Upcoming Events
Meetings, Classes, Entertainment and More
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 March 2025 issue is February 1st.
How to reach us:
Mail: PO Box 220853, St. Louis, MO 63122
314-968-3740
Email: info@gatewaygardener.com
Fun for Kids
Nov. 2nd
9am—St. Louis County Parks
Children’s Garden Club: Bird Nesting and Feeders. FREE. Planthaven Farms Garden Center, 6703 Telegraph Rd., Oakville. Preregistration is required on the St. Louis County website at https:// tinyurl.com/5n6zx9ex or by calling 314-615-4386.
Dec. 7th
9am—St. Louis County Parks
Children’s Garden Club: Holiday Swag Decorating. FREE. Sherwood Forest & Garden Center, 2651 Barrett Station Rd., Ballwin. Preregistration is required on the St. Louis County website at https:// tinyurl.com/5n6zx9ex or by calling 314-615-4386.
Classes, Lectures and Events
Nov. 2nd
10am-2pm—30th Anniversary Party Music, food, sales & fun! No RSVPs needed. Greenscape Gardens, 2832 Barrett Station Rd., Ballwin, MO 63021.
Nov. 10th
10am-4pm—Old Webster Holiday Open House. Visit small businesses and restaurants, including Rolling Ridge Nursery, where the Webster Groves Historical Society will host its Holiday Market with crafters and vendors. Refreshments, Christmas tree seedlings and fun for the whole family.
Nov. 16th, 17th, 23rd, 24th and 30th 11am—Winter Porch Pot Classes
Join our custom container design team during these classes to create your own porch pots! All that you need to do is to sign up at greenscapegardens.com/events for your preferred day and pay the $50 deposit to hold your place in the class. Hurry as some classes are already sold out. Each person who wants to attend must register themselves! Bring your own plastic drop pot or purchase one at the store. Everything is sold à la carte and once everything is tallied up, your deposit is deducted from the total that you’ll pay. You’re encouraged to bring your own gloves and pruners. Make as many containers as you want! Please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the beginning of the class. Also, be prepared for various weather conditions. This is a rain or shine event! Greenscape Gardens, 2832 Barrett Station Rd., Ballwin, MO 63021.
Nov 15th, 16th & 17th
8am-4pm (Fri.), 9am-3pm Sat., 10am-2pm (Sun)—Hoffmann Hillermann’s Holiday Open House Take in all the grandeur of the Holiday Season among beautifully decorated Christmas Trees and Displays. Different color schemes and themes offer unique designs in each display - sure to keep you enchanted while browsing throughout our garden center. Choose beautiful decorations for your home and great gifts to shorten your Christmas shopping list! Light refreshments will be available. 20% OFF Christmas items - during this event only. Fresh Christmas trees, greens and floral items excluded. Saturday only, Just Hanks Coffee Truck (9am-1:30pm), and from 11am-2pm, enjoy Daddy O’s Cheesesteaks Food Truck, Augusta Wine Company Wine Tasting, and Clydesdale Horses Durks and Tyson from Hoffman Farm. Hoffmann Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www. hillermann.com
Nov. 16th-Jan. 4th
Garden Glow. Celebrate the season with one million lights, fun new experiences, and traditional favorites. Enjoy photo opportunities, traditional holiday music and festivities, and delicious food and drinks as the Garden is transformed around you
into a winter wonderland. Learn more at glow.missouribotanicalgarden. org. Advance tickets encouraged. Missouri Botanical Garden.
Nov. 17th
10am—Porch Pot Workshop
Transform your porch into a winter wonderland. $75. Passiglia’s Landscape, Nursery & Garden Center, 1855 Hwy 109, Wildwood. Call 636-431-4061 or visit passiglia. com.
Nov. 24th
9am-4pm—Poinsettia Wonderland
Open House. See the largest display of poinsettias in the area. Selfguided tours of the greenhouses from 10am-3pm. Enjoy Christmas carolers, holiday cookies and crafters. Proceeds benefit Millstadt Optimist Youth Club. Millstadt Gardens and N.G. Heimos Greenhouses, 6667 Route 158, Millstadt, IL. (618) 4769600.
Nov. 30th
Small Business Saturday. Support your local, independent garden centers and other small businesses. Your money spent locally stays in your community.
