The Gateway Gardener July/August 2012

Gateway Gardener THE

SEPTEMBER 2012

®

Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes

Daylilies

From Dips to Tets— History and Trends!

DON’T Do-ItYourself

A Resource Guide to Green Industry Services

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The Gateway Gardener™ SEPTEMBER 2012

Gateway Gardener

From the Editor

THE

®

Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes

September 2012

Volume 8, Number 7

Publisher Joyce Bruno

Editor Robert Weaver Columnists

Barbara Perry Lawton General Gardening Connie Alwood Birding Ellen Barredo Houseplants & Tropicals Diane Brueckman Roses Joyce Driemeyer Herbs Cindy Gilberg Native Plant Gardening Mara Higdon Vegetables Glenn Kraemer Turfgrass Steffie Littlefield Perennials & Design 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

I

volunteer on Friday morning’s on the phones at Missouri Botanical Garden’s Horticulture Answer Service.

(When I tell people that, I usually add, “So, if you want a good answer to your gardening question, don’t call on Friday!”)

Most questions are about specific plant problems or questions, but frequently people call for recommendations for a qualified professional to handle a plant or landscape project for them.

It seems most people have little trouble in securing a service to mow their lawn, but for any projects or problems more involved than that, they don’t know where to look.

That’s why we’ve turned much of this issue over to the green industry service businesses with our first annual “DON’T Do-ItYourself” Resource Guide and features (and why I’m lounging in the pool here instead of working in the garden!). In these pages you’ll find information on how to find reliable, qualified professionals in a wide range of green industry disciplines. Steffie Littlefield writes on pg. 6 about some of the services you can get for free or at low cost from your

local independent garden center.

I compiled a beginner’s guide to a host of green services, from arborists to landscape designers and architects, irrigation and lighting professionals and more on page 8, and landscape designer and instructor Jerry Pence helped explain the differences between landscape designers and landscape architects on page 12. Finally, you can find specific companies in a number of disciplines in our DDIY Resource Guide on page 10.

If you’re looking online for a place to begin your search for many green industry services, check out the Horticulture Co-op of Metro St. Louis’

On the Cover...

July is usually the time when daylilies peak in our region, but this year everything was weeks ahead of schedule, and the only blooms you’re likely to find any more are on our cover (Hemerocallis ‘Purple de Oro’) For more on daylilies and their history and trends, see page 4. (Photo courtesy Walters Gardens, Inc.)

FEATURES 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.

8 DON’T Do-It-Yourself 10 DDIY Resource Guide 12 Landscape Designers Architects

website at www.HortCo-op. com. The Hort Co-op is an umbrella organization that includes several area industry organizations, including the St. Louis Arborists Association, The Landscape and Nursery Association of Greater St. Louis, and the Gateway Professional Horticulturist Association, and each group’s member listings can be accessed to start your search for reliable professionals for your landscape or plant needs.

I hope this issue will grow larger in years to come and be an even more helpful guide readers will keep handy throughout the year. Because sometimes, you just don’t feel like doing-ityourself—and sometimes you really, really shouldn’t! And I’m not saying a thing about the time I volunteered to prune up my neighbor’s ice-damaged white pine. Sorry about the fence, Mrs. Lyons!

Good Gardening!

DEPARTMENTS 4 Daylilies: History and Trends 6 Service at the Garden Center 14 The Cornucopia Corner 16 Butterflies...and More!

18 Dig This 20 Gardening Underground III 21 Celebrate Independents 22 Upcoming Events

I

H. ‘Primal Scream’ was voted among the most popular daylily varieties by American Hemerocallis Society Members in the Missouri Region for 2011.

f you’re looking for durable reliable perennials that are easy to care for and offer a variety of flower colors and forms, you should consider daylilies. They’ve come a long way from original Asian daylilies with their star-shaped orange and yellow blooms. Once horticulturists discovered the genetic malleability of daylilies in the late 1800s, they began breeding them, looking at first for a wider range of colors, beyond gold to yellows and orange-reds. Plant breeders also began looking for shorter flower stalks—the originals usually grew to a height of three feet or even more. At the same time, they were seeking other flower forms.

I gained wonderful insights to the world of daylilies from Jo Roberson who, with her husband Jack, are the founders and principals of All-American Daylilies of Grain Valley, Missouri. She told me of the progress in the daylily world. Beginning in the 1950s, breeders achieved a wider array of colors and began to breed daylilies for other characteristics including clearer colors, ruffled flowers and bloom markings such as edgings and

H. ‘Going Bananas’ is an improved version of ‘Happy Returns’, both examples of “diploid” daylilies. “eyes.” They also were looking for new flower surfaces and textures as they considered the star-shaped species flowers inferior.

When daylily fanciers discovered that the chromosome count of the plant could be altered with such things as colchicum, a chemical derived from crocuses, they developed daylilies with twice the number of chromosomes. The original plant has 32 chromosomes and is referred to as a diploid. The new inventions resulted in daylilies with double the chromosomes—these were referred to as tetraploids. These were husky plants with thick-petaled flowers and more substantial stems and leaves.

Many daylily fanciers focused on the “tets” to the exclusion of other varieties.

With the introduction of ‘Stella de Oro’, the demand for repeat-blooming daylilies was born. Plant breeders of the 1970s and 1980s worked toward repeat bloomers and soon were introducing daylily varieties of all types that would reliably bloom more than once a growing season. The most successful of these bloomed almost continuously. This trend in plant breeding has continued until today. At the same time, consumers began to seek smaller daylilies for the smaller gardens of condos and also for containers.

These various trends have given daylilies a new importance in today’s gardens. New colors and smaller forms mean that daylilies can fit well into any situation. Their increasing popularity underlines this.

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Daylilies are tough plants that will grow almost anywhere. They prefer full sun though they will tolerate less. They will grow in almost any soil, but will thrive if provided with a well-draining soil that has been fortified with well-rotted compost. Don’t plant daylilies where they are in close contact with tree and shrub root systems. Though they are tough, they are not able to compete with larger plants.

Daylilies do require ample moisture. They should receive the equivalent of an inch of water per week. At the same time, avoid keeping the soil wet, especially during hot weather when fungal and bacterial diseases are most prevalent. Mulching will modulate the soil temperature and help retain moisture.

The Gateway Gardener™ SEPTEMBER 2012

Barbara Perry Lawton is a writer, author, speaker and photographer. She has served as manager of publications for Missouri Botanical Garden and as weekly garden columnist for the Post-Dispatch. The author of a number of gardening and natural history books, and contributor to many periodicals, she has earned regional and national honors for her writing and photography. Barbara is also a Master Gardener and volunteers at MBG.

Looking for Something Unique for your Garden??

Come Stroll Thru Our Gardens and Discover the Pleasure of Plants!

H. ‘Ruby Spider’ is an example of a tetrapoid daylily.

Fertilizing regularly will encourage vigorous growth and larger blooms.

I like to use organic fertilizers since they will not burn sensitive plant roots. Well-rotted cow manure or the equivalent can be applied according to directions in the spring and fall.

Although pests and diseases are uncommon to rare in daylilies, you should monitor them for signs of pests and symptoms of disease. Use an insecticidal soap spray for pests that may appear. Check with experts if you have signs of disease.

Fall is a good time to lift and separate daylilies. Be sure to allow them several weeks to reestablish their root systems before the first average hard frost. Let the daylily clumps sit for a day or so to allow any of the injured areas to dry. Give extras to friends and neighbors.

A Few Final Words

Unfortunately, deer enjoy daylilies very much. The easiest way to cope with this is to plant them in a protected spot.

Daylilies are tasty—the thick petals of the tetraploid forms are particularly sweet. The roots, tender young stems and flowers are a home-grown treat when sautéed. The flowers are attractive and tasty in salads. If you plan to serve daylily dishes, be sure to plant enough plants to both display and to eat.

