This Week In Gardening & Nature

Register your Blitz Clean Up Project with Brightside St. Louis and get Free dianthus, marigolds, celosia and vinca for planting in public spaces in St. Louis city.

Gardening by Month – April – Tips & Tasks from Missouri Botanical Garden

This week in the garden: Sow Outdoors- arugula, beets, carrots, chard, lettuce, parsley, peas, radish, spinach, turnips. Transplant Outdoors- broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, chard, lettuce. Plan your 2023 Garden with Seed St. Louis Seed Starting/Planting Calendar

The Big List of St. Louis Area Plant Sales: African Violets, Carnivorous, Daylilies, Gesneriads, Herbs, Hostas, Iris, Native Plants, Perennials, Roses, Veggies, Wildflowers

Looking to plant a tree? Plant a native Missouri tree.

Top 25 Invasive Plants in Missouri

Seed St. Louis Planting Guides
Asparagus Leeks Onions Potatoes Strawberries

Missed attending one of Seed St. Louis Online gardening classes? Check out the recorded classes on Seed St. Louis YouTube channel

6 pm Monday University of Missouri Extension Online Class: Produce Safety in Community Gardens. Register

10 am Tuesday Trolley Tour @ Bellefontaine Cemetery Two-hour trolley tour led by a Master Guide sharing horticulture and arboretum highlights Tickets $5. Register

2 pm Tuesday Arboretum Walking Tour at Bellefontaine Cemetery. Horticulturist led walk. Register

10 am Wednesday Bellefontaine in Bloom at Bellefontaine Cemetery. 2 Hour walking tour with master guide. Register

4 pm Wednesday Missouri Prairie Foundation Zoom Class: The Tallgrass Prairie of Missouri Above and Below the Soil Surface. Register

6 pm Thursday Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Successful Communities Collaborative 2023 Speaker Series: Rehearsing Black Food Futures: A Food Justice Perspective on Black Life presented by Professor Bobby Smith II. East St. Louis Campus. Register

7 am to 7:30 pm Saturday Veterans Free Fishing Day at Bennett Spring State Park, Lebanon MO

Saturday-Sunday Brightside Blitz Clean Ups: Volunteers Wanted in Grand Center Arts District, Gravois Park, and Delmar

8 am to 2 pm Saturday Native Plant Workshop and Plant Sale at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood. Hosted by Partners for Native Landscaping.

9 am to Noon Saturday Arbor Day Tree Giveaway at Bellefontaine Cemetery

3:30 pm Saturday Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Class: Naturalist Note- Wild Warblers. Improve your warbler identification. Register

3-6 pm Sunday City Greens Market Seed Swap & Chili Cook Off @ 4260 Manchester, Forest Park Southwest. Meet the farmers & vendors

Volunteers Wanted for 9 am April 18th Plant It Forward at Tower Grove Park. Helping the Horticulture Team maintain the beautiful flower beds. Register

Noon April 18th Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Class: Spring Wildflowers of Southeast Missouri. The swamps and bottomlands of the Bootheel offer a variety of plants found nowhere else in the state. Register

2 pm April 18th Arboretum Walking Tour at Bellefontaine Cemetery. Horticulturist led walk. Register

4 pm April 18th St. Louis Public Library event for K-6 Kids: Make A Rain Gauge @ Machacek Library, Lindenwood

6 pm April 18th Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Class: Barn Owl Biology. Register

Volunteers Wanted for 9 am April 20th Plant It Forward at Tower Grove Park. Helping the Horticulture Team maintain the beautiful flower beds. Register

10 am April 20th Thursday Bellefontaine in Bloom at Bellefontaine Cemetery. 2 Hour walking tour with master guide. Register

6 pm April 20th Seed St. Louis Online Class: Gardening for the Environment. Register

8:30 am April 23rd St. Louis Audubon Society’s Youth & Families Beginner Bird Walk @ Tower Grove Park. 16 Tickets remaining. Register