Dec. 1st
1pm—Holiday Evergreen Wreath
Class. Create your own festive Holiday Wreath to display on your door through the Holiday Season! You will start with a 24” mixed evergreen wreath and choose decorations from a selection of holiday stems and ribbon to add your own seasonal style. Julie will lead this class and offer tips and advice. $40.00 supply fee. Please call 636239-6729 to sign up and save your spot. Hoffmann Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www. hillermann.com.
Dec. 7th
9am-3pm—--Winter Extravaganza. Enjoy a day filled with festive delights including visits with Santa (1-3pm), vendors, special discounts, hot chocolate bar and fun activities for the entire familyt. Passiglia’s Landscape, Nursery & Garden Center, 1855 Hwy 109, Wildwood. Call 636-431-4061 or visit passiglia. com.
Dec. 7th
10am—Winter Wreath Workshop
Create your own beautiful wreath using fresh evergreens, and add a
fresh touch to your holiday home. Passiglia’s Landscape, Nursery & Garden Center, 1855 Hwy 109, Wildwood. Call 636-431-4061 or visit passiglia.com.
Dec. 7th
10am-noon—See The Mean Green One. The Mean Green One (converted to nice) will be sneaking around at Hoffmann Hillermann’s causing a little mischief! Be on the lookout - he could pop up anywhere and surprise you! Stop by and see if you can spot him and visit for a little while. No photographer. Donations for local charities accepted through the Holiday Season. Hoffmann Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636239-6729, www.hillermann.com.
Dec. 8th
10am-3pm—Customer Appreciation Day. Rolling Ridge will host its annual Customer Appreciation Day, with refreshments, music, unique creations and more. Rolling Ridge Nursery, 60 N. Gore, Webster Groves, MO.
Dec. 8th
10am-2pm--Holiday Open House. Live reindeer, family photos, holiday shopping, fresh trees and more. FREE. at Planthaven’s location at 9504 Olive Blvd. in Olivette only. Call for details (314)-846-0078.
Dec. 14th
10am-Noon—Meet Santa at Hoffmann Hillermann’s. Bring your children to visit and take a picture with Santa in a beautiful holiday display! Families and pets are welcome. This is a great way to create holiday memories. Bring a camera or phone to take pictures (no photographer). Charitable donations are requested for this event. Hoffmann Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www. hillermann.com
Feb. 1st -Mar. 9th
Orchid Show. This annual tradition continues in its new home in the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center’s Emerson Conservatory. In addition to the usual orchids, you can also enjoy the new permanent living collections that surround the orchids in the new Conservatory. Included with Garden Admission. Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis.
GatewayGardener
WFounded in 2005 by
Joyce Bruno & Robert Weaver
Publisher and Editor
Robert Weaver
Columnists
Ronda Anson
Master Gardener
Abby Lapides
Sugar Creek Gardens
Steffie Littlefield
Edg-Clif Winery
Scott Woodbury
Cacalia Design & Wilding
Samantha Zale
Greenscape Gardens
Printing: Breese Publishing, Breese, IL
The Gateway Gardener® is published 7 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
From the Editor
riting this in late October when the ground is bone dry, and temps are still in the upper 70s, is hardly conducive to thoughts of sleighs in the snow and jingle bells. It must have been so for our feature columnists as well, because no one submitted a holidayor winter-themed article that might inspire a festive cover. Thankfully, to the rescue came one of the plants Abby Lapides chose to highlight in her NewYear-themed (so, I suppose there’s that, at least) look ahead to 2025’s new plants we might find at our favorite independent garden centers (see page 4). Scrolling through the photos Abby sent, I stopped at Digitalis ‘Arctic Fox Lemon Cream’. Hmmm. Sure, its display comes in the spring/summer, but the dangling flowers looked to me every bit like a strand of white Christmas Bells! And so, like a towering New England spruce in someone’s front yard gets chosen as the next Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, the foxglove photo got the nod for this winter issue’s cover. As Kris Kringle tells little Natalie Wood in the Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street, “it’s the IMAGInation!”
Okay, now that we’re all in the
Doing our best to bring cheer while fighting the glare on a nearly 80 degree day in October. Grandsons Lucas (l) and Thomas (r) with Charlie at my shoulder.
spirit, we can thumb through the pages to our annual Holiday Gifts for Gardeners guide on page 10. Our garden center friends have provided some helpful suggestions to make your shopping a little bit easier for your favorite gardening relative or friend, or you might leave the magazine lying around opened to that spread in the hopes that your resident St. Nick will catch a hint. Be sure to shop early, as some garden centers close for the winter by mid-December.
