The Gateway Gardener March 2018

Gateway Gardener

MARCH 2018

THE

®

Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes

The St. Louis Cottage Garden

Relaxed and Informal Beauty

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Gateway Gardener THE

®

Your Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes

MARCH 2018

Volume 14, Number 2

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 Greenscape Gardens Crystal Stevens EarthDance 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.

T

From the Editor

he picture you see to the right was reycled from spring a year ago.

To find any sign of spring for a photograph in late February this year, I would have had to drive to Paducah! For a historical perspective, this spring probably was on schedule for more typically timed entrances of years long ago, but in recent years, I’ve come to expect the daffodils blooming in February (and even January), along with Lenten roses, snowdrops, crocuses and other cheerful harbingers. None of those had appeared in time for a deadline photo shoot this year. So, Welcome March!

permit) or at least incorporating some vegetable plants into their otherwise ornamental gardens.

Matt takes it to a new level, as Jennifer Schamber allows him to tell us on page 6.

Speaking of edibles, we extend best wishes to another Matt— Matt Even—who graciously provided us with inspiring “Cornucopia Corner” articles the last year or so. Matt is moving on to other, more time-consuming challenges at Gateway Greening that preclude his continuing contributions.

And with that, we welcome new contributor Crystal Stevens, author and Farm Manager at EarthDance Organic Farm School. We look forward to her help in this category, beginning with “Growing Delicious Greens” on page 16.

started gardening, was my esthetic goal, a cottage garden.

Over the years, that vision has shifted a little, but I’ve always appreciated the relaxed, informal look of the traditional This spring, there will not be English cottage garden. If that the traditional fight Mary and is your esthetic as well, then I have over the necessity and be sure to read how you can degree of the mulch spreading translate the look to the St. Louis chore and preceding flurry of soils and climate with Abby I could go on—and on and spring cleanup. With 70 years Lapides recommendations on on, since some of my spring not far off in the headlights, I’ve page 4. gardening chores have now finally agreed to turn the chore Another esthetic is beginning to been lifted. But not all. I still over to other reliable hands. take shape, and that is a more plan to get my fingers and knees (Shameless plug to Victoria, practical use of the land, edible dirty.

Sue and the Wallflower Design landscaping, or “foodscaping” as crew.) I’m looking forward to designer Matt Lebon and others Good Gardening! working with them (or watching are calling it. Many gardeners them work) this spring. have started migrating their Perhaps they can help me vegetable gardens to the front achieve what, when I first yard (where community codes

On the Cover...

The traditional English cottage garden features a relaxed, informal look that many gardening enthusiasts aspire to. To achieve the look with plants suitable for our region, read more on page 4. (Photo courtesy TesselaarUSA.)

IN THIS ISSUE 4 The St. Louis Cottage Garden 6 Foodscaping Your Landscape 8 Native Annuals 12 Leave the Tiller in the Shed 13 JT’s Fresh Ideas 14 Make Spring Happen in Your Window Box 16 Grow Delicious Greens 17 JT’s Fresh Ideas 17 Hops—Herb of the Year 2018 18 Planning Your Rose Garden 20 Dig This 22 Upcoming Events

The St. Louis Cottage Garden Abby Lapides

T

he English cottage garden brings a charming intimacy to the home. Many plants that thrive in St. Louis offer the cheerful informality bursting with color that evoke the welcoming flare of the cottage garden. Use some of the plants and tips here to create the St. Louis cottage garden.

Hollyhock ‘Halo Cerise’

Create soft informal features with natural elements and curving edges. Wooden fencing, lattice and arbors make perfect backdrops and support for many of the larger or vining plants such as the large hollyhocks, Alcea, that bloom in bright colors. The new Halo series of hollyhocks are truly perennial versus the old-fashioned biennial and have showy twotoned flowers. A climbing rose is almost a requirement for a cottage garden. ‘New Dawn’ has long canes that will quickly cover a tall arbor. As a showy companion vine, Clematis will happily twine around the thorny stems of climbing roses. The masses of deep violet blooms of ‘Jackmanii’ clematis look beautiful next to the pale pink

to soften the edges. Pinks, Dianthus, add grass-like foliage and pops of color in whites,

Clematis ‘Jackmanii’ of ‘New Dawn’ rose.

When thinking of cottage gardens Missouri native plants don’t necessarily come to mind, but many fit right in! Missouri primroses, Oenothera, large cheery yellow flowers bloom all summer. Plant these in front of the scented mounds of lavender to give excellent color contrast.

The stately Joe Pye weed, Eupatorium, brings showy height to the garden and the airy purple flowers will attract butterflies. Tall garden phlox offer a long bloom of bright pink.

Make natural-looking paths with stone or mulch, adding groundcovers and small plants

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Dianthus ‘Pinball Wizard’ pinks and reds. ‘Pinball Wizard’ has long-blooming ruffled carnation-like flowers that look like they were tie-dyed pink and white. Creeping Jenny’s golden foliage will quickly cover any exposed surface, but won’t overtake anything that’s taller than about an inch.

This flat groundcover creates an excellent weed smothering mat and spills beautifully over walls.

Beebalm, tickseed and do excellently in our and add more summer to the garden. ‘Blue

The Gateway Gardener™ MARCH 2018

yarrow climate blooms Moon’

beebalm, Monarda, has bright lavender flowers that bloom early summer and are muchloved by hummingbirds and bees. ‘Blue Moon’ also has interesting foliage that casts a blue hue. The deep orange flowers with yellow-fringed edges of ‘Daybreak’ tickseed, Coreopsis, bloom all summer into fall. This short variety looks great towards the front of

Butterfly Bush Pugster Blue® fitting perfectly into just about any sunny garden. Hydrangeas give large pops of color for those shadier spots. Invincibelle Wee White® smooth hydrangea’s petite size and giant blooms create an over-the-top show

Hydrangea Wee White® all summer. Shrub roses like the new highly scented ‘At Last’ freely give peach-colored flowers for a long period of Yarrow ‘Sunny time. A traditional aesthetic to Seduction’ a cottage garden are planted hedges. Use any of the abovethe garden. Yarrow, Achillea, mentioned shrubs to create a now comes in a rainbow of colorful wall or use boxwoods colors, but I’m still partial to for an evergreen clean look. yellow. ‘Sunny Seduction’ has cheery lemon-yellow flowers Many other flowers may be used that bloom robustly over ferny to create the relaxed colorful look of the cottage garden; foliage. coneflowers, blazing stars and There are plenty of shrubs that anemones are just a few that suit the cottage garden look come to mind. Be sure to plant and require little maintenance. closely with plants you love and Butterfly bushes, Buddleia, have fun with it! bloom in vibrant colors, and the new Pugster® series features Photos by Walter’s Gardens, large flowers on small plants, Inc., except as noted.