2-5 pm April 23rd St. Louis Hosta Society Vendor Day Sale at Crestwood Community Center

Volunteers Wanted for 9 am April 25th Plant It Forward at Tower Grove Park. Helping the Horticulture Team maintain the beautiful flower beds. Register

4:30 pm April 25th St. Louis Public Library event for K-6 Kids: Hands-on STEM- Earth Day Wildflower Seed Balls and Launcher! @ Julia Davis Library, Penrose

4 pm April 26th Missouri Prairie Foundation Zoom Class: Spring Into Action for Declining Birds. Register

Volunteers Wanted for 9 am April 27th Plant It Forward at Tower Grove Park. Helping the Horticulture Team maintain the beautiful flower beds. Register

2-6 pm April 27th STLCC Students & Faculty, April 28th General Public: St. Louis Community College Horticulture Plant Sale at Meramec Campus, Kirkwood. Cash/Check Only.

April 28th-29th St. Louis Herb Society Plant Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden

8:30 am to 2:30 pm April 29th Webster Groves Herb Society Plant Sale at Webster Groves First Congregational Church

For Teachers: 10 am April 29th Seed St. Louis In-Person Class at Carriage House: Summer Strategies for the School Garden. Register

8 pm April 29th Stargazing at Tower Grove Park with St. Louis Astronomical Society

April 29th-30th U-City in Bloom Plant Sale

9 am April 30th Seed St. Louis & Trailnet Tour de Plants Community Ride. $15, $20. Register

9 am April 30th Partners for Native Landscaping Native Plant Sale & Native Plant Swap @ Beyond Housing. Preorder from vendors for pick up or shop from what is available that day.

9 am to 1 pm May 6th Wildflower Market @ Shaw Nature Reserve. $5

8 am to 5 pm May 6th Franklin County Master Gardeners Plant Sale at J.C. Penny Parking Lot, Washington MO

May 6th Webster Groves Women’s Garden Association Plant Sale at First Congregational Church

9 am to 5 pm May 6th West County Daylily Club Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden. Entrance included with Garden Admission. Garden Admission is free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents 7 am to Noon Wednesdays and Saturdays.

9 am to Noon May 13th Seed St. Louis Summer Plant Sale @ Carriage House, 3815 Bell. Arrive early for best selection. Bring a box lid to carry your plants. $4 seedling 6-packs. Available at this Sale: Basil, Eggplant, Sweet & Hot Peppers, Tomatoes, Mint, Lavender, Rhubarb, Sorrel, more

9 am to 5 pm May 13th Metropolitan St. Louis African Violet Council Show and Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden. Entrance included with Garden Admission. Garden Admission is FREE to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents 7 am to Noon Wednesdays and Saturdays.

10 am May 13th World Bird Sanctuary Native Plant Sale. Preorder from vendors for pick up or shop from what is available that day.

8:30 am May 20th Brightside St. Louis Downtown Planting Day. Volunteers wanted. Register

9 am to 5 pm May 20th & 21st St. Louis Hosta Society Show and Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden. Entrance included with Garden Admission. Garden Admission is FREE to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents 7 am to Noon Wednesdays and Saturdays.

9 am to 5 pm May27th Rose Society of Greater St. Louis Show and Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden. Entrance included with Garden Admission. Garden Admission is FREE to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents 7 am to Noon Wednesdays and Saturdays.

10 am to 5 pm June 3rd Lafayette Square Garden Tour & Antique Fair

9 am to Noon Brightside St. Louis Urban Gardening Symposium.

9 am to 5 pm June 10th Carnivorous Plant Society Show and Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden. Entrance included with Garden Admission. Garden Admission is FREE to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents 7 am to Noon Wednesdays and Saturdays.

11 am to 4 pm June 11th St. Louis Sustainable Backyard Tour. Free. Register

9 am to 5 pm June 24th Kimmswick Daylily Sale to benefit Kimmswick Visitor Center, Jefferson County.

