The Gateway Gardener July/August 2018

Gateway Gardener

JULY / AUGUST 2018

THE

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Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes

Garden-Worthy Goldenrods Shrunken Treasures

Tips and Picks for Your Garden

Plants from Around the World Summer in the Veggie Garden FREE Courtesy of:

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Gateway Gardener THE

®

Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes

JULY / AUGUST 2018 Volume 14, Number 6

Founded in 2005 by Joyce Bruno & Robert Weaver Publisher and Editor Robert Weaver Columnists Diane Brueckman Rosey Acres Joyce Driemeyer Master Gardener Abby Lapides Sugar Creek Gardens Steffie Littlefield Edg-Clif Winery Jennifer Schamber Nursery Professional Crystal Stevens EathDance Organic Farm School Scott Woodbury Shaw Nature Reserve

Printing: Breese Publishing, Breese, IL The Gateway Gardener® is published 9 times/year by Double Dig Communications, Inc. to promote enjoyable, successful gardening and livable landscapes in the St. Louis greater metropolitan area. The magazine is distributed free to the public at designated garden centers, nurseries, garden gift shops, lawn equipment rental, repair and sales establishments, and other locations supporting sound gardening, lawn and landscaping practices.

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

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

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From the Editor

ack in my early, inexperienced days of publishing this magazine, I was looking for a pretty photo to put on the cover, and came across one of a beautiful clump of blooming goldenrod. I chose it, and learned an important publishing lesson: don’t run a photo of a plant unless you have an article about that plant in the magazine. More than a few readers expressed confusion and disappointment at not being able to find the “cover article” about goldenrod. With this issue, I am finally happy to be able to legitimately feature goldenrod on the cover to illustrate Scott Woodbury’s article on “GardenWorthy Goldenrods”; that is, those species that won’t get too tall or too prolific or can at least be reasonably managed in the home garden.

The only straight native goldenrod currently found in my garden is the weedy Canada goldenrod (S. canadensis). (The goldenrod behind me in the photo is a cultivar of the native rough goldenrod, S. rugosa ‘Fireworks’.) The late Cindy Gilberg was the first to point out Canada goldenrod in my garden and advise against allowing it foothold. So, each spring I make

some cultivars—“nativars” as they are also known—that share similar positive features of their native relatives, but in more compact forms.

Turning our attention away from native plants, Jennifer Schamber takes us on a horticultural world tour, introducing some plants from the four corners that have interesting uses, histories and cultural significance on page 6.

For those of us who have heard an effort to eliminate it from the all our lives that money doesn’t native garden, but in the late grow on trees, we may learn summer I’m always secretly otherwise. happy to find I’ve missed a few sprigs. Its cheery yellow And it wouldn’t be summer plumes are a perfect companion without tips for the vegetable to the purple New England and and rose gardens. Crystal aromatic asters it usually rubs Stevens gives us a quick shoulders with. Now, maybe I’ll rundown on things to do in the try some of Scott’s alternative veggie garden on page 10, and suggestions on page 10, and be Diane Brueckman completes more vigilant about eliminating our summer weeding list with the thuggish cousin. tips for keeping the rose garden fresh on page 9.

Other natives can outgrow a small home garden as well, Just 16 pages and two months often in height as well as spread. to browse through them, Sometimes the giants can be leaving you plenty of time to kept downsized by giving them enjoy the garden, the beach or a haircut early in the season. your favorite lounge chair and But if you frequently forget summer page-turner. to do so, as I do most years, maybe a better strategy is to Good Gardening! start smaller to begin with.

Abby Lapides tackles this issue on page 4, and introduces us to

On the Cover...

What retaining wall wouldn’t look more elegant adorned with a fountain of cliff goldenrod (S. drummondii) spilling over its face! To learn more about this and other beautiful native goldenrods, see page 12 (photo by James Traeger).