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.

MARCH 2018

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Foodscape Your Landscape

by Jennifer Schamber

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Ed. Note: In many people’s minds, hat is it that Custom gardens and gardening can be Foodscaping does? broken down into two distinct At Custom Foodscaping categories: ornamental gardens and our motto is “Have Your Landscape vegetable/herb/fruit gardens, i.e., and Eat it Too”. Our mission is to edible gardens. Matt Lebon is one is to help people and institutions of a new wave of garden designers create food-producing landscapes who doesn’t see the point of such in the everyday places we work, compartmentalization. Matt, who learn and play. We work with clients was farm manager at EarthDance to provide consultation and design Organic Farm School for several services for edible landscapes, years, recently started his own gardens and farms. Further, we landscape design business, Custom offer installation services for Foodscaping, which specializes perennial landscapes as well as in blending plants that produce coaching services to ensure clients edible crops into the ornamental are finding success and enjoyment. garden landscape, or perhaps more How is Custom Foodscaping accurately, creating an edible An edible orchard landscape Matt designed for Principia School in West St. Louis County. different than a traditional landscape that is also ornamental.

Jennifer Schamber recently sat landscape or design company? down with Matt to discuss the concept and his new business.

At Custom Foodscaping we specialize in the use of edible plants for our design and installation. This includes fruit and nut trees, herbs and vegetables. Basically, we want to work with clients who want to create an edible oasis that looks beautiful, provides boat loads of food and encourages those magical moments of connecting with our food source. Additionally, as opposed to maintenance, we seek clients who want to be a part of the growing process. That’s where coaching comes in. As a long-time educator, I want to empower people to be a part of the growing process.

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The Gateway Gardener™ MARCH 2018

people know the fruit is delightful! As for non-natives, I’m a huge fan of herbaceous perennials like sorrel and bronze fennel. Bush cherries, jujube trees, and goumis are easy to grow fruits that are perfect for small spaces. There are even little-known perennial vegetables like sea kale and welch onions that are starting to gain popularity.

What experience has led you to this point?

An overhead view of Matt Lebon’s own Tower Grove home landscape, where edibles create an ornamental landscape.

My journey got started 10 years ago as a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay. During my training I went to an innovative small farm that blew my mind! Ever since, I’ve been working on farms, teaching and deepening my understanding of nature. For the last 5 years I’ve been working at the EarthDance Organic Farm School, helping to manage their farm, garden and edible landscape. My time at EarthDance was a tremendous growth experience for me. I was able to hone my skills growing several acres of vegetables and establishing a fruit tree orchard while incorporating water management strategies and native flower plantings.

what can we learn from foodscaping?

Where do you see Custom Foodscaping as it grows?

I see two main reasons for people to shift our focus to foodscaping. There are so many fabulous plants out there that are easy to care for, beautiful, and provide the wonderful benefit of food, medicine or tea. If we’re going to put time, energy and resources into growing plants, wouldn’t it be wonderful to get a return on that investment? Also, my design focus with foodscaping utilizes mostly perennial plants— think fruit trees, asparagus, mint and blackberries. I love perennials because once you plant them, they give you yields for years to come! I find the work of digging up a garden and constantly replanting to be a back-breaking task. Just look around at nature—our wild areas are almost entirely perennial. Let’s design the landscapes around us to mimic nature as much as possible!

Matt Lebon

The long-term goal of Custom Foodscaping is to work with institutions to bring food-producing landscapes to public spaces. We work with schools to move beyond square gardening boxes and create edible schoolyards. We work with restaurants to create one-of-a-kind chef’s gardens. We see universities with productive farms that supply their cafeteria and food forests that dot the campus. We see places like public parks and skilled nursing facilities with orchards that rain down fruit for the residents. We want to help people reimagine where we’re growing food.

What are some of your favorite plants to grow?

I’m so glad you asked! Planting and growing unique plants is a huge perk of working with Custom Foodscaping. Since we specialize in plants that thrive using organic methods, we utilize a lot of uncommon plants. When suitable, I like to start with natives. I am super excited about hybrid persimmons right now—bigger fruit and smaller trees than the native persimmon. Serviceberries are rock stars for me. They are commonly used in landscapes but few Jennifer Schamber is the General Manager of Greenscape Gardens, and plays leaderships roles in the Western Nursery & Landscape Association, GrowNative! and the Landscape & Nursery Association of Greater 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.

MARCH 2018

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7

Naturally Natives Annuals Add Color to the Native Garden text and photos by Scott Woodbury

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nnual plants sprout from a seed, grow and die in the same growing season. Red-whisker clammyweed (Polanisia dodecandra) is a native annual that blooms for two to three months in late summer. It has rose pink to white flower petals and red stamens that are longer than the petals and look like red whiskers. The flowers are hummingbird moth and skipper magnets. Plants grow 18 to 24 inches tall and fit in tiny gardens. It is also one of those species of native plants that grows in the most inhospitable of habitats, gravel bars, and so grow well in most gardens. If you haven’t walked down to the gravel bar at Shaw Nature Reserve (or any gravel/sand bar along a river) you are missing out on one of life’s small but wonderful experiences.

This is where shining bluestar, switchgrass and sandbar willow also grow and where fog settles in the early morning during spring and fall. It’s a magical place that deserves more attention.

Red-whisker clammyweed, Polanisia dodecandra

Palafox (Palafoxia callosa) looks like pink baby’s breath.

Snow-on-the mountain (Euphorbia marginata) has stunning

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Showy • Drought-tolerant • Long-blooming • Annual • Replant Yearly HEIGHT

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NATIVE PLANT NAME Black-eyed Susan* Rudbeckia hirta Blue-eyed Mary Collinsia verna Blue waxweed Cuphaea viscosissima Cardinal flower* Lobelia cardinalis Miami mist Phacelia purshii Palafox Palafoxia callosa

7

Red-whisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra

16-20 in.

1 2 3 4 5

8 9 10

Rose verbena*

Glandularia canadensis

Snow-on-the mountain Euphorbia marginata Western wallflower

Erysimum capitatum

2-3 ft.

6-8 in.

12-18 in.

2-3 ft.

12-18 in.

18-24 in.

6-8 in.

2-4 ft.

18-24 in.

UNIQUE QUALITY Goldfinches eat seeds.

Moderate reseed.

Requires bare soil. Rake up leaves in Nov. Sticky purplish leaves. Heavy reseed.

Bright red flowers attract hummingbirds.

