The Gateway Gardener June 2013

THEGatewayGardenerYour Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes

®

JUNE 2013

Vines for the Garden

Creating a Deer-Resistant Native Garden

Flowering Flavors Edible Herbal Blooms

Penstemons

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On the Cover...Why let the deer have all the good stuff in your garden? You can eat the flowers, too! For more on edible herbal blooms, see page 6. Then, wash them down with a visit to our

Cornucopia Corner for taste-temping instructions on garden-harvest libations! (photo courtesy www.thetasterevelation.com)

IN THIS ISSUE 4 Penstemons 6 Flowering Flavors 8 Deer-Resistant Native Garden10 Vines for the Garden12 Cornucopia Corner13 Garden-Inspired Cocktails14 Try a Ti15 Avian Garbage Men16 Rose Revolution18 June/July Lawn Care20 Dig This22 Upcoming Events

JUNE 2013Volume 9, Number 5

Founded in 2005 by

Joyce Bruno & Robert Weaver

Publisher and EditorRobert Weaver

ColumnistsBarbara Perry Lawton

Garden Book Author and Garden Writer

Connie AlwoodMaster Gardener

Ellen BarredoCertified Nursery Professional

Diane BrueckmanRosarian

Joyce DriemeyerMaster Gardener

Cindy GilbergLandscape Design

Mara HigdonGateway Greening

Glenn KraemerTurf Horticulturist

Steffie LittlefieldNursery Professional

Printing: Breese Publishing, Breese, IL The Gateway Gardener® is published monthly by Double Dig Communica-tions, Inc. to promote enjoyable, suc-cessful gardening and livable landscapes in the St. Louis greater metropolitan area. The magazine is distributed free to the public at designated garden centers, nurseries, garden gift shops, lawn equip-ment rental, repair and sales establish-ments, and other locations supporting sound gardening, lawn and landscaping practices.

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St. Louis, MO 63122Phone: (314) 968-3740

[email protected]

The Gateway Gardener® is printed on recycled newsprint using environmentally friendly soy-based ink, and is a member of the PurePower® renewable energy resources

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From the EditorTHEGatewayGardenerYour Guide to Enjoyable Gardening and Easy-Care Landscapes

®

It takes a lot to force perennials off the cover of the June issue. June is, after all,

Perennial Gardening Month, as designated by the Perennial Plant Association, and as attested to by the many reminders from this month’s advertisers. So I apologize to them and to the whole of the perennial world, and to make amends, show a picture here of Variegated Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’), the 2013 Perennial Plant of the Year. This picture is one of several of my own garden’s representatives.

But, as we’ve done in past cases when plant societies bless St. Louis by converging here for a big meeting, I wanted to welcome the Herb Society of America as its members convene here for their annual conference June 20-22nd. I do so by highlighting on the cover our herb article for this month featuring edible herbal blossoms. Of course, many edible herb flowers are perennials, too, such as anise-hyssop, bee balm, lavender, and others. For more tasty flower tips, see Joyce Driemeyer’s article on page 6.

Edibles come in drinkable form, too. Jennifer Schamber gives us some libation ideas from the garden in her article on cocktails and “mocktail” ingredients from the garden on page 13, plus a tempting recipe for a fresh Berry Cocktail. Wellie bottoms up!

Hyacinth bean vine provides a host of edible options, as the flowers, leaves, and immature seed pods are all edible, as are the beans when well cooked. But that’s not why the plant is featured in this issue. It’s just one of the beautiful flowering vine options available to gardeners and featured in Steffie Littlefield’s

article on page 10.

Unfortunately, we aren’t the only creatures tempted to taste our plants. Deer are a curse to many home gardeners in our region’s suburbs and outlying areas. And native plants aren’t immune—what do you think they ate before the Europeans arrived? Nonetheless, Cindy Gilberg offers a number of deer-resistant native plants and other strategies for keeping the beasts at bay.

Finally, while I’m usually pretty good at remembering to wish the mothers a happy day in May, I’ve often forgotten to follow up with a tip of the gardening cap to fathers. So, to all the dads and grandpas out there, Happy Father’s Day!

Good Gardening!

Correction: The date for the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Garden Tour was incorrectly listed in last month’s edition. The correct date is June 15. See Upcoming Events on pg. 22 for details.

4 The Gateway Gardener™ JUNE 2013

Penstemons by Barbara Perry Lawton

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Attract more hummingbirds by planting a few penstemons. The tubular flowers have short hairs on the lower lip, which accounts

for the common name beard (or bearded) tongue. Penstemons have opposite leaves that are lance-shaped or oval and flowers that are partially tubular and two-lipped. Most are deciduous or semi-evergreen perennials. Some are shrubs and subshrubs. Depending upon the species, their height ranges from very short to as much as ten feet and their width is generally from eight to twenty inches.

Penstemons are all native to North America. There are well over 250 species, a number of which offer gardeners hardy perennials that are not only beautiful but also tough. Penstemons are often more adaptable than their native habitat would suggest.

The American Penstemon Society ($15 /year at [email protected]) recommends that you plant them in a sunny spot where you want to display them. In other words, penstemons do not transplant well. Consider your soil and sites—penstemons require good aeration and excellent drainage. They do not tolerate coddling, heavily organic soil or too much water. They are drought-tolerant once established. In general, it is best to start with penstemon plants that are widely available at your local nurseries.

“Penstemons are among the best of perennials because of their durability and drought tolerance,” says Jennifer Schamber of Greenscape Gardens. “They are absolute favorites of ours and of the hummingbirds. Penstemons are the first plants the hummers visit in our greenhouses and in our gardens.”

Among her favorite cultivars is Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’. She also recommends P. digitalis ‘Dark Towers’ and ‘Pocahontas’. ‘Husker Red’, a University of Nebraska introduction was the Perennial Plant Association’s 1996 Perennial Plant of the Year. This is a husky two- to three-foot plant with white flowers in June and red foliage.

Oddly, although penstemons are comparatively recent in becoming top choices of many North Americans gardeners, they have been favorites of Europeans for years. In fact, European plantsmen have introduced a number of penstemon hybrids. Use these sturdy and attractive perennials in containers as well as beds and borders. Some species are excellent choices for ground covers and slopes. The flowers and attractive foliage make them good cut flowers. Deadhead the blooms unless you want to encourage them to reseed.

Penstemons are very attractive, not only to honey bees (of European lineage) but also to many native bees and bumblebees. Hummingbirds, as previously mentioned, also are drawn to penstemons. They arrive early and are particularly fond of the species with brightly colored flowers in the red and lavender ranges. The flowers also attract butterflies. Penstemons bloom in late spring to late summer, depending on the species and variety. Grow a mix of penstemons in order

P. ‘Dark Towers’

P. ‘Husker Red’

5JUNE 2013 The Gateway Gardener™

Barbara Perry Lawton is a writer, author, speaker and photographer. She has served as manager of publications for Missouri Botanical Garden and as weekly garden columnist for the Post-Dispatch. The author of a number of gardening and natural history books, and contributor to many periodicals, she has earned regional and national honors for her writing and photography. Barbara is also a Master Gardener and volunteers at MBG.