IN THIS ISSUE 4 Shrunken Treasures 6 Plants from Around the World 9 Midsummer in the Rose Garden 10 Summer Veggie Planting 12 Garden-Worthy Goldenrods 13 Top 10 Native Goldenrods 14 Upcoming Events

Shrunken Treasures

by Abby Lapides

O

ur Missouri natives provide beautiful blooms on tough plants. Some of these spectacular beauties can grow upwards of 6’ or ever more, causing them to be too large for some of our smaller gardens. Luckily, through selective breeding, we now can enjoy the best qualities of these plants but in smaller packages.

Being local “nativars” they naturally thrive in the crazy weather and soil conditions that make St. Louis so special.

soils that don’t dry out, they are excellent in rain gardens or a soggy spot. Deer and rabbits usually leave them alone and butterflies go crazy for the nectar filled blossoms.

The spring wildflower Columbine Columbine gives us bloom after bloom of showy bells with red ‘Little Lanterns’ spurs and yellow stamens that are uniquely Columbine. ‘Little about 10” in size versus the foliage that create a lacy soft Lanterns’ is a mini version of 2-3’ of the native. Columbine landscape in the shady garden. the tough native only reaching feature distinctive lobe-shaped These tough plants prefer welldrained soils and are especially drought tolerant. They are also distasteful to deer and rabbits.

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‘Baby Joe’ Joe Pye Weed gives us the ginormous blooms of the Missouri native Joe Pye Weed, but only reaches 2-3’ tall versus the native’s 6’ stature. Large clusters of deep lilac appear on purple stems in mid to late summer and fall. Loving moist

‘Kobold’ blazing star blooms from top to bottom in summer causing it to look like a purple firework that’s just been shot in the air. This tough plant only grows 2-3’ tall; it easily tucks into a mixed perennial garden.

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Using some of these small-sized beauties can give us the natural beauty and benefits of a native garden in shrunk-down space.

Photo credits: Columbine ‘Little Lanterns’ and Blazing Star ‘Kobold’ courtesy Monrovia.

Joe Pye weed ‘Baby Joe’ courtesy Ball Seed.

Blazing star ‘Kobold’ prized for its perfectly globular, fragrant white flowers that pollinators cover and the round red fruit that follows. ‘Sugar Shack’ features these unique flowers on a shrub that’s at most ½ the size of the native shrub. The native buttonbush typically reaches 6-12’ in size, sometimes reaching upwards of 20’! ‘Sugar Shack’ maxes out at 3-4’ tall and wide, easily fitting into most gardens. Buttonbush love moist areas and can grow in standing water.

Sweetspire ‘Little Henry’ ‘Little Henry’ sweetspire.

While typical sweetspires can spread 4-6’, ‘Little Henry’ stays a petit 2-3’ tall with a 3’ spread.

Fragrant white dangling flowers adorn sweetspire in spring and early summer. In fall the green foliage turns brilliant shades of red. These easy-going shrubs will grow just about anywhere, sun to shade, wet to dry soils. I like to call these my “problem solver” shrubs, because of their superb versatility.

The dark purple flowers of Another excellent shrunken the majestic great ironweed version of a native shrub is sparkle in early autumn. It can

Sweetspire ‘Little Henry’ courtesy Proven Winners.

Ironweed ‘Iron Cross’ be difficult to appreciate these beauties on their extremely tall stems- sometimes maxing out around 10’ tall. ‘Iron Cross’ gives the same gorgeous flowers and, reaching only 4-5’ tall, puts them at a height so we can appreciate them. The airy flowers appear on stiff stems and long thin leaves that have a similar look to the fine leafed Arkansas blue star. Deer and rabbit resistant, this tough plant thrives in just about any sunny garden.

Ironweed ‘Iron Cross’ courtesy Walters Gardens.

Abby Lapides is owner and a speaker at Sugar Creek Gardens Nursery. She has degrees from the University of Missouri, and is a member of the Landscape and Nursery Association of Greater St. Louis.

You can reach her at (314) 965-3070.

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Plants from Around the World

by Jennifer Schamber

E

thnobotany is the scientific study of the relationships that exist between peoples and plants. We are well-aware of the plants that are culturally significant in the U.S., the obvious ones include corn (symbolic of the story of Thanksgiving), pumpkins (signify a hearty harvest season and Halloween), and some of the plants that have religious symbolism, like Christmas trees, Poinsettias, and Easter Lilies.