Lacey white flowers. Winter annual. Mod. reseed.

Mounded late summer-fall bloom. Mod. reseed.

Attracts hummingbird moths.

Light reseed.

Great at edges and in containers. Light reseed.

Green & white flowers summer. Heavy reseed.

Spring blooming. Attracts early swallowtails. Light reseed.

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

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

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The Gateway Gardener™ MARCH 2018

Tips and Resources for Growing and Landscaping with Sustainable Native Plants years) in most landscapes but sometimes grows and dies in the same season like an annual. We will be planting many of them this spring to add more color for visitors and nectar for pollinators. In nature they are typically yellow but occasionally red and yellow.

Shaw Nature Reserve will be giving away seedlings of both varieties at the Spring Wildflower Market on May 12, 2018 in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Whitmire Wildflower Garden.

In early spring, swallowtail butterflies emerge from winter continued on next page

Palafox, Palafoxia callosa

white and green floral bracts.

Blue waxweed (Cuphaea viscosissima) has tiny magenta flowers and purple fall color.

Each of these late summer to fall blooming annuals tolerates dry or rocky soils though they also grow well in most sunny gardens. They look great in flower with fruiting beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), aromatic aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolius), native grasses and long-blooming star coreopsis (Coreopsis pubescens).

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.

I think of some perennials as Cardinal flower, Lobelia performing more like annuals for cardinalis, a short-lived various reasons. Rose verbena perennial (Glandularia canadensis) is Looking for perennial when growing in the wild Something Unique for but is gone in a few years in most your Garden?? gardens. Same is true of cardinal Come Stroll Thru Our flower (Lobelia cardinalis) so we Gardens and Discover replant them every few years like the Pleasure of Plants! we do with annuals. Blazing stars (Liatris spp.) are by no stretch of Natives, Not-so-common Trees, Shrubs & Perennials the imagination annual, but we replant them every year or two because they get eaten by voles constantly. Black-eyed Susan 1674 N. Bluff Rd Collinsville, IL 62234 (Rudbeckia hirta) is a short-lived (618)344-8841 perennial or biennial (lives two MARCH 2018

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Western wallflower, Erysimum capitatum continued from previous page

hibernation looking for nectar sources like western wallflower (Erysimum capitatum), an annual that grows wild on rocky glades.

In gardens it prefers average to dry soils but is easy to grow. Like all of the annuals mentioned above, this one will spread slightly in the garden from seed.

There is a trick to having success with annuals. It’s easy to purchase and replace new plants every year but trickier to keep them going

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season after season. If you mulch in February and March, you may smother seedlings that try to come up in April, especially if you mulch too deeply (half inch or more) and thoroughly. But if you wait until April to mulch, you may get a crop of unwanted weeds.

I’ve found that it’s better to spread mulch 2 inches deep where you don’t want annuals, but thinner or not at all in areas where you do want them. Ground leaf mulch is best because it is loose and porous. Targeted mulch-spreading in February and March gives you some control, however seedlings have a way of coming up where they want whatever you do. This gives the garden a more naturalistic look. Another way to encourage germination is to sow seeds on loosened bare soil in fall and mark with a tag, keeping mulch and leaves off of these areas.

In April seedlings will emerge and you can either leave them be, thin them if too dense or transplant to other parts of the garden.

Blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia verna) is a shade-loving winter annual that breaks the rules of horticulture. It germinates in November, grows all winter and then blooms in spring.

Like other annuals they suffer with more than a half inch of mulch.

They prefer bare ground. In the wild they rely on flood waters to carry leaf litter away in fall or winter. Without it, seedlings can’t push through the layer of leaves. In gardens, rake leaves away immediately when they fall in November where you want a patch. Seedlings will germinate and thrive, even when it freezes.

Winter seedlings are tiny and green with purple speckles. Blueeyed Mary blooms in April with another woodland annual called Miami mist (Phacelia purshii), and perennials Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica), celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum) and wild geranium (Geranium maculatum).

If you are wanting more color in your garden to enjoy and more nectar for wildlife, native annuals are the way to go, especially if you are gardening in containers.

Keeping them going from year to year is not rocket science and can add enjoyment to your MARCH 2018

spring routine. You will have difficulty finding native annuals in garden centers but fortunately we will be selling them at the Shaw Wildflower Market in May. Until we see you then, happy gardening!

Be sure to attend the Shaw Nature Reserve Wildflower Market, May 12th, to receive free native plants and purchase many more from from our area’s finest native plant vendors.

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This Spring, Leave the Tiller in the Shed!

By Robert Weaver

A

death in the 18th Century. That plough came to America with the colonial settlers, and the practice of tilling crop soils has persisted in gardens and many agricultural fields across the country to this day.

s gardeners, we’re advised each spring not to rush into the garden before the soil has dried sufficiently to avoid compaction. If we heed this advice, March is often the month that the first opportunity avails itself to get our fingers dirty. For many gardeners, especially vegetable gardeners, that means gassing up the rototiller and turning the veggie garden into straight, fluffy rows of soil ready for seeding. While those beautiful mounds may look good, you may be doing more harm than good.

All that tilling, however, has a negative effect on the soil structure. First, a quick refresher on soils. There are two basic characteristics of soil: texture and structure. Soil texture is determined by the various percentages of sand, silt and clay found in its makeup. Soil structure is the way those particles of minerals form with the addition of organic matter to form aggregates, or larger clusters of soil. These aggregates are formed in part by gummy glues created when soil microorganisms break down plant residue.

Tilling the soil is a time-honored gardening practice that our founding farmers brought with them from Europe, where it had long been observed that soil became less productive after years of cropping, but could be renewed by turning the spent soil and mixing it with the nutrient-rich undisturbed layers beneath. The practice was refined with the invention of the mouldboard plough, This soil aggregation is important for a number of reasons. First, which in fact was credited with saving Europe from famine and it keeps soil from blowing away in the wind and easily washing

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Delightful, old-fashioned favorites, Hollyhocks charm us with their tall, stately flower spikes of bright, crepe-paper like blossoms. The ultimate cottage garden plant, they bring to our minds the memories and romance of times past. But wait–the new outstanding hybrids are quite different than the ones Granny grew. These new delights bloom heavier and longer, are richly colored and marked with intense highlights. And unlike their ancestors which are biannual (only live 2 years), they are true perennials, returning year after year.

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away with rainfall. Second, soil aggregates create more porosity in the soil, making it easier for moisture to percolate into the soil, plant roots to penetrate the soil, and oxygen to find its way through the soil.

