Gateway Gardener
MARCH 2013
THE
速
Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes
Pass the Peas, Please!
Sugar Peas and Snap Peas
Staghorn Ferns Spring Care for Cool-Season Lawns Elderberry: 2013 Herb of the Year NOWO! NLINE US D A E R AT M/ .CO rdener U U S IS wayGa te a G e h T
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Gateway Gardener THE
®
Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes
March 2013
Volume 9, Number 2
Publisher Joyce Bruno
Editor Robert Weaver Columnists
Barbara Perry Lawton General Gardening Connie Alwood Birding Ellen Barredo Houseplants and Tropicals Diane Brueckman Roses Joyce Driemeyer Herbs Cindy Gilberg Native Plant Gardening Mara Higdon Vegetables and Fruits 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
From the Editor
recently was asked to give a presentation to the St. Louis Master Gardeners on the topic of how The Gateway Gardener has changed in the eight-plus years we’ve been publishing. In the process of preparing my talk, I reviewed some gardening surveys conducted over recent years by the Garden Writers Association, of which I’m a member. I was interested to follow certain trends in gardening preferences, starting in 2005, when the magazine debuted. For example, in 2005, “Lawns and Grass” were the toprated gardening interest indicated by those surveyed (presumably a lot of males in the group questioned). The same year, “Vegetable and Fruit” gardening, came in fourth out of five categories, just ahead of “Trees and Shrubs”. Fast forward to the most recent survey in 2012, and the Lawn Category was still leading (we do love our lawns in America) but at much less of a percentage, and had nearly been matched by veggies, leap-frogging all other categories. The big increase in interest in growing vegetables could be attributed to a number of factors, including the economic pressures of recent years, as well as some food safety issues. Possibly a combination of both are at
play, especially among younger families looking to provide more healthful food for their children and themselves. There’s also the sustainability quotient in eating locally—and growing your own is about as local as one can get.
Whatever the reason, vegetable gardening is certainly riding a wave of popularity, creating a great opportunity for us to help catch readers up to speed on successful gardening techniques they may not have picked up from their grandparents or parents. (Count me in that category, even if I’m otherwise long gone from the youthful demographic.) We’re looking forward to another year of giving our readers plenty of educational ammunition to be more successful in all areas of gardening, but especially in edible gardening and local food sourcing. Look for our regular columns from Mara Higdon on growing vegetables, Joyce Driemeyer on herb gardening, plus as the season heats up, our “Cornucopia Corner” featuring area Farmer’s Markets, recipes and more! So why not start with peas, please? Editor’s Note: A thoughtful reader took exception to Barbara Perry Lawton’s description of GMO (Genetically Modified Organism)
On the Cover...
Peas may not make for the sexiest cover topic we’ve ever featured, but they’re double-duty performers in the garden, featuring one of the prettiest flowers of the veggie kingdom, then following up with tasty, versatile pods for fresh snacking or cooking! More about peas on page 7. (Photo courtesy Burpee Home Gardens.)
in the January/February 2013 issue (Know Your Seeds, pg. 4). While organisms have been modified genetically for hundreds of years in horticultural practice through cross-breeding and selection as Barbara rightfully indicated, the term GMO has come to be interchangeable with GE (Genetic Engineering) for many groups and individuals dealing with these contemporary issues. No we’re not shilling for Big Agriculture, we were simply defining the terms in their most literal sense, and hope this clarifies any confusion.
Good Gardening!
IN THIS ISSUE 4 Black Walnut Syndrome 6 Elderberry: Herb of the Year 2013 7 Edible Pods: Sugar Peas and Snap Peas 8 Spring Seeding Cool-Season Lawns 10 Planting New Roses 11 Staghorn Ferns 12 Plants From Around the World
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.
13 Dig This 14 Upcoming Events
Black Walnut Syndrome by Barbara Perry Lawton
B
lack walnuts are handsome trees with wonderfully edible (if hard to crack) nuts that begin to appear in late summer. The handsome wood is a favorite of cabinetmakers and craftsmen. If you are fortunate enough to have one on your property, chances are that someone has told you, “Great tree but you can’t grow anything under it.” Although there are plants that won’t grow under black walnut trees, there are many that will.
The Problem
The official name for this condition is alleopathy, which refers to Free cint water h visit s just f or ing stor our e!!!
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the harmful or beneficial effects of certain plants on other plants. The biochemicals that cause these effects are released by leaching, decomposition of plant residue and other processes, depending upon the plants involved. In the case of the black walnut, the biochemical is a chemical called juglone. Studies have shown that juglone is a respiration inhibitor that deprives sensitive plants of energy needed for metabolic activity. The greatest amount of juglone is found in the tree’s buds, nutshells and roots. Juglone is highly concentrated beneath the tree where leaves and nut hulls build up. Poorly soluble juglone does not move far in the soil and so the effect is present for a number of years after a black walnut tree is removed. While a number of trees have alleopathic effects on plants grown beneath their canopies, the walnut tree is the one we are most likely to encounter. Related trees that have lesser amounts of juglone include English walnut, butternut, shagbark hickory and pecan. The stunted results are rarely seen with these plants.
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Plants that are affected by the juglone may become stunted, discolored and dried out. Note that many horses and people are allergic to black walnut pollen, sawdust and nuts. On the plus side, you might want to think of alleopathic plants as natural weed killers.