Among those suggestions are, of course, plants. Houseplants, for example, are a great way to bring some living, breathing color into the otherwise dreary doldrums of winter. If you or
your certain someone is new to houseplant care, check out Samantha Zales suggestions for 5 easy-care, bulletproof houseplants for beginners (page 8). I have a few of them in my home and can attest to their patience with inattentive caretakers!
Native plants are also found in our gift guide, and as always, Scott Woodruff has great advice in his regular native gardening feature on page 12. This edition explores ways to prepare and plant a new shade garden. Jump right into his “trampoline “gardening tips.
So, another Gateway Gardener year has come and gone. In the spirit of the season of thanksgiving, I want to express my thanks to all the people who help contribute to this magazine; the garden experts who provide informtaive and entertaining tips each issue, all the advertisers who help pay the bills, my wife Mary for her patience, assistance and support, and all the readers who have continued through the years to find interest and education among its pages. See you in March 2025!
Good Gardening!
Toss Your Crystal Ball!
by Abby Lapides
You don’t need ESP to predict what plants you’ll want in the garden next spring. Toss out that crystal ball and read on to see some gems for the future.
A fabulous new color of a modern garden favorite ‘Arctic Fox™ Lemon Cream’ foxglove, Digitalis, brings glorious lemon-yellow blossoms for months. A true perennial foxglove ‘Arctic Fox Lemon Cream’ returns year after year instead of biennially, like most other foxgloves. Exceptionally long blooming, the flower show begins in late spring and continues throughout the summer.
Get ready to be astounded when you lay eyes on ‘Lavender Glowsticks’ prairie blazing star, a superior selection of our native Liatris pycnostachya. Huge, 2’ exceptionally tall flower stalks comprise more than half of the plant’s total height of
HOLIDAY DECORATING
We Have What You Need!
Fresh Greens, Wreaths, Pine Roping, Holy, Live & Cut Christmas Trees, Homegrown Poinsettias, Houseplants, Rosemary, Amaryillis, Grave Blankets & Pillows.
Golden
4’. ‘Lavender Glowsticks’ brings its tall spires of purple flowers in early to midsummer. Blooming over a long period, purple petals appear on the long flower spikes at the top, then work their way down. Beloved by pollinators, ‘Lavender Glowsticks’ is a must-have in the butterfly garden, but it is also prized in the cut flower bed. This durable prairie plant can thrive in tough clay soils, drought, and summer heat.
A beautiful Missouri native perennial, golden Alexanders, Zizia aurea, adorns the landscape with attractive flat-topped clusters of tiny yellow flowers from spring to early summer. Rounded leaves form a tidy mound in the garden, perfect for the middle of the border. It looks lovely when massed in open woodland settings and native gardens but also is attractive in more formal settings. It easily grows in average, well-drained soils in full sun to light shade. An important wildlife food source, Black Swallowtail and Ozark Swallowtail caterpillars feed on its leaves. Due to its many beautiful qualities, it has been
designated as the 2025 Native of the Year.
Create an exotic getaway with ‘Ever Red’ hardy banana, Musa sikkimensis This tough treasure may be grown directly in the ground year-round in the St. Louis area. Its huge, breathtaking, striped green and maroon-red leaves on woody stems bring a fun, tropical look to gardens and patios. It grows about 10-13’ tall. We tend think of hardy bananas as trees, but they are technically herbaceous perennials.
As the name suggests, ‘Incrediball Storm Proof’ smooth hydrangea, Hydrangea arborescens, resolves people’s biggest complaint about the old ‘Annabelle’ variety: it does not flop even after storms. This incredibly stout and sturdy stemmed beauty holds up its blooms through heavy summer downpours. Large white balls cover this mid-
sized shrub in spring and summer. It’s a robust, vigorous, heavy bloomer with a rounder, denser habit than other smooth hydrangeas.
We all love the sweet taste of fresh strawberries from the garden. ‘Ruby Ann’ strawberry, Fragaria, looks as good as its delectable berries taste. This everbearing strawberry produces all summer long, not just once, ‘Ruby Ann’ blooms deep red flowers for months followed by sugar-sweet strawberries until frost. Producing long runners of berries, ‘Ruby Ann’ perfectly fills a hanging basket, but it also stuns in the garden as a ground cover. Cold hardy, this strawberry reliably returns for years in the garden.
