President Marsha Gebhardt (far left) and Vice President and homeowner James Faupel (second from the left) leading the April gathering
Wednesday, April 11 and Saturday, April 14, 2018
Our chapter Vice President James Faupel, his wife Barb, and daughter Annie, hosted two yard tours in April at their home near Jefferson Barracks County Park. Wednesday evening 39 members and three guests attended. The turnout on a drizzly Saturday morning was 25 members, six guests, and four children.
James has a horticulture degree from St. Louis Community College at Meramec. He works as a horticulturist at Shaw Nature Reserve’s Whitmire Wildflower Garden.
A massive bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana) tree grew in the front yard of the house James and Barb wished to purchase eleven years ago. Because bradford or callery pears are so invasive, James planned to remove the tree. Fortunately, the tree broke during a storm before the house closing. Thus the sellers were required to remove the tree. James has since planted several trees and shrubs in the front yard.
In the backyard listening to James
The house sits at the low point in the neighborhood, so James installed a rain garden and a gravel driveway to help with the water issue on the property.
As the family enjoys camping, James designed a camp area with fire pit and tree stump seating in the back yard. An adjacent pond adds water sounds. Shrubs surround the area to screen it from neighbors.
A few of the native trees and shrubs James planted are:
- yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea)
- ironwood (Ostrya virginiana)
- sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
- persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)
- shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata)
- hazelnut (Corylus americana)
- serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea)
- red buckeye (Aesculus pavia)
- ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)
- spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
- golden current (Ribes odoratum)
- strawberry bush (Euonymus americanus)
Fire pit area in the foreground
James seeded open woodland forb species under the backyard trees including:
- bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
- columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
- trillium (Trillium sp)
- sedges (Carex sp)
- May apples (Podophyllum peltatum)
- Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica)
- Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium reptans)
- ferns
Annie has a garden section to plant. She plans to include vegetables, herbs, and milkweed (Asclepias sp) for butterflies.
The gathering ended with announcements and door prizes.
Announcements:
Landscape Challenge
The 2018 Landscape Challenge is open only to current Wild Ones members who were members as of Dec. 31, 2017.
This year’s application period is now open and will be closed on May 10.
Volunteer Opportunities
Upcoming volunteer opportunities are posted on our website under the Dig In! section.
Spring Wildflower Market at Shaw Nature Reserve
May 11, 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. – Pre-sale for Missouri Botanical Garden members.
May 12, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Spring Wildflower Market 2018, open to the public.
Members who volunteer at this sale get a discount on plants purchased from our booth.
St. Louis Native Plant Garden Tour
June 16, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
This year’s tour is comprised of 10 residential gardens in St. Louis City’s Tower Grove, Shaw, Botanical Heights, and Franz Park neighborhoods as well as Richmond Heights.
Volunteers get to tour for free on the opposite shift from what they are working.
The pond area in James’ yard
20th Anniversary of St. Louis Wild Ones – door prizes
2018 is our chapter’s 20th anniversary. To celebrate, we will provide door prizes at each of our 2018 gatherings. Wednesday’s prizes were a Wild Ones cap and eight Missouri evening primrose (Oenothera missouriensis) plants propagated by Susan Burk. Diana Oleskevich was the winner on Saturday of a Wild Ones cap.
Forrest Keeling’s Spring Celebration of Native Plants and Biodiversity
Forest Keeling, in Ellsberry, MO, will host an exciting and educational event on May 5. Doug Tallamy will be one of the speakers. The event goes from 8:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 5.
We encourage Wild Ones members who attend to wear their Wild Ones shirts and nametags.
As always, carpooling is good!
Next Wild Ones Gathering
Saturday, June 9, 9:00 a.m.
This is a rescheduled date due to unexpected scheduling issues.
Tour of Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum, to be led by Horticulture Supervisor Kyle Cheesborough who presented our March gathering program.
Carpooling is encouraged.
For directions see the calendar on our website.
Recorded by: Fran Glass, Secretary
Photos by: Dawn Weber