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Mervin Wallace of Missouri Wildflowers Nursery has been growing Missouri natives for nearly three decades. “Penstemon cobaea, purple beardtongue, is a beautiful plant with specific demands—sun and very dry, lousy soil. It is flourishing along roadsides in the Jefferson City area where there is hardly any soil above the solid limestone and dolomite rock,” he says. “This species works best in flower beds that are well drained like the tops of landscape walls and raised beds. Don’t add organic matter to the soil. It is not unusual to have two to twenty flower stems per plant in beds.”

Mervin also recommends P. digitalis, foxglove beardtongue, which works great in flower beds with average to moist soil. “A few years ago I realized that this species functions as a nurse crop to help keep weeds out when it is included in seed mixes for sunny prairie and meadow plantings. As the other species get bigger, the penstemon declines.”

‘Dark Towers’ and ‘Husker Red’ photos courtesy Walters Gardens, Inc.P. cobaea and P. digitalis photos by Robert Weaver.

P. cobaea

P. digitalis


Flowering Flavorsby Joyce Driemeyer

We know birds, bees and pollinating insects are attracted to herbal blooms, so we should partake of these colorful beauties, too. Blooms of ordinary herbs like thyme,

oregano, fennel and sage, and annuals like dill and basils will all impart a slightly gentler seasoning than the foliage if used, and will help keep the plants compact, if clipped. As with all herbs, use only plants that have not been sprayed with pesticides. Collect in the morning, if possible and gently rinse with water and pat dry with paper towels for use.

For really flavorful and colorful blooms here is a list of suggestions:

Anise-hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) produces beautiful lavender spikes, which impart a flavor of sweet anise and root beer, and can be used in salads, soups and desserts.

Bee balm (Monarda didyma) has red, pink, lavender or white blooms with a slight minty taste and can be used in teas, salads and as a garnish. Taste first—a few have an undesirable taste.

Borage (annual) has a slight cucumber flavor in beautiful blue flowers. Remove the base of the

flower before using. It is great in salads, and can be used to garnish desserts and drinks, including wine. The flowers can be crystallized and saved in air-tight containers (see sidebar).

Dianthus (D. plumarius), or small cottage pinks, have a clove-like scent and taste, and can be used as garnish on cakes, in salads and in soups.

Chamomile (C. recutita), or German chamomile, produces a prolific number of small white daisy-like flowers, which can be used to top a green salad for accent. They have a slight pineapple flavor and produce a relaxing tea. Try at bedtime!

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) produce lovely lavender/purple globes of flowers, which can be used in many dishes for garnish and flavor. Try infusing in a glass jar or 12-16 oz. bottle by pouring white wine vinegar over them and storing in a pantry for about 2-4 weeks. Use some in salad dressing or to flavor vegetable dishes.

Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum), or Chinese chives, produce white-globed blooms with a mild garlic flavor and can be used the

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After 30 years as a landscape designer, Joyce is now retired. She has been a MBG volunteer since 1969 and a Master Gardener since 1985. She is also a past board member of the Herb Society of America, and is a current board member of the St. Louis Herb Society.

same way.

Nasturtium produces beautiful flowers of yellow, orange or red with a peppery watercress-like flavor. They are great in salads, sandwiches and in butter. Try using single blossoms stuffed with small dollops of whipped cream cheese containing finely minced shrimp and some chopped chervil, and serve as an appetizer on a plate of nasturtium leaves.

Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis). Make fritters of cream-colored blossoms or used dried blossoms for tea. Avoid any elderberries that produce red berries as they are toxic.

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). Both fresh and dried flowers can be used in drinks, jellies and ice cream, even as a garnish for main dishes. For a delicious lavender cookie recipe, check The St. Louis Herb Society cookbook Herbal Cookery.

Scented geraniums (Pelargonium) offers a roster of plants from which to choose. They vary in flavor from peppermint, rose, citrus-lemon, nutmeg or fruit flavors. Colors can be white, red pink or lavender. Taste before using.

Violet (Viola odorata) can be used as a garnish on salads or in tea sandwiches. The blossoms are also lovely for crystallizing to be used on deserts (see sidebar).

Photo courtesy of Evelyn Alemanni, whose new book of daily fresh flower arrangements from her garden, Fleurs du Jour, will be out early next year.

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• Drainandallowtodryonpapertowels.

• Insmallbowlplace1eggwhite,add½tsp.ofcoldwaterandbeatwell.

• Eitherdipflowerintobowlorpaintpetalswithasmallwatercolor-typebrush.

• Dipintoanotherbowlofgranulatedsugar.

• Placeflowersonsheetofwaxedpaperandallowtodry.

• If not using soon after drying, store in air-tightcontaineruntiluse.


Creating a Deer-Resistant Native Gardenby Cindy Gilberg

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The excitement of spring wanes quickly as deer arrive to eat in our gardens. They have quickly learned which gardeners have planted and pampered luscious vegetable gardens, hostas, daylilies and other tasty plants. For the frustrated gardener, there are plants (both native and non-native) that deer tend to ignore because the plants are distasteful, have a coarse or rough texture or are actually poisonous. While it seems contrary to use native plants to enhance habitat for wildlife and at the same time to want to exclude deer, it is possible to accomplish both as there are many native plants that have habitat value and are deer resistant. Deer are an adaptable species and we are destined to share

the same territory. It is not uncommon for landscaping to replace the original habitat with one that is a smorgasbord of delectable, well-watered and fertilized plants. The best approach is to replace these with native plants that, once established, don’t require irrigation and fertilizer, and choose those resistant to

browsing deer. The native plants are generally better able to tolerate extremes such as last year’s heat and drought. That was a time of intense duress for deer and they were tempted to eat just about anything, especially those plants that were well watered and fertilized. So how does a gardener go about deterring deer? First, under no circumstance should deer be encouraged by putting out supplemental food since feeding them only makes the problem worse. I recommend planting a landscape that is about 75-80% deer-resistant, use a diversity of native plants and keep a good repellant handy

just in case. Plants with strongly scented leaves, such as anise hyssop (Agastache), beebalm (Monarda) and mountain mint (Pycnanthemum), are high on the list of plants deer avoid. Some plants are unappealing because of their foliar texture—coarse, rough, hairy or spiny. This group includes rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium) and prickly pear cactus (Opuntia). Still others are distasteful, for example, beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), Coreopsis, Iris species, leadplant (Amorpha canescens) and Viburnum. For those with shade gardens, select from the many native ferns and try golden groundsel (Senecio obovatus), wild ginger (Asarum canadense), and short sedges (Carex albicans, C. eburnea) as ground cover. Deer steer clear of some of the small flowering trees such as red buckeye (Aesculus pavia), spicebush (Lindera) and redbud (Cercis). Some trees that are resistant to deer browsing are killed as a result of bucks rubbing their antlers on the bark—commercially available tree

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Cindy Gilberg is a horticulturist and Missouri native who writes, teaches and does consulting and design work in the St. Louis area. Her work focuses on both native plant landscapes as well as other styles of landscape design. Contact [email protected] www.cindygilberg.com

This column is written in collaboration with Shaw Nature Reserve (Missouri

Botanical Garden) in partnership with the Missouri Department of Conservation. Visit the Whitmire Wildflower Garden (at Shaw Nature Reserve), a 5-acre display garden, for ideas on native plant landscaping. Native plant conservation and the promotion of native plants in our landscapes is vital to restoring the rich biodiversity of our region.