9 am to 5 pm August 5th & 6th Greater St. Louis Iris Society Plant Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden. Entrance included with Garden Admission. Garden Admission is FREE to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents 7 am to Noon Wednesdays and Saturdays.

9 am to 5 om September 9th Gateway West Gesneriad Society Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden. Entrance included with Garden Admission. Garden Admission is FREE to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents 7 am to Noon Wednesdays and Saturdays.

9 am to 5 pm September 16th & 17th Greater St. Louis Daylily Society Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden. Entrance included with Garden Admission. Garden Admission is FREE to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents 7 am to Noon Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Join us Sundays on Spoutible or Twitter for #GardenSunday to interact with other outdoor and indoor gardeners and nature enthusiasts, ask questions, give answers, share photos.

Upcoming STL Area Plant Sales: Veggies, Herbs, Natives, Perennials

Saturdays: Native Plants sold at Kirkwood Farmers Market by Missouri Wildflowers Nursery, Jefferson City. Order by Tuesday for pick up or buy from what they bring.

Grow Native Native Plant Sales across Missouri

8 am to 2 pm Saturday Native Plant Workshop and Plant Sale at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood. Hosted by Partners for Native Landscaping.

9 am to Noon Saturday Arbor Day Tree Giveaway at Bellefontaine Cemetery

3-6 pm Sunday City Greens Market Seed Swap & Chili Cook Off @ 4260 Manchester, Forest Park Southwest. Meet the farmers & vendors

2-5 pm April 23rd St. Louis Hosta Society Vendor Day Sale at Crestwood Community Center

2-6 pm April 27th STLCC Students & Faculty, April 28th General Public: St. Louis Community College Horticulture Plant Sale at Meramec Campus, Kirkwood. Cash/Check Only.

April 28th-29th St. Louis Herb Society Plant Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden

8:30 am to 2:30 pm April 29th Webster Groves Herb Society Plant Sale at Webster Groves First Congregational Church

April 29th-30th U-City in Bloom Plant Sale

9 am April 30th Partners for Native Landscaping Native Plant Sale & Native Plant Swap @ Beyond Housing. Preorder from vendors for pick up or shop from what is available that day.

9 am to 1 pm May 6th Wildflower Market @ Shaw Nature Reserve. $5

8 am to 5 pm May 6th Franklin County Master Gardeners Plant Sale at J.C. Penny Parking Lot, Washington MO

May 6th Webster Groves Women’s Garden Association Plant Sale at First Congregational Church

10 am May 13th World Bird Sanctuary Native Plant Sale. Preorder from vendors for pick up or shop from what is available that day.

9 am to 5 pm May 20th & 21st St. Louis Hosta Society Show and Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden. Entrance included with Garden Admission. Garden Admission is FREE to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents 7 am to Noon Wednesdays and Saturdays.

9 am to 5 pm May27th Rose Society of Greater St. Louis Show and Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden. Entrance included with Garden Admission. Garden Admission is FREE to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents 7 am to Noon Wednesdays and Saturdays.

9 am to 5 pm June 10th Carnivorous Plant Society Show and Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden. Entrance included with Garden Admission. Garden Admission is FREE to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents 7 am to Noon Wednesdays and Saturdays.

9 am to 5 pm June 24th Kimmswick Daylily Sale to benefit Kimmswick Visitor Center, Jefferson County.

Join us Sundays on Spoutible or Twitter for #GardenSunday to interact with other outdoor and indoor gardeners and nature enthusiasts, ask questions, give answers, share photos.