Disruption of the soil aggregates through, say, repeated tillage, destroys this beneficial soil structure. In addition to inhibiting moisture, oxygen and root penetration described above, it also disrupts the habitat of those microorganisms required to regenerate the aggregates. Furthermore, it inhibits growth of beneficial fungi, such as mycorrhizal fungi, that many plants rely on to efficiently take in nutrients through their roots.

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If your soil has suffered from repeated disturbance over the years, there are some practices you can follow to help restore its fertility and structure. Green manures and cover crops can help return fertility to the soils, as can the addition of organic composts. Crop rotation also helps improve soil structure by introducing a variety of root systems and their unique characteristics to the soil. Finally, refrain from using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to help restore populations of beneficial soil life.

I’ve seen a few impressive demonstrations of the affects of tillage and other soil mismanagement practices on soil structure and its ability to accept rainwater. There are a number of videos on YouTube that show similar demonstrations. A very short (1 minute) one can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rpl09XP_f-w So this spring, give the rototiller a rest and give your soil a break!

Test Your Soil’s Health If you’re curious about the health of your soil, you can actually have it tested! While most gardeners are familiar with standard soil tests that determine available nutrients and pH of their soil, the Soil Health Assessment Center (SHAC), part of the University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (CAFNR), takes a deeper look at the overall health of soils sent to their lab. SHAC samples are analyzed for physical, chemical, and biological characteristics.

Scientists at SHAC measure key indicators of soil health, such as: ● aggregate stability and bulk density which provides insight into erosion vulnerability, the soil’s impact on root development, and how well it can hold water; ● how much nitrogen will be released throughout the growing season, as organic matter is broken down; ● and amount of active carbon, an indicator of microbial life in the soil and their ability to release nutrients for plant uptake.

This last test, called the phospholipid fatty acid analysis, is rare nationally but very popular as more and more people realize the importance soil-dwelling organisms for plant health and crop production.

The SHAC, located 5 miles south of Columbia, offers a Basic Soil Health Test for $36, an Expanded Test for $80, and the phospholipid fatty acid analysis as an add-on to either test for $50. For complete information about their services, visit https://cafnr.missouri.edu/soil-health/.

MARCH 2018

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Make Spring Happen in Your Window Box!

by Steffie Littlefield

N

o matter what the weather brings, we can get a little spring fix with our own windowbox and porch pot displays.

Spring annuals are charming, frivolous, fragrant and colorful, and really worth it. The design of a good window box planting is critical to its success and longevity, but is not hard, it just takes planning. Plants that grow to the proper portions, require similar conditions of sun and moisture, adequate numbers of plants to start with, the best planting soil, a water source and slow-release fertilizers must all be taken into consideration. Like any good recipe, don’t skimp on the ingredients or your soufflé may fall flat.

A few notes about the structure of your window box. Make sure it can withstand being wet for extended lengths of time, does not rot or rust too easily and is secure enough to the windowsill or wall to hold quite a bit of weight from wet soil and growing plants. Now please use fresh potting soil each year and include a slow-release fertilizer that will continue to feed your plants when you are on vacation in the summer. Also arrange

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for adequate water supply from a drip irrigation system or from a scheduled routine including you—and your neighbor while you are out of town.

Please water your box as soon as you finish planting and every day while it is getting established!

My favorite part is the plants and their arrangement. I love the old-fashioned spring annuals that shout “Spring is Here”. These include snapdragons, alyssum, dianthus, linaria, lobelia, stock, nemesia, ranunculus and the queen of spring, pansies. The list can go for pages since I seem to love all flowering plants, but the point here is to find a combination of florific plants that have colors that blend and contrast well and are bright enough to stand out from a distance or even from 8-10’ below. I like to start with a neat row of upright flowering plants like snapdragons or stock in a scrumptious color and then pair that with some trailing plants with flowers or colorful foliage to highlight the taller plants color. Here is where you use the new trailing alyssum ‘Snow Princess’ or trailing pansies, lobelia, nemesia, or even add variegated ivy or golden creeping jenny. Good design dictates that you start with an odd number and fill in the spaces with an even number, but if you have a large planter or are running window boxes in a continuous row then just space your upright plants about 6-8 inches apart and fill in your box properly. Then select a bushier type plant to fill in around the other plants. Some of my favorites include elegant ranunculus, darling linaria, and sweet dianthus. For even added drama include some cut pussy willow or forsythia branches in the back or middle of the box.

The height that is gained with these really sets your design off from a distance. Now you have to get brave and pack in the plants, because for a window box to really be memorable it must be filled to overflowing, to the point of being lavishly opulent. Yes, stuff those plants in if you want your neighbors to be jealous and the mail carrier to take a second look.

As your plants grow large and lush it is expected that you will trim them and shape them to encourage strong new growth as the season wears on. Deadheading flowers and trimming leggy vines just improves their vigor and stimulates new shoots to revive tired looking plants, keep the clippers handy. When the weather turns really warm thin out the waning flowers and slip in some heat tolerant zinnias, begonias, petunias and vinca to refresh your display.

Steffie Littlefield is a St Louis area horticulturist and garden designer. She has degrees from St. Louis Community College at Meramec and Southeast Missouri State and is a member of Gateway Professional Horticultural Association, Missouri Botanical Garden Members Board and past president of the Horticulture Co-op of Metropolitan St. Louis. She is part-owner of Edg-Clif Winery, Potosi, MO. www.EdgClif.com.

The Gateway Gardener™ MARCH 2018

Plants don’t get to choose, but you do.

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If you grow your own, grow with Osmocote®. © 2018, The Scotts Company, LLC. All rights reserved

MARCH 2018

The Gateway Gardener™

15

The Cornucopia Corner

Grow Delicious Greens Photo and text By Crystal Stevens

V

egetable gardening can seem intimidating and overwhelming to beginning growers, but with the right tools, a little time, patience, and experience, gardening can become second nature. How miraculous is it to think that a few seeds can produce such bounty throughout the season?

ways: in pots or other containers, planted directly into a prepared patch of soil, or planted in raised beds.

Most varieties can be planted together in heavily seeded rows where they can then be harvested as a young tender salad mix. With more spacing between seeds, greens can also be planted to reach their full potentials such as a head of lettuce, a rainbow chard plant, or a kale plant.

Now is the perfect time to plant easy-to-grow greens such as salad mix, spinach, For a greens mix, try blending collards, head lettuce, kale, chard, and mustard greens. a variety of colors of lettuce, spinach, kale, and mustard These greens enjoy cool temperatures, well-drained soil, greens. For beginning gardeners, this mix of seeds can and full to partial sun and can be grown in many different simply be scattered into a container of semi-wet soil (2.5 5-gallon containers work fine, but for greens, the wider the surface area the better) A layer of soil can then be scattered on the top of the seeds. The same technique can be applied to raised beds, though most gardeners prefer uniform rows in their garden beds.