Some of these plants originated here, while others immigrated here along with our ancestors.

Kaffir Lime with immature fruit

these amazing culturally significant plants. Celebrating and honoring these traditions can bring greater understanding amongst ourselves and help foster healthier relationships and wellness within our communities. Here are some of the most requested plants from our friends from around the world, and as we continue to learn about these and others, our love of plants and our connection to them grows stronger.

Kaffir Lime (Citrus hystrix) The leaves of the kaffir lime are used fresh, dried or frozen in Southeast Asian cuisine, and it is n the St. Louis area, we have a wonderfully diverse community of people from around the a must-have for Thai chefs. The fruit and the leaves are traditionally world that all have special connections to the plants from their used for cuisine as well as medicinal purposes. This very useful homelands. Garden centers can serve as a place to bring these plant grows well outdoors in containers during the summer, but different worlds together and we can all learn about and appreciate must be brought indoors before the first frost.

I

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inflammation. The plants will often reseed in gardens in the St. Louis area. Tea can be made from either dry or fresh leaves.

Holy Basil Indian Jasmine or Jasmine Molle (Jasminum molle) In India, the flowers of this plant are used in sacred offerings during Hindu religious ceremonies. The oil is used as medicine and the roots of the plant are useful to treat skin diseases. The flowers are traditionally used to make garlands and are worn to decorate the hair especially in the southern parts of India.

Tulsi or Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) This plant is a sacred plant of Hindus and can be found planted around Hindu shrines. It is often used in Ayurvedic medicine as an “adaptogen” to counter life’s stresses. Tulsi, the Hindu name for Holy Basil, means “the incomparable one” and some consider it “the elixir of life”. The leaves, stems and seeds are all useful in medicine. Chemicals in the plant are thought to decrease pain and

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) Lemongrass is most commonly used for culinary purposes, but recently there has been a lot of interest in using it to help repel mosquitos. It also offers a possible wide array of medicinal benefits, including having antibacterial, anti-fungal and antimicrobial properties.

Lemongrass

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

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JULY / AUGUST 2018

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cont’d from previous page

by Christ. This plant is extremely resilient through hot and dry summers making it an easy plant to grow in containers on the patio.

Chinese Money Plant (Pilea peperomioides) Recently, this plant has enjoyed newfound fame thanks to Pinterest and Instagram, but prior to this, in China, it was thought to bring wealth if you place a coin in the soil. A Norwegian plantsman brought it home in the 1940s and it spread as a popular houseplant throughout Scandinavia. It had a heyday here in the 1970s and now it is also called “Pass It On Plant” since it is easy to propagate and share with friends.

Other culturally significant plant requests include: Crossandra, Marigolds, Bananas, Date Palms, Eggplants, Thai Basil, Bok Choi, Stephanotis Vine Shamrocks… the list goes on and on. Some requests, like tea, can’t be easily grown here (except for herbal teas), due to our climate and altitude, so we need to focus on plants that will successfully grow Vietnamese Coriander (Persicaria odorata) here and are not a threat of being invasive in this region. Learning This tropical herb is primarily used in Southeast Asian fresh salads about the plants of other cultures makes us appreciate the wisdom and soups. The flavor is similar to that of cilantro, however it can and experience from people around the world. If you are interested be easier to grow since it doesn’t go to seed and has good longevity in exploring more about this subject, join me next summer on the in the summer garden. first of a series of trips around the world. First stop will be England, where we will base near the Cotswolds and venture to an organic Stephanotis Vine (Stephanotis floribunda) Also known as Madagascar Jasmine or Hawaiian Wedding Flower, apothecary garden, get exclusive tours and access to private gardens this plant is coveted for it’s highly fragrant flowers and is used and kitchens, and learn in bridal bouquets and boutonnieres. In the language of flowers, about how connecting to plants and food can stephanotis signifies “marital bliss”. enhance and contribute Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii) to our quality of life The legend of this plant associates it with the crown of thorns worn and wellbeing. Contact me at jennifer@ gr e e nsc a pe ga r de ns. com if you have interest in learning more, travel arrangements are being managed by Nancy Luechtefeld of Unique Journeys.