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ocal Garden Centers offer many services that are designed to improve the customers gardening experience by making gardening easier, successful and improving their lifestyle. If you have plants that are failing in your landscape, spent money on plants for containers each season just to have dead sticks in your pots or are not happy with anemic looking house plants, visit your independent garden center and ask if they can help. You will then find that there is a whole list of custom services offered by these neighborhood havens that will solve all these problems.

garden will look better and in many cases be less work to maintain.

When you are going to buy plants for pots, window-boxes and hanging baskets it is always advisable to check with the experienced staff at your local garden center.

They will sort through the hundreds of plants on the shelf and recommend varieties that will do best in the unique conditions that exist at your home. Yes we understand that every front porch has different light, wind and moisture conditions. That it isn’t easy to find the perfect combination of plants to complement your home’s architectural When you want to make improvements style, paint colors and your personal taste. to your home landscape and are not sure get recommendations for care, changes and Your local garden center may even have a what you need to buy, plant or even how renovations for your garden. Many times container potting service where they will to get started just stop by the local garden plants just need to be pruned, fertilized, design and plant those pots for you just in center in your neighborhood and see if treated for pests or disease, or need to be time for your family party or open house. they have someone who will do an on site moved around to the appropriate location They will add the right fertilizers or other garden consultation. This is the service that with the conditions that will help them thrive. amendments to make the plants grown and I provide for Garden Heights and I know These technical issues are easy to resolve thrive all summer. many of my colleagues at other garden with expert assistance. If the problem is an centers are happy to offer. Ask if you can unattractive landscape, that can be fixed with Many garden centers will also help their set-up an appointment for a home visit to an on site garden design, listing new plants customers with houseplant and indoor to plant, changes in tropical plant questions and care. Need hardscape and even help keeping that gift orchid healthy, your Mon Lake St. Louis Thru Sat a scale drawing of gardenia lush and dark green, and a palm 9am -5p Sun 10am m Garden Center renovations for your or citrus plant thriving, ask the tropical -4pm garden bed layout. manager for his or her expert advise. Many Using these kinds of of our favorite exotic plants need some services means that special care once in a while. The tropical $5 OFF Any purchase of the new plantings experts at your local garden center have $25 or more!

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The Gateway Gardener™ SEPTEMBER 2012

possessions. Look for custom repotting, treatments for insects and a specialty selection of plant foods and potting mixes.

But it’s not just the products that will help you grow better exotic plants but the one-onone assistance and services your local garden center has available.

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.

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The Gateway Gardener™

7

Got an outdoor project in mind? Sometimes it’s better if you

It-Yourself!

DON’T Do-

An introduction to selecting Green Industry Professionals for Virtually Every Landscape and Outdoor Living Job.

By Robert Weaver in the outdoors people don’t feel comfortable with, or they simply don’t want to take on themselves. So how do you know whom to call to get a qualified professional for the task at hand?

I

t’s no secret. I’m not getting any younger.

Having reached (and surpassed) eligibility age for AARP membership, I’ve been forced into the realization that there are certain projects in the outdoors I can—or should—no longer tackle. Things involving chain saws and ladders in combination were scratched off the list some years ago. The annual spreading of a tandem load of leaf mulch

enjoyed its last spring fling this year (or so I’m told by my wife, tired of hearing the postproject back complaints and ensuing allergy attacks). And the last time I climbed behind the controls of a front loader, well, if the experience had been recorded, it would have gone viral on YouTube!

Even if age hasn’t slowed you down, there are plenty of jobs

When it comes to lawn care, it’s pretty easy to find help.

Neighborhood kids are the first, easiest and usually cheapest resource. Beyond that, there is a endless parade of entrepreneurs with a truck and lawnmower who will line up at your door to bid for the service. And if they screw up the job, well, as our lawn expert Glenn Kraemer says, “It’s just grass!” But for many other jobs around the outdoors, screwing up can come with much greater consequences.

So, below, we hope to answer a few questions on how you can go about hiring a qualified professional for just about any job you need done around the outdoors of your home.

Lawn

Care

and

Maintenance

Okay, we kind of dissed this category in our opening, but some people really have greater expectations from their lawn and its care than they’re willing to trust to the neighborhood teenager. First, be sure to get bids from at least 2-3 different companies and ask questions to make sure your getting the treatments and services you want and need. Get recommendations from friends and family, or check with the Better Business Bureau for any record of complaints.

Make sure the company knows the difference between coolseason and warm-season grasses, and will treat yours accordingly in terms of cutting height and timely chemical applications. Ask about what kind of fertilizer they use and when they’re applying (Many companies also now offer organic lawn care.). Are they flexible in giving you only those services you want? Most companies will be comparable in price for similar services. If

Looking for LOCAL professional landscape services, including landscape design, installation and maintenance, tree care, hardscapes, water features, native landscapes, rain gardens and much, much more.

Check out our member listings at:

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8

The Gateway Gardener™ SEPTEMBER 2012

one appears to be a great deal, beware! And make sure you get a contract specifying all services and obligations. (For more detailed information, search online for Ohio State University FactSheet HYG-4025-88).

Total Landscape Maintenance

This is a service category that stumps most homeowners.

They may know where to find arborists, designers, irrigations experts and others, but when it comes to finding someone to divide their perennials, spread mulch or plant their vegetable

on their website at MLNA.org.

You could also check with the horticulture department at St. Louis Community Colleges at Meramec (314-984-7714).

They may have students capable and eager to perform various tasks in your landscape.

And again, ask friends and neighbors—not to do the work, but for recommendations!

native plants (StLWildOnes. org), whose members will likely have had experience with area professionals in this specialty.

Other helpful resources for native plant designing, associations, etc. can be found at GrowNative.org. For rain gardens specifically, check out Missouri Botanical Garden’s website (Mobot.org) and search “Stormwater Solutions” for plant lists and sample designs.

This doesn’t help with finding an installer, but will help you better understand what is required. Shaw Nature Reserve (ShawNature.org) may also be of help with both native installation recommendations and rain gardens.

off my chest. As far as finding a professional, if your tree is in decline or appears unhealthy or dangerous, you want a certified arborist to look at it.

Many times valued trees can be treated, pruned and saved from further decline. Again, you can seek recommendations from friends, family and neighbors, and call the BBB to vet the past performance of any business you consider hiring. A great source of reliable, ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) certified arborists can be found in the membership listing of the St. Louis Arborist Association (SLAA), which you can access at StLousArborists.com.

I r r i g at i o n / L i g h t i n g I nstallers /H ardscapes / It’s particularly important to Deck, Patio and Fence seek out professional help in this category, especially if you have Contractors Arborists

I’ve lumped all these together,

Landscape Designers / a sick tree you’re hoping to save. primarily because the best way It’s also an area where you’ll Installers/Architects to vet these businesses is to (This category is covered in a separate article in this issue. See pg. 12)

find many “freelance” drive-by individuals who will offer to trim or remove a dead or dying tree at a cut-rate price. If you’re tempted to hire them, first insist upon seeing proof of insurance and bonding at the least, ask for recommendations, make sure you get the services to be performed in writing, and never pay in advance for services.

garden, they’re at a loss!

But there are “professional gardeners” out there who will capably do those chores and more.

N at i v e /W i l d l i f e /R a i n Garden Specialists

A good place to start is at your local independent garden centers. Some offer these services to customers for a fee.

Others may have employees who will freelance the services you need. There are also a couple of organizations whose membership consists in part of professionals offering gardening services. One is the Gateway Professional Horticulturist Association (GPHA), and the other is the Landscape and Nursery Association of Greater St. Louis (LNAGSL).