This Week In Gardening & Nature

This week in the garden: Outdoors- sow radishes. Indoors- start tomatoes. Plan your 2023 Garden with Seed St. Louis Seed Starting/Planting Calendar

Seed St. Louis Planting Guides
Asparagus Leeks Onions Potatoes Strawberries

4 pm Wednesday St. Louis Public Library craft event for Kids Ages 7-12: Let’s Make A Garden! @ Machacek Library, Lindenwood

5 pm Wednesday Arboretum Walking Tour @ Wildwood Valley Gardens, Bellefontaine Cemetery. Horticulturist led walk. Register

6 pm Thursday Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: Composting 101. Register

Volunteers Wanted: 9 am Friday Arbor Day Tree Planting @ Tower Grove Park. Register

Noon Saturday St. Louis Public Library event: Forest Park Owls:-Hiding in Plain Sight with naturalist Mark H.X. Glenshaw @ Carpenter Library, Tower Grove South

Volunteers Wanted: 1 pm Saturday 8th Forest ReLeaf’s Open Nursery Potting Day @ CommuniTree Gardens, Maryland Hts. Register

6 pm April 10th University of Missouri Extension Online Class: Produce Safety in Community Gardens. Register

10 am April 11th Trolley Tour @ Bellefontaine Cemetery Two-hour trolley tour led by a Master Guide sharing horticulture and arboretum highlights Tickets $5. Register

2 pm April 11th Arboretum Walking Tour at Bellefontaine Cemetery. Horticulturist led walk. Register

10 am April 12th Thursday Bellefontaine in Bloom at Bellefontaine Cemetery. 2 Hour walking tour with master guide. Register

4 pm April 12th Missouri Prairie Foundation Zoom Class: The Tallgrass Prairie of Missouri Above and Below the Soil Surface. Register

7 am to 7:30 pm April 15th Veterans Free Fishing Day at Bennett Spring State Park, Lebanon MO

8 am to 2 pm April 15th Native Plant Workshop and Plant Sale at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood. Hosted by Partners for Native Landscaping.

9 am to Noon April 15th Arbor Day Tree Giveaway at Bellefontaine Cemetery

3:30 pm April 15th Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Class: Naturalist Note- Wild Warblers. Improve your warbler identification. Register

Volunteers Wanted for 9 am April 18th Plant It Forward at Tower Grove Park. Helping the Horticulture Team maintain the beautiful flower beds. Register

Noon April 18th Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Class: Spring Wildflowers of Southeast Missouri. The swamps and bottomlands of the Bootheel offer a variety of plants found nowhere else in the state. Register

2 pm April 18th Arboretum Walking Tour at Bellefontaine Cemetery. Horticulturist led walk. Register

4 pm April 18th St. Louis Public Library event for K-6 Kids: Make A Rain Gauge @ Machacek Library, Lindenwood

6 pm April 18th Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Class: Barn Owl Biology. Register

Volunteers Wanted for 9 am April 20th Plant It Forward at Tower Grove Park. Helping the Horticulture Team maintain the beautiful flower beds. Register

10 am April 20th Thursday Bellefontaine in Bloom at Bellefontaine Cemetery. 2 Hour walking tour with master guide. Register

6 pm April 20th Seed St. Louis Online Class: Gardening for the Environment. Register

8:30 am April 23rd St. Louis Audubon Society’s Youth & Families Beginner Bird Walk @ Tower Grove Park. 16 Tickets remaining. Register

Volunteers Wanted for 9 am April 25th Plant It Forward at Tower Grove Park. Helping the Horticulture Team maintain the beautiful flower beds. Register

4:30 pm April 25th St. Louis Public Library event for K-6 Kids: Hands-on STEM- Earth Day Wildflower Seed Balls and Launcher! @ Julia Davis Library, Penrose

4 pm April 26th Missouri Prairie Foundation Zoom Class: Spring Into Action for Declining Birds. Register

Volunteers Wanted for 9 am April 27th Plant It Forward at Tower Grove Park. Helping the Horticulture Team maintain the beautiful flower beds. Register

April 28th-29th St. Louis Herb Society Plant Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden

For Teachers.10 am April 29th Seed St. Louis In-Person Class at Carriage House: Summer Strategies for the School Garden. Register

8 pm April 29th Stargazing at Tower Grove Park with St. Louis Astronomical Society

U-City in Bloom Plant Sale is usually last week of April but there’s no 2023 info yet

9 am April 30th Seed St. Louis & Trailnet Tour de Plants Community Ride. $15, $20. Register

9 am April 30th Partners for Native Landscaping Native Plant Sale & Native Plant Swap @ Beyond Housing. Preorder from vendors for pick up or shop from what is available that day.