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Midsummer in the Rose Garden

by Diane Brueckman

I

deep enough for the bud-union to be at least an inch below the soil surface. Often the rose has been planted with the bud-union above the soil in the pot, the rose will do well in summer but very likely would not survive the winter if planted at that depth. When you take the plant out of its pot be sure to loosen the roots and snip any that are circling the bottom of the pot.

Arborose ‘Florentina’

Patience is the middle name of the rose grower.

I was disappointed in one of the new roses I planted in my garden last summer. The rose is an Arborose by Kordes called ‘Florentina’.

Last year it hardly bloomed but this year it is covered with lovely pink, very double blooms. I am reminded that climbers need an extra year to hit their stride. Climbers should not be pruned until the third year they are in the garden. Deadheading is allowed but no major pruning. Many roses need an extra year to settle in so don’t be too quick to shovel prune a new rose, give it a chance.

Mix some compost and organic fertilizer with the soil. Place the bush in the hole and backfill about half way. Water in before filling the remainder of the hole. Water again to settle the soil around the root ball. Mulch with a couple inches of compost or whatever you normally use to mulch your beds.

Kordes

never cease to be amazed at the resilience of roses. In April, the roses looked spindly and sad with little surviving the extreme cold, but by late May the roses were in full bloom and many bushes looked better than last year. It proves a good pruning often revitalizes the plants whether it’s done by the gardener or the weather. Too often we leave a cane that has some questionable dark pith but is putting out some growth. The growth put out by weak canes is also weak and is only draining the plant of energy that could go into stronger shoots either from the bud union or a strong existing cane. It may take longer to get those beautiful blooms but the wait is worth it.

Continue with your regular maintenance. If temperatures warrant spray for blackspot and shot-hole disease (anthracnose). Do your spraying early in the morning or in the evening and never spray when the temperature is above 85o.

When it’s that hot you might burn the foliage. Keep up with the deadheading and watch for signs of trouble that are easily handled such as a hole in the cane that can be cut off.

Keep your roses watered. By midsummer rain is usually scarce and heat is never ending. A thorough watering once a week is sufficient if it is deep, at least 1 inch of water, more is better. Watering should be done early in the day. The reason for early watering is to allow the leaves to dry in less than 6 hours. I can’t say often enough that watering should be done once a week. Too often, I hear people say their sprinkler system goes on every day or every other day for fifteen minutes at a time. Even though the amount of water is sufficient it stays near the soil surface and evaporates. Now is when your mulch proves its worth. A couple of inches of an organic mulch is worth its weight in gold. The mulch will hold the moisture in the soil and a secondary benefit, it keeps the weeds down.

I have been asked if it is safe to plant a rose in summer. The answer is yes, if the rose is in a pot. Never try to plant a bare-root rose after the end of April. A potted rose will not even notice the move into the rose bed. Dig a large hole twice the diameter of the pot and

Diane Brueckman is a retired rosarian with Missouri Botanical Garden, and currently owns Rosey Acres in Baldwin, Illinois. You can reach her at (618) 785-3011 or droseyacres@ egyptian.net.

JULY / AUGUST 2018

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The Cornucopia Corner

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

Summer Planting Text and Photos by Crystal Stevens

B

y now, the seeds planted in spring are thriving and providing a bountiful summer harvest. If weeded and watered regularly, tomatoes, peppers, and YOUR TREES DESERVE THE BEST CARE

other long-season crops will keep producing well into the fall.

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Summer is a great time to start transplanting fall crops such as winter squash, pumpkins, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choi, cabbage, Napa cabbage, kale, chard, and collards into the garden. For transplants, the use of weed barriers such as weed cloth, sheet mulching, straw, and compost are important for suppressing weeds and

The Gateway Gardener™ JULY / AUGUST 2018

retaining moisture.

Additional successions of summer squash, cucumber, peppers, and tomatoes can be planted for a fall harvest.