Both have websites that can be accessed through HortCo-op.org.

The Missouri Landscape and Nursery Association (MLNA) also lists certified professionals

Some of these people try to sell homeowners on the need to preemptively “top” a large tree to supposedly protect against potentially hazardous limb drop.

Never allow anyone to “top” your trees, that is, uniformly reduce the size of the largest branches. This practice results in an unnatural appearance that promotes new, poorly attached limbs that are more likely to break off than the original, Again, check the member listings healthy branches. Also, never at the LNAGSL website, which allow tree climbers to use spikes include areas of specialty such to climb a tree that is to remain as this category. You can also in place; they should only be contact the St. Louis Chapter used in cases of tree removal. of Wild Ones, an organization that promotes landscaping with Okay, I got those two things

SEPTEMBER 2012

This is a relatively young and growing segment of landscape interest, especially in the homescaled landscape. Interest in sustainable gardening practices, making home landscapes more wildlife friendly, and controlling water runoff and use are all increasing concerns of many homeowners. But installing a successful native garden or rain garden requires a different approach than a standard ornamental garden, with someone experienced who understands that difference.

The Gateway Gardener™

get recommendations and see a portfolio of their past work.

Each category typically has some

sort of certifying institution, so it may be meaningful to ask what classes/certifications the service provider carries. Beyond that, ask neighbors, friends and family, ask the business to show a portfolio of their work, and ask for contacts from a few past customers.

Again, make sure all details are in writing, and never pay for work in advance of completion (though in some cases a down payment may be required to buy materials and schedule work). For irrigation specialists, ask if they are IA (Irrigation Association) certified.

Check out the membership listing of the Gateway Irrigation Association for a starting point.

They publish a Code of Ethics and Minimum Standards for Installation on their website (giastl. com), to which their members presumably prescribe and adhere to. For hardscape contractors, a couple of certifications to ask for

(continued on page 13) 9

DON’T Do-it-Yourself 2012 Resource Guide Sometimes, some jobs in the landscape are better left to the pros. If you need professional help for your trees, shrubs, gardens, lawns, or other parts of your outdoor living spaces, here’s a list of local experts, one of whom may be just right for your needs. Read about how to select the right professional for your job elsewhere in this issue, then give these pros a call!

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Gateway Gardener magazine!

Arborists Gamma Tree Experts (314) 725-6159 GammaTree.com See Ad Page 2 Trees, Forests & Landscapes 314) 821-9918 TreesForestsAndLandscapes.com

Deck, Patio & Fence Hillermann Nursery & Florist 2601 E. 5th St. Washington, MO (636) 239-6729 Hillermann.com See Ad Page 4 West County Gardens 10687 Midland Blvd.

St. Louis, MO (314) 423-9244 WestCountyGardens.com See Ad Page 17

10

Hardscapes Frisella Nursery 5501 Hwy F. Defiance, MO (636) 798-2555 FrisellaNursery.com See Ad Page 2 Hillermann Nursery & Florist 2601 E. 5th St. Washington, MO (636) 239-6729 Hillermann.com See Ad Page 4 West County Gardens 10687 Midland Blvd.

St. Louis, MO (314) 423-9244 WestCountyGardens.com See Ad Page 17

Irrigation & Lighting

Landscape Architects Hillermann Nursery & Florist 2601 E. 5th St. Washington, MO (636) 239-6729 Hillermann.com See Ad Page 4

Landscape Design/ Install Bowood Farms 4605 Olive Street St. Louis, MO (314) 454-6868 BowoodFarms.com See Ad Page 7 Frisella Nursery 5501 Hwy F. Defiance, MO (636) 798-2555 FrisellaNursery.com See Ad Page 2

Frisella Nursery 5501 Hwy F. Defiance, MO (636) 798-2555 FrisellaNursery.com See Ad Page 2

Hillermann Nursery & Florist 2601 E. 5th St. Washington, MO (636) 239-6729 Hillermann.com See Ad Page 4

Hillermann Nursery & Florist 2601 E. 5th St. Washington, MO (636) 239-6729 Hillermann.com See Ad Page 4

Missouri Naturescapes (314) 753-9980 MissouriNaturescapes.com

West County Gardens 10687 Midland Blvd.

St. Louis, MO (314) 423-9244 WestCountyGardens.com See Ad Page 17

SFP Landscaping, Inc. 9800 Gravois Rd. St. Louis, MO (314) 544-4436 SFPLandscapingInc.com See Ad Page 12 Sugar Creek Gardens 1011 N. Woodlawn Kirkwood, MO (314) 965-3070 SugarCreekGardens.com See Ad Page 6

The Gateway Gardener™ SEPTEMBER 2012

West County Gardens 10687 Midland Blvd.

St. Louis, MO (314) 423-9244 WestCountyGardens.com See Ad Page 17

(636) 239-6729 Hillermann.com See Ad Page 4

Native Specialists Hillermann Nursery & Florist 2601 E. 5th St. Washington, MO (636) 239-6729 Hillermann.com See Ad Page 4 Missouri Naturescapes (314) 753-9980 MissouriNaturescapes.com Naturscapes Nursery 1674 N. Bluff. Rd. Collinsville, IL ((618) 344-8841 plants57@aol.com

West County Gardens 10687 Midland Blvd.

St. Louis, MO (314) 423-9244 WestCountyGardens.com See Ad Page 17 West Winds Earthscaping (636) 274-5133 WestWindsFalls.com See Ad Page 7

A r t b y DAy, M A g i c b y N ig h t

Now through August 19

The Missouri Botanical Garden welcomes you to this spectacular exhibition of largerthan-life, lighted works of art from China.

The first of its kind and size in the U.S., come experience the magic of one of China’s most treasured events—the Lantern Festival!

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Total Landscape Maint.

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SFP Landscaping, Inc. 9800 Gravois Rd. St. Louis, MO (314) 544-4436 SFPLandscapingInc.com See Ad Page 12

Hillermann Nursery & Florist 2601 E. 5th St. Washington, MO (636) 239-6729 Hillermann.com See Ad Page 4

Pest Control Hillermann Nursery & Florist 2601 E. 5th St. Washington, MO (636) 239-6729 Hillermann.com See Ad Page 4

Pond / Water Features Chalily Pond and Gardens 14430 Manchester Rd. Manchester, MO (636) 527-2001 ChalilyPond.com See Ad Page 6

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GardenWorks!

(636) 675-7854 GardenWorks4U@gmail.com SFP Landscaping, Inc. 9800 Gravois Rd. St. Louis, MO (314) 544-4436 SFPLandscapingInc.com See Ad Page 12 West County Gardens 10687 Midland Blvd.

St. Louis, MO (314) 423-9244 WestCountyGardens.com See Ad Page 17

Frisella Nursery 5501 Hwy F. Defiance, MO (636) 798-2555 FrisellaNursery.com See Ad Page 2 Hillermann Nursery & Florist 2601 E. 5th St. Washington, MO

SEPTEMBER 2012

The Gateway Gardener™

11

Hiring A Professional for Your Landscape Design

By Jerry Pence can handle projects ranging from residential to commercial to park planning, storm Landscape designers are equipped to work water runoff issues, golf course planning with residential and commercial projects and transportation enhancement projects that involve simple to intense landscaping. (bikeways, trails etc.). Landscape architects Having an education in horticulture are often involved with large public allows them to work with a strong plant projects, community planning projects and background, giving them the ability to accessible design projects that may include choose proper plant location for each playgrounds and other areas concerned with site. Landscape designers can also work ADA accessible site regulations. They are Landscape Designer Landscape designers come in many different with grading issues, hardscape design/ also qualified to work with grading issues, forms. Professionally trained landscape placement and outdoor lighting to enhance outdoor lighting and hardscape design/ designers set themselves apart by their your landscape. Designers often supply placement. Currently, landscape architects schooling and their training. A professional completed landscape plans for a fee, which are leading the way in the development of landscape designer will normally have a is generally set before work commences. the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES), the degree or certificate in horticulture, many Landscape designers can belong to many landscape industry’s answer to the LEED times with an emphasis in landscape design. associations, including the nationally run program for green building.