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guards are an effective way to prevent this. Fences are yet another approach and need to be at least 8-9 feet tall or be electric to be effective. Unfortunately, I have seen elaborate fences erected only to have the deer just walk up the driveway to enter the property as if by invitation. It is important to understand their behavior and use additional methods for creating a deer-resistant garden. Deer rely on their sense of smell to determine whether an area is safe and which plants are desirable to eat, therefore begin with a good list of plants that are resistant. Some deer repellants cloak the smell of otherwise edible plants and are quite effective when applied properly. Others are scents of predators such as

urine-based repellants (bobcat and coyote are common). Deer are particularly fond of young, succulent leaves and will even nibble on young, freshly planted transplants of otherwise deer-resistant plants. Protect young transplants during their first year with repellant or a wire cage. Remember that repellants need to be applied more frequently during periods of heavy rain and when plants are actively growing (spring). Late summer and early fall, particularly during drought, are times when deer are more actively browsing. Achieve a more peaceful coexistence with deer by planning a landscape with a high percentage of deer-resistant plants and have some

repellant on hand. Crosscheck various deer-resistant plant lists. Shaw Nature Reserve (SNR) conducted a deer browse study and the plant list is included in Chapter 4: “Landscaping with Native Plants” of the Native Landscaping Manual (available

online at www.shawnature.org). The Plant Finder at www.missouribotanicalgarden.org also has deer resistance listed as an option in the plant search section.

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Vines for the Gardenby Steffie Littlefield

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Spring in my garden is made doubly delicious by the gorgeous Clematis montana

rubens that covers my fence. Its slightly pink blooms are honey scented making it impossible to forget the pleasure it brings in the spring. Next I wait with great anticipation for the climbing hydrangea that now covers a two-car garage to bloom. It is a green and white wedding cake of a plant, layered and lacey, robust and delicate. Vines reach above our

heads, twine through fences and fill the sky with blooms.

Even a small city garden is enhanced by the flourish of flowers from a climbing rose or summer blooming clematis. Taking very little space in a garden, a climbing plant will fill the upward spaces with brightly colored flowers. Adding an important tiered structural aspect to the garden, vines—annual or perennial—are especially rewarding in their

performance with lots of colorful blooms. A sunny spot is perfect for annual morning glories that shine with their sky blue flowers, or moonflowers with fragrant white flowers that open at night. The St. Louis hot, humid summer is a challenge for the English sweet pea vine, but the lovely hyacinth bean vine is a good substitute with the 6-8 inch lavender flower spikes and the decorative bright purple pods.

Attracting hummingbirds and butterflies is not hard when the garden is overflowing with annual vines like cardinal climber, cypress vine or the black-eyed Susan vine. A common plant from the tropics and one of the best hummingbird attractors for the summer garden, mandevilla has pink, red, yellow or white trumpet flowers that produce lots of nectar

for wildlife. Other tropical vines that can produce lots of flowers in the heat of the summer include bougainvillea, passionflower and claredendron. Bougainvilleas are hardy vines with lots of delicate paperlike flowers in hot tropical red, pink, purple, orange or yellow that tolerate summer’s extreme heat. Passionflower has a large, complex flower in shades of blue, purple or red. It is showy, fragrant and attracts hummingbirds. Claredendron, sometimes known as bleeding heart vine, can also be found in red and purple.

The best vining plants for the shade garden are not known for their flowers as much as for their leaves. A somewhat invasive choice is the variegated porcelain berry vine. The attractive green and white leaves cover a fence or trellis quickly in the shade and

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www.OverlandFarmersMarket.com

Hours: 8am-12:30pm Saturdays May-Oct.

Visit us for locally grown seasonal produce, homemade bread and sweetrolls, entertain-ment and special events. Food available for purchase. Centrally located and accessible by public transportation. Have fun and eat well. We look forward to seeing you at the market!

Hillermann’s Farmer’s Market2601 E. 5th St.

Washington, MO(636) 239-6729

www.Hillermann.com

Hours: Year-Round Thursdays & Fridays 10am-2pm

Open air market in the summer, indoors in the winter. Fresh, locally grown fruits, vege-tables and food items, plus crafts and other items for local artisans and craftspeople. Support local growers and enjoy delicious food fresh from the fields to your table.

BaBa Ganouj

Ingredients2 medium eggplants (1 pound each) 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled¼ cup lemon juice 2 tablespoons tahini, (see Note)1 ¼ teaspoons salt Extra-virgin olive oil, for garnishGround sumac, for garnish (see Note) Yields: 12 ¼ cup servings

Preparation InstructionsPreheat grill to high. Prick eggplants all over with a fork. Thread garlic cloves onto a skewer. Grill the eggplants, turning occasionally, until charred and tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Grill the garlic, turning once, until charred and tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

Transfer the eggplants and garlic to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, peel both. Transfer to a food processor. Add lemon juice, tahini and salt; process until almost smooth. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with sumac, if desired.

TIPS & NOTESMake Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. | Equipment: SkewerNotes: Tahini is a thick paste of ground sesame seeds. Look for it in large supermarkets in the Middle Eastern section or near other nut butters.

This recipe courtesty http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/baba_ganouj.html

Jt’s Fresh Ideas

Tasting from the Garden

at Queeny Park

June HarvestHere are some fruits and veggies you might find in the garden or your local farmers’ market this month:

The Cornucopia Corner

June 13th 4-8pmEat your garden! To learn more about growing, harvesting and preparing edibles, come to the Park! Enjoy an evening stroll through the beautiful Jarville Gardens while listening to expert gardeners as they discuss harvesting from your landscape and learning about herbs, one of the EASIEST edible plant categories to grow!

Gardening tips will be provided as well as demonstrations such as dressing up your table.

If you’re interested, meet at the parking lot off the Mason Road entrance to Queeny Park. Cost is $10 per person (children 10 and under are free).

To register (required in advance) call (314) 615-8482.

VegetablesAsparagus

BeetsBroccoli

Brussel SproutsCabbageCarrots

CauliflowerCucumbers

EggplantGarlicHerbs

HorseradishKohlrabiLeeks

LettuceOkra

OnionsPeas

RadishesRhubarbSpinach

Squash (summer)Sweet Corn

TomatoesTurnips

FruitsApplesApricots

BlackberriesBlueberriesCanteloupe

CherriesGooseberries

NectarinesPeaches

PlumsRaspberriesStrawberriesWatermelon

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The Cornucopia Corner

The Land of GoshenCommunity Market

South of the CourthouseEdwardsville, IL(618) 307-6045

www.GoshenMarket.org

Hours: May 12-October 20th Saturday mornings 8am-noon

An open-air farmers’ market that is a great source for locally grown, fresh, naturally rip-ened farm products, tasty baked goods with locally grown ingredients, and wonderful art and gift ideas. Live entertainment and free demonstrations add to the festive atmo-sphere. A safe, wholesome place for kids and the whole family.

Schlafly Farmers Market Schlafly Bottleworks7260 Southwest AvenueMaplewood, MO 63143

(314) [email protected]

www.schlaflyfarmersmarket.com

Hours: April-Oct. Wednesdays 4-7pm.One Sat. per month Nov.-Mar. 9am-1pm

28 vendors each week selling local produce, flowers, meats, eggs, cheeses, baked goods and more.