Plants Sensitive to Black Walnut Trees
Don’t try to grow the following vegetable under walnut trees: asparagus, cabbage, eggplant, pepper, potato, rhubarb and tomato. Apples, blackberries, blueberries and pears are affected by juglone. Alfalfa and tobacco are field crops strongly affected by black walnuts.
Among the landscape plants that won’t grow under walnut trees include azalea, basswood, ornamental cherries, crabapples, hydrangea, lilac, pear, and the pines. Don’t try to grow the following herbaceous plants under walnut trees: autumn crocus, some chrysanthemums, columbine, hydrangeas, lily, petunias, flowering tobacco and some narcissus and peonies.
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MARCH 2013
If you noticed that one plant family is commonly sensitive to black walnuts, you are right. Members of the Solanacea or nightshade family, including tomatoes and petunias, are particularly affected by juglone.
Plants Tolerant of Juglone
Lima beans, snap beans, beets, carrots, corn, melon, onion and squash are juglone-tolerant vegetables. Tolerant fruits include cherry and black raspberries. Landscape plants that will grow under black walnuts include arborvitae, clematis, crabapple, euonymous, forsythia, most maples, rose of Sharon, most viburnums and Virginia creeper. There are many flowering and herbaceous plants that will grow under black walnuts. They include astilbe, bee balm, begonia some chrysanthemums, coral bells, crocus, many hostas, Shasta daisy, hollyhocks, lamb’s ear, pansy, some peonies, tulip, morning glory, spiderwort, violet, sweet woodruff, Siberian iris and zinnias. Some of the ground covers that are tolerant of juglone include ajuga, true geranium, daylily, sedum and pulmonaria.
Final Words
If you must grow sensitive ornamental plants beneath black walnuts, you can get some protection by using raised beds and keeping the nuts and plant debris from those areas. Check with the internet or your favorite local independent nursery if you have questions about specific ornamental plants.
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GARDEN: (VERB) RELAX, REWIND, NURTURE, ENJOY, HAVE FUN, CONNECT WITH MOTHER EARTH, LIVE LIFE TO ITS FULLEST
NURSERY & FLORIST Barbara Perry Lawton is a writer, author, speaker and photographer. She has served as manager of publications for Missouri Botanical Garden and as weekly garden columnist for the PostDispatch. The author of a number of gardening and natural history books, and contributor to many periodicals, she has earned regional and national honors for her writing and photography. Barbara is also a Master Gardener and volunteers at MBG.
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Elderberry: 2013 Herb of the Year
M
uch to my surprise, elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), North American and (Sambucus nigra) European have been selected as 2013 Herb of the Year by the International Herb Association. This shrub in North America and sometimes tree in Europe is a member of the honeysuckle family. In America, it is found abundantly from New Brunswick to Saskatchewan, south to Florida and Texas and west to Colorado. It supposedly likes rich soil but is found by streams, roadsides near woods and waste places, and is not particular as to sun or part shade. The plant is stoloniferous and therefore spreads easily and can be aggressive. The shrub is multistemmed and can be 6’ to 15’ tall. If pruned annually, the plant is more attractive and flowers and fruits more abundantly. Blooms occur in June or July as flat-topped, white-rayed groups with yellow centers and are showy. Purple-black berries of ¼” diameter follow in late August to September as clusters and are used for jellies, jams and desserts or wines and syrups—if you can beat the birds to them! The flowers can be
repel mosquitoes. Native Americans, especially in the U.S., made extensive uses of this plant for many medicinal and food purposes. This is historically interesting, but medicinal purposes should not be emulated. The European elder was used in many ways since ancient times and is mentioned extensively in folklore.
Sambucus canadensis collected in bloom for teas and beverages or as insect repellents. Of course, if you harvest all the flowers you will lose fruit formation. The fruit is very rich in vitamins A and C. Some recent studies in Israel have focused on benefits of consumption in treating colds and flu and reducing length of recovery. In spite of recent popular literature, which has no scientific studies to support it, the use of elderberry products for ingestion to treat a variety of diseases has no merit. Ingestion of products from bark, stems, roots, leaves and unripe berries should be avoided because of cyanide content.
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The foliage may be used topically as an insect repellent. Also, powdered dried flowers added to water can be dabbed on to skin to
One caveat: if pregnant or breast feeding, avoid ingestion of elderberry products. The dwarf elder, Sambucus ebulus, is totally toxic in all forms and should be avoided by everyone. My opinion: Elderberry is not a suitable plant for a highly cultivated area, but is best used in a naturalized setting where birds and wildlife can enjoy it. Elderberry Experts Descending Upon Missouri For 14 years, The University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources has been studying and improving elderberry as a crop at its research stations in Mt. Vernon and Mountain Grove, Missouri, and Missouri has become one of the leading commercial growers in the nation. This summer, Missouri will be the international center of elderberry experts when horticulturists, botanists, biochemists, food scientists, economists and others with take part in the first International Symposium on Elderberry in Columbia, Missouri, June 9th-14th, 2013. For more information, contact Andrew Thomas, University of Missouri, at 417-466-2148 or ThomasAL@missouri.edu. After 30 years as a landscape designer, Joyce Driemeyer is now retired. She has been an MBG volunteer since 1969 and Master Gardener since 1985. She is also a past board member of the Herb Society of America, and is a current board member of the St. Louis Herb Society.
