of Greater St. Louis will answer questions. Public welcome.

Kress Farm Garden Preserve, 5137 Glade Chapel Road, Hillsboro, MO 63050.

Contact Jo Ferguson, 636-296-9306 for more information.

April 16th and 18th 5pm (Apr. 16), 6pm (Apr. 18)—Best New Perennials. Hear about the exciting new perennials hybridizers have concocted for 2013. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. April 18th Whole Foods Market® Community Support Day for Missouri Prairie Foundation (MPF). At Town & Country and Galleria Stores. Five percent of all proceeds this day will benefit the Missouri Prairie Foundation! In addition, MPF volunteers will be on hand in the stores with prairie conservation information, activities, displays of native plants and Grow Native! native landscaping information, and more! Store locations and hours: Town and Country, 1160 Town and Country Crossing Drive, Town and Country, MO 63017, 8am-9pm; Galleria, 1601 South Brentwood Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63144, 8am-10pm.

April 20th 9am-noon—Hillermann’s at the YMCA Family Fun Fair. Visit Hillermann’s booth at Four Rivers YMCA in Washington and pot a plant with Cecil and Sheri.

Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-2396729, www.hillermann.com.

10:30am—Earth Day Pinterest Party.

Celebrate Earth Day Pinterest style. Make earth-friendly items for your home and garden. Some fees may apply on certain projects. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www.hillermann.com.

April 21st 11am—Vegetable Gardening 101.

Join Hugh Maine, Dave Chouinard and Rick Effinger to talk about soil preparation, pests, problems and growing veggies, berries, and all things edible.

Effingers Garden Center 720 S. 11th St., Belleville, IL. (618) 234-4600.

EffingerGarden.com.

11am-6pm—St. Louis Earth Day Festival. Celebrate the 24th annual National Earth Day at Forest Park, with educational exhibits and hands on activities, 3 stages of music and entertainment, Earth Day Cafe with local and earth-friendly foods, Schlafly Beer and other locally produced beverages, All-Species Parade (dress as your favorite species), and much, much more. Visit us at The Gateway Gardener Booth!

April 23rd or 25th Pollinators and Insecticides Teleconference. A discussion of the problems facing honeybees, bumblebees and other important pollinators. University of Illinois Extension, , Waterloo and Collinsville offices April 23, 1pm, Collinsville office only April 25, 6:30pm.

Pre-registration deadline is 2 days prior to class. $5 fee for black and white handouts,

The Gateway Gardener™

$10 for color. Register online at web. extension.illinois.edu/mms/ or call (618) 939-3434 for Waterloo office or (618) 3444230 for Collinsville.

April 23rd 5pm—Favorite Shrubs. Learn about the showiest, longest blooming, heaviest producing shrubs available, plus growing techniques. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. April 25th 6pm—Shrubs for Small Spaces. Learn about the shrubs perfect for that little spot that needs something special, or for areas were low-maintenance, slow growing plants are preferred. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. 7pm—Schlafly Gardenworks 2013 Spring Garden Social and Seed Swap.

Meet all levels of vegetable gardeners, swap your extra seeds and plants, enjoy a refreshing beverage, and maybe win a fabulous door prize. Schlafly gardeners Jack and Nolan will be on hand to inform and enlighten you on a variety of vegetable gardening topics. Schlafly Bottleworks Crown Room, 7260 Southwest Ave., St. Louis. (314) 241-2337.

2-5pm—Native Plant Identification, Propagation and Design. Learn to i.d. and propagate many popular native plants for pollinators, butterflies and food. Lincoln University Native Plants Program, 900 Chestnut St., Allen Hall Rm. 100, Jefferson City, MO. $5. Contact HempenA@LincolnU.edu.

April 25th-28th Annual Spring Book Fair. Patrons’ Preview Thursday 4-9pm, $5 (Free to WGPL Friends), Friday-Saturday 10am7pm, FREE. Sunday 10am-3pm, FREE. Proceeds support the Webster Groves Public Library. Books, cds, movies, audio books, records and more—including a good selection of gardening and landscaping books! Yorkshire Village Shopping Center8045 Watson Rd., Webster Groves, MO. Visit http://wgpl.lib.mo.us/friends for more information.