Live music on the Bottleworks patio starting at 5pm.

Infusing fresh ingredients from the garden into various spirits can be one of life’s

greatest simple pleasures. A wide range of herbs, fruits and vegetables can be easily grown for use in many different cocktails and mocktails (non-alcoholic beverages). Let’s take a look at some essential ingredients to consider in growing a “bartender’s garden”. One of the basic ingredients in many cocktails is simple syrup (see how to make a simple syrup in the Berry Cocktail recipe). The simple syrup can not only sweeten the drink, it can also be the driving force behind the essence of the cocktail. Try simmering various flavors of mint, lavender, rosemary, basil or scented geraniums into the simple syrup for seasonally inspired drinks.Fruits pair quite well with rum, so consider growing strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, as well as complementary herbs such as mint, lemongrass and

lemon verbena. These also work well with gin drinks, as do cucumbers, borage, basil and lemon thyme.For Southern-style beverages with whiskey, try growing mint, chamomile, thyme and French tarragon. Then head “South of the Border” and pair tequila with sage, watermelon, rosemary or mint.Veggies can be highlighted in vodka drinks, so consider growing small tomatoes, celery, peppers and cilantro.For lots more inspiration and information, check out www.drunkenbotanist.com. This is the website of garden writer, blogger & award-winning author Amy Stewart. Her newest book, The Drunken Botanist, takes readers on a botanical journey around world and tells the stories of how humans learned to create the drinks that have influenced the course of history, as well as offered cultural contributions to our daily lives. And enjoy “Thirsty Thursdays” during June at Greenscape Gardens to support Gateway Greening!

Berry Cocktail (Recipe from Cari Cluck, Herb Specialist at Greenscape Gardens)Celebrate Berry Season With This Tasty Blackberry Drink!• 2 cups of fresh blackberries• ¼ cup sugar • 2/3 cup water• 1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh

rosemary• 1 bottle chilled Prosecco (or other

dry sparkling white wine) or ginger ale/sparkling white grape juice if a mocktail (non-alcoholic) is preferred .

Garnishes: fresh rosemary sprigs and blackberries

To prepare the simple syrup: Simmer blackberries, sugar, water and rosemary in an uncovered saucepan, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes, mash with a potato masher to release maximum juice halfway through. Pour through a sieve or strainer set over a glass and let stand for 5 minutes (makes approximately 1/3 cup). Discard solids. Chill syrup, covered until cold.

Divide Prosecco amongst glasses then pour 1 ½ teaspoons syrup into each drink (an olive oil dispenser works great if you are serving it for a crowd!) Garnish & Enjoy!

J e n n i f e r S c h a m b e r is General Manager of the family o w n e d Greenscape Gardens and Gifts. You can visit GreenscapeGardens.com, “Like” them on Facebook, or call (314) 821-2440.

Tips for Growing, Buying and Cooking Fresh, Locally Sourced Food for Your Table

Garden-Inspired Cocktails & “Mocktails”By Jennifer Schamber

brought to you by:


Try a Ti!Text and Photo by Ellen Barredo

Ti Plant (Cordyline terminalis) or the Hawaiian good-luck-plant is a great addition to your plant collection as it

has many useful purposes! This information is great to know as many younger garden center customers want a plant that does more than just look good!The Ti Plant is most commonly associated with Hawaii and South Pacific Islands, but it is actually a native of East Asia and Papua New Guinea. The Ti Plant was very widely used

long ago and was introduced throughout much of the Pacific by early traveling Polynesians, who used the starchy rhizomes for food and its leaves for wrapping food for cooking.Besides bringing good luck to its owner, Ti Plant leaves are used to make Hawaiian hula skirts! Hawaiians also used the wide leaves of the Ti Plant for roofing as the leaves are very durable. It is often noted that Ti Plants were placed at every corner of a home outdoors to ward off evil.Some selections of Ti plant are also used extensively as cut florist greens. Ti plants are among the most colorful foliage plants with colors of glossy green, reddish purple, or marked with various striped combinations of purple, pinks, red, creamy yellow or white. So, you can see why they would be useful for floral arranging. Growing your own cut flowers seems to be an emerging trend with young people!Finally create an indoor or outdoor tropical look with the colorful Ti Plant. They are great in containers solo or in combination with other beautiful blooming annuals.

Ti Plant does well in partial shade to nearly full sun. It needs more water if grown in full sun. Wet foliage daily when hot temperatures arrive. In summer, do not allow the soil to dry out between watering. Indoors Ti Plants like a bright location to keep good color and enjoy daily misting.Ti enjoys humid air to keep the leaf tips from drying out and turning brown. It is also helpful to let your water sit out overnight before watering. It does not require high amounts of fertilizer. Ti should not be subjected to temperatures below about 55° F so if growing outdoors they should transition indoors at the beginning of October.

Ellen Barredo is a Missouri Certified Nursery Professional with more than 30 years in professional horticulture. She works at Bowood Farms and can be reached at (314) 454-6868 or [email protected].

Hartke Nursery1030 N. Warson Rd.St. Louis, MO 63132

(314) 997-6679www.hartkenursery.com

Hillermann Nursery & Florist2601 E. 5th Street

Washington, MO 63090(636) 239-6729

www.hillermann.com

Oma’s Barn Home & Garden1057 Hwy. 79

St. Peters, MO 63376(636) 278-4445

www.omasbarn.com

Sappington Garden Shop11530 Gravois Rd.

St. Louis, MO 63126(314) 843-4700

www. sappingtongardenshop.com

Shadycreek Nursery & Garden Center

201 Carl St.Columbia, IL 62236

(618) 281-7722www.shadycreeknurserygarden.com

SummerWinds Nursery54 Clarkson Rd.

Ellisville, MO 63011(636) 227-0095

www.summerwindsmo.com

June is Perennial Plant Month!• It’s an excellent time to add beauty and color with summer perennials!• Learn more about the value and sustainability of locally grown perennials at RitterPerennials.com

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For Personal Service and Quality Perennials, visit these fine garden centers


Avian Garbage Menby Connie Alwood

We used to not see them in winter. March was when they would

return, soaring, tilting in the sky, with their black and silver wings tipping as if they were going to fall off a celestial table. Now Turkey Vultures can be seen every month of the year. I’ll bet dollars to donuts that they fly over your house sometime during the year. Well, maybe not in the urban areas so much, but they fly over mine in Ferguson. In fact on a couple of occasions they have even roosted in my woods for the night. I say “they” because one seldom sees one Turkey Vulture. Like wolves they travel in packs. With more eyes and noses they “hunt” better. What they hunt is not what you want to eat, unless, of course, you are one of the 200,000 people who have purchased Buck Peterson’s 1987 The Original Road Kill Cookbook. And he only wrote it as a joke.

Through an extraordinary sense of smell, these avian garbage men, or buzzards as some call them, are able to pinpoint the exact location of carrion. In his documentary special, The Life of Birds, David Attenborough buried meat on a hillside in Central America. Within minutes Turkey Vultures smelled it out and gorged themselves. Who has not driven down a country road only to see the dead possum, raccoon, squirrel, you name it, being consumed by nature’s cleanup guys. We owe them, for they provide us with an important service. Cornell University, one of the leading ornithological schools in the country, says that they remove tons of carcasses every year off our roadways. On the other hand, they owe us: if our vehicles did not kill so many animals, there probably would be fewer Turkey Vultures, for they are not predators.

