Weeding party at The College School LaBarque campus

Snowberry Clearwing Moth (Hemaris diffinis) on Redwhiskers (Polanisia dodecandra)

Blog and Photos by Besa Schweitzer
Member and Webmaster, Wild Ones – St. Louis Chapter
Horticulturalist at The College School LaBarque campus

The College School LaBarque campus

I’m planning a weeding party at The College School LaBarque campus on Tuesday, July 18.

Please arrive between 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. for a few hours of weeding followed by a picnic lunch down by the creek.

The College School LaBarque campus recently added a living building for their students which is a sustainably-built classroom with solar panels, composting toilets, and native landscaping. Wild Ones donated money to help purchase plants for the pollinator garden which includes six rain gardens.

LaBarque Creek

The area is in full sun but afterward we will head down to the cool microclimate of the creek with a waist-deep pool in the shade to wade in if you feel inclined. This is also a good way to remove any pesky insects you might have acquired in the garden.
 
Bring your gardening gloves, water, sun and insect protection, lunch, folding chair, and change of clothes and shoes if you plan to jump in the creek.

The new living building

• From Eureka exit Hwy 44 at Hwy 109 and head south
• At the end of 109 turn right on FF
• At the end of FF turn left on F
• Cross the bridge and immediately turn right on Doc Sargent
• Take your first left into the parking lot
• If you are good at walking park here and walk across the bridge and up the hill to the building
• There are also a few parking spots at the top of the hill next to the garden
• we will meet at the building at the top of the hill

We published a blog on May 19, 2017 about the grant we donated to the Jan Phillips Learning Center.

“Wild Ones – St. Louis Chapter received a request for $500.00 to plant a native garden at The College School outlier location near Eureka, MO in the La Barque watershed…The Wild Ones – St. Louis Chapter Board approved the grant, and we funded two of the six rain gardens…”

Here’s the link to the blog, “Our grant to the Jan Phillips Learning Center…”

One of six raingardens in the landscape

Plant List:
Asclepias incarnata
Asclepias purpuresens
Asclepias syriaca
Asclepias tuberosa
Asclepias verticillata
Asclepias viridis
Carex comosa
Carex muskingumensis
Juncus effusus
Lobelia cardinalis
Lobelia siphilitica
Ludwigia alternifolia
Polansia dodecandra
Sagittaria latifolia
Zizia aurea