By Amy Redfield
At last, it’s time for the Native Plant Sale at Shaw Nature Preserve.
Be sure to check out the Wild Ones booth!
Load up on native goodies this weekend!
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Category Archives: Gardening
Crossroads School rain garden planting
By Ed Schmidt
Saturday, April 6, six Wild Ones members joined parents, faculty and a few students to refurbish a large rain garden planting under the direction of Scott Woodbury at Crossroads College Preparatory School on DeBaliviere in St. Louis.
The rain garden was first installed in 2009, and was one of the first institutional rain gardens to be constructed under the guidance of the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD). Four large downspouts bring water from the roof of a school addition into the garden. An overflow takes water into the sewer system if it gets more than a foot deep in the garden. The refurbishing consisted of weeding, planting, and mulching. St. Louis Wild Ones donated $560 for plants under its school grant program.
Native Plant School newsletter – March, 2013
In addition to providing a great ongoing series of classes, the Native Plant School (co-sponsored by St. Louis Wild Ones) at Shaw Nature Reserve also has an e-mail newsletter with helpful gardening tips, informative articles, and more. Read the March edition.
To sign up for the newsletter, e-mail Besa Schweitzer (besa.schweitzer@mobot.org) with “NPS subscribe” in the subject line.
Is Spring a Little Late this Year?
By Betty Struckhoff
If spring is a little late, I’m not complaining. I’m hoping against hope that it means we’ll be spared some of the wrath of a St. Louis summer. Last Saturday was a perfect day for a walk in the woods to check out what was happening. Here are some photos of shrubs and a small tree showing their spring buds. Pictures were taken in Des Peres, MO. Continue reading
Seedling survival
by Larry Hummel
Over the years Joan and I have purchased a number of seedling (whips) packages from the Missouri Department of Conservation nursery. Our property is large enough that spring planting involved way too much work in order to provide water to the plants during the summer when both roots and leaves were competing for moisture and nutrients.
The survival rate for whips that are planted in the spring and not watered is reported to be in the 15% range. If you have a small lot and can consistently water the whips during the summer the method I use will be more work than you may need to do. If you do plant the whips in the spring do add some root stimulator, not fertilizer, to the planting.
2013 Sustainable Backyard Tour – host registration
Now in its 3rd year, the Sustainable Backyard Tour is a free, self-guided, open-house-style tour of sustainable outdoor residential spaces around St. Louis. It is a unique opportunity to see first hand how others have integrated sustainable living practices into their little piece of Earth.
This year’s tour will be Sunday, June 23. If you or someone you know has a great example of outdoor sustainable living—from organic gardening to rain gardens and mud ovens—consider being a stop on this year’s Tour. Register online.
To volunteer for the tour, either as a docent or an apprentice, or to sponsor, send an email to Terry@sustainablebackyardtour.com.
Urban & Suburban Meadows – DVD available
The St. Louis chapter of Wild Ones now has a DVD of “Urban & Suburban Meadows,” produced by Catherine Zimmerman. It begins by showing the drawbacks of traditional lawns. Here is an excerpt:
Upcoming educational opportunities
Here are some upcoming workshops as we wait for warmer weather:
Are Your Trees 100 Years Old? – Saturday, Jan. 26 (and again Feb. 9) at 11:30 AM at THE HEIGHTS
Learn how to discover the species and age of the trees in your yard and neighborhood. Michael P. Walsh, Forest ReLeaf of Missouri, will lead this brief seminar.
Sponsored by Friends of the City of Richmond Heights as part of Richmond Heights’ 100th Birthday celebration
Starting Native Plants from Seed - for ages 10 and up. Saturday, Feb. 16 from 10–11:30 AM at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. Reservations begin Feb. 2.
Rattlesnake Master rules the winter garden
By Amy Redfield
I am so glad that I took a chance on Rattlesnake Master at the Native Plant Sale at Shaw Nature Reserve last spring! Since it prefers full sun, I put in in the least shady corner of my nearly full-sun native plant bed, and crossed my fingers. It is the star of the garden this winter!
Rattlesnake Master
2nd annual native landscaping workshop
After last year’s successful Native Landscaping workshop, the partner organizations have decided to hold it again. This year’s workshop will be Saturday, February 23, 2013 from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Powder Valley Nature Center. Registration is $20, and includes lunch and a guide to landscaping with native plants. You can register online or download the PDF (300 KB).
This in-depth workshop is designed for homeowners and beginning gardeners. It offers information and resources on how to landscape with native plants to create greener communities.