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photo courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder: Thomas Pope
By Joyce Driemeyer
Edible Pods-Snow Peas and Snap Peas By Mara Higdon
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the nitrogen fixed in the roots will remain and benefit the next crop that is planted in that area of your garden. You can shell the pods and dry the peas inside for two weeks in a warm dry place for use the following year.
Here in Missouri, growing peas is relatively easy. Peas grow well in cold weather and will thrive in our turbulent spring.
A few varieties to try are Cascadia Snap Peas (Dwarf - 2 ft tall), Super Snap Peas, Sugar Daddy Snap Pea (two pods produced on a node), Snowbird Snow Peas (very early producer), Mammoth Melting Snow Pea (high yields over longer period of time).
You should plant your peas 4-6 weeks before the first frost. So start NOW! Begin loosening the soil by forking in compost. This will allow the germinating seeds to more easily breakthrough the soil. Plant your peas about 1 inch apart, 1-2 inches deep, in rows that are 6-8 inches apart. The close spacing will provide structural support for the peas as they grow taller. You can set up a simple structure to support the vines as they grow taller using 5-6 foot stakes in an upside-down V formation and string. Set this up after you plant the peas. Due to the delicate nature of the vines it is difficult not to damage the vines to set up a trellis once they are more established.
Super Sugar Snap Peas
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eas are one of the earliest vegetables one can grow in the garden. Tasty green pods dangling from trellised vines can be eaten raw right off the plant or added to a stir-fry.
such as salads or they can be left on the vine. If left on the vine, the snap peas inside the pods will plump up and take on a more traditional pea shape. These can be harvested and eaten, but have a heartier skin that holds up better in cooked dishes. Snow pea pods should be harvested when they are young and tender for best taste. Harvest the pods carefully and take care not to yank on the vines.
Occasionally, the peas will rot if the ground is too wet. If you see gaps in your germinating pea plants, go ahead and plant another pea in the gap and it will catch up with the rest. Side dress the peas once they reach 5-6 inches high. Peas fix nitrogen in their roots as they grow, so there is no need to add any extra fertilizer. As the peas grow, they should naturally travel up the string trellis you have provided for them. Make sure that they get about 1/2 inch of water a week, but don’t water log them. The pea pods will begin to form once the flowers have set. Pods will be harvested 3-4 weeks after the flowers appear. Early young snap pea pods can be harvested and are best eaten raw or added to fresh dishes
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The pea plants will continue to flower and produce pea pods until the weather begins to warm up in the spring. Once temperatures reach 6570 degrees they slow down and the pea pods begin to toughen. At this point, you can remove the pea plants by cutting at soil level just above the roots. By doing this,
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Spring Seeding Cool Season Lawns By Glennon Kraemer
M
arch and early April are prime times to seed your cool season lawns. Especially, if you have any shade. After May 1, your success rate really drops off. Here are my Step-ByStep instructions for spring seeding jobs: 1. Wait until you can rake or blow winter leaves and have mowed at 2” to remove any unwanted materials in the lawn. 2. You probably won’t have your irrigation running yet, so be careful when you aerate or power rake the thin areas. You don’t want to damage the irrigation system! 3. Spread your seed (usually 5-10#/1000 ft. sq) and some “starter” fertilizer like 10-20-10. Don’t worry about crabgrass control (shade areas won’t grow crabgrass anyway) for now. 4. Rake back and forth to ensure good seed-to-soil contact. Seeds need water and soil temperature to germinate, not sunlight. The best seed job is one where you can’t see the seed when you are through.
5. Top dress areas with more topsoil (1/2”), compost or PennMulch®. This will help maintain moisture and prevent erosion. 6. Water lightly everyday (unless it rains) for 2-3 weeks. Mother Nature usually takes care of the heavy lifting in the spring… sometimes too well! 7. Mow after 2-3 weeks, but do so at 3 to 3 ½” so the roots get to go deep. Deep roots will help with drought resistance. 8. Don’t spray any herbicides until this seed is up and has been mowed twice! I really encourage spring seeding for shade lawns because we don’t have to deal with the leaves dropping. Also, you don’t ever have to worry about crabgrass growing in the shade because it won’t grow there. You can use “Tupersan®” where you have seen crabgrass in the past, but it is expensive. I prefer to tell my clients to use Dimension ® preemergent after the seeded areas have been mowed twice. You still might get some crabgrass, but nothing that can’t be sprayed out with some inexpensive “post emergent” crabgrass sprays. Dimension®,
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MARCH 2013
in the granular form, will kill small germinated crabgrass plants. Tupersan ® will only keep crabgrass under control if it is applied before the crabgrass germinates. It also requires to be reapplied in 25 days = expensive and time consuming! Don’t wait on this project. It’s better to get this done as early as you can. September will be the next and best time (especially in full sun areas) to repeat this process. If you apply crabgrass controls, be sure to rinse out the spreader before using it to spread seed. Grass seed can be killed even by the “dust” of the crabgrass controls. Try not to apply or do anything to zoysia lawns during March…it’s too early. Remember folks…”it’s just grass”.
INTRODUCING...