April 26th 7-11pm—4th Annual Green Ball.

Moonrise Hotel, at 6177 Delmar in The Loop. Join the movers and shakers in St. Louis in celebrating the 42nd anniversary of Earth Day and the third anniversary of the Moonrise Hotel’s opening. Proceeds from the gala will benefit the EarthWays Center.

Appetizers, complimentary bar service, live music and more. 314-721-1111, or visit www.mobot.org/sustainability.

April 27th 8:30am—Sugar Creek Gardens Nursery Tour. Tour the nursery, seeing what’s in bloom, what’s coming into bloom, along with the best plants of the year. Learn about the newest selections along with our rarest and most unusual gems. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood.

FREE. 9:30-11:30am—Shade Gardening. Learn about analyzing and characterizing your shade situation, soil prep, plant/tree/ shrub selection and waering techniques.

Pre-registration required one week prior to class. St. Charles County Extension Center, 260 Brown Rd., St. Peters MO. Visit extension.missouri.edu/stcharles/ gardenclasses.aspx or call 636-970-3000 for information. $20.

10am-2pm—Silk Painting with Rose Monzyk. Learn to paint a beautiful silk scarf with dye. $49.00 class fee and $15.00 supply fee. Call Rose at 636-239-5423 to reserve your space. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www.hillermann. com.

10am-2pm—Hillermann’s Family Fun Weekend. Celebrate the warmer weather and spring flowers. Petting zoo, pony rides, alpacas, a dove release, kids’ activities, and more. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www.hillermann.com.

10-11am--Arbor Day Celebration in Creve Coeur. The City of Creve Coeur is hosting a free Arbor Day Celebration at the Government Center in the Council Chambers located at 300 N. New Ballas Road. All attendees will receive a free tree sapling to plant in recognition of Arbor Day. For more information, contact Sharon Stott, Public Information Officer and Management Analyst, at sstott@ci.crevecoeur.mo.us or 314-442-2081.

April 30th 6:30-9pm—Creating a Native Rain Garden. Learn benefits, steps to install and plant suggestions. Pre-registration required one week prior to class. St. Charles County Extension Center, 260 Brown Rd., St. Peters MO. Visit extension. missouri.edu/stcharles/gardenclasses.aspx or call 636-970-3000 for information. $20.

April 30th and May 2nd 5pm (April 30), 6pm (May 2)—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.

Do Your One-Stop Shopping Here!

41st Annual Spring Herb Sale Saturday April 20th, 2013 8:30am-2:00pm

First Congregational Church of Webster Groves, Missouri (at Lockwood & Elm) • Thousands of culinary, medicinal, and ornamental herbs • 2013 Herb of the Year: Elderberry • Books, recipes, herb growing advice, herbal demos, heirloom tomatoes • Personal shopping assistants available to help with your selections

www.wgherbs.org

31

NATURE’S WAY TO GROW

International Compost Awareness Week • May 5-11, 2013

Visit St. Louis Composting on May 7, 8, & 11 for lunch and learning during International Compost Awareness Week!

Lunch at Fort Bellefontaine Compost Facility May 7 at 11am Lunch at Belleville Facility May 8 at 11am Lunch and Learning at Valley Park Facility May 11 at 12pm “Give Compost a GROW at Home” workshop Above image is the 2013 ICAW Poster Contest Winner hosted by the USCC - more information at http://compostingcouncil.org/icaw/

BELLEVILLE, IL

5841 Mine Haul Rd. 618.233.2007

VALLEY PARK, MO 39 Old Elam Ave. 636.861.3344

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, MO (This is a drop off facility only) 314.423.9035

ST. LOUIS, MO

560 Terminal Row 314.868.1612

FORT BELLEFONTAINE COMPOST FACILITY 13060 County Park Rd. 314.355.0052

More details at www.stlcompost.com

ENRICHING THE SOIL NATURALLY SINCE 1992