Alexanders
Musa ‘Ever-Red’
The Cornucopia Corner
Tips for Growing, Buying and Cooking Fresh, Locally Sourced Food for Your Table
Gardening in the Winter Months
By Steffie Littlefield
Fall and Winter in the garden at Edg-Clif is a time of clean up and preparation for the next year. We do have quite a few vegetables to harvest even after frost melts down the tender annual plants. The spent plants are removed and added to our compost bed. Fresh compost is mounded on the empty beds to nourish them during winter. The asparagus is cut down and mounds of old hay, at least 12” high, are spread on those beds as well as around the blackberry bushes.
As we get closer to Thanksgiving, I’ll harvest the rest of the beets, they will be large and great to slice and use for pickling. My spicy pickled beets are a family favorite for the big dinner on Thanksgiving. The leeks look prime and ready to harvest for a late fall dinner as well, yummy braised with a pork roast. Parsnips also hold well through the early frosts to add to the vegetable medley. The bulblet
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.Edg-Clif.com.
tops of the Egyptian onions have been planted and I will also pull the largest of the Egyptian onion bulbs and add them to soups or even pickle them for our Thanksgiving Feast.
My sister is busy drying herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage, lemon verbena, marjoram, tarragon, oregano and parsley she has been harvesting and holding in the fridge as it is all processed. Chives can be cut fresh and frozen in bags to use all winter. Garlic has been planted and is rooting in to grow into large bulbs in the spring. I just learned that the large garlic bulb can be planted whole and still produce bulbs to harvest next year. All these beds will now get a fresh layer of compost to keep them from desiccating in the drying winter winds.
In the long winter evenings, it’s a treat to dream of next year’s garden and order seeds and plants, and prep the seedstarting area of my kitchen. I have grow lights on two levels near a south window, I’ll order seed starting mix and clean the old trays and 9 packs to get ready. I use clear dome lids to keep the soil moist as the seeds sprout and keep the lights close to the plants to grow stocky plants with a fan nearby to make them strong.
Watering daily for weeks will bring my new garden to life, and as they grow a ½ strength addition of fish emulsion will feed them and get them ready for the garden.
A gardener is a very optimistic and generous person. They are always planning for a successful season next year and for the joy they will bring to others with their plans.
Gardening 101
Text and photos by Samantha Zale
Houseplants can transform a living space, bring a touch of nature indoors and help to improve indoor air quality. For beginners, however, the sheer variety of options can be overwhelming. To help you start your indoor gardening journey, here’s a guide to the top five houseplants that are perfect for beginners due to their low maintenance requirements and adaptability. Starting with two that are pet friendly, however, please do your research before bringing plants indoors especially if you do have curious furbabies! These plants are not only forgiving but also visually appealing,
making them a great choice for anyone new to houseplants.
The Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum) is a fantastic choice for beginners due to its resilience and adaptability, plus it’s a perfect pet safe plant. Known for its arching, striped leaves and adorable “pups,” or babies, that hang from the mother plant, it adds a lively touch to any room. Spider Plants thrive in a variety of lighting conditions, from bright indirect light to lower light areas. They are also forgiving if you forget to water them occasionally; in fact, they prefer to dry out a bit between waterings. Regularly watering once a week should suffice. They’re also known for their airpurifying qualities.
The Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans), also known as Neanthe Bella Palm or Bella Palm for short, is a charming and low-maintenance houseplant that is also safe for pets. Known for its elegant, feather-like fronds, this palm adds a touch of sophistication to any space. It does well in low-to-bright indirect light, making it versatile for various indoor environments. The Parlor Palm also prefers its soil to dry out slightly between waterings, so it’s quite forgiving if you’re not a perfect gardener. Its non-toxic nature means you don’t have to worry about its impact on your pets, and its ability to thrive in lower light conditions makes it an excellent choice for beginners.
Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is another excellent choice for beginners. Its trailing vines and heart-shaped leaves make it
Left, Spider Plant (foreground) and Parlor Palm. Right, Pothos (foreground) and snake plant.
a versatile addition to any space, whether you choose to let it cascade from a hanging basket or drape it over a shelf. Pothos is highly adaptable to different lighting conditions, although it thrives best in bright, indirect light. It is also incredibly forgiving with watering; it can tolerate occasional neglect and can even survive in low-light environments. Just let the soil dry out between waterings to prevent root rot. Additionally, Pothos is also known for its air-purifying abilities, making it both a beautiful and functional plant.
The ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) is a perfect choice for those who want a nearly indestructible plant. With its glossy, dark green leaves and upright growth, it adds a touch of elegance to any room. ZZ Plants are incredibly low-maintenance, thriving in a range of light conditions, from low light to bright, indirect light. They are drought-tolerant and can go for long periods without water, making them ideal for busy or forgetful plant owners. ZZ Plants also have a tolerance for low humidity, making them suitable for indoor environments. These enjoy relatively tight fitting well-draining containers.
The Snake Plant (recently reclassified to Dracaena trifasciata), also known as Sansevieria, is a hardy and striking plant with its
upright, sword-like leaves that come in various shades of green with yellow or white margins (edges). It’s known for its ability to thrive in low-light conditions and its minimal water requirements. Snake Plants prefer to be on the dry side, so it’s best to allow the soil to dry out completely between waterings. They enjoy relatively tight fitting well-draining containers, and are also effective air purifiers. Snake Plants are perfect for beginners because they are tolerant of neglect and can adapt to various indoor conditions.
Even though Pothos, ZZ Plants and Snake Plants are not pet friendly like Spider Plants and Parlor Palms are, every single one of these plants are excellent choices for beginners due to their low maintenance requirements and adaptability. By selecting any of these plants, you can enjoy the benefits of indoor greenery without the worry of complicated care routines. Be sure to talk to the folks at your local garden center for tips & tricks. Happy planting!
Come see the area’s LARGEST display of poinsettias! Our professional growing staff will assist in self-guided tours and will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Crafters • Cookies • Santa • Holiday Entertainment Millstadt Gardens
N.G. Heimos Greenhouses 6667 Route 158 • Millstadt, IL 62260 (Just minutes from the JB Bridge) (618) 476-9600
Hosted by The Heimos Family, N.G. Heimos Greenhouses, Millstadt Gardens, and Micky’s Minis. A percentage of sales to benefit the Millstadt Optimist Youth Club
ZZ Plant
Holiday Gifts for Gardeners
Sugar Creek Gardens
1011 N. Woodlawn
Kirkwood, MO
314-965-3070
SugarCreekGardens.com
Soil Knife
The Soil Knife is the essential garden tool behind a good shovel. Your garden-minded loved one will reach for their Soil Knife to divide, weed, saw through roots, cut twine, plant bulbs and flowers, and more! Once you have a Soil Knife, you can’t go back.
Garden Heights Nursery, Inc
1605 S Big Bend
St. Louis, MO
314-645-7333
GardenHeights.com
Decorative Santa + Snowmen
Embrace the spirit of the season with our charming Decorative Santa and Snowman figures!
Perfect for adding a touch of whimsy to your holiday decor, these delightful characters come in a variety of sizes and styles to suit any home. Each figure is crafted with intricate details, making them
a perfect gift for loved ones or a cheerful addition to your own holiday collection.
OK Hatchery
115 E. Argonne Dr. Kirkwood, MO 63122 (314) 822-0083
Squirrel Buster Bird Feeders
Our most popular, truly squirrelproof bird feeders. Also chew proof, and easily disassembled for easy cleaning. Comes in multiple sizes. Feed the birds, not the squirrels!
Hoffmann Hillermann Nursery & Florist
2601 E 5th Street Washington, MO 63090 636-239-6729 | www.hillermann. com
Evergreen Sassafras Switch Mat
Doormats and Inserts
Welcome style to your doorstep with these sturdy mats and beautiful changeable inserts. These durable base mats and vibrant mat inserts make seasonal
decorating throughout the year a breeze! Inserts with unique and colorful designs are available to offer a fresh look in every season. Sassafras mats are constructed of durable rubber for a non-slip grip and extra protection against the elements. Choose from different base mats and seasonal inserts.
Planthaven Farms Garden Center
6703 Telegraph Rd. Oakville, MO (314) 846-0078
9504 Olive Blvd. Olivette, MO 314-716-3997
PlanthavenFarms.com
Hand-Made Terrarium
Terrariums are easy to care for and provide beautiful living enjoyment throughout the year.
Rolling Ridge Nursery
60 N. Gore
Webster Groves, MO (314) 962-3311
Rolling RidgeNursery.com
Preserved juniper bonsai!
Shaped, trained and then preserved at its peak, these bonsai will grace your home without the need for watering or sunlight. Each plant is unique. Several shapes and sizes available.
Effinger Garden Center
720 South 11th St Belleville IL 62220 618-234-4600 www.effingergarden.com
Fresh Greens and More
Fresh greens, wreaths, pine roping, holly and poinsettias. Festive holiday planters. Amaryllis, rosemary and bonsai. Decorated grave blankets and grave sprays. Cut balsam and fraser fir Christmas trees. Live blue spruce, Alberta spruce and white pine trees.