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Planting Those New Roses By Diane Brueckman
S
pring is here and so are the new roses. Some of you order bare-root roses from various mail order houses and others buy from the local nurseries. The mail order roses usually arrive in late March through April. If bare-root roses arrive later than April, I would complain to your supplier because it is often too hot to plant the bare-root roses directly into the garden. Some roses from smaller nurseries do come in pots. I would hold those roses and any potted roses purchased locally until after the last average frost date (April 15th) before planting them out. They can be moved into the garage to protect them from frost when needed. Open the roses as soon as they arrive to make sure they are in good condition. If you can’t plant them immediately, wrap the plants in wet newspaper or back into the
packing material they came in. When you are ready to plant check for broken canes or roots and trim them off. Tip prune the remaining roots and trim the canes back to an outside facing bud then soak the plants overnight or at least 4 or 5 hours before planting. I like to soak mine in a bucket of water with a tablespoon or two of bleach to kill any disease that may be on the roots. You are now ready to plant you new bush. Prepare the planting hole by digging the hole large enough to spread the roots and deep enough to plant the bud union an inch or so below the soil line. Build a mound of soil in the center of the hole to support the bush with the roots spread around it. Back fill the hole about ¾ of the way up and water to fill in the air spaces around the roots. Now fill to the top of the soil line and tamp down the soil,
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2013 FREE Gardening Seminar Series
You are cordially invited to attend our FREE gardening seminars, starting Thursday Feb. 21st running through March 28th, 2013. Attend and receive professional advice on how to be successful with your gardening and landscape endeavors.
Seminars Each Thursdays at 2 PM and 7 PM February 21st The Ten Commandments of Butterfly Gardening Tom Krauska, aka “Tom Terrific”, Author and Butterfly Gardener
water again. Cover your new rose to the tips of the canes with mulch much as you would do for winter protection. Leave the mulch on for about two weeks. This is a very important step and must be done even if the temperature is very mild or even warm. The reason for the mulch is to protect the new plant from drying out before it can establish roots to support the new growth.
The planting hole for a potted rose needs to be deep enough for the bud union to be below the soil line. Make to hole wide enough to give the new roots some room to grow. Check the root ball for girdling roots and cut as necessary to prevent the plant from strangling itself later on. Again only feed with organics until the Before planting the new bush rose has had its first bloom. It is potted or bare-root, I add some not necessary to cover the rose organic material to the soil. as it has already established a Compost is good, leaf mould or root system. I will be giving a my chicken soup (see the Nov./ program on planting a bare-root Dec. 2012 issue for the recipe, or rose bush at The Belleville Area go to GreenGardeningStL.com Rose Society on March 3rd at 2 pm. and type “chicken soup” in the The Society meets at the St. Claire Search box). One thing you do Farm Bureau, 1478E State Route not want to do is add a chemical 15 in Illinois, across from Eckerts fertilizer directly to the soil when Orchard. The public is welcome! planting. It is OK to fertilizer after the first bloom, when your plant is pretty well established otherwise you could burn those tender new roots. If your bare-root plants arrive after May 1st it is best to pot them up and hold them for a good month until they root into the potting mix. That way you can protect them from too much sun and heat while they establish a root system. To check if they are ready to be planted tip the pot gently and see if the soil is loose or the plant is well anchored in the pot. Loose soil indicates the plant is not fully
February 28th
Hostas, Here We Come! Phyllis Weidman, President, St. Louis Hosta Society
March 14th Nature’s Blooming Beauties Monica Barker, Native Landscape Solutions
March 21st
Gardening for the New Gardener Nancee Kruescheck, Continuing Education, SLCC-Meramec
March 28th
Lawns: What’s Going on With My Turf? Nathan Brandt, Horticulture Specialist, U. of MO Extension Service These are great programs by professional industry experts, come as often as you like—and don’t forget to
BRING YOUR QUESTIONS WITH YOU!
10
Diane Brueckman is a retired rosarian with Missouri Botanical Garden, and currently owns Rosey Acres in Baldwin, Illinois. You can reach her at (618) 7853011 or Brueckman Diane <droseyacres@egyptian. net>.
Love Roses?
Trees and Shrubs Janie Bedwell, St. Louis Community Colleges-Meramec
March 7th
anchored in the soil and it needs more time in the pot.
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Illinois-Indiana District Rose Society Spring Meeting March 9, 2013
Great Speakers •Door Prizes • Basket Raffles • Silent Auction • Food & Beverages Hosted by
To register contact Yvonne at: (618) 463-3585 or email to: plantflowers1@yahoo.com
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MARCH 2013
Staghorn Ferns text and photos by Ellen Barredo at first but then turn brown. The thick foliage fronds are irregularly divided and lobed with a powdery silver sheen. These upright fronds are the fertile part of the plant, and on mature plants the spores will be found underneath the antler-like leaves. Although these spores are the reproductive parts of the fern, propagation is more commonly and easily accomplished by cutting off the new plants, or ‘pups,’ that form from the root buds. Staghorn fern prefers temperatures in the 70s, which is found in most home environments.
The author’s son, Aaron, with a massive staghorn fern. n the world of horticulture design, staghorn ferns have once again found a decorative niche among interior designers. This unique plant adds a very modern feel to a room and is often used in vertical gardens.