Landscape designers that come from our Association of Professional Landscape program at St. Louis Community College Designers (APLD). Through APLD, they While both groups of designers have – Meramec have the opportunity to take up can obtain certification through a testing their differences, both are concerned with improving the outdoor environment. With to four landscape design courses. Those and design review program. sustainability being the future in landscape who graduate from 4-year institutions have Landscape Architect design and landscape architecture, both Landscape architects groups of professionals must be ready to obtain degrees in embrace the challenges that lie ahead for their field through our industry. Continuing education in programs that can their prospective areas (CEU’s for APLD be 4-5 years for a members and LA CES for ASLA members) Bachelor’s degree. will allow them to be better informed A Master’s degree and have the resources available to in Landscape provide sensible solutions to your outdoor Architecture is also environment. available.

After completion of their What to Look And/Or Ask For In degree, landscape A Designer architects must • Background/Education/Experience then pass a test of • Experience with your particular needs or certification to obtain situations a registered license • Referral list for each state in • Portfolio of past work Professional • Creative • Reliable which they operate. • Fee structure Their association, Over 25 years of Outstanding Quality The American Jerry Pence is an award winning Custom landscape design & installation Society of Landscape landscape designer and is the Facilitator Professional landscape maintenance Architects (ASLA) in the Horticulture Program at St. Louis Expertise in native landscapes has chapters in each Community College - Meramec, where state.

Landscape he has been an instructor of landscape SFP Landscaping, Inc. View over Architects also can design for 20 years. Jerry has been 100 beautiful 314-544-4436 supply completed published in several magazines and was Saint Louis, MO job photos landscape plans for most recently involved in an episode iinfo@sfplandscapinginc.com on our website! a fee. for DIY Network’s Turf Wars. www.sfplandscapinginc.com Landscape architects

When faced with the need for a landscape design, there are two types of designers to choose from: a Landscape Designer or a Landscape Architect. They are similar in many ways but also have their differences.

Below is a general comparison of the two, keeping in mind that there may be overlapping qualities that both possess.

similar opportunities.

SFP Landscaping, Inc.

12

The Gateway Gardener™ SEPTEMBER 2012

DON’T DDIY from page 9)

(continued There’s often no telling what people

are ICPI (Interlocking Concrete Paver Institute) for pavers, and NCMI (National Concrete Masonry Institute) for retaining walls. For more good tips on selecting a contractor, check out HardscapeStL.com and click on

the “Do It For Me” button at the top of the home page.

Ponds, Waterfall and Water Feature Designers and Contractors

The best way to find reliable designers and contractors in this category is to attend the annual Pond-O-Rama Water Garden Tour in June and see the installations in person. The tour features the entire gamut of possibilities, from humble projects to grandiose waterscapes!

If you missed it, try contacting the St. Louis Water Gardening Society (www.slwgs.org) and ask a member for recommendations.

You might also visit one of the local water garden retail specialists.

They may or may not offer the work themselves or be associated with a contractor, but it’s a start. Certified Aquascape contractors uses to carry cache, but there are many very qualified professionals who have opted out of that certification because it obligated them to use that equipment exclusively. This is another category, like Arborists, where it’s very important to get someone with experience and a good track record, because a botched job can be a disaster, while a successful installation will be a joy for years!

consider pests. As a volunteer at the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Horticulture Answer Desk, I’ve taken calls from people who want to know how to get rid of the birds in their trees, how to get rid of spiders in their garden, and other inexplicable requests. But even more tolerant homeowners at some point on some level will need professional pest control. Most frequent calls regarding pests in the landscape, says Jeff Holper of Holper’s Pest Solutions, are for moles, voles and stinging insects (not counting those outdoor critters that find their way indoors, like ants, spiders and roaches!).

Anyone applying chemical pest controls must be licensed and certified by the state of Missouri, so check that licensing for starters.

You can also visit the Greater St. Louis Pest Control Association website (www.gslpca.org) for a list of its members. The website PestWorld.org, operated by the National Pest Management Association, also allows you to type in your zip code to find a pest professional in your area.

More Resources

I think we’ve covered most bases here. For our recommendations for professionals in many of these categories, be sure to take a look at our DDIY Resource Guide on page 10. Then, grab an umbrella drink, hop in the hammock, and congratulate yourself on NOTDoing-It-Yourself!

Pest Control Services SEPTEMBER 2012

The Gateway Gardener™

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Ellen Barredo Bowood Farms Sheri Bohrer Forrest Keeling Nursery Dave Brakhane Pleasantview Landscaping Mark Brakhane Pleasantview Landscaping Bob Call Longfellow’s Garden Ctr. Jeff Coffey Jeff Coffey’s Landscaping Cynthia Collins Hartke Nursery Mike Curran SummerWinds Damon Doherty Hillside Landscaping Steve Dorrell Carson’s Nursery Janet Dueber Longfellow’s Garden Ctr. Susan Ehlenbeck MO Dept. of Agriculture

2369 Creve Coeur Mill Rd. Maryland Heights, MO 63043

Doug English Kristopher Fuller Full Features Nursery & Landscape Center Sandra Hillermann McDonald Hillermann Nursery & Florist Aaron Jung Horticultural Impressions Glenn Kristek Wickman Garden Village Joe Krygiel Baxter Gardens West Gregg Larsen Gregg Larsen Landscaping Roland Lenzenhuber Forest Lawn Nursery John Logan Logan Landscape Design Alice Longfellow Longfellow’s Garden Center Eric Lovelace Forrest Keeling Nursery

Kim Lovelace-Young Forrest Keeling Nursery Henry McCormick Carson’s Nursery Anne McKinstry McKinstry Plant Sales Rain Miljan Hillside Landscaping Nikki Pettit Wickman Garden Village Don Sherman Hillermann Nursery & Florist Kevin Sir Bowood Farms Jim Van Valkenburg Sherwood’s Forest Donald Walls Hartke Nursery David Wehmeyer Hillermann Nursery & Florist Lynn Young Baxter Gardens West

Missouri Certified Green Industry Stars is a Missouri State certification program designed to: • Raise the standards of the state’s Green Industry’s Professional Horticulturists • Assist the public in identifying Certified Green Industry Horticulture Professionals who have been tested on Basic Principles of Horticulture, Environmental Stewardship Ideals and Best Management Practices as they apply to the state of Missouri.

To locate and shop with a Missouri Certified Green Industry Star, consult the Membership Directory at:

www.mlna.org 13

The Cornucopia Corner Overland Farmers’ Market

July-August Harvest

2500 Woodson Road Overland, MO 63114 www.OverlandFarmersMarket.com

Here are some fruits and veggies you might find in the garden or your local farmers’ market these months: Vegetables

Hours: 8am-12:30pm Saturdays May-Oct. Visit us for locally grown seasonal produce, homemade bread and sweetrolls, entertainment and special events. Food available for purchase. Centrally located and accessible by public transportation. Have fun and eat well. We look forward to seeing you at the market!

2012 Farmers’ & Produce Markets

T Ferguson Farmers’ Market

20 S. Florissant Rd. Ferguson, MO (314) 324-4298 Knoelker@sbcglobal.net www.FergusonFarmersMarket.com and FACEBOOK Hours: May 5th-Oct. 27th, Sat. 8am-noon Open for our 10th season with fresh, local and organic produce and fruits grown within 100 miles and picked within 24 hours by the friendly farmers who grow them. Special events weekly with chef demos, food contests, kids’ art activities and fresh produce samplings. 48 tents include live music, food booths, specialty bakery goods, meats, cheeses, artisans, plants, and many farmers. GET FRESH. SHOP LOCAL.

