Wild Ones Gathering Highlights
Home of Max Arens and Nancy Groth
Saturday, June 7th and Wednesday, June 11th
Max and Nancy became involved with native plants when their love of the outdoors attracted them to the Missouri Master Naturalist program. Max volunteered at Shaw Nature Reserve every summer for 10 years and, more recently, both have volunteered at the Litzsinger Road Ecology Center.
In 2019, when they moved here, they faced crab grass and bush honeysuckle and realized that it was time to begin their own native plant journey! Nancy applied for the Wild Ones St Louis Landscape Challenge (didn’t get it) but realized Wild Ones was a good match for their interest in native plants and a great resource.
Naturally, honeysuckle removal became a priority. In addition, they face the ongoing challenge of deer, which are plentiful, since open areas such as the Museum of Transportation and a golf course are nearby.
The Wild Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) in front of the house blooming.
They have more than 120 native plant species, primarily in a rear prairie and along the north side of the house. In the back yard, Eastern Bluebirds are fighting it out with house sparrows for possession of a birdhouse!
Entering the garden, Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) is in bloom and a Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is located along the path.
Bubbly boulder – quite a project to transport and place in the garden.
View of the prairie with Foxglove (Penstemon) and Coneflowers blooming and buds everywhere!
In 2019, Mitch Leachman did a Bring Conservation Home consultation and recommended ordering seedlings from the Missouri Department of Conservation which they did, to create woodland area (above) with trees and bushes including Sumac, Pawpaw, Red Bud, Hazelnut, Witch Hazel and Buttonbush. They fenced their backyard prairie to protect it from deer grazing.
This prairie (on the north side of the house) was developed with an MSD Rainscaping Grant and includes, Gray’s Sedge (Carex Grayi), Foxglove (Penstemon), Thread-leaved Bluestar (Amsonia ciliata) and more. Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis) blooming in the rear.
Nearby is an area planted with Thimbleweed (Anemone virginiana) with Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), host plant for the swallowtail butterfly), in the rear.
They received the Bring Conservation Home Gold Certification in 2023. At this time, Max and Nancy are in maintenance mode and trying to avoid the call of new projects and enjoying the progress they have made in the last six years!
Along the entry to the neighborhood, there is a green strip with a retaining wall that has become a subdivision project (below). Once overgrown with honeysuckle, Max, Nancy and some neighbors have worked together to remove the honeysuckle and add natives and plan to plant trees and shrubs from the Missouri Department of Conservation and their nursery this fall.
The nursery with Roughleaf Dogwood (Cornus drummondii) and Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) developing for addition to the subdivision project.
Great weather and great crowd of Wild Ones Members! Thank you, Max and Nancy for sharing your garden!
