By Mitch Leachman
Coordinator, Bring Conservation Home
Executive Director, St. Louis Audubon Society
Homeowner Harriet Blickenstaff (3rd from left) and friends
On June 18, St. Louis Audubon’s Bring Conservation Home program and the Wild Ones – St. Louis Chapter teamed up for the second year to deliver the St. Louis Native Plant Garden Tour. Two hundred and eighty people registered for the self-guided tour of residential gardens in Clayton, Ladue, Olivette, and University City.
By all accounts, it was a success. The comments heard by the tour hosts, our volunteers, and the event committee on tour day were all very encouraging, and 73% of respondents to an online feedback survey stated they were extremely satisfied with their experience!
Thanks SO much to everyone that made the Tour possible, including our sponsors, organization partners that helped spread the word, all the volunteers that assisted with the Tour itself, and of course the event planning committee! Thanks especially to the tour hosts for opening their home landscapes to us, welcoming everyone, and providing inspiration and education to all of us!
Copper iris and blue flag iris at the Speck residence
We took a LOT of pics that day, and posted a few dozen of the best to the Bring Conservation Home Facebook page. Go ahead and look; you don’t need an account to see them.
One final shout-out to the garden centers that agreed to help us sell ticket vouchers this year. This idea was new for us, but clearly a familiar exercise for each of them. They made it work, and we couldn’t be happier with the results.
MANY thanks to the folks at:
The event committee will be meeting later this summer to review all the feedback and begin the considerations for 2017.
Attendees touring the Brain-Herlien yard
If you haven’t already shared your ideas, please leave a comment below or send them directly to a committee member.
We hope to see YOU on the tour next year!
Tour hosts:
- Theresa Biggs
- Harriet Blickenstaff & Anna Navarro
- Barbara Brain & Ken Herlien
- Ann Case
- Deanne Flatley
- Jim & Laure Hullverson
- Mark O’Bryan
- Randy & Judy Speck
- Dennis & Katherine Woldum
Mark O’Bryan and Marsha Gebhardt in Mark’s yard
Tour sponsors:
- Forest ReLeaf of Missouri
- Forrest Keeling Nursery
- Gateway Gardener
- Greenscape Gardens & Gifts
- Grow Native!
- HOMEscapes
- Kirkwood Gardens
- Missouri Wildflowers Nursery
- Native Landscape Solutions
- Quiet Village Landscaping
- Sugar Creek Gardens
- Trees, Forest and Landscapes
- Wild Bird Center of St. Louis County
Wild Ones members from left to right: James Faupel touring the Brain-Herlien yard with Tour volunteers: Bob Siemer, Kathy Bildner, and Ann Early (Volunteers toured the gardens either before or after their shift.)
Tour partners:
- Federated Garden Clubs of Missouri
- Garden Club of St. Louis
- Gateway Gardener
- Horticulture Program of St. Louis Community College at Meramec
- the Ladue Garden Club
- Missouri Master Naturalists
- Missouri Native Plant Society
- Shaw Nature Reserve
- St. Louis Master Gardeners
Tour committee:
- Marsha Gebhardt
- Sue Leahy
- Mitch Leachman
- Linda Tatum
- Dave Tylka
- Dawn Weber
My schedule prevented me from touring this year but thanks to everyone who contributed to this stellar event.