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Try Sheet Mulching

If you are planning on planting directly into the ground this growing season, try sheet mulching! Sheet mulching builds healthy soils, reduces weed pressure, and retains moisture.

Typically, sheet mulching is done in the fall so the garden bed is ready to go in the spring, but if you are crunched for time, it can be done in late winter or early spring.

1) Choose an area of your yard that gets 6-8 hours of sunlight.

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.

The Gateway Gardener™ MARCH 2018

Tips for Growing, Buying and Cooking Fresh, Locally Sourced Food for Your Table 2) Mark out the edges of your future garden bed with stakes or sticks.

2018 Herb of the Year Hops Humulus lupulus

3) Add a layer of cardboard or burlap sacks on top of the grass of your defined garden area.

4) Add layers of fallen leaves, grass clippings, straw, black and white newspapers, and compost.

5) Top your garden bed with a layer of topsoil mixed with finished compost. There are places around the city to get soil for free, but it can also be bought in bags at your local garden center. Organic is best.

6) Place cardboard or burlap sacks around the perimeter of your garden bed to suppress weeds and keep grass from growing into your new garden bed.

7) Water the garden bed.

8) Allow your garden bed to sit for a week.

9) Plant your garden bed with seasonally appropriate seeds.

I like to plant seeds or transplants continuously so that the garden bed is always full of plants.

10) Weed and water your garden regularly.

11) Harvest and enjoy the bounty.

Jt’s Fresh Ideas

Spaghetti with Lemon, aruguLa, and proSciutto

moons and remove seeds, then set aside.

Ingredients

12 oz. spaghetti Juice and zest of 1 lemon, plus ½ for garnish 1 tbsp. unsalted butter ½ c. freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 3 oz. prosciutto 4 cups arugula kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook spaghetti until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes.

Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water, and return to pot.

Place lemon zest and juice in a small bowl.

Thinly slice remaining ½ lemon into half

ach year the International Herb Association names its Herb of the Year, and this year, it is hops. Unless you are making your own beer, you’re not likely to be growing hops. Hops is a vigorous tallgrowing vine 20 feet or so and normally supported by a vertical trellis system for commercial use. The vines are male or female—you must have both for fertilization of female blooms for production of pollen, which gives hops a bitter character so necessary for beer’s flavor. Hops have been in use since the 9th Century for flavoring beers in Europe. Hops were introduced into the U.S. in the 17th Century by early colonists into the east coast areas around Virginia and New York.

FPO Joyce D.

Some growth of hops was done in our upper Midwest; today 75% of hops for commercial use is from the Yakima Valley in Washington state. The vines are perennial, require moderately rich soil full to partial sun and moderate moisture. The interesting yellow-green blooms appear in late summer and are harvested at that time. Stems are cut back to the ground after harvest.

For the homeowner, growth of hops vines, which can make beautiful coverage for screening on a fence or porch, a word of caution: roots are extremely vigorous and invasive, with a spread and depth of up to 15 feet!

Once introduced, they are difficult to eradicate.

Hops have an extensive history of medicinal uses, from tranquilizing effects, as a sleep aid and for antibacterial properties. The pretty hops blooms can also be harvested and dried for sleep pillows. Just remember the invasive property of those roots!

Recipe and photo courtesy of: http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a43062/best-spaghetti-lemon-recipe/

Please share some of your favorite recipes with us.

Directions

MARCH 2018

Add lemon juice and zest, butter, Parmesan, and ½ cup pasta water to pot, then stir gently to combine, adding additional pasta water until creamy. Add red pepper flakes, prosciutto, arugula, and lemon slices and toss until arugula just begins to wilt. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with Parmesan, and serve.

E

By Joyce Driemeyer

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

A light & bright pasta dish!

Enjoy...

The Gateway Gardener™

Jt

After 30 years as a landscape designer, Joyce is now retired. She has been a MBG volunteer since 1969 and a Master Gardener since 1985. She is also a past board member of the Herb Society of America, and is a current board member of the St. Louis Herb Society.

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Planning Your Rose Garden

by Diane Brueckman

T

here are two things you can do to get ready to start a rose garden or add to an existing garden. The first is to research the roses you want to put in your garden. Planting roses that are suited to the Midwest is good start to having a successful rose garden.

The American Rose Society (ARS) has a program called “Roses in Review”. This is a great program for first-time rose growers and experienced rose growers alike. Each year all rose growers are invited to evaluate recent rose introductions beginning with their second year in commerce. The roses are evaluated for three consecutive years.

Most of the evaluations are done by members of roses societies across the country.

ARS members receive a summary of the study in January in the form of a handbook. The “Handbook for Selecting Roses” has 3000-plus roses evaluated for garden worthiness along with other information of interest to potential growers. The local rose societies usually have a program at the first meeting in the year to talk about the roses that received high ratings. This little book is packed with information on rose classifications, colors and award-winning roses. The only down side to the handbook is not knowing what areas of the country contributed the highest ratings. Still, it is a good place to start when looking for new roses. Talk with other rose growers to get an idea how the roses you like do in your area.

2018 FREE Gardening Seminar Series You are cordially invited to attend our FREE gardening seminars, starting Thursday Feb. 22nd running through March 29th, 2018. 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

The second thing to do is prepare your beds for your new roses. Walk around your property and observe the sun exposure where you want your roses to go. It is vital that your roses get a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight a day. Less than 6 hours will diminish the amount of bloom and the overall health of your roses. A common mistake gardeners make is to plant a small tree near the rose bed, in a few years that tree grows and shades out the roses. Tree roots also can pose a problem in the rose bed. One of the worst offenders for tree roots are maple trees as they have many feeder roots and large roots near the surface.

Smaller trees such as red buds are easier to work with.

Another consideration is drainage. If you have areas where water pools when it rains, those areas will not make good rose beds. Raised beds are a good solution for a drainage problem. A mixture of 1/3 topsoil, 1/3 sand and 1/3 compost makes a good medium for a new bed. Compost must be well rotted and cool (finished decomposing) before you use it. The raised bed should be a good 8 inches above the soil level. Adding an irrigation system is best done when you build the bed. That way you will not be disturbing existing roots as you would after the roses are established. Soaker hoses are not the best choice for rose beds because it is very hard to know how much water is getting to the roses and the water is not evenly distributed. Low sprinkler heads are easier to monitor. If setting up timers, water deeply once a week rather than several short water sessions several times a week. When you are ready to prepare a new bed, start with a soil test, at least test for pH (6.3 – 6.8 is ideal). The Illinois Extension will direct you to a lab, most Missouri Extension offices accept soil samples for testing, or call the Missouri Botanical Garden for information on soil testing.

