2017 Landscape Challenge planting day

By James Faupel
Vice-President and Chairperson Landscape Challenge
Wild Ones – St. Louis Chapter

The traditional “dirty hands” photo
Photo by Sherri DeRousse

The Landscape Challenge planting day on September 23 was a big success! Twenty volunteers showed up, making short work of the planting process. 

Rob May, our new designer, and myself laid out the perennials for planting, and gave a brief demonstration on how they should be planted. Rob also answered questions about his design.

This year’s winner and homeowner, Marlene Becker, answered questions about her yard and its preparation for the planting.

The actual planting time only took about 40 minutes once digging began.

This year’s plants came from Missouri Wildflowers Nursery and Forest Keeling Nursery. It was a completely perennial garden design.

Digging In!
Photo by Dawn Weber

Plants included were:

• Bush’s poppy mallow (Callirhoe bushii)
• Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
• Palm sedge (Carex muskingumensis)
• Glade onion (Allium stellatum)
• False blue indigo (Baptisia australis)
• Prairie dropseed (Sporobulus heterolepis)
• Eastern blazing star (Liatris scariosa)

Thank you to our Landscape Challenge partners!

• Grow Native!
• Shaw Nature Reserve
• Bring Conservation Home

Additional Landscape Challenge information, previous photos, and application.

Happy homeowner Marlene Becker in front of her new native plant garden and holding her garden design
Photo by Marcia Myers

And thank you to all the volunteers!

• Rob May
• James Faupel
• Dawn Weber
• Tessa Wasserman 
• Sherri  DeRousse
• Andy Guti
• Cathy Pickard
• Bob  Pickard
• Marcia Myers
• Penny Holtzmann
• Nancy Price
• Pete Klarmann
• Jane Schaefer
• Nathan Zenser
• Marianne Klein
• Susan Burk
• Chris Garhart
• Joan Featherston
• Marsha  Gebhardt 
• Malinda Slagel
• Jana Wade
• Sherry Ann Cordover