I
The staghorn fern is an amazing fern that is native to eastern Australia. At first glance, most observers would not recognize these plants as ferns at all. Instead, the fronds of these beautiful, silvery green plants resemble the antlers of elk or deer, which is why they have been given the common name of staghorn or elkhorn fern. These ferns are epiphytes and grow clinging to the trunks of trees in their native habitat, with their large, flat fronds arching outwards. Mounting staghorn ferns on wooden plaques is commonly practiced by growers in an effort to reproduce the typical growth habit in the wild, but allow us to grow and display them in the home.
Staghorn Growth Habit Explained:
Again, the staghorn fern normally resides in the canopy of the rainforest where it receives bright, diffused light, intermittent bursts of rain for water and fertile debris falling from the tree it is attached to for nutrition. While the anchors for most epiphytes (such as orchids and bromeliads) are aerial roots or rhizomes, staghorn ferns add a covering layer of thick, spongy fronds that make a basket or inverted plate-like structure over the short, creeping rhizomes, providing a rooting media for the arching foliage fronds. The rounded, layered base fronds are green
MARCH 2013
The Gateway Gardener®
Hang your staghorn fern in an area in the home that receives bright light, preferably morning sun. A bathroom with bright skylights is an awesome location and makes it easy to care for the plant. Staghorn ferns need less water than other ferns. Small plants may be soaked in water for ten to fifteen minutes. Larger plants can be placed in a bathtub or shower and soaked. Soak thoroughly, it will feel heavier when you pick it up to hang. These ferns are susceptible to overwatering because the outer surfaces of the base fronds may feel dry even when the inner layers are very wet. Test the moisture level by pressing the brown (not green) base fronds. If water oozes out, they are too wet! If they feel moist without oozing, they are fine and shouldn’t be watered. Don’t press on the green base fronds as you could damage them.
More modestly sized “starter” ferns. I hope you all will give staghorn ferns a try in your home! I would like to thank my industry friend Tammy Behm from Greenscape Gardens, my co-worker Kathy Hoyer and my son Aaron Barredo for their inspiration in producing this article topic! If you have ideas for houseplant article please let me know! Ellen Barredo is a Missouri Certified Nursery Professional with more than 30 years in professional horticulture. She works at Bowood Farms and can be reached at (314) 4554-6868 or ebarredo77@gmail.com.
If staghorn ferns don’t get enough water their growth will be slowed. Fronds will become limp and take on a grayish cast and the inner layers of the base fronds will be dry. Staghorn ferns like to be fertilized about every three weeks, less in the cooler months. Granular fertilizers may burn tissue, so add an organic liquid fertilizer such as fish emulsion when you soak your plaques.
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Meet us at Kirkwood Market 150 E Argonne
April 6, 13, 20, & 27 May 4 Saturdays 9am - 4pm Pick up orders at Kirkwood Market
Order in advance (by Wed.), or choose from the selection at the Kirkwood Market.
Shaw Nature Reserve Saturday, May 11th 9am-4pm
Nursery Hours at Brazito MO Opening Day - March 16th Mon - Sat 9am - 5pm Sunday 12- 5pm
Missouri Wildflowers Nursery 573-496-3492, fax: 573-496-3003 www.mowildflowers.net mowldflrs@socket.net 9814 Pleasant Hill Rd. Jefferson City MO 65109
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Plants from Around the World Make Our Gardens Beautiful! By Steffie Littlefield
love to travel to different parts of the world and experience different environments. One of my favorite things to do when in another country is to learn what plants originated in these foreign lands. Its always surprising to find a common garden flower has exotic ‘roots’, literally. Wherever people wandered and explored they brought home seeds, cuttings and bulbs. Many plants have spread so rapidly in their new homes it’s hard to believe they are not native, some have even become invasive. In my recent trip to the Andes Mountains in Argentina, I was impressed with the large drifts of colorful lupines. Further research shows that Lupinus, commonly known as or lupine, is a genus of flowering plants with about 280 species, with major centers of
Get to Know and Grow Your Food! Presented by
Saturday, April 6 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Start the day with an expert panel of a local farmer, chef, merchant, and food activist, moderated by Feast Magazine’s Catherine Neville
Help us kick off
• Take a wide range of classes that cover everything from growing vegetables to mixing cocktails to raising bees
• Bring your old cookbooks for a cookbook exchange
• Indulge in lunchtime specials
the Garden’s year-long celebration of food with a fun-filled day of classes, demonstrations, and exhibits.
from one or more of the several food trucks on site
• Vote for your favorite in our own cupcake war!
$50 members; $60 non-members. Advance registration required. For more information or to register go to www.mobot.org/blitz or call (314) 577-9506
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and will bloom for several weeks. Plants should be brought inside when temperatures drop below 40 degrees.
