Tips on planting seeds

Here are Kathy Bildner’s tips on planting seeds: Plant seeds in the late fall or early winter. The seeds must over-winter in the ground. Cover with screen or rocks so the squirrels won’t dig them up. Label the site so you remember what and where you planted. If you plant…

Read More

Creating a landscape and making friends

By Betty Struckhoff Our Wild Ones annual landscape makeover has become one of those markers in my mind’s clockwork — marking a changing season and another year. Always close to the fall equinox, we gather (like Druids?!) to dig in the dirt. This year was no exception. On September 27, 2014 Scott…

Read More

Opportunities wasted and opportunities seized

By Betty Struckhoff I’m not a native plant purist, but one thought often enters my head when I see a vast expanse of mown grass while driving on a highway: What a wasted opportunity! My yard has grass, but only enough to give a sense of order and to preserve a hill for occasional…

Read More

Another chance to see the Leahys’ yard

By Sue Leahy When invitations came my way toward the end of last year to host a Wild Ones meeting and be on the Master Gardener tour, I decided that since we were going to “spruce up” the gardens for these tours that I would host an open house for the…

Read More

Opportunities to get native plants this fall

Many gardeners focus on planting in the spring, and there are lots of opportunities to buy plants. Fall is a great time to plant too, but finding plants often isn’t as easy. If you’re looking to do more gardening this fall, here are some opportunities. Shaw Wildflower Market – Friday, Sept….

Read More

Rainwater harvesting talk and workshops

By Susan Lanigan You’ve probably heard about the importance of keeping rainwater on your property to reduce stormwater runoff and minimize your dependence on irrigation, but how do you actually do that? EarthDance Farm is offering three opportunities to learn rainwater harvesting techniques from Jeff Adams, founder of Terrasophia. Wednesday, August 27th, 6:00-8:00 pm….

Read More

Spring discoveries, anxieties, and lessons

By Marsha Gebhardt I am the lucky caregiver for a seven-month-old Missouri natives garden. As with children, seven-month-olds bring wonder, worry, and a need for much education and effort. It is not easy to walk the Missouri Evening Primrose path, but it is a walk filled with pleasure and purpose….

Read More

Fran Glass’ yard gets Platinum certification from STL Audubon

By Mitch Leachman The St. Louis Audubon Society’s Bring Conservation Home program was created in 2012. It gives individual landowners in the St. Louis region specific advice on how to create bird- and pollinator-friendly habitat in their own yards. A number of the program’s volunteer Habitat Advisors are Wild Ones members,…

Read More

Squaw weed — friend or foe?

By Ed Schmidt Squaw weed, also known as round-leaved ragwort, has beautiful yellow flowers in the spring, and the leaves make an attractive ground cover. It thrives in shade, and tolerates fairly dry conditions. On the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Plantfinder, it gets 4 stars. Originally designated as Senecio obovatus, the…

Read More

Sustainable Back Yard Tour 2014

By Susan Lanigan See first-hand how other St. Louisans have integrated sustainable practices and beauty into their little piece of Earth. The 2014 Sustainable Backyard Tour is a self-guided, open-house-style tour of over 40 yards. This is a great opportunity to see examples of outdoor sustainable living—from organic gardening to rain gardens and mud ovens. Read descriptions…

Read More