Historic Soulard Farmers’ Market

730 Carroll Street St. Louis, MO 63104 (314) 622-4180 http://stlouis-mo.gov/soulardmarket.com Hours: Open Year Round - Wed. thru Fri. 8am to 5pm, Sat. 6am to 5pm.

Soulard Market is the oldest farmers’ market west of the Mississippi and continues to be a unique and vibrant venue for shoppers from the metropolitan area. Vendors offer fresh veggies and fruits, handmade cheeses, fresh flowers, meats, poultry, seafood, unique spices, clothing, jewelry and prepared food items. Free parking close to the Market.

14

here is so much fresh produce to choose from this time of year, it’s hard to think of your local farmers’ market as a source for anything beyond fruits and veggies. But take a look at the market listings on this page, and you’ll see there is so much more to enjoy at your local farmers’ market.

Artichoke Beans Beets Broccoli Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Cucumbers Eggplant Garlic Herbs Horseradish Kohlrabi Leeks Okra Onions Peas Peppers Popcorn Potatoes Pumpkins Radishes Rhubarb

Jt’s

Squash Sweet Corn Sweet Potatoes Tomatoes Turnips

Fruits

Apples Blackberries Blueberries Canteloupe Gooseberries Grapes (wine) Nectarines Peaches Pears Plums Raspberries, red Strawberries Watermelon

Fresh Ideas

Baked goods, organic meats, artisan cheeses, handmade clothing, jewelry and artwork.

Even plants! Your favorite garden center may also have a booth at your local farmers’ market!

So visit one of the participating farmers’ markets or produce markets supporting this page, and see what’s blooming!

We’ll publish this guide monthly through the growing season.

Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad 2 cups tomatoes, seeded and chopped (I used sunburst and grape tomatoes in this recipe) 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped 1/4 cup red onion, chopped 4 oz. crumbled feta cheese 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Toss all the ingredients in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Jt-

Please share some of your favorite recipes with us.

You can FAX your recipe to 314.968.4025

The Gateway Gardener™ SEPTEMBER 2012

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

Grow Watermelons Vertically!

W

atermelon is one of the most popular fruits grown in gardens.

Known for their summer sweetness, they are fun to grow and take relatively little maintenance in the form of weeding. However, to produce great tasting fruit, they do need quality organic matter and lots of water. Watermelons are composed of about 90% water.

Watermelons grow on vines that grow and grow and grow. If you have little space in your garden, consider growing up! Using a ladder, sturdy trellis, or even a sunny back porch you can grow and support watermelon plants and their fruit. Anytime in June start by planting your seeds in a mound of soil or small hill. I plant 6-8 seeds and then thin down to 2-3 strong plants per hill with 5-6 feet between hills.

Water them in well and make sure to keep the area moist and weeded until the plants get established. After planting the seeds, set up an old A-frame ladder directly over the hill where you planted the seeds.

Drive stakes aside the legs of the ladder and secure to the ladder with wire. Through the rungs of the ladder secure 2-4 foot long boards to provide a resting place for your watermelons. As the watermelon vines grown, train them up the ladder. As fruit is produced, rest the melons on the boards secured to the rungs. Once you have the number of watermelons you are hoping for, then you can cut the tip of the lead vines.

This will funnel growth to the remaining watermelons and slow down the vine growth.

SEPTEMBER 2012

‘Moon and Stars’

Seed Savers Exchange

By Mara Higdon

The ladder method is quite a space saver! You can also use trellising material as long as it is secured by adequate stakes.

Some watermelons can get quite heavy!

To prevent theft. . . choose melons that don’t have the typical watermelon coloring.

Natural camouflage may keep folks from even knowing that watermelons are growing in their very presence. I recently visited a garden that had a huge watermelon patch and I lamented that it looked as if they weren’t going to get any melons this year. But upon closer, much closer, inspection there were over 30 melons in the patch!

Here are some varieties you can try.

Golden Midget The rind of the stunning golden midget, weighing only three pounds, turns yellow when ripe.

Mickylee A lovely, speckled rind and dense red flesh characterize this 22-year-old seedless variety, which averages 12 pounds.

Moon and Stars Studded with a constellation

The Gateway Gardener™

Stuckmeyer’s Farm Market and Greenhouse 249 Schneider Rd. Fenton, MO (636) 349-1225

of lemon-colored dots, this heirloom variety, which can weigh as much as 40 pounds, nearly disappeared only a few years after it was introduced in the 1920s, but has recently made a comeback. Even the leaves are spotted with stars!

Hours: April-Oct. Mon.-Fri. 9am-6pm, Sat. 9am-5pm, Sun. 10am-4pm

Sugar Baby The comparatively small (nine to 13 pounds) sugar baby is often referred to as an icebox watermelon. It has soft, sweet fruit and a dark green rind.

Stuckmeyers.com

Visit our family-operated farm market and greenhouse. We offer a large selection of flowers and vegetable plants from early spring thru mid-summer. Fresh, homegrown vegetables are available mid-April thru October. The month of October is family “Farm Fun Days” featuring hayrides, pumpkins and Stuckmeyer-grown mums!

Schlafly Farmers Market Schlafly Bottleworks

7260 Southwest Avenue Maplewood, MO 63143 (314) 241-2337 farmersmarket@schlafly.com www.schlaflyfarmersmarket.com

M a r a Higdon is the Program Director at Gateway Greening, Inc. They focus on community development through gardening throughout the St. Louis area. You can reach her at (314) 588-9600 x22 or by email at mara@gatewaygreening. org.

Come and buy local, farm fresh eggs, pork, lamb, beef, herbs, mushrooms, artisanal loaves, flowers, pasta, chocolate and more, straight from the source.

Clayton Farmer’s Market

The Land of Goshen Community Market

8282 Forsyth Blvd.

Clayton, MO 63105 West of Straub’s in Clayton

www.ClaytonFarmersMarket.com Hours: May thru Nov. 3rd, Saturday mornings 8:30am-12:30pm Enjoy the festivities and experience the bounty! Toe-tappin’ live music and fun kids’ activities. Fresh-from-the-farm local products, regional specialty foods and mighty fine arts & crafts await dedicated market-goers. Whether you pull up a lawn chair & visit with friends or grab a bite & stroll with a cuppa, “We’re a stop along the road to anywhere.”

Hours: April-Oct. Wednesdays 4-7pm.

South of the Courthouse Edwardsville, IL (618) 307-6045 www.GoshenMarket.org Hours: May 12-October 20th Saturday mornings 8am-noon An open-air farmers’ market that is a great source for locally grown, fresh, naturally ripened farm products, tasty baked goods with locally grown ingredients, and wonderful art and gift ideas. Live entertainment and free demonstrations add to the festive atmosphere. A safe, wholesome place for kids and the whole family.

15

Butterflies...and MORE!

by Cindy Gilberg

B

utterflies are high on the list of reasons to create a habitat garden.

Both beautiful and intriguing, butterflies (and moths) are easy to attract with a select palette of native plants. While not generally thought of as pollinators, some of them do provide pollination. And, according to Xerces, a nonprofit society dedicated to protecting invertebrate wildlife, pollinators have been declining at an alarming rate due to a combination of pesticide use and loss of habitat. Many of the plants that they and other pollinating insects depend on to complete their life cycle have been replaced with nonnative plants that don’t provide what they need—primarily pest-resistant plants that young caterpillars can’t eat.

Remember that the caterpillars eating the foliage of your plants today are tomorrow’s butterflies or moths.

