August 5 and 8, 2015

Photo by Sherri DeRousse

This month, Judy and Randy Speck, with their son Danny, hosted two yard tour gatherings. A total of 30 members and 3 guests attended.

The Speck yard is Silver Certified by St. Louis Audubon’s Bring Conservation Home program. It was featured on the 2015 Native Plant Landscape yard tour on June 20. The highlight of the front yard is a lovely rain garden designed by Jeanne Cablish and engineered by Simon Barker of Native Landscape Solutions.

Judy reported that their recently converted landscape was two years in the making. Previously, the backyard contained turf grass for kids and dogs, a raised garden bed in which rabbits dined, invasive Euonymus, volunteer Rose of Sharon, and canopy trees. Judy and Randy, with help from friends and family, worked intensively for two years clearing invasive and unwanted species, followed by installing native trees, shrubs, forbs and grasses. They planted 600 plants. The fundamental layout of the backyard was based on a design by Jeanne Cablish. Chris Siewing of Nature’s Re-Creations was responsible for the creation of the water feature. Wildlife is abundant.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

2015 Landscape Challenge Planting – September 12
We co-sponsor a yearly Landscape Challenge with Shaw Nature Reserve and the Missouri Prairie Foundation’s Grow Native! program. This year’s winning yard is in University City. Landscape designer Jeanne Cablish will again design the front yard makeover.

Volunteers are needed to help plant the yard on Saturday morning, September 12.

Celebrating 10 Years of Greener Gardens – October 17
Shaw Nature Reserve’s Native Plant School will celebrate its 10th anniversary on October 17. Our chapter will host an activity table, and this event will take the place of our monthly gathering. Read more about the event.

November annual potluck dinner and seed exchange – November 4, 6:00 PM
This year’s annual potluck dinner and seed exchange will be held at The Heights community center of Richmond Heights.

Wild Ones Annual Conference
Carol and Wes Boshart will represent our chapter at the 2015 Wild Ones Annual Conference.

Southwest Illinois Chapter
The Southwest Illinois Chapter will be celebrating its one-year anniversary on August 19 in Glen Carbon, IL. Some of our chapter members will be attending. Ed Schmidt is organizing a carpool from Richmond Heights, MO. Read more.

Native Landscaping Grants
Kathy Bildner, Chapter Grant Liaison, is still looking for members to check on sites that have received our native landscaping grants. We would like to know how these gardens are doing to learn which gardens have succeeded and how to further improve the grant program. See the list of gardens.

Kathy also has revised the grant application to be more extensive.

Next Monthly Gathering
Wednesday, September 2, 6:15 p.m. OR Saturday, September 5 , 9:30 a.m.
Choose either the Wednesday or Saturday time.
Yard tour at the home of Susan Orr. This yard has received certification by Bring Conservation Home.
Please bring a lawn chair.
For directions see our online calendar.

Recorded by: Fran Glass, Secretary