9 am to 1 pm May 6th Wildflower Market @ Shaw Nature Reserve. $5

Join us Sundays on Spoutible or Twitter for #GardenSunday to interact with other outdoor and indoor gardeners and nature enthusiasts, ask questions, give answers, share photos.

Ward Profiles Updated

Old black and white photo of St. Louis City Hall

As St. Louis City election returns come in, you can check your ward to see who legally bought access to the Board President and your new Alder here.

Campaign finance laws are completely useless under a system that allows legal money laundering, and makes conflict of interest laws a moot point, and a culture of ignoring the ethical lapses of leaders in order to feel like part of a winning team.

School Board Candidate Profiles Updated

Benjamin Banneker Elementary, a school for Black children in circa 1900 segregated St. Louis City. Banneker was an African American astronomer, mathematician, and architect, Photo located at Missouri History Museum.

Two St. Louis City Pubic School Board candidate profiles have been updated with 8 Days Out campaign finance report information. Tracy Hykes and Sadie Weiss submitted their required information to Missouri Ethics Commission. You can find their information here.

Hykes and Weiss have been endorsed by American Federal of Teachers Local 420.

Candidate Jaile’Shawn Quinones did not file a committee with MEC.

Next Tuesday, City voters will elect two new School Board Members. No excuse Absentee Voting (what Missouri calls early voting) is currently available at four locations.

This Week In Gardening & Nature

Patrick Dexter on cello: Ukrainian folk song- “Oh, In the Cherry Garden” (YouTube)

This week in the garden: Outdoors- sow radishes. Indoors- start tomatoes. Plan your 2023 Garden with Seed St. Louis Seed Starting/Planting Calendar

Seed St. Louis Planting Guides
Asparagus Leeks Onions Potatoes Strawberries

The Big List of St. Louis Area Plant Sales: African Violets, Carnivorous, Daylilies, Gesneriads, Herbs, Hostas, Iris, Native Plants, Perennials, Roses, Veggies, Wildflowers

Want to see something magnificent? Audubon Society’s Sandhill Crane Cam @ Rowe Sanctuary, Platte River Valley, Gibbon, Nebraska. See hundreds of thousands of Sandhill Cranes at dusk and dawn.

10 am Tuesday Bellefontaine in Bloom at Bellefontaine Cemetery. 2 Hour walking tour with master guide. Register

7 pm Tuesday St. Louis County Library & Partners for Native Landscaping Virtual Class: Our Garden is for the Birds. Margy Terpstra, St. Louis Audubon Society, talks about the status of our native birds, both resident and migratory. Register

2 pm Wednesday St. Louis County Library & Partners for Native Landscaping Virtual Class: Shade Gardening with Native Plants. Register

4 pm Wednesday Grow Native! Zoom Master Class: Prairie Garden Primer for Town and Country. Free to Missouri Prairie Foundation members and Grow Native professional members. $15 nonmembers. Register

April Brightside St. Louis Project Blitz Events. Volunteers wanted Saturday for street, alley, vacant lot clean ups in Old North, Marine Villa-Dutchtown South, Delmar. Register

10 am to 6 pm Friday & Saturday Gateway Outdoor Expo @ Tower Grove Park

8 am Saturday St. Louis Audubon Society’s Beginner Bird Walk @ Forest Park

Kansas City Area Gardeners: 8 am to 2 pm Saturday KC Food Circle™ kicks off farmers market season w/ Eat Local & Organic Expo @ Johnson County Community College. Organic produce & seedlings + Native Plants + Free range meat/poultry