The key to creating a garden that will attract a large number of butterflies and moths is to include both plants that provide nectar throughout the season for the adults and host plants that provide food for the larvae (caterpillars). Yes, that means leaves for the caterpillars to munch on. Nectar plants attract a wide range of the adult butterflies and moths while host plants are specific

and dill). The host plant for the spicebush swallowtail is a small, understory tree called spicebush (Lindera benzoin), which is tolerant of moist soils and both shady and sunny sites. Sassafras is another host plant for this swallowtail. The tiger swallowtail is a common sight in many gardens as it searches host plants such as wafer ash (Ptelea trifoliata), wild cherry (Prunus serotina), tulip tree (Liriodendron) and sweet bay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana). The less common zebra swallowtail depends on pawpaw trees (Asimina) as its host plant. The pawpaw grows in shade to part-sun and is tolerant of moist soils.

A Red Admiral butterly shares a coneflower cafe with a bumblebee. for each type of butterfly or moth. Another important aspect is to eliminate the use of pesticides. Regardless of why you are creating a habitat garden (for birds or butterflies, etc.), a diversity of native plants is crucial to establishing a healthy, biodiverse environment for all wildlife.

For nectaring plants, the composite family (daisy-type flowers) provides not only great nectar, but the ‘eye’ of the flower makes a perfect ‘landing pad’ for visiting insects.

This plant list includes asters (Sympiotrichum), Coreopsis,

For More Information About Native Plants: Missouri Department of Conservation 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

16

coneflowers (Echinacea and Rudbeckia), and sunflowers (Heliopsis and Helianthus).

Milkweeds (Asclepias) and blazing stars (Liatris) are also butterfly magnets for foraging butterflies.

When it comes to host plants, each butterfly and moth species needs a particular plant species—some butterflies use a wide range of plants while others are restricted to only a few genera of plants.

Swallowtail butterflies are a favorite group to attract. The black, pipevine and spicebush swallowtail butterflies are similar in appearance but each uses different plants for egglaying. Pipevine swallowtail larvae feed on pipevine (Aristolochia). Pipevine is poisonous to vertebrates such as birds and, because of this, other swallowtails mimic the pipevine swallowtail’s appearance. Black swallowtails lay eggs on plants in the umbel family (Zizia, parsley

One of the most popular and familiar of butterflies is the monarch butterfly. Their annual migration from North America to Mexico is tracked and in recent years their numbers have been declining. Habitat loss is partially to blame for this, yet it is easy to include their host plant in the landscape.

Their host plant, milkweed (Asclepias), is crucial to their survival. Butterfly milkweed (A. tuberosa) thrives in full sun and dry soils while the marsh milkweed (A. incarnata) grows well in average to moist soils in full sun, making it not only a great host plant but also a good choice for rain gardens and other areas with wet soil.

Among other butterflies to attract is the great spangled frittilary that hunts for violets upon which to lay eggs. Many people don’t think of attracting moths, but one of the most beautiful is the large, green luna moth. It has a wider range of needs, laying its eggs on the foliage of birch, persimmon, sweet gum, hickory and walnut trees.

The Gateway Gardener™ SEPTEMBER 2012

Attend the Fall Open Garden and Wildflower Sale at Shaw Nature Reserve Friday, Sept. 7th from 4-8pm in the Whitmire Wildflower Garden.

See Upcoming Events in this issue for details.

Cindy Gilberg, horticulturist and Missouri native, founded and ran the garden center at Gilberg Perennial Farms with her husband Doug for 28 years. She now focuses on garden design, consulting and teaching, and also works part-time in the Whitmire Wildflower Garden at Shaw Nature Reserve, emphasizing the use of native plants in home landscaping. You can reach her at cindy.gilberg@gmail. com.

A monarch caterpillar (left) and swallowtail on dill (right).

With the addition of even a few of these native plants, some native habitat can be reintroduced into your landscape. In this way, we can have a positive impact on our environment and re-establish

some of the links to nature that are missing in our gardens.

The Whitmire Wildflower Garden is located at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, MO. Hours: 7 a.m. – dark. Visitor’s Center Hours: 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. weekends.

Photos by Robert Weaver

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The Gateway Gardener™

17

Dig This!

Gateway Gardeners and Businesses in the News Locally Produced Potting Mix Has Major League Pedigree

The folks at Perfect Play Fields and Links have been building professional sports fields and golf courses for the past two decades. If you watch professional sports, you have seen their work on NFL football, soccer, and baseball including the 2011 MLB World Series.

Now, they are putting their major league experience to work for the home gardener with a special line of potting soil. This new, locally developed and produced product, Perfect Play Home Gardener Potting SoilTM, is an advancement in technology that simplifies and increases the success of gardening, according to its manufacturer. The product is a specialized, all-natural, nutrient-rich mixture without synthetic chemicals. For more information about the product, visit http://perfectplayhomegardener.com/index.html.

More Honors for SWT Design A couple of months ago, we reported that the SWT Design group had earned a batch of prestigious honors from the St. Louis area landscape architects association.

Now, more recognition is coming from a larger regional group. The firm recently received recognition during the 2012 American Society of Landscape Architects Central States Conference for their work on projects in St. Louis, Mo., St. Charles, Mo., and Tulsa, Okla.

During this year’s awards ceremony, SWT Design was recognized with both an Honor Award and a Stewardship Award for Novus International Global Headquarters in St. Charles, Mo., an Honor Award for The Little Light House in Tulsa and a Merit Award for the Saint Louis Zoo South Entry Arrival Experience.

The Novus International Global Headquarters was recently awarded a 3-star rating by SITES™, making it the highest rated landscape project in the world. This nine acre site was developed to set a new standard in sustainable site development by addressing hydrology, wildlife habitat enhancement and monitoring, improved soils and vegetation with an emphasis on using regional materials and features that address human health and 18

well-being.

At The Little Light House, a Christian development center providing highly individualized educational and therapeutic services to children with special needs, SWT Design focused on creating both interior and exterior whimsical sensory gardens adapted to the varying needs and abilities of the children. Elements of the design include a unique entry sequence with sculpture and water features, an indoor atrium housing a “tree of life,” which animates the entry space, an indoor/outdoor aquarium and a variety of play spaces and sensory experiences.

A rendering from the Little Light House designs by SWT. At the Saint Louis Zoo South Entry Arrival Experience, SWT led the design effort to create a pedestrian bridge over Wells Drive that is accessible and aesthetically pleasing for the Saint Louis Zoo South Entry Arrival. The area’s new pedestrian spine is a gracious “green” space with shade trees, themed paving, native plantings and animal sculptures.

Garden Club Beautification

Recognizes

Commercial

The Fleur de Lis Garden Society presented a Citation of Commendation award to The Meadows at Lake Saint Louis shopping center for their outstanding landscaping design. The Meadows is an open air shopping center in Lake Saint Louis with nearly 40 stores, restaurants and boutiques with beautifully landscaped islands of perennials and native plants designed by SWT Design of Webster Groves.

Citation of Commendation awards are given by the garden club to recognize local businesses, municipalities, schools and churches for exceptional landscape design with plants, shrubs and trees. The Meadows uniquely mixed perennials with native plants to minimize maintenance and watering needs while still preserving the aesthetics of The Gateway Gardener™ SEPTEMBER 2012

Fleur de Lis Garden Society representative Pat Halle (left) presents a Citation to The Markets at Lake St. Louis marketing director Bridget Geiss. An example of the landscape is shown at right. the natural design.

MBG Seeking Volunteer Instructors for 20122013 School Year

The Missouri Botanical Garden has rewarding volunteer opportunities available for interested individuals with a passion for nature and educating children. If you enjoy working with youth, you can learn to teach inquiry-based school programs as an on-site Volunteer Instructor. The Garden is actively seeking recruits for the 20122013 school year. Learn more at www.mobot.org/ volunteer.