Most of the birds in the world

are comely creatures. One could even assert that birds in general range from pretty to beautiful. But one would surely not call Turkey Vultures prepossessing. They are ugly. The old adage of having a face that only a mother could love applies. In great part, they are ugly because of having no feathers on their red heads. This lack of feathers allows them to place their heads right into the carcasses without fear of bacteria or other contaminants infecting their feathers. Besides being ugly, Turkey Vultures have the nasty habit of defecating on their legs. Ornithologists believe the ammonia in their feces also discourages bacteria.

For a while in the early 20th century, Turkey Vultures were persecuted. Farmers and ranchers believed that they killed livestock, something that is not even true of their cousins, the more aggressive and more southerly Black Vultures. Both of these vulture species are primarily carrion consumers. They are now protected.

Besides tall trees, one of their favorite roosting sites is a large electrical tower. One can see as many as a hundred Turkey Vultures scattered across a given tower and its lines. Unlike many flocking birds, vultures don’t make much noise. They lack a syrinx; therefore, hissing is their only vocal means. They will nest communally mainly on cliff ledges

and in tall trees. A drive along the river road north of Alton, Illinois in Madison County and the Bluff Road in Monroe Country, Illinois usually always provides sightings of these large birds. I can’t remember a time when I haven’t seen Turkey Vultures soaring over the Mississippi River near Alton in the spring, summer and fall.

Counting the California Condor, we have three vultures in North America. The condor was on the brink of extinction, when an extraordinary effort was made to bring them back. It’s a western bird. The Black Vulture, once a species found in our southeastern states, has made its way into the St. Louis area over the recent decades. The Black Vulture is much more aggressive than the Turkey Vulture, often pushing its way into the Turkey Vulture’s

dinner plate; however, it lacks the olfactory ability of the Turkey Vulture, which allows the redhead a chance to find the carcasses first.

Still the Turkey Vulture is the most common vulture in North America. Maybe only a mother could love them, but we should all give thanks to those who clean our roads and highways. MODOT and IDOT should put up signs on the back roads of Missouri and Illinois recognizing this species contribution to our roadways: “Cleanup by Volunteer Turkey Vultures.”

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Connie Alwood is a Master Gardener and co-author of Birds of the St. Louis Area: Where and When to Find Them.

Don’t miss Henry Shaw Cactus andSucculent Society’s big annual event,now featured during the opening ofMissouri Botanical Garden’s new

See hundreds of award-winning plants,then choose from rare specimens and

starter plants priced from $2!www.hscactus.org/SHOW

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Rose RevolutionBy Diane Brueckman

Remember DAD on Father’s Day!

West County’s #1 Nursery!

One-Stop Shopping& Over 3 acres of

Nursery Quality Shrubs, Trees & EvergreensSod •Perennials

Bedding Plants & BasketsFertilizers • MulchJaguar Grass Seed

BALLWIN NURSERY & LANDSCAPE CO.

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CALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE!

636-394-7776BALLWIN NURSERY112 OLD BALLWIN RD.

Mon-Fri 8-8 Sat 8-6 • Sun 9-5

located behind Elco Chevroletwwwballwinnurserylandscape.com

Family-owned since 1958

T he introduction of the ‘Knock Out’ rose started a revolution in

the rose world. Nobody or at least no sensible person ever thought of using roses in commercial landscapes. The casual gardener looked at roses as temperamental plants only a gardening guru would ever undertake on a large scale. Hybridizers were working on tougher, garden-friendly roses, but convincing the public was a different story. Seeing the continuous color of the ‘Knock Out’ rose in so many public areas made people hungry for the same beauty in their yards.

The funny thing is some of these great roses were available for years. Most of the EarthKindtm roses are old varieties that have been overlooked by the average gardener. One is ‘Mrs. Dudley Cross’, a rose I grow with very little effort. It is a tea rose from 1908 and surprisingly winter hardy and repeats very well. The fragrant

bloom is a creamy yellow with pink edges. In cooler climates I would expect it to be more yellow with a deeper pink edge. In two years my bush is about 4’x4’. The almost thornless red/brown canes are sturdy from the base, and branch out into twiggy branches at the top with blooms all summer. I do mulch the base of the bush for winter protection because it is classed a Zone 7 plant. However, there was no dieback this year. ‘Mrs. Dudley Cross’ is at home in a mixed border with iris, daylilies, spring

bulbs, foxglove and lupine to name a few companions.

Another rose that I grow is ‘Carefree Beauty’ or ‘Katy Road Pink’ a Griffith Buck rose. More of you will be familiar with this rose. Introduced in 1977, this beautiful shrub has large pink double blooms and is very disease resistant and winter hardy. ‘Carefree Beauty’ is the standard by which the EarthKindtm roses are judged.

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Design/Installation Also Available

314-741-3121 618-585-3414

Diane Brueckman is a retired rosarian with Missouri Botanical Garden, and currently owns Rosey Acres in Baldwin, Illinois. You can reach her at (618) 785-3011.

Other great Buck roses include ‘Country Dancer’, ‘Golden Unicorn’, ‘Winter Sunset’ and ‘Pearlie Mae’. I have grown all of them successfully. The one trait all of these beauties have in common is their casual cottage garden look. All of them would be at home with the aforementioned companion plants.

One trait all of these roses have is they are own-root roses. One advantage to own-root is they tend to have fewer winter fatalities. If they die back to ground but the roots survive what comes up will be the original plant, not a rootstock. One disadvantage is they don’t enjoy the same protection against diseases such as rose wilt and verticillium wilt as may roses with a multiflora or Dr. Huey rootstock.

Other more recent introductions that are very easy to grow and versatile landscape plants include the Vigorosa series from Kordes. I have one called ‘Siena Vigorosa’ that I planted in my perennial border last fall after it suffered neglect in a pot for 2 years until I got around to planting it. With no spray, no winter protection and little attention at all it is looking very happy this year. I know there is a Vigorosa at Missouri Botanical Garden (I forget which one) that died back to ground in winter but came back strong. In the same style, the Drift series of roses offers a variety of colors for the front of a border or a container.

This year I am trialing some of the Easy Elegance roses from Bailey Nursery. ‘Pinktopia’ has been in my yard for 2 years and is a well behaved mound 3’ X 3’ of pink blooms all summer, a very healthy rose that came through winter unscathed. All together I will be trying 5 different Easy Elegance roses. Next year I’ll report on how they performed.

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Come SEE our NATURAL SWIMMING POND

on the POND-O-RAMA

Water Garden TourJune 22nd & 23rd


1.

Grow great plants indoors & out with NATURE’S SOURCE® Plant Food, a renewable source of plant

nutrition from oilseed extract. With a new hose-end attachment on the 32oz. bottle, it’s the perfect choice for the time-challenged home gardener looking for a

more sustainable fertilizer. “Bring out the best in everything you grow”

Ritter Greenhouse and Ball DPF are proud to announce the arrival of…

…ask for it at your local independent garden center!