Spring is coming fast but do not uncover before April 15th. Now is a good time to prune climbers and shrubs. Don’t forget to prune those ‘Knock Out’ roses. Plan a day this spring to check out some of our local gardens cared for by Rose Societies. St. Louis and Belleville both have public gardens sponsored and maintained by area rose societies (See side-bar).

These are great programs by professional industry experts, come as often as you like!

Feb. 22nd

Perennials, These are a Few of My Favorite Things Barry Ritter, Ritter Horticultural Services

Mar. 1st

Plants and Trees If You Please

Mar. 8th

The Important and Benefits of Incorporating Native Plants Into Your Landscape

Mar. 15th

Pretty Poinsettias and their Use with Other Blooming Beauties

Mar. 22nd

From the Garden to the Kitchen, Let’s Stir Things Up

Mar. 29th

Folklore Behind Plants and their Names

Bruce Buehrig, Produced and Edited by Chick Buehrig, Master Gardener

Bring Your Questions!

Monica Barker, Native Landscape Solutions

Adam Heimos, grower, N.G. Heimos Greenhouse

Andy Chidester, FoxFarm Organic Products

ALL GARDENERS, ROOKIES AND VETERANS, PLEASE REPORT IN TO PREPARE FOR THE SEASON.

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The Gateway Gardener™ MARCH 2018

Public Rose Gardens Thrive with Help from Rose Societies

here are several beautiful rose gardens in the gateway region cared for by local rose societies. The St. Louis Rose Society has undertaken care of the Campbell House garden at Locust and 15th St. in downtown St. Louis. This is a garden that had been maintained by volunteers Leo Krobath and his wife Katie until he passed away. The garden had fallen on hard times due to lack of staff able to maintain it. The St. Louis Rose Society took over last year and now the garden is again worthy of a great house. The garden has many Hybrid Teas and Floribunda roses that do well in St. Louis. The Campbell House is a jewel in Downtown and worth a trip.

T

The West End Garden at W. Main & 11th Street in Belleville displays

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.

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Laura Spelbring

Diane Brueckman

The Campbell House garden, cared for by the St. Louis Rose Society.

an example of beautiful raised beds. This garden was put in and is maintained by the Belleville Area Rose Society. The garden has many classes of roses from Hybrid Teas to Rugosa roses, all of which are good roses for St. Louis. Most of the roses are very disease resistant while giving a beautiful display of color and fragrance. Some of the newest roses are being planted this spring. “Top Gun”, a new Weeks offering (donated by Weeks) that is resistant to Rose Rosette Disease, was planted last year.

Remember resistant does not mean immune. The West End Garden is another resource to The West End Garden, help with rose selection for your maintained by the Belleville Area Rose Society. garden. —DB

Dig This!

Gateway Gardeners and Businesses in the News In Memoriam

John L. Tomasovic, Sr., owner of Tomasovic Greenhouses & Nursery, Inc., and a true legend in the green industry, died January 11, 2018.

Tomasovic Greenhouses was the oldest business in Des Peres, MO, a city known as the City of Flowers as it was once one of the largest centers for cut flower production in the region. John’s father, John, and uncle George had purchased greenhouses in 1931, and John Sr. and his wife Pep, took over the business in 1969.

The family had a reputation of growing prize-winning flowers. Two of the greenhouses were once a part of the St. Louis World’s Fair horticulture exhibition, and are still in use as plant production facilities.

John was an active leader in both local and national community and industry functions. He sat on the Society of American Florists’ board of directors from 1984 to 1987, was the chairman of the group’s Growers Council, and a member of its awards committee and Hall of Fame board of trustees. In addition, he served on the American Academy of Floriculture’s board of trustees and was a past president of the Missouri State Florist Association, Allied Florist of Greater St. Louis, Bedding Plant Foundation, and St. Louis Flower Growers Association. Through The American Floral Endowment, he established the John L. Tomasovic, Sr. Scholarship, which is presented to sophomore, junior or senior undergraduate students pursuing a career in the floral industry. To date, about $20,000 has been distributed through the scholarship to dozens of students.

Locally, John served as president of the Des Peres Optimist Club and was a former alderman with the city of Des Peres, also serving on a number of civic committees throughout his adult life.

John is survived by his wife, Priscilla (Pep) Tomasovic, children John L Tomasovic, Jr. (Beth) and Susan Tomasovic McClellan, granchildren Elizabeth Gaydos (Paul), Priscilla Calvird (Kevin), John L. Tomasovic, III, Christopher Calvird (Leeann) and three great grandchildren.

20

Plastic Pot Recycling Continues for 2018

Don’t pitch those pots when your plants are in the ground!

The opportunity to recycle pots, trays, cell-packs and hanging baskets continues around St. Louis.

This program, begun by the Missouri Botanical Garden, is now operated

by Central Paper Stock, a locally-owned recycling company with over 60 years of experience.

Recycling pots is easy, thanks to the area Garden Centers that partner in this program.

Find the list of these sustainablyminded centers at w w w. m o b o t . o r g / plasticpotrecycling.

Each of these businesses has a green Pot Recycling trailer on their grounds for convenient pot drop-off. (Note: these trailers are intended for home gardeners only. Commercial landscapers are asked to contact Central Paper Stock directly to accept large quantities of plastic pots.)

Recycle your pots correctly!

• Dump out all soil and plant matter • Remove any metal rings or hangers • Recycle only PLASTIC pots!

No clay, metal, paper, glass or plant-fiber pots, please. And no household plastic items – put them in your home recycling bin!

Thanks for gardening GREENER by recycling your pots!

Information provided by David Robnak, owner of Central Paper Stock. www.paperrecycler.com

The Gateway Gardener™ MARCH 2018

MBG Educator Retires

Glenn Kopp, Horticultural Information Manager at Missouri Botanical Garden, is retiring after 33 years of service. During his tenure at the Garden, Glenn’s educational outreach multiplied exponentially, directly conducting classes for trainee and active Master Gardeners, who then have taken that knowledge and spread it around the community to hundreds and thousands of others. Furthermore, his work developing and maintaining the PlantFinder and Gardening Help websites has extended that reach, literally, worldwide to millions of others seeking answers to their gardening questions.

Glenn’s love of plants and cooking grew on the farm where he was raised in North Dakota. With a degree in horticulture and art from the University of North Dakota, he enlisted in the Peace Corps and served three years in Thailand teaching horticulture at a teachers’ college to students who, in turn, helped farmers in their rural villages.