Cleome diversity in parts of the Southern Hemisphere (New Zealand and parts of Australia) and the Andes and secondary centers in the Mediterranean region and Africa. Two annuals I found that originated in Argentina’s Pampas are marigolds and Nierembergia. Tagetes, commonly known as marigolds, is a genus of 56 species of annual and perennial plants native to South America, but some species have become naturalized around the world. Nierembergia, or dwarf cupflower, also known as purple robe, is a wonderful plant with saucer-shaped flowers blanketing the neat, mounded plant during summer. It can be grown in light shade. A spring favorite at the nursery is gerbera daisy. The native from South Africa is known by many names, including the Transvaal daisy, for its native habitat. Originally a red flower, hybridization now produces gerbera daisies in many colors, including white, lavender, pink, orange and yellow. Plant in full sun for biggest blooms. Always keep the soil slightly moist and do not permit it to completely dry between waterings. Outdoors, they mature between 10 and 18 inches in height. One of the most popular South African flowers is Agapanthus, meaning “flower of love,” also known as lily-ofthe-Nile. Producing large blue flowers framed by deep green leaves, these flowers prefer direct sun and should be planted in well-drained soil. Flowers will begin to bloom in the summer
Purple heart and purple queen are native to the Gulf Coast region of eastern Mexico. As a houseplant, these have been judged exceptionally effective at improving indoor air quality. Widely used as an ornamental plant in gardens and borders as a ground cover, or in hanging baskets, it is propagated easily by cuttings (the stems are visibly segmented and roots will frequently grow from the joints). Lantana is a genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants in the verbena family. They are native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa. Lantana’s aromatic flower clusters (called umbels) are a mix of red, orange, yellow, or blue and white florets. Australia is the home of many fun garden flowers like cleome (spider flower), scaevola (fan flower), oleander, gomphrena, and black-eyed Susan vine. What would we do without these prolific, abundantly flowering annuals? These are great in pots, tolerate drought and keep flowering all season. There are so many great plants coming from around the world a visit to the garden center is like a trip around the world. The best of what the world has to offer is waiting for you this spring!
Steffie Littlefield is a horticulturist and garden designer at Garden Heights Nursery. She has degrees from St. Louis Community College at Meramec and Southeast Missouri State and is a member of Gateway Professional Horticultural Association and past president of the Horticulture Co-op of Metropolitan St. Louis.
The Gateway Gardener®
MARCH 2013
Dig This!
Gateway Gardeners and Businesses in the News New Gardening Products Grown Right Here in St. Louis
Among the many new gardening products showing up in St. Louis garden centers this spring, look for several from St. Louis area entrepreneurs. The VegiBee Garden Pollinator, designed and marketed by local Bill Whaley, is a sonic handheld electric pollinating device to use on vegetable plants to improve pollination and increase yields by 30% or more, according to the marketing material. The tool can be used on tomatoes, peppers, beans, peas and eggplant, either indoors where pollinators are absent, or outdoors where they may be insufficient. For more information, visit the product website at www.vegibee. com.
company hopes to promote the planters especially to villas and townhouses where space is limited, as well as senior centers and other populations that might find raised container gardening more convenient. For more information, visit www.mylittlegardenbarrel.com.
Gateway Greening’s New Website Offers Sustainability Resources
St. Louis’ local urban agriculture and sustainability expert, Gateway Greening, is ringing in the new year with a new, updated website at www.gatewaygreening.org.Through a complete re-design, the website provides community members easier access to information about programming including: Community Gardens, Youth Programs, City Seeds Urban Farm and the new FarmWorks project. The website also highlights many of the free resources Gateway Gardening offers the St. Louis community, such as the Garden How to Series, informational Garden Videos and their Garden Book Library that is available to the public.
FPO Dig This
Gutter Gardens, developed by Collinsville gardener Laurie Skinner, is a creative take on a deck-rail basket. Created with all-weather recycled aluminum guttering material (with drainage holes added), Gutter Gardens are available in either 6” or 8” wide models, and are sealed with solvent-free caulk, so they’re ideal for growing vegetables and herbs as well as ornamental baskets. They’re suited for use on fences, balconies or window boxes, and gardeners who find gardening at ground level more challenging will find them especially useful. Colors include white, black, dark brown and dark green, and the gardens come in lengths from 2’-5’. For more information, visit www.guttergardens.com. My Little Garden Barrel is another creative, new container gardening idea, this one from Wildwood resident Andy Young and his father, Sam Young of Sedalia, Missouri. Think strawberry planter on steroids and you’ll have a idea. My Little Garden Barrel is made from FDA-approved high-density polyethylene, so it’s durable and safe to use for growing edible plants like your favorite veggies and herbs. Each planter has multiple side-cup openings to hold individual plants, plus planting space at the top, and is delivered complete with a fresh supply of customized growing mix from St. Louis Composting. A central watering tube makes even water distribution convenient while promoting more robust root growth. The
MARCH 2013
The Gateway Gardener®
Bellefontaine Cemetery Receives Garden Club Citation
After holding its annual Tree Tour last fall, The Fleur de Lis Garden Society bestowed a Citation of Commendation upon Bellefontaine Cemetery for its stewardship and conservation of the trees. Bellefontaine Left to right: Fleur de Lis Society is an accredited representatives Elaine Fix, Charlene Level II arboretum Barton, Earen Hummel, Landscape and included in the Architect (accepting the citation for Morton Register of Bellefontaine Cemetery), and Pat Arboreta. The many Halle. trees and shrubs on the property have been a focus from the beginning and the number has grown to include over 4,000 trees, with well over 100 different species. The mission of the Arboretum at Bellefontaine Cemetery is to support and enhance the cemetery as place of perpetual commemoration, and as a garden landscape of beauty, inspiration and historic significance. Bellefontaine is an accessible and diverse horticultural collection and is an important natural sanctuary and habitat for wildlife in the urban environment.Until the mid-twentieth century, Bellfontaine Cemetery was home to a greater variety of plants and trees than the Missouri Botanical Garden. Today, our 1,100 shrubs and over 4,000 trees represent over 180 species.
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Upcoming Events viewing. Orthwein Floral Display Hall at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden admission plus $5; free for Garden members.