The following crops can be planted from seed: carrots, beets, turnips, radishes, collards, kale, mustard greens, and salad mix. Use soaker hoses on freshly planted seed beds. Keep seed beds well watered until they sprout.

It important to water on a regular basis once plants are established, though water needs vary from plant to plant. Soaker hoses on a timer save time and energy.

The most important steps to take in the heat of the summer are morning watering, weed management, and heavy mulch to retain moisture.

Crystal Stevens is the author of Grow Create Inspire and Worms at Work. She is the Garden Manager and her husband Eric is the Farm Manager at EarthDance Organic Farm School, a 14 acre certified organic farm in Ferguson, MO. Visit www.earthdancefarms.org for more information.Follow EarthDance on social media at EarthDance Organic Farm School on Facebook and @earthdancefarms on Instagram. Follow Crystal at @growcreateinspire.

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Naturally Natives Garden-Worthy Goldenrods text and photos by Scott Woodbury

I

weed in gardens. In a garden setting it can sprout from seed, flower and sucker 1-2 feet in a single season. In wild tallgrass prairies, other aggressive species keep it from taking over.

’d like to dispel two myths about a native plant called goldenrod. First, that it causes hay fever and second, that goldenrod doesn’t belong in gardens.

Myth number one; goldenrods cause hay fever. Have you seen the allergy medicine commercials on television that portray happy people strolling through a field of blooming goldenrod plants? They lead us to believe that allergy meds keep us safe from goldenrod pollen. But goldenrod isn’t the problem because goldenrod has heavy pollen that is carried by bees, not the wind. So what causes sneezing in mid to late summer when goldenrod is blooming? It’s ragweed, a plant that blooms at the same time and has light pollen that is carried on a breeze. My guess is that ragweed isn’t featured on tv commercials because it isn’t sexy enough. Ragweed flowers are dull green, goldenrod is bright yellow. Showy yellow flowers make the meadow beautiful for the camera and the dry-nosed actors that seem to love them.

But garden-worthy goldenrods do exist, especially when you give them a little extra effort and attention. I’ll be honest, goldenrods are not lowmaintenance native plants. Left alone in a garden, some species Solidago arguta will dominate over other plants because they are exceedingly good at spreading from seed. So how do you garden for goldenrods? Let’s look at seeding behavior first. In my experience, the most aggressive seeders include S. rigida (sun), S. buckleyi (shade), S. rugosa (shade), and S. ulmifolia (shade). These species should be used in seeded projects for prairie and woodland reconstruction and abandoned lot revitalization (via seed bombs: mud balls packed with seeds). The lesser aggressive species include S. speciosa (sun), S. ridellii (sun-rain gardens), Solidago nemoralis (sun), S. missouriensis (sun), S. drummondii Myth number two; goldenrods don’t belong in gardens. The words (shade), S. flexicaulis (shade), S. caesea (shade), and S. arguta “garden-worthy goldenrod” confuses many people and I can see (shade). This second list of species are garden-worthy, especially why. Tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima) is a native prairie plant when mulched and dead-headed. that grows in large patches along roadsides and is an aggressive Mulching does two things. It helps keep the soil moist and reduces watering needs. More importantly, it prevents goldenrod seeds (and other seeds) from sprouting when applied in February or March, one to two inches deep. The best mulch for perennials is NEED A SPEAKER ground leaf mulch. Keep in mind that it’s important to spread the for your Garden Club or Group? mulch evenly, avoiding thin spots where seedlings sprout in April.

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Tips and Resources for Growing and Landscaping with Sustainable Native Plants seedlings in April.

Goldenrod is one of the most important native plants for monarchs and other butterflies. It produces an abundance of nectar at just the right time (late summer and fall) when monarchs begin their southern migration through the central United States to Mexico City, Mexico. Goldenrods add a cheery yellow color to the garden from mid-summer into fall when asters are also in bloom. Together, this combination can brighten the dreariest urban lot and feed the hungriest monarch population. You can’t go wrong with goldenrods as long as you remember to garden for goldenrods.