This is the time of year where your lawn care practices are very different for cool-season lawns versus warm-season lawns. If you have both like I do, pick the one you like best

and treat the lawn as a whole. You will never hurt zoysia treating it like blue grass (except when it comes to spraying weeds), but you can really hurt blue grass treating it like zoysia. I’ll explain.

MowingCool-season lawns will benefit from mowing at 3 ½” to 4”. There is a direct correlation to mowing height and root depth in cool-season lawns. The deeper the roots, the more drought and disease resistant the lawn will be throughout the summer. Remember, it is a “cool-season” plant, so it needs all the help we can give it to survive in an environment in which it doesn’t do well (hot weather). Tall grass

blades help keep the soil cool and slow down evaporation. Warm-season grasses are the exact opposite. Zoysia will spread and choke out weeds better if it is mowed at 1”-2”. Watch tree roots and other items in the yard at that short mowing height! Keep a sharp blade and try to remove only 1/3 of the plant at a time (easy to do now, but impossible to do in the spring. Fertilizing

Summer applications of organic fertilizers are always the best in my opinion. They have slow-release properties that prevent burning, and when combined with synthetics (know as “bridge products”) really offer some fantastic color without surge growth. Cool-season lawns are especially subject to diseases in the summer and surge growth is main culprit for causing diseases to prosper. Warm-season grasses are almost disease free in the summer and will benefit from quick-release nitrogen applications (like ammonium sulfate or urea). I like Milorganite ® or Survivor ®, a 16-2-0 with 80% slow- release nitrogen from 5 different nitrogen sources. It has some ammonium sulfate and urea for quick green up and 3 forms of slow release nitrogen (bio-solids, chicken solids and SCU) for an extended feed. One dose for cool-season lawns and 2-3 for warm-season lawns through August is all I would recommend.

other PracticesSpray weeds as directed by the label. Warm-season grasses have to be fully greened up before spraying most herbicides. Sedgehammer® is the chemical of choice for nutsedge. Reapply 2-3 weeks after the first application to insure you get 70-80% in one season. It’s a tough one to control. Water cool-season lawns in the morning, but warm-season lawns can be watered anytime. They actually like to be watered in the hot time of the day. Cool-season lawns like their dew period extended, so water between 5am and 8am when possible. Deep, infrequent watering is best, but nothing is guaranteed. I water for two days in a row and then take 2-3 days

June/July Lawn CareBy Glennon Kraemer


Never Miss An Issue!You can have The Gateway Gardener delivered right to your home. Just complete this form and mail it with $24 for postage and handling to the

address below. You’ll receive 9 issues (a one-year subscription) beginning with the next issue.

Name: Address:City, State & Zip:Phone:Email:

Please make your check payable to The Gateway Gardener and mail it with this form to:

The Gateway GardenerPO Box 220853

St. Louis, MO 63122

Watch This Space: Find Out What’s New & Exciting for 2013!

For Soil Mender and Dyna Green Products!Visit Your Local Distributor

Visit Your Local

Distributor

• 16 gauge powder coated steel

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• Weather-resistant screws included

• Unique bracket design allows for trellis and fencing options

• Model 226 designed for 2 layers of 2” x 6” lumber

• Model 326 designed for 3 layers of 2” x 6” lumber

• Easy to assemble – instructions included

Professional Grade Raised Bed Brackets

Lumber not included

13th Annual Pond-O-Rama Pond and Garden Tour

June 22 & 23 Pond-O-Rama is simply the most

spectacular garden tour of the summer!

See 48 beautiful SLWGS member water features.

Tickets are $15. Garden club and group discounts are available.

For ticket locations, call

(314)995-2988 or visit our website,

www.slwgs.org

off from June through August.

Grub controls should be applied in late June/early July (Merit)® or Dylox® in mid-August on either grass type. My lawn never looks perfect, but by the end of September…you never know what it looked like in July.

Summer can be very bad on cool season lawns, but if you keep your expectations lower from July to mid-September, you won’t be disappointed.

Remember folks, it’s just grass.

Glenn Kraemer owns and operates GR Robinson Seed and Service, and can be reached by phone at 314-432-0300 or by email ag [email protected].


Market Street Planting Honors “The Man!”For years, Gateway Greening volunteers havelovingly maintained both the median on MarketStreet in downtown St. Louis, aswell as plantingsthroughoutKeinerplaza.GatewayGreening’sCivicGreening/UrbanRootsprogramhas enhanced theSt.Louisurban landscapesince2003andthisyearwillbenoexception.

InhonorofCardinalsbaseball great StanMusial, plantingsthis year will followthe theme of thegreat “Stan theMan” – celebratedwith beautiful redandwhite plantingsthroughout themedianandcappedoff with large ‘6s’planted on themedianends.

“Each year Gateway Greening maintains thiscenterpiece for downtown St. Louis through ourdevoted volunteers and through donations fromappreciativedonors.StantheManwasacenterpiecefortheSt.LouiscommunityandwhatbetterwaytohonorhimthantobeautifythecenterofourcitywithCardinalscolorsandhisbeloved#6,”explainedMike Sorth,ExecutiveDirectorofGatewayGreening. VolunteersandMasterGardenersmetonMay18thtoplantalonglistofaward-winningredandwhiteannuals. New Farmers’ Market at Hillermann’sHillermann Nursery & FloristinWashingtonisthesiteofanewfarmers’market,whichopenedMay23.ThemarketwillbeopenThursdaysandFridaysyear-roundfrom10amto2pmontheHillermannparkinglot.

Sandi Hillermann McDonald has been working

forseveralmonthswithJanet Hurst,anextensionspecialistfromLincolnUniversityinJeffersonCity,togetthemarketupandrunning.Thehourshavebeenset so they do not conflict with the Washington Farmers’ Market, operated by the Chamber of Commerce, in Downtown Washington, and theHillermannmarketisnotintendedtocompetewiththedowntownmarket.“We’re justwantingtogivefarmers and vendors another opportunity (to selltheiritems),”saidSandi.“Thisiscommunityhelpingcommunity.”

Marketmasters for the seasonare Sandi andDave Wehmeyer,aHillermannNurseryemployee.

Themarketwilloffermostlyfoodproducts,with75percent fruits, vegetables and food items, and 25percentcraftsorotheritems.Formoreinformationonthemarket,includinghowtobecomeavendor,peoplemaycallSandiat(636)299-8452,orDaveat(636)299-6510.

Phase 2 Rainscape Rebates AvailableWereportedintheMay2013issueonthe$90,000awardedtocontractorsandhomeownersinRound1oftheDeer Creek Watershed Alliance RainscapeRebate program. Now, Phase 2 is beginning,and once again, landowners in the Deer CreekWatershedareawillbeeligiblefor75%ofapprovedanddocumentedcostsuptoamaximumof$2,000for landscaping theiryards to improvestormwatermanagement. Round Two applications nowavailable for download at deercreekalliance.org/rainscaperebates.aspx. Hard copyapplications arealsoavailableatparticipatingcityhalls.

TheapplicationdeadlineforRoundTwo isJuly15,2013. TheRainScapeRebatesprogramisfundedbyMetropolitan St. Louis Sewer District,Mabel Dorn Reeder Foundation,theMissouri Department of Conservation,participatingmunicipalities,andUSEPARegion7throughtheDepartment of Natural Resources (subgrant number G11-NPS-15), underSection319oftheCleanWaterAct.

