Wild Ones continues to lead the natural landscaping movement as we explore, teach, and change the practice of gardening in our communities to using native plants.
To support that mission, the St. Louis Chapter has developed a speakers bureau with presentations to introduce native plants as well as delve into some specific areas of interest. All speakers are Wild Ones members who have years of experience in native plant landscaping and building wildlife habitat.
Presentations are typically 50-60 minutes in length. A $50 honorarium made to Wild Ones St. Louis is requested for any speaker reservation.
Please contact the speaker via the Speakers Bureau Contact Us page
If you have any questions pertaining to programs, please contact our Speakers Bureau Coordinator, Susan Leahy
Formal Front Yard Landscaping with Native Plants
Presentation by James Faupel
Landscaping with native plants has become popular with home gardeners, but people who are not familiar with natives can find them wild, messy, or having an untidy appearance. It’s important to convey the sense that a native plant garden is intentional and maintained, through plant choice, design, and maintenance. We’ll show you how to use native plants in a more formal manner, for front yard purposes. They’ll notice your beautiful garden first, which just *happens* to be native plants, giving you the opportunity to share the benefits to people and wildlife.
Shade Gardening with Native Plants
Presentation by Betty Struckhoff
How many of us feel somewhat restricted in gardening because we have a lot of shade? No more! There are many native large trees, small trees, shrubs, flowers, grasses, sedges and groundcovers that will thrive in the shade and together create a habitat attractive to birds, pollinators and people. We’ll also cover design suggestions and how to manage with invasive plants, aggressive natives and nuisance wildlife. Join us to learn about these plants and you’ll have it made in the shade!
What’s All The Buzz About Natives?
Presentation by Sue Leahy
Perhaps you’ve heard that you should plant natives to get more butterflies. Maybe you have the perception that natives are “weedy.” We’ll talk about why natives are important to the ecosystem and what you can plant to bring more birds, bees & butterflies to your yard. Photos will highlight many good natives to plant. We’ll show basic design elements to keep your yard from looking “wild” and maintenance tips to keep your garden looking good.
Woodland Wildflowers from Winter to Mid-May
Presentation by Ann Earley and Bob Siemer
Does dreaming of spring wildflowers get you through the cold dark winter? Get ready for the warmer weather and growing season by learning to recognize and appreciate the early spring wildflowers of the St. Louis area in their natural habitats. We’ll cover identification and interesting facts about these spring bloomers. No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow, so be ready to enjoy the flowers when it arrives.
Birdscaping: Native Plant Landscaping for Birds
Presentation by Dawn Weber
Many of us have bird feeders in our yards, but did you know that native plants are the best bird feeders? Birdscaping is landscaping for the benefit of the birds. We’ll discuss why native plants are important, how different types of plants function in the landscape and what plants are favored by birds. Creating a bird-friendly habitat involves more than just plants, so we’ll touch on additional ways to make birds feel at home. Bring color, activity and bird songs into your life year round by gardening for birds.
Native Grasses, Rushes and Sedges
Presentation by Sue Leahy
Do you like the look of ornamental grasses, but want to go native? Missouri has some fantastic native grasses, rushes and sedges. We’ll talk about why these are better choices for your landscape, the native environment where these plants are normally found and how to choose the best ones for your conditions, sun or shade, wet or dry. We’ll also briefly discuss maintenance.
Wild for Monarchs
Presentation by Ann Earley and Bob Siemer
The monarch butterfly is one of the most recognized species in our area and it is in trouble. This presentation introduces the Wild Ones’s Wild for Monarchs Program, which encourages planting of native plants, especially milkweed, to support the monarch population. We’ll discuss the monarch’s life cycle, migration and population trends, as well as what is being done to help these special butterflies. Join us to learn what you can do to bring back the monarchs.
Rain Gardening Basics
Presentation by Sue Leahy
Many of us have heard about water gardens (aka ponds) but what are rain gardens? We’ll start with the basics of what a rain garden is, what the benefits are, and how to get started. With the details presented about placement, planning the garden, simple construction and maintenance, you’ll have all the info you need to create your own rain garden. Photos will highlight favorite native rain garden plants. Sue has two rain gardens, both of them do-it-yourself projects, and she’ll share her experiences, including some plants to use carefully or perhaps not at all! Come learn about this environmentally friendly way to manage your storm water and create beautiful wildlife habitat.
Maintaining Native Plant Gardens
Presentation by Betty Struckhoff
Whether a school. a community garden, or your own back yard, native gardens need tending and maintenance. We’ll cover native ground covers and other design elements to minimize maintenance time. A seasonal maintenance schedule is included in the presentation and we’ll discuss invasive plants and aggressive natives, helping you make decisions about when to allow native volunteers to prosper and when to pull. Join us to learn about how to keep your native plant garden looking great!
Invasive Plants in Your Yard
Presentation by James Faupel
There are many words that describe plants in your yard and the degree to which they reproduce – native, non-native, exotic, aggressive, invasive – what do they all mean? We’ll explain these terms and discuss how to identify and control invasive plants in your landscape. Considering the flip side of removing invasive plants, making informed choices about what you plant going forward to avoid those that will escape your yard
A Journey of Transformation
Presentation by Sue Leahy
Sue will take you through her experiences in 12 years of native plant gardening. She’ll talk about some of the revelations that encouraged native planting and mistakes that were made (& corrected). Both Wild Ones and the Bring Conservation Home program by St. Louis Audubon will be discussed. She will share some of the things that inspired her to plant more natives and share photos of the ongoing development of her yard into a wildlife habitat. She will share basic design elements that keep her yard from looking too “wild” and talk about basic maintenance tips.