Solidago speciosa Dead-heading is the practice of cutting off all of the developing seed heads just after goldenrods finish blooming, but well-before the seeds ripen and blow away. This will prevent all seed spread though you may still get seeds blowing in from a neighboring house or park. Even though goldenrod pollen is not carried by the wind, their seeds are, so be sure to cut off the heads immediately following blooming during the first two years after planting when new gardens are filling in and getting established. Unfortunately, dead-heading deprives birds of the food they eat in fall and winter.

If this is a concern, don’t dead-head in year three and beyond, mulch heavily in late winter and thoroughly weed out unwanted

Can't handle the heat?

®

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Keeping Nature Near ®

Horticulturist Scott Woodbury is the Curator of the Whitmire Wildflower Garden at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, MO, where he has worked with native plant propagation, design, and education for more than 20 years. He is also an advisor to the Missouri Prairie Foundation’s GrowNative! program.

A Grow Native! Top 10 List FEATURED CATEGORY:

TOP 10 NATIVE GOLDENRODS FOR GARDENS Heavy Nectar Production • Attractive to Monarchs • Tried and True

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

NATIVE PLANT NAME Atlantic goldenrod Solidago arguta Blue-stem goldenrod S. caesia Buckley’s goldenrod S. buckleyi Cliff goldenrod S. drummondii Gray goldenrod S. nemoralis Riddell’s goldenrod S. ridellii Rough-leaved goldenrod

S. rugosa Showy goldenrod S. speciosa Stiff goldenrod S. rigida Zig-zag goldenrod S. flexicaulis

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2-3 ft.

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UNIQUE QUALITY Arching flower stems.

Golden-yellow.

Graceful stems and small flower clusters.

Lemon-yellow. Naturalizes in woods.

Flower stems pendulous.

Compact plants.

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Tolerates flooding. Round flower clusters.

Wet woodlands. Pyramidal flower clusters.

Narrow upright flower clusters. Red stems.

Clumps enlarge quickly.

Aggressive.

Suckering roots. Solid groundcover.

Perennials can.

This list is intended as a starting point. It is not in ranked order. It was created by Scott Woodbury, based on his many years of experience and observations as the Curator of the Whitmire Wildflower Garden at Shaw Nature Reserve. For details on soil moisture and other growing needs, visit www.grow native.org, Native Plant Database. For sources of these plants to purchase, visit the website’s Resource Guide.

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

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2832 Barrett Station Road, Ballwin MO JULY / AUGUST 2018

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Upcoming Events July 7th 10am—Tea Garden MakeN-Take Workshop. Learn about the benefits of herbs and create your own make-n-take tea garden. $30.00 supply fee. th th th th July 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 and Please call 636-239-6729 to register. Hillermann Nursery 13th 10-11am—Summer Kids’ & Florist, 636-239-6729, Camp. Activities to be www.hillermann.com. announced. Supply fee is per child. Please call 636-239- 10am-5pm—Daylily Daze.

6729 for more information or Hundreds of blooms on to sign up for one or more of display. Growers enter blooms the above dates. Hillermann 8:30-10am. Open to public.

Nursery & Florist, www. Missouri Botanical Garden Beaumont Room. 4344 Shaw hillermann.com.

Blvd., St. Louis. th Aug. 4 9 am- Children’s Garden 9 : 3 0 - 1 0 : 3 0 a m — C u r b Learn about Club. Summer Harvest. Appeal.

FREE. Queeny Park, 1675 exquisite containers, classy S. Mason Rd. – Nursery door decorations, and plants #1.

Call 314-821-2440, for front garden pizzazz.

Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 GreenscapeGardens.com.

Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood.

CLASSES, LECTURES FREE. Call (314) 965-3070.

Club. Who Moves It Around and How. FREE. Museum of Transportation, 3015 Barrett Station Rd. Hosted by St. Louis County Parks and Recreation.

Updates to this information are often posted on our online events calendar at G a t e w a y G a r d e n e r. c o m , so check there for the latest details.

Give us the details of your upcoming gardening, lawn or landscaping event and we’ll add it to our website and include it in our next issue. Deadline for printing in October issue is September 1st.