Edg-Clif Farms & Vineyard
10025 Edg-Clif Drive Potosi, Mo 63664 573-438-4741
www.edg-clif.com
Edg-Clif Wine Club Membership
Give the gift of great Missouri wine! The membership qualifies members for up to 5 bottles of award-winning Edg-Clif wine,
plus get 20% off all your EdgClif wine purchases, and receive member benefits for all special events at the farm and vineyard throughout the year.
Forrest Keeling Nursery
88 Forrest Keeling Lane Elsberry, MO 63343
800-356-2401
ForrestKeeling.com
Native Plants and Trees
Give a gift that continues to give with a Forrest Keeling gift certificate! We grow nearly 400 native species at our Elsberry nursery near St. Louis to help you invite songbirds and pollinators to your land. Wildflowers for beauty, specialty crops to feed your family, and colorful trees and shrubs for seasonal interest. Gift certificates may be obtained by visiting https://bit.ly/ ForrestKeelingGiftCards!
Chalily
14430 Manchester Rd. Manchester, MO 63011 (636) 527-2001
Chalily.com
Amaryllis
Amaryllis have been a symbol of beauty during the holiday season for centuries! The warmth from
an amaryllis bloom will light the room during the dreary winter months. Each bloom brings joy and color to your space for weeks on end. Pick up an Amaryllis at Chalily or send one as a gift anywhere in the US at Chalily. com!
Passiglia Landscape, Nursery & Garden Center
1855 MO-109
Wildwood, MO 63038 (636) 458-9202 passiglia@passiglia.com
Garden Inspired Towels - These kitchen tea towels are great for teacher gifts, stocking stuffers, hostess gifts, etc. A great gift that comes in many “garden related sayings” and designs for the Garden Enthusiast in your life!
New Frontiers
101 W. Third St. Alton, IL 62002 618-465-8868 Frontierfurnishings.com
Greenhouse
Every gardener can use a beautiful, practical and functional
Western Red Cedar Greenhouse with maintenance-Free Azek Exterior. Comes in 3 sizes.
Greenscape Gardens
2812 Barrett Station Rd. Ballwin, MO 63021 (314) 828188-2440 GreenscapeGardens.com
Give the Gift of Plants
Come to Greenscape Gardens and choose from our beautiful selection of plants. Then pair it with a gift card for the ultimate present. Whether for plant lovers or those looking to bring some green into their home, it’s a gift that keeps on growing.
Naturally Natives
Trampoline Shade Garden
text and photos by Scott Woodbury
In the backyard of our new house is a mulched bed surrounded by lawn where a trampoline used to be. The former owners maintained this circle like a farmer maintains a cornfield, not a weed in sight. My mind’s eye can see little kids bouncing and laughing the summer away. Looking forward, I see a diverse garden, vibrant with leafy textures and flower colors, equally attractive to bees, butterflies and, well, adults. Foremost in my mind was how lucky we were. How often does a completely bare piece of ground land in your lap, ready to be transformed?
If you’re not so lucky, and are starting with mowed turf-grass, you have options for site preparation. You can rent a sod cutter and remove the grass all at once (in November), just before seeding. I like sod-cutting because it also removes any weedy seed bank (especially clover) along with the grass. The downside of sod-cutting is that it can be tricky under big trees with shallow roots. If this is the case, the alternative is to smother the grass with cardboard and mulch (May through October). This process takes six months to kill the sod. Simply mow or string-trim the area very low, lay down one layer of cardboard, overlapping the edges. Then top with 5 to 6 inches of mulch. I like leaf mulch, because it breaks down quicker than wood mulch. The cardboard/ mulch method encourages biological activity in the soil, which increases porosity, nutrient and organic levels. Solarization with plastic sheets discourages biological activity in the soil. I thought about planting the whole thing with plugs, but the practical part of my brain engaged and told me it wasn’t the best idea. Also, I have nagging back problems. My 225 square foot trampoline woodland would require about 175 plugs give or take, at an installed cost of $7-9 per plant (estimated total cost is $1,225-$1,575, not including site preparation). And so I turned to seeds.