9 am Saturday Missouri Conservation Dept event @ Fort Belle Fontaine County Park: Native Plants- Ephemeral Walk at Fort Belle. 5 Tickets remaining. Register

9 am to Noon Saturday Seed St. Louis Spring Plant Sale @ Carriage House, 3815 Bell. Arrive early for best selection. Bring a box lid to carry your plants. $4 seedling 6-packs. Available at this Sale: Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Bok Choy, Collards, Dinosaur Kale, Lettuce

Springfield Gardeners: 9 am to 1 pm Saturday Missouri Conservation Department Native Plant Sale and Gardening Demos @ Springfield Conservation Nature Center

4 pm April 4th St. Louis Public Library craft event for K-6 Kids: Make Your Own Chia Pet @ Divoll Library, Fairground

7 pm April 4th St. Louis County Library & Partners for Native Landscaping Virtual Class: Understanding Native Trees and Shrubs with James Faupel, Litzsinger Road Ecology Center. Register

4 pm April 5th 4 pm April 4th St. Louis Public Library craft event for Kids Ages 7-12: Let’s Make A Garden! @ Machacek Library, Lindenwood

6 pm April 6th Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: Composting 101. Register

Volunteers Wanted: 9 am April 7th Arbor Day Tree Planting @ Tower Grove Park. Register

Noon April 8th St. Louis Public Library event: Forest Park Owls:-Hiding in Plain Sight with naturalist Mark H.X. Glenshaw @ Carpenter Library, Tower Grove South

Volunteers Wanted: 1 pm April 8th Forest ReLeaf’s Open Nursery Potting Day @ CommuniTree Gardens, Maryland Hts. Register

4 pm April 12th Missouri Prairie Foundation Zoom Class: The Tallgrass Prairie of Missouri Above and Below the Soil Surface. Register

8 am to 2 pm April 15th Native Plant Workshop and Plant Sale at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood. Hosted by Partners for Native Landscaping.

3:30 pm April 15th Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Class: Naturalist Note- Wild Warblers. Improve your warbler identification. Register

Noon April 18th Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Class: Spring Wildflowers of Southeast Missouri. The swamps and bottomlands of the Bootheel offer a variety of plants found nowhere else in the state. Register

4 pm April 18th St. Louis Public Library event for K-6 Kids: Make A Rain Gauge @ Machacek Library, Lindenwood

6 pm April 18th Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Class: Barn Owl Biology. Register

8:30 am April 23rd St. Louis Audubon Society’s Youth & Families Beginner Bird Walk @ Tower Grove Park. 16 Tickets remaining. Register

4:30 pm April 25th St. Louis Public Library event for K-6 Kids: Hands-on STEM- Earth Day Wildflower Seed Balls and Launcher! @ Julia Davis Library, Penrose

4 pm April 26th Missouri Prairie Foundation Zoom Class: Spring Into Action for Declining Birds. Register

April 28th-29th St. Louis Herb Society Plant Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden

U-City in Bloom Plant Sale is usually last week of April but there’s no 2023 info yet

9 am April 30th Partners for Native Landscaping Native Plant Sale & Native Plant Swap @ Beyond Housing. Preorder from vendors for pick up or shop from what is available that day.

9 am to 1 pm May 6th Wildflower Market @ Shaw Nature Reserve. $5

Join us Sundays on Spoutible or Twitter for #GardenSunday to interact with other outdoor and indoor gardeners and nature enthusiasts, ask questions, give answers, share photos.

Ward Profiles Now Have Election Results

All New Ward Profiles have been updated with both Primary Election Results and campaign finance information for Board President and Alder candidates. There’s info toward the top of each page as well as each candidate’s profile.

I chose to not use percentage of votes because Tuesday the Election Board changed percentages to the Approval Rating percentages. Those do not add up to 100% because voters may “approve” of more than one candidate in the Primary. It’s too big a hassle to explain what it all means.