How to reach us: Mail: PO Box 220853, St. Louis, MO 63122 Email: info@gatewaygardener. com

GARDEN CLUBS AND PLANT SOCIETY MEETINGS Interested in Joining a Garden Club or Plant Society? We have meeting dates, locations and contact information on more than 50 area garden clubs on our website at www.

GatewayGardener.com. Don’t have access to the internet?

Just call us at (314) 9683740, 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 July 7th 9 am-Children’s 14

Garden

AND EVENTS

July 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th, and 31st, Aug. 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th 10am-Noon—Herbs & Heirlooms Tuesdays. Connect with some of the oldest friends of mankind: herbs. Drop in to explore the culinary, sensory, beauty and uses for the herb featured each week. The first 150 participants will pot an herb to take home and receive a plant profile sheet with care tips and ways to use your new plant. Missouri Botanical Garden in the Herb Garden, weather permitting. Included with Garden Admission. No registration is required. For more information, visit www. mobot.org.

July 12th 1-4 pm—Native Plant School: Flower Arranging with Native Plants. Bring a small to medium vase and something to carry it in (box) to class and bring it home full of beautiful native flowers.

Audience participation encouraged. $17 ($14 Garden members). Joseph H. Bascom House at Shaw Nature Reserve. For reservations or more information, call (636) 451-3512 ext. 0 or visit www. shawnature.org.

July 14th 10am—Leaf Making Class. $25 supply fee. Please call 636-239-6729 to register.

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

July 14th and Aug. 18th 10am-2pm—Webster Groves Herb Society Display. th July 10 Missouri Botanical Garden.

9 : 3 0 - 1 0 : 3 0 a m — L o w Free with Garden admission.

Maintenance, Long Blooming Perennials. Learn July 21st-22nd about the showiest, longest 9am-5pm—Henry Shaw blooming plants available that Cactus and Succulent Society look good without all the fuss. Show and Sale. Choose from Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 a wide array of cacti and Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. succulents shown and sold FREE. Call (314) 965-3070. by the area’s top growers, including thousands of rare th th July 10 and 14 specimens and starter plants 9:30-10:30am—Maintaining priced from $2. Cactus Society Perennials and Rejuvenating members will be on hand to Your Summer Garden. Learn answer questions and give aggressive pruning techniques plant care advice. Missouri that will help you achieve Botanical Garden, Beaumont strong, more compact plants Room. Entry included with and many more blooms in Garden admission. www. your garden. Sugar Creek hscactus.org.

Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) July 24th 965-3070.

9am-5pm—Henry Shaw’s Birthday. Missouri Botanical The Gateway Gardener™ JULY / AUGUST 2018

Garden founder Henry Shaw’s 215th birthday celebration.

Admission is free for all visitors. Missouri Botanical Garden.

August 1st-5th Noon-11pm—Washington Town & Country Fair. Several events are scheduled of interest to gardeners and flower lovers.

Aug. 1st-2nd, Noon-11pm, Flower, Houseplant and Garden Produce Show. Aug. 3rd-4th, Noon-11pm, Aug. 5th, 9am-5pm, Fairy Garden, Terrarium Garden, Herb Garden & Flower Design Show. Aug. 3rd, 9-11am, “Learn to Make a Flower Design”.

Pre-registration required for class, bring a flower clipper, other supplies and flowers provided. Call (520) 237-9151. Washington Missouri Fairgrounds, Exhibitor Building, 201 Grand Ave., Washington, MO. Events are FREE with Fair admission.

August 9th 1-4 pm—Native Plant School: Pondscaping with Native Plants. Learn which plants grow in water and which grow just beyond the water’s edge. Also learn how to manage for problems associated with duckweed, algae, invasive species, pond leaks and erosion. Audience participation encouraged. $17 ($14 Garden members).

Joseph H. Bascom House at Shaw Nature Reserve.

For reservations or more information, call (636) 4513512 ext. 0 or visit www. shawnature.org.

Aug. 11th 9:30-10:30am—To Prune or Not to Prune. Learn the correct timing and techniques to prune the various hydrangea cultivars and other shrubs for maximum blooming.

Rejuvenating tired old shrubs will also be discussed.