Updates to this information are often posted on our online events calendar at GatewayGardener.com, so check there for the latest details. Give us the details of your upcoming gardening, lawn or landscaping event and we’ll add it to our website and include it in our next issue. Deadline for printing in May issue is April 1st. How to reach us: Mail: PO Box 220853 St. Louis, MO 63122 Fax: (314) 968-4025 Email: info@gatewaygardener.com
FUN FOR KIDS March 2nd 9am—Children’s Garden ClubGrowing in the Garden. FREE, no reservations required, everyone welcome. Sherwood’s Forest Nursery & Garden Center, 2651 Barrett Station Rd., (314) 966-0028.
CLASSES, LECTURES AND EVENTS Now through Mar. 31st 9am-5pm— Annual Orchid Show. Features 800 blooming orchids from one of the world’s premier orchid collections. The Orchid Show is the only time of year when a vast, rotating selection of orchids from the Garden’s collection is available for public
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Now through March 31st March Morpho Mania. Nearly 3,000 Blue Morpho butterflies inside the 8,000-square-foot tropical conservatory. the largest collection of Blue Morpho butterflies in the United States. Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House at Faust Park, 15193 Olive Blvd., Chesterfield, Mo. $6 adults; $5 seniors, $4 children (3 to 12). Free children ages 2 and under. www. butterflyhouse.org; (636) 530-0076. March 2nd 10am—Spring Gardening Tips. Guest speaker Karen Collins, author of Karen’s Garden Calendar, offers tips for early spring gardening. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 9653070 for reservations. Parkland Master Gardeners Symposium. For gardeners of all levels of interest and ability. $22 includes catered lunch. Fee must be paid with registration and are nonrefundable. Mineral Area College, Park Hills, MO. For more information, contact Ginny Smith at (618) 3402579. March 2nd-4th Washington Home Show. Visit the Hillermann booth at the Washington Home Show in the Washington City Auditorium. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www. hillermann.com. March 6th
6-9pm—Organic Gardening. Learn the A to Z of growing vegetables, herbs, annuals, perennials, and shrubs without harsh pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides. 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.
also give his signature presentation, Bringing Nature Home, on March 8 from 6-8 pm. Registration is required for either event. For Saturday, email to Lisa.Seyer@mdc.mo.gov or fax to 573-290-5566. Seating is limited, so register soon. To register for Friday’s presentation, call 573-290-5218. Native plant vendors will be available both Friday evening from 6-8pm and Saturday from 8am-3pm.
March 7th 2-5pm—Native Garden Maintenance. Learn to maintain a native plant garden. Hands on—bring pruners. $5. Lincoln University Native Plants Program. 900 Chestnut St., Allen Hall, Rm. 100, Jefferson City, MO. Contact HempenA@LincolnU. edu.
March 9th 9-11am—Growing Spring Vegetables in Home Gardens. Learn vegetable growing principles, specific procedures to prepare soil, planting, growing and more. 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. $20.
2pm and 7pm—Hostas, Here We Come. Phyllis Weidman, President, St. Louis Hosta Society, guest speaker at Sappington Garden Shop, 11530 Gravois Rd. (314) 843-4700. FREE. March 8th-10th The Truth and the Outdoors Expo. Visit the Hillermann booth at The Truth and the Outdoors Expo at Saint Clair High School. We will be showing off all our equipment, bird feeders and accessories, treats and toys for your dogs, and much more! Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www.hillermann.com. March 8th-9th Maintaining Curb Appeal with Native Plants, and Bringing Nature Home. Dr. Douglas Tallamy, author of Bringing Nature Home, will present Maintaining Curb Appeal with Native Plants on March 9th. He will
10am—Plant-a-Tree Seminar. Josh Meurer, Meurer Bros. Tree Service. Which tree selections are right for our area, specific planting instructions, solutions to typical problems here in our area. FREE, No RSVP. Sandy’s Back Porch, 2004 West Blvd., Belleville, IL. (618) 2352004, or SandysBackPorch.com. 10am—Beginning Perennial Gardening. Steps needed to create a successful perennial garden. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 9653070 for reservations. Illinois-Indiana District Rose Society Spring Meeting. Guest speakers, door prizes, basket raffles, silent auction, food and beverages. Hosted by the
The Gateway Gardener®
MARCH 2013
Three Rivers Rose Society. For more information contact (618) 463-3585 or email plantflowers1@yahoo.com. March 10th 11am-4pm—Washington Health Fair. Visit the Hillermann booth at the Health Fair in the Washington City Auditorium and learn how gardening can make you healthy and about the benefits you get from growing your own fruits and vegetables. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www.hillermann.com. March 14th 2pm and 7pm—Nature’s Blooming Beauties. Monica Barker, Native Landscape Solutions, guest speaker at Sappington Garden Shop, 11530 Gravois Rd. (314) 843-4700. FREE. 9am-3pm—Tree First Detector Program. Learn to recognize current and emerging pathogens and insects affecting Illinois trees. $25 includes lunch and program materials. U. of Illinois Extension Office, 1 Regency Plaza Dr. Ste. 200, Collinsville, IL. (618) 344-4230, or visit web. extension.illinois.edu/mms. 1-4pm—Native Plant School: Native Plant Propagation from Seed. Bring your questions, comments, photos, drawings, and plant specimens for discussion. Session includes hands-on tours and demonstrations. Audience participation encouraged. $15 ($12 Garden members). Whitmire Wildflower Garden at Shaw Nature Reserve. Register and pay online at ShawNature.org, or call (636) 4513512 ext. 0. March 16th 10am—Curb Appeal. Ron Gatewood from Crain Tree Farm. Dramatically increase the value of your home by using the right plants in the right space. This is a class thru SWIC community education classes and there is a fee. Sandy’s BackPorch, 4004 West Blvd., Belleville, IL. Call 618-2352700 ext 5393 or 5618 to register. 10am—Gardening 101. Learn how to select and combine color, texture, form and bloom time. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 9653070 for reservations. 1-4pm—Grape Vine Pruning Principles and Demo. Learn the fruiting habits of grapes, the Balanced Pruning concept, the importance of light exposure, shoot thinning, shoot positioning, leaf removal and more. St. Charles County Extension Center, 260 Brown Rd., St. Peters MO. Visit http:// extension.missouri.edu/stcharles/ gardenclasses/aspx or call 636-9703000 for information. Pre-registration required. $25. 2pm – Outdoor Spring Cleaning. Spring maintenance tips and tricks
MARCH 2013
that will help get your landscape on the right path for success this year. Frisella Nursery, 636-798-2555. www. frisellanursery.com.