After the Peace Corps, Glenn worked for 3 years at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden where he oversaw the Adult Education classes and the Education volunteers.

When he became Horticulture Information Manager at the Missouri Botanical Garden, Glenn saw the potential of internet technology in providing horticulture information to a wider audience, and set about developing and improving the PlantFinder and Gardening Help websites, a task he is quick to note has been accomplished only with the help of many volunteers and other knowledgeable experts at the Garden and elsewhere. Today, those sites not only help Master Gardener volunteers at the Horticulture Answer Service (phone-in) and the Kemper Center Plant Dr. Desk and receptionist desk (walkup) services answer patrons’ questions, but have also helped answer gardening and plant questions worldwide, with up to 15 million page views in 2017.

Glenn will be missed by the many volunteers at the garden and the countless patrons they in turn helped find answers to their gardening questions. And by this publication as well, for which he frequently and graciously provided many photos to help illustrate articles over the years.

Information provided by Ann Robison, Master Gardener MARCH 2018

The Gateway Gardener™

21

Upcoming Events 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 viewing. Orthwein Floral Display Hall at Missouri Botanical Garden.

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 Email: info@gatewaygardener. com

FUN FOR KIDS March 3rd 9am—Children’s Garden ClubPollinators and Plants. FREE, no reservations required, everyone welcome.

Sherwood’s Forest Nursery & Garden Center, 2651 Barrett Station Rd., (314) 966-0028.

10-11am—First Saturday Kids.

Bring the kids to plant a seedstarting kit for Easter. $10. Please call to RSVP. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www. hillermann.com.

March 8th-11th Children’s Garden Club at the Home and Garden Show. Visit Booth #331 for children’s gardening activities. Builder’s Home & Garden Show, America’s Center, St. Louis.

April 7th 9am-Children’s Garden Club-Fun in the Garden. For the Garden by Haefner’s, 6703 Telegraph Rd.

CLASSES, LECTURES AND EVENTS

Now through March 25th 9am-5pm—Annual Orchid Show: Where Wild Things Grow.

Features 500 blooming orchids from one of the world’s premier orchid

22

March 1st 2pm and 7pm—Plants and Trees If You Please. Bruce Buehrig, guest speaker at Sappington Garden Shop, 11530 Gravois Rd. (314) 843-4700.

FREE. March 3rd 9:30-10:30am and 11am-noon— Let’s Make a Terrarium. We provide all the supplies along with an experienced terrarium tutor to guide you through the process. $45.

Bring your own glass container and save $10 on class fee. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. Call (314) 965-3070 for reservations.

1-2pm—Gardening 101. Learn how to make a beautiful and functioning vegetable garden.

University of Illinois Extension at Willoughby Farm, 631 Willoughby Lane, Collinsville. Register at (618) 346-7529.

2018 Weekend Gardener. Attend session on a variety of topics including strawbale gardening, vegetable gardening, gardening with natives, flowering shrubs, and much more. Informative program for beginning gardeners and more advanced gardeners. Registration information is available at 618-9393434.

March 3rd-18th Honeysuckle Sweep Week—Area conservation organizations join together to spotlight invasive bush honeysuckle and the need to remove it so that large swaths of land can become productive areas for native habitat, recreation and enjoyment.

To that end, organizations will host public events and volunteer removal days. Visit https://tinyurl.com/ z2deqb3 for information.

March 6th 7-8pm –Preparing Your Spring Garden. Get information about planning your spring vegetable

garden and learn techniques that will help you have a bountiful season.

Daniel Boone Branch Library (SLCL), 300 Clarkson Rd., Ellisville MO 63011.

March 7th Gateway Green Industry Conference. Attend sessions on a variety of topics including native plants, diseases and pests in the landscape, and landscape design.

Informative program for advanced gardeners and people working in the horticultural industry. Call 618344-4230 for more information or register online at http://web. extension.illinois.edu/mms/.

March 8th 2pm and 7pm—The Importance and Benefits of Incorporating Native Plants Into Your Landscape. Monica Barker, Native Plant Solutions, guest speaker at Sappington Garden Shop, 11530 Gravois Rd. (314) 843-4700. FREE. 1-4pm—Native Plant School: Pruning Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines. Bring your questions, comments, photos, drawings, and plant specimens for discussion.

Session includes hands-on tours and demonstrations. Audience participation encouraged. $17 ($14 Garden members). Shaw Nature Reserve in the classroom behind the Joseph H. Bascom house. Register and pay online at ShawNature.org, or call (314) 577-9526.

March 8th-11th Memories of Elvis: A Standard Flower Show. “Memories of Elvis” is the theme for this year’s edition of the annual flower show and competition, held at the Home Builders Show in America’s Center, St. Louis.The deadline for entries is March 8th. Flower Show boot is #129. For complete rules and regulations, GatewayGardener. com/flower-shows/rules.

March 10 9:30-10:30am—Beginning Perennial Gardening. Learn how to design successful perennial gardens that will suit the existing conditions of your own yard. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) th

965-3070 for reservations.

March 13th and 17th 9:30-10:30am—To Prune or Not to Prune. And the Right Way to Do it. 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 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 9653070 for reservations.

March 15th 6-8pm—Project Pollinator Anniversary Celebration.

Celebrate the 2nd anniversary of Project Pollinator, a joint initiative promoting an appreciation of all pollinators through education and creation of pollinator gardens.

Learn why pollinators are important and how you can make a difference. Light refreshments will be served. Adults. Call 314994-3300 with questions. St. Louis County Library Headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd. St. Louis.

2pm and 7pm—Pretty Poinsettias and their Use with Other Blooming Beauties. Adam Heimos, grower, N. G. Heimos Greenhouse, guest speakers at Sappington Garden Shop, 11530 Gravois Rd. (314) 8434700. FREE. March 16th 7:30am-12:30pm—Native by Design: Woody Plants and Pollinators. Learn about the relationships between wood plants, pollinators, and songbirds. Keynote presentations by Guy Sternberg and Jennifer Schamber. Lewis and Clark Community College, 5800 Godfrey Rd., Godfrey, IL. Cost $35 includes breakfast. CEUs available.

Presented by GrowNative! For more information, call 888-843-6739 or email grownative@moprairie.org.

March 17th 8am-noon—Spring Kick-off at Hillermanns: St. Patrick’s Day Theme.

Landscape department will be doing free designs from 8:00am to 12:00pm by appointment only (first come first serve). Yoga class at 10am in greenhouse. Hypertufa Make and

The Gateway Gardener™ MARCH 2018

Take class at 11am. $40 fee for this class. From 10am-2pm, Test-drive mowers check out power tools.