We want a shady backyard, like Margy Terpstra‘s (hummerhavenunltd.com). One can dream! We already have a medium-size tulip tree shading half the yard, but we wanted a couple more trees to jumpstart our future woodland. So we asked Mike Sestric of Trees, Forests & Landscapes, to plant a black gum, Abigail‘s favorite tree, and I planted a shortleaf pine, my favorite tree. Then I spent the summer and fall collecting seed pods, capsules, spikes, awns, heads and fluff of various savanna and woodland plants. I collected late purple aster (Symphyotrichum patens), bluestem goldenrod (Solidago caesia), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), garden phlox (Phlox paniculata), Ohio horse mint (Blephilia ciliata), blue wild indigo (Baptisia australis), bur sedge (Carex grayi), woodland wild rye (Elymus virginicus), woodland knotweed (Polygonum virginicum), eastern blazing star (Liatris scariosa), columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), purple Joe Pye (Eutrochium purpureum), golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea), Bradbury beebalm (Monarda
The author’s blank slate trampoline garden.
Tips and Resources for Growing and Landscaping with Sustainable Native Plants
Gathering and spreading seeds.
bradburiana) and elephants foot (Elophantopus carolinians), about 15 species in all.
I was able to find seed here and there, in friends gardens, along roadsides and in public spaces scattered across town. Everywhere I went, I tucked away a tiny bit of seed in my pockets, like a chipmunk getting ready for winter. A fair bit of the seed ended up washed and dried in the laundry, a seed-cleaning technique I don’t recommend. The rest was hand-cleaned, and run through a couple kitchen sieves to separate the seed from the chaff. Most dry seed was stored in baggies, in the fridge, but a number were squirreled away in drawers, pockets and bowls around the house. It became a bit of a treasure hunt, remembering where all the seed was. Columbine, garden phlox, bur sedge and elephants’ foot were seeded directly on the site, the same day I collected the seed (because my site was already clear of weeds and lawn). The rest was sewn as I write this article, in late October. As long as you
Scott Woodbury was the horticulturist at Shaw Nature Reserve for 30 years and stepped down from that position in June 2022. He continues to work on contract for Shaw Nature Reserve to carry out native landscaping education and has launched his own business called Cacalia: Native Garden Design and Wilding. Find suppliers of native plants, seeds, and services at the Grow Native! Resource Guide: www. moprairie.org.
get seed down by the end of January, it will have enough time to break dormancy. Simply throw the seed on top of weed-free and lawn-free ground. In my case, I threw it on top of a thin layer of bare, old degraded hardwood mulch. If tree leaves have already fallen, rake them aside before you sow the seed. Sow the seed, and then lightly sprinkle the leaves back over the seeded area.
Because my trampoline garden is a tiny 225 square feet, the goal was to collect about one-half ounce of seed in total (Missouri Wildflowers Nursery recommends 1 ounce of seed per 500 ft.²). Working with small amounts of seed can be tricky, so I recommend treating areas that are at least 500 to 1,000 square feet. Any larger, and my recommended site preparation methods become a heavy burden. If you decide to go larger, then I recommend using herbicides to kill off the lawn, and it may require multiple applications, depending on the weeds. For my trampoline garden, I’m measuring a single large pinch of seed for each species (about 1 gram each). When the seed is small, like with Ohio horsemint, the pinch is very small (less than one half gram). If you choose to measure it out, one ounce equals about 28 grams. You will need a very sensitive digital scale to measure these quantities. They are available at kitchen supply stores.
In March just before seedlings begin to sprout, rake the leaves cont’d. on next page
Every
~ LUTHER BURBANK
off of the area and move them to a different part of your property. At this point, the seed has broken dormancy and is ready to sprout. Through the winter months, freeze and thaw has shallowly “planted” the seed into the soil. Most seed needs a few rays of sunlight to trigger germination, and new seedlings can’t push up through leaf litter. That’s why it is so important to remove any tree leaf litter in March before seeds begin to sprout in April. Not all the seed will germinate and some species may not survive. That’s normal. Those that germinate a little too well, can be thinned out later in spring or summer.
Seedlings are easily confused with weeds, so consult the Seedling ID Guide for Native Prairie Plants, a publication of the Missouri Department of Conservation. It is available online and in print. Not all of the plants I included in my woodland are listed, but it references similar-looking seedlings, and will give you a certain level of confidence as you learn basic seedling ID. You might also download Picture This, a phone-based ap that isn’t perfect, but does wonders with plant identification.
Since seedlings will be germinating and getting established during the rainy spring season, there usually isn’t a need to water until the heat of summer begins. However, rain may occasionally be scarce April through June. In that case, sprinkle the seeded area for 60 minutes every 5 days. In July and August, sprinkle the area once a week during dry spells.