Nature’s pollinator. We’ll be discussing a number of bee and beekeeping essentials. Frisella Nursery, 636-7982555. www.frisellanursery.com.
March 19th 6-7:15pm—How To Protect Your Back & Neck While Gardening. Robert A. Arnone, Doctor of Specific Chiropractic, Spine Injury Specialist. Useful, natural tips for safe gardening. Days Inn Westport, 1970 Craig Road, St Louis. FREE. RSVP on or before March 15th. (314) 995-5719.
March 28th 2pm.and 7pm—Lawns: What’s Going on With My Turf? Nathan Brandt, Horticulture Specialist, U. of MO Extension, guest speaker at Sappington Garden Shop, 11530 Gravois Rd. (314) 843-4700. FREE.
March 19th and 21st 10am—Let’s Make a Terrarium. Create a terrarium, including traditional design, fairy garden or more modern looks. Supplies provided and experienced tutor to guide you through the process. Glass containers, soil and plants provided. Class size is limited and reservations required. $45 ($35 if you bring your own container). Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. Call (314) 965-3070 for reservations. March 21st 2pm.and 7pm—Gardening for the New Gardener. Nancee Kruescheck, Continuing Education, SLCCMeramec, guest speaker at Sappington Garden Shop, 11530 Gravois Rd. (314) 843-4700. FREE. 7-9pm—Panel of Gardening Experts Q&A Session. Bring your questions for discussion on various aspects of preparing your plants and garden for spring. Free and open to the public. Hosted by Town & Country Garden Club. Longview Farm Park, 13525 Clayton Road. Light refreshments and door prizes. Experts include Kim Reiss, Sugar Creek Garden, Roy Gross of St. Louis Composting, and Greenscape Gardens staffmembers. Visit townandcountrygardenclub or call 314-229-8686 for additional information.
March 30th 9am-5pm—Greater St. Louis Daffodil Society Show. New cultivars and old favorites by the area’s top growers, on hand to give plant care advice and share information. Missouri Botanical Garden Beaumont Room. Free with Garden admission. 8:30am—Nursery Tour. Discover the plants and hidden treasures of Sugar Creek Nursery. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 965-3070 for reservations. 10am—Expecting Backyard Chickens? Guy Niere, backyard chicken instructor at St. Louis Community College will discuss chicken coop considerations, how to select chickens, and preparing for their arrival and ongoing care. Plus other panelists will discuss and answer questions. FREE and open to public. The Heights Community Center, 8001
Winter Market & Bazaar Indoors at The Center of Clayton 50 Gay Ave. Clayton, MO 63105
www.ClaytonFarmersMarket.com (314) 913-6632
Hours: January-April 1st Saturday of Each Month 8:30am-12:30pm
Local Farm Fresh Products Hand-Crafted Artisan Foods Goods for Hearth & Home
daily
10am—Shrubs and Perennials For Containers. Discover the shrubs, perennials, roses and succulents that look great in containers all year. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 9653070 for reservations.
The Gateway Gardener®
10am—Fairy Gardens. Linda Sulentic will show us how simple and easy it is to make a fairy garden. Her lifelong enthusiasm for miniatures will inspire you to create one of your very own. FREE. Sandy’s Back Porch, 2004 West Blvd., Belleville, IL. (618) 235-2004, or SandysBackPorch.com.
March 1– 31
Mar. 23rd 9am-2:45pm—Weekend Gardener. A variety of class topics to appeal to novice and experienced gardeners alike. $40. Registration information along with the complete program with description available at www. extension.illinois.edu/madisonstclair. Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, Belleville, IL. For additional information or a brochure contact Denise at Madison-St Clair Unit, (618) 939=3434.
March 23rd 2pm – Bee Basics. Join us for an intriguing seminar on bees, Mother
Dale Avenue, Richmond Heights, MO. Contact LHlieb@att.net or 314646-8818.
a division of
Faust Park 15193 Olive Blvd. Chesterfield, MO 63017 (636) 530-0076 www.butterflyhouse.org
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