The 79-acre Missouri Botanical Garden offers a variety of fun, informative school programs for children in kindergarten through eighth grades, from a “Rainforest Rendezvous” to “A Seasonal Snapshot.” The Garden’s Education Department needs Volunteer Instructors to help meet demand for these valuable programs.

Volunteer Instructors are asked to make a commitment of four hours, one day a week, from September through December and February through May. Instructors typically teach classes as a team, leading groups of approximately 10 students. Free week-long Volunteer Instructor training will take place at the Missouri Botanical Garden on Monday, Aug. 13 through Friday, Aug. 17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Volunteers will learn inquiry-based outdoor teaching strategies and have many opportunities to observe school groups and practice teaching before being assigned to lead a group.

For more information on becoming a Volunteer Instructor at the Garden, contact Jackie Juras, volunteer program manager, at (314) 577-5187 or jackie.juras@mobot.org.

For a complete list of volunteer opportunities currently available, visit www.mobot.org/volunteer.

SEPTEMBER 2012

The Gateway Gardener™

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19

Gardening Underground Part III

by Ellen Barredo

F

lashback 1: Its early May 2012…and I still need to get the plants out of the basement! I have never brought them out so late! I have reduced the amount of plants each year, but I know it is not enough and I know they are HEAVY! I developed EXCUSES! There are many excuses I can give for my tardiness. #1 I am tired! It has been a fast-paced spring at the garden center, I get home and I am exhausted. When can I find a block of time when I am not exhausted to do this project? #2 When do I find a block of time when I am not exhausted and my NECK doesn’t hurt? #3 When can my oldest son find time that coordinates with my time to help with the largest items?

In the end I got the plants out of the basement and I realized have to solve this problem! I will not be able to solve tiredness when I get home from work. This means I have to change what I am doing at home!

SO…..I am giving up half the tropical plants this year at the get go! I am not even going to grow them for the summer! It is straight to the compost pile and off with their heads! Some of the upstairs houseplants are staying in the house no more summer retreat for them. Everything that went outside will be divided, to be smaller and repotted into lightweight plastic containers. Some of the potted divisions will be given away this fall. The six tropical tree- or shrub-form plants I have are planted into the raised beds. By planting them into the beds I will force myself to propagate them as I am not supposed to dig in the garden. I have had success propagating three of them last summer.

The big tropical guys have to go this fall! I will focus more on the indoor houseplants and outdoor shrubs, perennials, and groundcovers and I will use them in containers and see what lives! I will still plant a few fun annuals.

Flashback 2: It is late May and my youngest son arrives from Texas on summer break. He will be changing apartments again! Time and space constraints caused my son to downsize his plant life! All his tropicals were planted at a friend’s house. He arrived with an HID light and many T-5 lights. My basement is empty now and he had decided to rebuild my light garden. Hooray, he consolidated the space into one bigger area close to the water faucet. I will now be able to use a hose to water in the basement and not lift heavy water jugs. I have enough quality light that I can grow some edibles in the basement!

Another positive point is in the future this area could remain a light garden year round and nothing moves out.

round’?

How hard is the plant to obtain locally? Many unusual plants are obtained by mail order, purchased on buying trips, or obtained by trading. It is hard to part with these plants if they were hard to obtain. I am known for carrying plants across country, they became travel companions. I often try propagating these plants and trade with someone so if I do lose one I could get a piece of the plant back.

How much did you pay for the plant? This is a big factor in deciding what to winter. Some exotic tropicals can command a hefty price tag.

These are also plants to target for propagation for the next year if you enjoyed them.

Is it a favorite plant from a special person or trip? I have special plants people have given me over the years. Now that my mom has passed I especially enjoy the holiday cactus she gave me. I still have a mini jade from my son Aaron’s first grade trip to the Minnesota Arboretum. I have a division of one of the first plants I grew in the seventies: The Pickle Plant!

Did it perform during our St. Louis summer? This is a big deciding factor for me. If the plant didn’t bloom well for me or didn’t thrive because of the St. Louis heat and humidity it is off to the compost pile!

Is it too high maintenance? Did it suffer too often from insect or was it messy? No one wants to spend too much time on any one plant.

Sometimes it’s just too buggy and can’t be controlled. Sometimes it is just too messy, with more leaves and flowers on the ground than on the plant.

Did it get too big? Is it too heavy? Can you give it to someone else who will enjoy it?

Lots of decisions to make, but never stop gardening.

I am adapting my gardening to my age and limitations! I don’t want to STOP gardening!

The following is a condensed version of Gardening Underground Part One and Two which contained ideas on how to set up a light garden and how to decide what tropical plants to bring in for the winter.

The basic list below can get you started on planning your underground garden. Tailor it as you see fit. I could use a work bench in my light garden with the new rehab. I have plastic trash cans for soil and compost. I have a shelf of trays, pots, and plant supplies. What’s my favorite accessory? An indoor/outdoor shop vac. Beats sweeping and it is great for sucking up whiteflies!

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Ellen Barredo may be reached at Bowood Farms (314) 454-6868. She is also co-hosting monthly on AM 550 KTRS, the Inside Out Show with Host John Shea, Saturdays from 12-3 p.m.

The Gateway Gardener™ SEPTEMBER 2012

I

Celebrate Your Independents!

Bring Conservation Home

ndependence Day is a time to celebrate the great freedoms as well as the diverse choice we enjoy in this county. You won’t find any greater representation of that choice than among the varied specialties and selection offered by our local green industry independent businesses.

• Dreaming of your own wildlife sanctuary?

• Fascinated by hummingbirds, butterflies or creepy/ crawlies?

Many local nurseries have established reputations as specialists in providing unique selections in certain categories of plants: large trees, unusual perennials, tropicals, water plants. And, as articles in this issue have described, that includes many services, too!

Patronizing local indie businesses also benefits your local community and economy. According to BUILD St. Louis, a program that promotes and supports local independent businesses, here are 9 ways independent businesses help better your community:

• Not sure how to get started or which native plants are best?

Call (314) 599-7390 or check out our habitat assistance and certification program at:

StLouisAudubon.org/bch

1. Local Character and Prosperity In an increasingly homogenized world, communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character have an economic advantage.

2. Community Well-Being Locally owned businesses build strong communities by sustaining vibrant town centers, linking neighbors in a web of economic and social relationships, and contributing to local causes.

3. Local Decision-Making Local ownership ensures that important decisions are made locally by people who live in the community and who will feel the impacts of those decisions.

4. Keeping Dollars in the Local Economy Compared to chain stores, locally owned businesses recycle a much larger share of their revenue back into the local economy, enriching the whole community.

5. Job and Wages Locally owned businesses create more jobs locally and, in some sectors, provide better wages and benefits than chains do.

6. Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship fuels America’s economic innovation and prosperity, and serves as a key means for families to move out of low-wage jobs and into the middle class.

7. Public Benefits and Costs Local stores in town centers require comparatively little infrastructure and make more efficient use of public services relative to big box stores and strip shopping malls.

8. Environmental Sustainability Local stores help to sustain vibrant, compact, walkable town centers— which in turn are essential to reducing sprawl, automobile use, habitat loss, and air and water pollution.

9. Competition A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term.

We have the Answers for the Ultimate Landscape! ®

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So this July—and throughout the year—we encourage all our readers to celebrate your independents!

Look for these and other ferti-lome products at your favorite independent nurseries and garden centers.

For plant care and information on over 8,000 plants, visit www.fertilome.net

SEPTEMBER 2012

The Gateway Gardener™

21

Upcoming Events we’ll get the information to you. So share your joy for gardening and join a garden club or favorite plant society today!