If your lawn had a lot of weeds, then your seeding may have them too. If the lawn was in the shade, then weeds likely will be minimal. But if your seeding receives more sunlight, it may be weedy with crabgrass, barnyard grass, clover, dandelions and other unwelcomed strays. If their concentrations are low (one every 24 inches), they are relatively easy to hand pull when they
are small. But if concentrations are thick (one every two inches), mowing high every two weeks is recommended during the first year. The good seedlings will survive under the mower height of 5-6 inches, and weeds will never shade out the good seedlings. I’ve done about thirty large and small-scale seeded prairie and woodland projects, and each one was different. It’s difficult to predict how they will turn out. Usually, the things that cause failure are a lack of site preparation and weed removal (perennial weeds like clover and Johnson Grass) before seeding. The second pitfall is a lack of mowing in the first year after seeding, when the site is weedy (annual weeds like marestail, Queen-Ann’s lace and barnyard grass). Annual weeds shade out the good plants. Lastly is a lack of patience in the first three years. Year one looks weedy. Year two still looks weedy but with a few flowering plants that give hope. Year three is when the weeds begin to fade, and the good plants begin to shine. If you can survive the weedy years, you will have success. If you keep the weeds suppressed, things should turn out well. And if you are lucky enough to have no weeds to begin with, it will be smooth sailing to the finish line.
Happy gardening ya’ll!
For a follow-up article on the progress of the author’s garden, please visit www.gatewaygardener.com.
Six Common Native Plant Seedlings
By year three, the author hopes for a garden like this!
Dig This! Gateway
Gardeners and Businesses in the News
Forrest Keeling Honored by Conservation Group
During a recent event at Forest Keeling Nursery, Ducks Unlimited recognized Wayne Lovelace, the company’s chairman, and Kim LovelaceHainsfurther, the president, along with the entire FKN family, for their outstanding contributions to conservation efforts.
Based in Missouri, Forrest Keeling has partnered with Ducks Unlimited on several large-scale wetland mitigation projects. The Nursery specializes in cultivating a wide variety of native trees, shrubs, perennials, and grasses. Its proprietary RPM-production technology boasts exceptional benefits, including over 95% survivability, twice as fast growth, and earlier flowering and fruiting, all critical benefits on demanding conservation sites.
Established in 1948, FKN has earned a reputation for spearheading innovative environmental initiatives. Its mission revolves around restoring ecosystems, one tree at a time.
Stark Bros. and Seed St. Louis Partner to Boost Food Security
Stark Bro’s has joined forces with non-profit Seed St. Louis to offer over 8,000 EZ Start fruit and nut trees at a quarter of their retail value to support local access to fresh foods.
Stark Bro’s, the world’s oldest nursery, has been
growing trees in Missouri for more than 200 years. The company is concerned about the regions’ access to fresh fruit and nuts, an essential part of a healthy diet. In response, they have offered local non-profit organization Seed St. Louis a selection of over 8,000 potted apple, peach, nectarine, pear, persimmon, pecan, and elderberry trees at their materials cost. These trees, which retail for up to $75, will be offered to the public by Seed St. Louis for just $20 each. Half the sale proceeds will go directly to the non-profit, aiding their mission to support over 250 community and school gardens and orchards in the St. Louis area. Trees can be purchased through a pre-order from the Seed St. Louis’ online store at https://seedstl. square.site/. The pickup day for pre-orders will be on Saturday, November 2, 9:00-11:00 AM. The pre-order pickup will be located at the Seed St. Louis Carriage House at 3815 Bell Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63108. All those who place pre-orders will receive a reminder email that week with all the information.
Pollinator Plates Approved by Missouri
The Missouri State Beekeepers Association has been approved by legislation to move forward
with a pollinator license plate. They began registration for the BEE Friendly License plates late June and by October had nearly met the required 200 registrations to qualify for the first DMV run of the plate.
The Bee Friendly License Plate is a special initiative by the Missouri State Beekeepers Association to raise awareness about the importance of bees and support beekeeping activities across the state. This specialty license plate features a beautiful bee-themed design and is available for purchase by Missouri residents. For requirements, including a minimum contribution to Missouri State Beekeepers Association and state fees, visit mobees.org.
From left to right: Casey Berthold of Ducks Unlimited, Forrest Keeling’s Kim Lovelace-Hainsworth and Wayne Lovelace, and George Dunklin, Jr. of Five Oaks Duck Lodge amd former Ducks Unlimited President.