Dig This!Gateway Gardeners

and Businesses in the News

Bill

Rupp

ert


Missouri Botanical Garden Volunteers Honored

Missouri Botanical Garden recently recognizedexceptional serviceofmanyof itsvolunteersat itsannual Volunteer Appreciation Evening. In 2012,more than 1,800 volunteers contributed over141,500 hours to various jobs and activities atMissouriBotanicalGarden,Shaw Nature Reserve,The Butterfly House,EarthWays Centerandotherlocations.

Volunteersweretreatedorappetizersanddrinks,an

opportunitytojoinco-workersforphotosinaphotobooth,andfreetramridesthroughtheGardenonabeautiful springevening.MBGPresidentDr. Peter Wyse Jackson expressed the Garden’s gratitudeto the group, and Jackie Juras, Manager of theVolunteer Program at the Gardens, presided overtheevening’sactivities.

Honoreeswereasfollows:CommitmentAward:Bill Sedlock,GeneralServicesExtra Service Hours: Pat Patterson, Shaw NatureReserveGreenAward:Margi Koors,Sustainability;St. Louis Arc,HorticultureRookie Volunteer of the Year: Marlene Katz,Horticulture,ScienceandConservationSpecialAchievement: Linda Coonrod,HorticultureGroup Excellence: Horticulture Answer Service,HorticultureLifetimeAchievement:Maryellen May,Horticulture

In addition, volunteers with significant serviceanniversarieswererecognized,includingthosewith10, 20 and 30 years of service, and in the case ofMary Jane Kirtz,40years!

• Dreaming of your own wildlife sanctuary?

• Fascinated by hummingbirds, butterflies or creepy/ crawlies?

• Not sure how to get started or which native plants are best?

Call (314) 599-7390 or check out our habitat assistance and certification program at:

StLouisAudubon.org/bch

Bring Conservation Home

A few of the evening’s honorees, including (clockwise from top left): a few representatives of The Horticulture Answer Service, with Dr. Peter Wyse Jackson (left) and HAS Supervisor Chip Tynan (right); Maryellen May (right) with Dr. Wyse Jackson and Kemper Center Supervisor June Hutson; Linda Coonrod (center) with Horticulturist Jennifer Kleeschulte and Dr. Wyse Jackson; and representatives from St. Louis Arc with Horticulturist Richard Harrison next to Dr. Wyse Jackson.


Upcoming Events

Updates to this information are often posted on our online events calendar at www.GatewayGardener.com, so check there for the latest details. If you have a smartphone, scan this code to go directly to the Upcoming Events online calendar.

Give us the details of your upcoming gardening, lawn or landscaping event and we’ll add it to our website and include it in our next issue. Deadline for printing in September issue is August 1st.

How to reach us:Mail: PO Box 220853, St. Louis,

MO 63122Email: (314) info@

gatewaygardener.com

GARDEN CLUBS AND PLANT SOCIETY MEETINGS

Interested in Joining a Garden Club or Plant Society? We have meeting dates, locations and contact information on more than 50 area garden clubs on our website at www.GatewayGardener.com. Don’t have access to the internet? Just call us at (314) 968-3740, or write us at PO Box 220853, St. Louis, MO 63122, and we’ll get the information to you. So share your joy for gardening and join a garden club or favorite plant society today!

FUN FOR KIDS

June 1st 9am—Children’s Garden Club. FREE, no reservations required,

everyone welcome. The Children’s Garden Club is designed to educate and bring delight in gardening to children with projects they do themselves. Sherwood’s Forest Nursery & Garden Center, 2651 Barrett Station Rd. Also sponsored by Schnuck’s Markets.

11am-2pm—Hillermann’s First Saturday Kids. Bring the kids to play in the garden and enjoy a FREE activity with Sheri! June: Plant Peanuts. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, (636) 239-6729, www.hillermann.com.

PLANT ShOwS, SALES AND TOURS

June 1st 10am-3pm—2013 Garden & Kitchen Tour. Tour historic Mudd’s Grove kitchen and beautiful herb garden. Sponsored by The Friends of the Kirkwood Historic Society. Tickets available at OK Hatchery, The Kirkwood Public Library Gift Shop, and Mudd’s Grove (Thurs.-Sun. 1-4pm). $15 in advance, $20 day of tour. 302 W. Argonne Ave., Kirkwood, MO.

Noon-4pm—Annual Rose Show of the Belleville Area Rose Society. Featuring many varieties of roses and flower arrangements. Turkey Hill Grange Hall next to Eckert’s Orchards in Belleville.

9am—Sugar Creek Gardens Nursery Tour. Tour the Nursery, seeing what’s in bloom, along with the best plants of the year. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. Call (314) 965-3070.

June 8th

9am-3pm—Secret Garden Tour of Lebanon. Self-guided walking tour of six secret gardens. Rain or Shine. $7 advance/ $9 door. Proceeds for youth scholarship. Lebanon Visitors Center, 221 W. St. Louis St, Lebanon IL Info at 618-537-8420, www.gardencluboflebanon.org and on Facebook.

10am-4pm—Monroe County

Garden Tour. Gardens in Waterloo, IL. Historic homes highlighted to celebrate 125th anniversary of founding of Waterloo. Call (618) 939-7708 for locations to purchase tickets. $10/person in advance, $12 day of event.

10am-3pm—Highland Garden Club Tour. Tickets maybe purchased in advance for $5 and the day of the tour for $7. Rural King Supply, Whitledge Flowers, Highland Chamber off Commerce office or any garden club member has tickets. For more information call Nancy at 618-654-6740.

10am-4pm—The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program. Explore six private gardens in St. Louis, open to the public for self-guided tours. No reservations required; rain or shine. $5 per garden; children 12 & under free. Highlights include a garden designed around Feng Shui principles, a moon gate leading to an extensive peony collection, boxwood defined garden rooms, and a large bonsai collection. Call toll-free weekdays (888) 842-2442 or see www.opendaysprogram.org for more information.

June 15th 9am-3pm—Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Garden Tour. Eight gardens plus Master Gardener plant sale at Colonel Benjamin Stephenson House in Edwardsville. Raffle for container gardens at each home. $12 in advance, $15 day of tour. Children under 10 free.Contact (618) 344-4230.

June 22nd 9am-5pm—Kimmswick Daylily Plant Sale. Located at Carrol Wrather’s State inspected Garden - Certificate # A-1777), 6005 Fourth St, Kimmswick. 80 varieties and 1500 freshly dug and bagged plants, with 600 varieties on display. Come early for best selection. No sales before 9am. Proceeds benefit the Kimmswick Visitors Center. For information, call 636-464-6464 or check the website at GoKimmswick.com.

9am-3pm—The 8th annual Salem

Garden Treasures Tour. Featuring five beautiful local gardens, rain or shine. Tickets $5 (16 years or older) may be purchased at Bryan Memorial Park located on North Rte. 37 and Boone Street from 8:30am-1:30pm day of tour. Other activities include vendors with garden items and art, food booths and musicians. An All-American Selection Display Garden also will be available for viewing.