Enter for a chance to win a FS38 Trimmer. Tool Sharpening for $10.

Pictures with EASTER BUNNY from 11am to 1pm. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www.hillermann.com.

10-11am– Demonstration Garden Tour. Visit Gateway Greening’s Demonstration Garden and learn about some of the growing techniques used in St. Louis urban gardening. $5 Suggested donation.

March 19th 6:30-7:30pm – Growing New Vegetable Varieties. Learn about basics of zone planting, plant selection and experimenting with new vegetables in the garden. FREE. Prairie Commons Branch Library, 915 Utz Ln, Hazelwood, MO 63042.

March 19th-20th Environmental Studies GroupTopic Air. Sponsored by the National Garden Clubs. Attendees don’t need to be a garden club member. $70 registration includes lunch. Missouri Botanical Garden.

For more information, contact gloriacm@sbcglobal.net.

March 20th and 24th 9:30-10:30am—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) 965-3070 for reservations.

March 21st 6:30-7:30pm–Pints ‘n’ Plants: Fruit Trees & Community Orchards.

Learn about Gateway Greening’s new Giving Grove program to help community groups plant fruit and nut plantings. Hear about what types of trees, shrubs, vines, and cane fruit we will be working with, how you can work with us, and what educational opportunities we offer. Urban Chestnut Bierhall in The Grove. 4485 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110. $5 Suggested donation.

March 22nd 2pm.and 7pm—From the Garden to the Kitchen, Let’s Stir Things Up. Andy Chidester, co-founder St. Louis Hosta Society, guest speaker at Sappington Garden Shop, 11530

MARCH 2018

March 31st 11am—10 Easy Ideas for Designing a Low-Maintenance Landscape.

March 24th 10-11 AM –Growing Outdoor Rick Effinger, Cathy Rheinhardt Mushrooms. Learn the basics and Ken Schnurr share tips on easy of understanding how to grow care landscaping. Effinger Garden culinary mushrooms outdoors Center, 720 South 11th St., Belleville, on tree logs and woodchips. IL. (618) 234-4600.

Due to limited space, this class is RSVP only. To register, please April 3rd and 5th e-mail matt@gatewaygreening.org. 9:30-10:30am—High Impact for Gateway Greening Carriage House, Small Spaces. Discover landscape 3815 Bell Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108. ideas to maximize the impact for $5 Suggested donation. smaller gardens and yards. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn th March 24 Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) Expansion Celebration. Help 965-3070 for reservations. celebrate Sugar Creek Garden’s new parking lot and nursery expansion April 4th with a day of fun, food and free 1pm—Trial of Bush Honeysuckle. giveaways. Delicious snacks, punch An educational, FREE event, and wine. Spin the Wheel for free taking place with a real judge, real goodies. First 300 people receive a lawyers, real issues in a real historic FREE Phenomenal Lavender. Sugar courthouse for the real purpose of Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn educating St. Louis about the issue Rd., Kirkwood. of invasive bush honeysuckle, and about our responsibilities and March 27th capabilities for dealing with it. The 9 : 3 0 - 1 0 : 3 0 a m — E n c h a n t i n g Old Courthouse in downtown St. Bedfellows, Equisite Perennial Louis. Open to the public. Learn Plant Combinations. Learn the more at www.woodworms.net. perennial combinations that will turn a ho-hum garden into a brilliant April 5th masterpiece, full of color, texture 7pm—Garden Design Using Hosta. and fascinating forms. Sugar Creek Guest Speaker, Bruce Buehrig, Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., co-founder of the St. Louis Hosta Society, will speak about hostas and Kirkwood. FREE. elements of the shade garden. Hosted by the Franklin County Master March 29th 2pm.and 7pm—Folklore Behind Gardeners. Hillermann Nursery & Plants and their Names. Nancee Florist, 2601 E. 5th St., Washington, Kruescheck, Naturescapes Nursery, MO. guest speaker at Sappington Garden Shop, 11530 Gravois Rd. (314) 8434700. FREE. Gravois Rd. (314) 843-4700. FREE.

March 31st 9am-4pm Sat. Partners for Native Landscaping. A workshop for homeowners offering information and resources on how to landscape with native plants for greener communities. Keynote speaker will be Ted Spaid, co-founder of SWT Design. Breakout session topics expected to include Gardening for Wildlife, Rainscaping, and Native Gardening Practices. Native plants for sale, and various organizations on hand to answer questions about native gardening and related topics.

Registration fee is TBD, but will open in January and include lunch.

Save the date until then! Registration will be at www.stlouisaudubon. org/PNL2018. Maryland Heights Community Center Maryland Heights, MO.

The Gateway Gardener™

April 7th 11am – Wake Up Your Garden. Learn tips, techniques and timing to prepare your garden for the growing season. Timberwinds Nursery, 54 Clarkson Road, Ellisville. To reserve a seat, call (636) 227-0095 or register online at timberwindsnursery.com.

Meet us at: Kirkwood Market

150 E Argonne Saturdays, April 7, 14, 21, 28 May 5 , 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Only Pre-paid orders can be picked up Friday at Kirkwood, 4 - 6 p.m.

Missouri Botanical Garden Meet Me Outdoors in St. Louis April 7 & 8, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Carbondale IL. Town Square Pavilion, May 5, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Sierra Club Native Plant Sale Shaw Nature Reserve Shaw Wildflower Market May 12, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Pick up orders at the sales.

Order in advance (by Tues.), or choose from our selection at the sale locations.

Missouri Wildflowers Nursery 573-496-3492, fax: 573-496-3003

www.mowildflowers.net mowldflrs@socket.net 9814 Pleasant Hill Rd. Jefferson City MO 65109

NEED A SPEAKER for your Garden Club or Group?

Master Gardener Speakers Bureau volunteers are available to speak to garden clubs, church, civic and other groups.

Choose from 53 programs, including A Dark Side to Winter Damage, Backyard Composting, Soil Preparation, Daylilies, Orchids, and more.

Explore the complete list of topics at www.stlmg.org. Look for the Speakers Bureau tab in the top margin.

(A $50 fee funds Master Gardener programming in our community.)

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Get inspired this Spring to grow something DELICIOUS

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

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

BELLEVILLE, IL

5841 Mine Haul Road 618.233.2007

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

VALLEY PARK, MO

ST. LOUIS, MO

39 Old Elam Avenue 636.861.3344

560 Terminal Road 314.868.1612

PACIFIC, MO

FLORISSANT, MO

18900 Franklin Road 636.271.3352

13060 County Park Road 314.355.0052

stlcompost.com STLComposting

ENRICHING THE SOIL NATURALLY SINCE 1992