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

August 4 9 : 3 0 - 1 0 : 3 0 a m — T h e FREE. Call (314) 965-3070.

American Cottage Garden.

This American style 10am—Mini-Garden Makeinterpretation will teach N-Take Workshop. Mini you how to incorporate Gardens are a fun way to hydrangeas, roses, peonies, create a miniature landscape in iris and other perennials to a container. Create your own achieve a charming look with a Mini Garden to take home. profusion of color and texture. $30.00 supply fee. Please Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 call 636-239-6729 to register.

Nursery & Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. Hillermann Florist, 636-239-6729, www.

FREE. Call (314) 965-3070. hillermann.com. th th Aug. 4 -5 9am-5pm—Greater St. Louis 1 1 a m — M i n i - G a r d e n Iris Society Show and Accessory Making. Kelly Sale. New cultivars and old Brinkmann with Art ad Souls favorites are shown by the Creative Studio will lead a area’s top growers, who are on pottery class to make a Mini Accessory.

Visit hand to give plant care advice Garden for and share information about www.artandsouls.com their organization. Missouri more information and to sign Botanical Garden, Ridgway up. Hillermann Nursery & Visitor Center. Included with Florist, 636-239-6729, www.

Garden admission. www. hillermann.com. mobot.org.

JULY / AUGUST 2018

The Gateway Gardener™

Aug. 18th 9:30-10:30am—Continuous Blooms with Native Plants.

Learn the secrets of a breathtaking, everblooming native garden. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 965-3070.

9am-5pm—Missouri Botanical Garden Daylily Association Sale. Choose from a wide array of new cultivars and old favorites from the area’s top growers, who will be on hand to give plant care advice and share information about their organization.

Proceeds benefit the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Aug. 21st and 25th 9:30-10:30am—Best Fall Gardening Tips. Discover which varieties are flowering along with the garden practices that will produce the longestblooming, heaviest producing plants and more. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 965-3070.

deadline. Please visit www. homegrownfarmtour.com for details or call (573) 438-8555 for dinner reservations.

August 25th-26th 9am-5pm—The Rose Society of Greater St. Louis Show and Sale. Missouri Botanical Garden in Ridgway Center.

New cultivars and old favorites are shown and sold by the area’s top rose growers, who are on hand to offer advice and share information about their organization.

Sept. 1st 11am—Rework Tired Summer Pots. Freshen up your old summer pots with fresh fall flowers. A handson container workshop with the staff. Effinger Garden Center, 720 South 11th Street, Belleville, IL. (618) 234-4600, effingergarden.com.

9:30-10:30am—Solutions for Your Gardening Challenges Q&A. Bring your challenges to learn about the plants and techniques that work in tough situations. Sugar Creek th August 25 Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Noon-4pm—Edwardsville Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) Garden Club Plant Sale. 965-3070.

St. Mary’s Catholic Church parking lot. 1802 Madison Avenue, Edwardsville, IL. 8am-noon—Mid-Ilinois Annual Iris Sale. Membergrown and commercial iris plants. Tall bearded, Siberian (beardless), medium and small varieties that grow well in our area. Members are on hand to answer your questions on proper iris care. Caseyville Township Senior Center, 10001 Bunkum Rd., Fairview Hts. IL. Home Grown Farm Tour and Field Dinner. Details were unavailable as of the print

Dig Deeper.

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COM for Articles, videos, projects and more plus the latest additions, updates and corrections to this print edition of Upcoming Events!

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Do not forget to MULCH! Mulching helps control weeds, maintain even soil temperature and even conserves moisture during our hot St. Louis summer!

Visit St. Louis Composting’s six area locations for a variety of mulch products, STA Certified compost and soil blends.

BELLEVILLE, IL 5841 Mine Haul Road 618.233.2007

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FLORISSANT, MO 13060 County Park Road 314.355.0052

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, MO 11294 Schaefer Road 314.423.9035

ST. LOUIS, MO 560 Terminal Road 314.868.1612

*Many more types of mulch available

stlcompost.com STLComposting

ENRICHING THE SOIL NATURALLY SINCE 1992