June 22nd and 23rd 9am-5 pm—Pond-O-Rama 13th Annual Pond and Garden Tour. Sponsored by The St. Louis Water Gardening Society, the self-guided tour includes 50 water features that range from choice small ponds to magnificent large ones located in both Missouri and Illinois. The tour is divided geographically by day with 25 gardens available for viewing each day. Tickets, good for both days, are $15 per person, and are available at garden centers across the area. Children 17 and under are admitted free. All persons age 18 and over must have a ticket. The ticket booklet includes maps to all tour locations. Each ticket booklet also includes a coupon for a free membership in the St. Louis Water Gardening Society for the remainder of the year. For more information about the St. Louis Water Gardening Society and its activities, including Pond-O-Rama, visit the SLWGS website at www.slwgs.org.

June 23rd 1 1 a m - 4 p m — S u s t a i n a b l e Backyard Tour. Visit dozens of area home landscapes promoting sustainable practices such as rainwater harvesting, composting, keeping chickens, bees or goats, using renewable energy, repurposed materials, native gardens, and more. For a tour map or to register your garden, go to www.sustainablebackyardtour.com or search the same on Facebook.

June 29th-30th

Noon-5pm (Sat.), 9am-5pm (Sun.)—Henry Shaw Cactus and Succulent Society Show and Sale. Choose from a wide array of cacti and succulents shown and sold by


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the area’s top growers, including thousands of rare specimens and starter plants priced from $1.50. Cactus Society members will be on hand to answer questions and give plant care advice. Missouri Botanical Garden, Beaumont Room. Entry included with Garden admission. www.hscactus.org.

CLASSES, LECTURES AND EvENTS

Now through October 31st9am-5pm daily—Plastic Pot Recycling. Recycle plastic garden pots, cell packs and trays. West parking lot of the Garden’s Monsanto Center, 4500 Shaw Blvd. at Vandeventer. (314) 577-9441. Look for Plastic Pot Recycling at several satellite collection centers throughout the metro area through Sept. 30; for a complete list of participants, visit www.mobot.org/plasticpotrecycling.

June 1st8am-noon—Lettuce Showcase. Tour a lettuce garden with over 200 different varieties. See the many varieties you can grow at home and learn more about lettuce you may not see in the grocery stores. Hodiamont Community Garden, 5660 Hodiamont Ave. at Harney Ave. in Jennings, Missouri.

Tropical Garden Party Jimmy Buffet Style. See the colorful tropical plants in our displays and bring some of these beauties home to brighten your indoor and outdoor spaces. Make-n-take a Beverage Garden (for infusing drinks). Tropical Plants and more. Hillermann Nursery & Florist, (636) 239-6729, www.hillermann.com.

3-6pm—Weed Dating Event at EarthDance Farms. FREE. Come out to our farm to be among other agricurious folk like you! You’ll be paired in a quick one-on-one weeding session with a potential romantic interest and move from one row to the next, meeting someone new every 5-10 minutes. At 3pm, there will be a tour of the farming operations. Weed Dating will begin after that. The last hour is a BYOB happy hour at the farm.Advance registration required. EarthDance Farms, 233 S. Dade

Ave, St. Louis, MO 63135. For more info and registration, visit http://www.earthdancefarms.org/events/weed-dating.

June 6th

2-5pm—Native Plant Landscape Design. Creating and installing the native plant garden. 2013 native plant classes sponsored by Lincoln University Native Plants Program, 900 Chestnut St., Allen Hall, Rm. 100. Jefferson City, MO. Contact Amy Hempen at [email protected].

June 8th

9:30-11:30am—The Rose-Queen of Flowers. Learn the basics of growing beautiful roses. St. Charles County Extension Center, 260 Brown Rd., St. Peters MO. Visit http://extension.missouri.edu/stcharles/gardenclasses.aspx or call 636-970-3000 for information. Pre-registration required. $20.

10am—Best Summer Gardening Tips. Learn great tips for summer gardening from Karen Collins, author of Karen’s Garden Calendar. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. Call (314) 965-3070.

June 11th

7-9—Forest Ecology: 2013 Tap Root Speaker Series. Join Mike Walsh from Forest ReLeaf of Missouri as he speaks about forest ecosystems, how they work and what they do for us. For professionals. CEU credits available. Plus cool drinks and door prizes. Schlafly Bottleworks, 7260 Southwest Ave. Call (636) 970-3000 to pre-register. $10.

June 13th

4-8pm—Tasting from the Garden at Queeny Park. Enjoy an evening stroll through the beautiful Jarville Gardens while listening to expert gardeners as they discuss harvesting from your landscape and all about herbs. Gardening tips will be provided as well as demonstrations such as dressing up your table. Meet at the parking lot off the Mason Road entrance. Advanced registration required. Call (314) 615-8472. $10 per person (Children 10 and under free if accompanied by an adult.)

1-4 p.m.—Native Plant School:

Garden Archeology and Ethnobotany. Bring your questions, comments, photos, drawings, and plant specimens for discussion. Session includes hands-on tours and demonstrations. Audience participation encouraged. $15 ($12 Garden members). Whitmire Wildflower Garden at Shaw Nature Reserve. For reservations or more information, call (636) 451-3512 ext. 0 or visit www.shawnature.org. June 15th 10am—Easy Care Roses. Learn about the climbers, shrubs, groundcover and mini roses that thrive in St. Louis, along with techniques and tips for the showiest displays. Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 Woodlawn Rd., Kirkwood. FREE. Call (314) 965-3070.

June 20th

7pm—A Native Scavenger Hunt at the Museum of Transportation. Join members of Wild Ones Natural Landscapers to learn more about native plants and natural landscaping. Follow clues to identify interesting plants. Prizes. $10 per person. Children under 10 free if accompanied by an adult. Advance registration is recommended. Call (314) 615-8472.

June 22nd 10:30am—Fairy Pinterest Party. Celebrate National Fairy Day Pinterest Style! Join the celebration and make your choice of several different fairy activities. There will be a small fee for materials used.

Hillermann Nursery & Florist, (636) 239-6729, www.hillermann.com.

Noon-2pm—Vino Van Gogh Painting Event. Paint, Drink and be Merry. A new kind of event bringing a fabulous experience of art and wine together! Held at Hillermann Nursery & Florist, 636-239-6729, www.hillermann.com. Vino Van Gogh provides all art supplies: canvas, brush, paint & an apron to wear. The art instructor leads the class through a 2-3 hour session following a featured painting. Turn a blank canvas into your own work-of-art. Cost: $38.00. Wine & light refreshments will be available. Seating may be limited. Sign up at http://www.vinogogh.com/ or call (866) 390-9917. June 29th through July 31st

9am-5pm—Desert Show: Plants and People of the Western US Deserts. This newly introduced show will feature plants rarely on display from North American deserts and will emphasize plants used by Native Americans. Visitors will learn about the economic and medicinal potential of cacti and other desert plants and see traditional Navajo artifacts including a replica hogan dwelling. Missouri Botanical Garden, Orthwein Floral Display Hall. Garden admission plus $5; free for Garden members. Sponsorship provided by the Henry Shaw Cactus and Succulent Society.

BELLEVILLE, IL5841 Mine Haul Rd.

618.233.2007VALLEY PARK, MO39 Old Elam Ave.

636.861.3344

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314.868.1612

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The Gateway Gardener June 2013

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