Updates to this information are often posted on our online events calendar at 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 September issue is August 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 22

PLANT SALES AND SHOWS Sept. 7th 4-8 p.m.--Native Plant School Fall Wildflower Sale and Open Garden. Purchase native plants for fall planting.

Plant experts will be on hand to answer questions, identify plants and give guidance to gardeners wishing to expand their plant palette with native plants. Bring questions, comments, photos, drawings or plant specimens. Shaw Nature Reserve, I-44 at exit #253 in Gray Summit, Mo. Wildflower Sale and native landscaping consultations are in the Whitmire Wildflower Garden.

Cost is $5 (MBG members $3). For more information visit us on the web at www. shawnature.org.

Sept. 8 & 9th Noon-5 (Sat.), 9am-5pm (Sun.)—Greater St. Louis Iris Society Sale. New cultivars and old favorites sold from the Missouri Botanical Garden’s displays. Experts from the Greater St. Louis Iris Society will be on hand to give plant care advice and share information about their organization. Proceeds benefit the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Orthwein Floral Display Hall at MBG. Included with Garden admission. .

Sept. 15th 9am-5pm—Missouri Botanical Garden Daylily Association Sale. New cultivars and old favorites sold from the Missouri Botanical

Garden’s displays. Experts from the West County Daylily Club will be on hand to give plant care advice and share information about their organization. Proceeds benefit the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Orthwein Floral Display Hall at MBG. Included with Garden admission. www. westcountydaylilyclub.com.

Sept. 15th-16th 9am-5pm-- Gateway West Gesneriad Society Show and Sale. New cultivars and old favorites are shown and sold by the area’s top growers, who are on hand to give plant care advice and share information about their organization. Beaumont Room, Ridgway Visitor Center at Missouri Botanical Garden. Entry included with Garden admission. www. gesneriadsociety.org.

Sept. 22nd 1-4pm—Central District Convention’s Rose Show.

Exhibitors from Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. Presbyterian Church, 4834 South Point Rd., Washington, MO. Open to the public at no charge.

Sept. 22nd & 23rd 9am-5pm—Gateway Chapter—North American Rock Garden Society Sale and Greater St. Louis Dahlia Society Show. New cultivars and old favorites are shown and sold by the area’s top growers, who are on hand to give plant care advice and share information about their organization. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Orthwein Floral Display Hall. Included with Garden admission. http:// stldahliasociety.com and

www.nargs.org.

Sept. 28th 2:30-5pm--”Just Before the Garden Sleeps” Flower Show.

A small standard flower show presented by Jardin du Lac Garden Club of Lake Saint Louis, MO. There will be both horticulture and design entries at the home of the McCabes, 5 Ridge Oak Ct., Lake St. Louis, MO. Admission is FREE. CLASSES, LECTURES AND EVENTS Now through October 31st 9am-5pm daily— Plastic Pot Recycling. Recycle plastic garden pots, cell packs and trays. Plastic should be separated and empty of soil with no metal hangers; no clay pots or food plastic accepted.

Please separate #6 plastic cell packs and trays from #2 and #5 plastic pots into the recycling trailers. West parking lot of the Garden’s Monsanto Center, 4500 Shaw Blvd. at Vandeventer. (314) 577-9441.

Look for Plastic Pot Recycling at several satellite collection centers throughout the metro area through Sept. 30; for a complete list of participants, visit www.mobot.org/ plasticpotrecycling.

Sept. 5th 7pm—Fall Planting. Ellen Barredo will discuss what to plant and how to have a successful fall garden. Ellen works full-time at Bowood Farms near the Central West End in St Louis, and is a fellow Wildwood Community Garden gardener. FREE, bring your own chair and water.

Wildwood Farms Community Garden, corner of Main St. and Taylor Rd., Wildwood, MO.

The Gateway Gardener™ SEPTEMBER 2012

Sept. 7th 4-8pm—Fall Wildflower Sale and Open House.

Stroll through the Whitmire Wildflower Garden and gain inspiration for your home landscape, then purchase native plants at the Wildflower Sale.

Experts on hand to assist with your questions. Shaw Nature Reserve, Gray Summit, MO. $3 non-members, FREE for MBG members. (636) 451-3512.

Sept. 1st-3rd Annual Japanese Festival.

Taiko drumming, bon odori festival dancing, martial arts, candlelight walks in the Japanese Garden and more.

Sept. 1 and 2, 10am to 8pm; Sept. 3 (Labor Day), 10am to 5pm. Doors open at 9am. $15 adults (ages 13 to 64), $10 seniors (65+), $5 children (3 to 12), $5 members. Buy tickets in advance online at www. mobot.org. No trams.

Sept. 6th 5:30-7:30pm—Herbalooza.

Join the St. Louis Herb Society and the Members’ Board of the Missouri Botanical Garden for an herb celebration! Enjoy live music while getting advice from herb experts. Stroll from the Ottoman Garden to the Victorian District, with demonstrations on the many uses of herbs. View the Garden’s newly-planted pin cushion garden and enjoy a special opportunity to view Tower Grove House and the Museum Building (normally closed to the public). Cash bar available. $10 per person.

Advance registration required; www.mobot.org/events.

For more information, call (314) 577-9570 or email membership@mobot.org.

Sept. 8th 10am—Fall Lawn Care Class.

SEPTEMBER 2012

Learn all you need to know about fall lawn care. How to start a new lawn or help revive an existing lawn. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-2396729, www.hillermann.com.

10am—Exquisite Fall Containers for Entranceways and Patios. Discover outstanding plant combinations to enliven your containers and window boxes with autumn color and texture. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 965-3070.

Sept. 9th 1pm— Rescue and Renovate Lawn Workshop. Join our pros and let us answer your questions on how to return your summerravaged lawn to health.

Garden Heights Nursery, 1605 Big Bend Blvd., Richmond Heights. (314) 645-7333, GardenHeights.com.

Building, 901 Illinois Ave., Waterloo, or 1 Regency Plaza Dr., Collinsville. $5 for b/w handouts or $10 for color. Call to register at (618) 939-3434 (Waterloo) or (618) 344-4230 (Collinsville).

Sept. 12th 6-9pm—Organic Gardening.

Learn the A to Z of growing vegetables, herbs, perennials, annuals and shrubs without harsh pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides. Includes handy resources for natural gardening. St. Charles County Extension Center, 260 Brown Rd., St. Peters MO. Visit http://extension.missouri. edu/stcharles/gardenclasses/ aspx or call 636-970-3000 for information. Pre-registration required. $25.

Sept. 13th 6-8pm—Native Plants in the Home Landscape. Missouri

Calling all Gardeners For Free Upcoming Events What Now? - Fall Planting Workshop August 14, 2012 7 - 9 pm The Heights 8001 Dale in Richmond Heights

Food Preservation Canning & Freezing

September 11, 2012 7 - 9 pm The Heights 8001 Dale in Richmond Heights

Let’s Talk Trees!

The Heights October 9, 2012 7 - 9 pm 8001 Dale in Richmond Heights To RSVP and more information: www.richmondheightsgardenclub.org

Sept. 10th-12th MORA Annual Conference.

A joint program of the Missouri Recycling Association and the Composting & Organics Association of Missouri (COAM), program features workshops on Alternative Uses for Compost and Event Greening Strategies, plus tours of successful recycling programs at Missouri Botanical Garden and Busch Stadium, plus trade exhibits and more.

Visit MORA.org for details and registration.

Sept. 11th 1pm—Selecting and Planting Blooming Bulbs. Tips on common and not so common bulb and their allies including colors, planting, and watering issues, and pointers on their use as cut flowers. U. of Illinois Extension Offices at Monroe County Annex

The Gateway Gardener™

23

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