July 2013 meeting minutes

President Ed Schmidt welcomed thirty-one members and seven guests, including 5 members and 2 guests from Illinois, to this month’s yard tour and meeting.  Program Chan Mahanta hosted a yard tour at his home in North St. Louis County.  Following the tour, he described how, as a young boy in…

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Response from CityArchRiver2015

This is a follow-up on the plan to replace the declining ash trees near the Arch with London plane trees (Platanus x acerifolia). Some members of Wild Ones who contacted CityArchRiver 2015 to express concerns about the use of a monoculture of non-native trees received this response from Ryan McClure, Communications Director….

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2013 Landscape Challenge Winner Announced

by Ed Schmidt The winning property of this year’s Landscape Challenge has been chosen.  A team of Wild Ones members and a representative from Grow Native! processed the 13 applications and visited promising properties on a recent evening.  All applicants this year have participated in Audubon’s Bring Conservation Home program,…

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June 2013 meeting minutes

As an experiment this month, two yard tours were held in one week at the same property.  Members and guests chose the date and time most convenient for them.  On Wednesday’s stormy evening, president Ed Schmidt welcomed 7 guests and 16 members at 6:30 p.m.  At 9:30 a.m. on Saturday…

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Museum of Transportation scavenger hunt

by Betty Struckhoff Wild Ones volunteers and young families enjoyed a lovely solstice eve at the Museum of Transportation on Thursday, June 20, 2013.   It was great fun to interact with the children searching out clues with parents or grandparents.  We had a small but enthusiastic turnout. Scot Barnes shared…

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St. Louis Gateway Arch landscape – Why not natives?

by Betty Struckhoff The St. Louis Post Dispatch has published several articles regarding the decision to plant a monoculture of non-native London Plane trees (Platanus acerifolia) for new landscaping on the grounds of the St. Louis Arch.  For example, read the original announcement, and this follow-up. The articles have generated plenty of…

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Mystery Plant

By Amy Redfield I’m on a trip to Ely, Minnesota, near the Boundary Waters (apparently swapping the heat for the bugs!) and found this little guy all over the place. Can anyone ID him for me? He’s just too cute!

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Native plant giveaway

By Liz Jones I have some extra plants that I’d like to give to a good home: Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) is a native shrub that grows to about 8 feet.  It is the showiest of the sumacs, and is extremely colorful in the fall. Missouri Botanical Garden write-up. American beakgrain…

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Native Plant School newsletter – June, 2013

The June edition of the Native Plant School newsletter is out.  Topics include: Native plant highlight: Indian pink (Spigelia marilandica) Backyard Sustainability Tour, Sunday June 23rd Nature Connection: The Year of Food Record-setting Shaw Wildflower Market Gardening and plant care tips: Pruning Mulching Watering Propagation from cuttings Rock gardening with…

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