Under the City’s Approval Voting system, the top two candidates from the Primary advance to the General Election.

Under a 50% +1 to avoid run off system, 5 of 14 Alder races would not need a General Election. Shane Cohn would be the winner in 3rd Ward; Joe Vollmer in 5th Ward; Daniela Velázquez in 6th Ward; Shameem Clark-Hubbard in 10th Ward; and Laura Keys in 11th Ward.

This Week In Gardening & Nature

Want to see something magnificent? Audubon Society’s Sandhill Crane Cam @ Rowe Sanctuary, Platte River Valley, Gibbon, Nebraska. See hundreds of thousands of Sandhill Cranes at dusk and dawn.

This week in the garden: Transplant- broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, bok choy; Sow Outdoors- beets, carrots, parsley, spinach, turnips. Plan your 2023 Garden with Seed St. Louis Seed Starting/Planting Calendar

Seed St. Louis Planting Guides
Asparagus Leeks Onions Potatoes Strawberries

How to Bake Pine Needle Sugar Cookies with Foraged Pine Needles: YouTube Recipe

The Big List of St. Louis Area Plant Sales: African Violets, Carnivorous, Daylilies, Gesneriads, Herbs, Hostas, Iris, Native Plants, Perennials, Roses, Veggies, Wildflowers

10 am Tuesday Trolley Tour at Bellefontaine Cemetery. Two-hour trolley tour led by a Master Guide sharing horticulture and arboretum highlights. Tickets $5. Register

4 pm Tuesday St. Louis Public Library craft/STEM event for K-6 Kids: Make a Weather Vane @ Machacek Library, Lindenwood

10 am Thursday Bellefontaine in Bloom at Bellefontaine Cemetery. 2 Hour walking tour with master guide. Register

6 pm Thursday Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: Spring Crops & Planning your Growing Space. Register

3:30 pm Friday Missouri Conservation Dept Zoom Class: Native Plants- Right Plant Right Spot. Register

9 am Saturday Forest ReLeaf event. Volunteers wanted. Tree Planting at Ruth Porter Mall Spring Tree Planting, St. Vincent Greenway. Register

10 am Saturday Missouri Conservation Dept Class at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood. Native Plants: Tasty Tree-ts. Explore winter wild edibles! 5 Seats remaining. Register

Volunteers Wanted for 10 am Saturday Delmar (Vandeventer to Boyle) Litter Pick Up on Tree Planting Day. Join SLACO, Forest ReLeaf, Vandeventer Community Development Corp, Brightside St. Louis, and AmeriCorps to clean up Delmar as City Forestry plants 102 trees. Register

10 am Saturday Missouri Conservation Dept In-Person Class: Native Plants- Tasty Tree-ts @ Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center. 5 Seats remaining. Register

10 am March 28th Bellefontaine in Bloom at Bellefontaine Cemetery. 2 Hour walking tour with master guide. Register

4 pm March 29th Grow Native! Zoom Master Class: Prairie Garden Primer for Town and Country. Free to Missouri Prairie Foundation members and Grow Native professional members. $15 nonmembers. Register

Noon March 30th Missouri Conservation Dept Zoom Class: Wild Edibles- Edible Redbud Blossoms. Register

April Brightside St. Louis Project Blitz Events. Volunteers wanted. Register

8 am April 1st St. Louis Audubon Society’s Beginner Bird Walk @ Forest Park

9 am April 1st Missouri Conservation Dept event @ Fort Belle Fontaine County Park: Native Plants- Ephemeral Walk at Fort Belle. 5 Tickets remaining. Register

9 am to Noon April 1st Seed St. Louis Spring Plant Sale @ Carriage House, 3815 Bell. Arrive early for best selection. Bring a box lid to carry your plants. $4 seedling 6-packs. Available at this Sale: Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Bok Choy, Collards, Dinosaur Kale, Lettuce

Native Plant Sales Return: 8 am to 4 pm April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and May 20, 27 Missouri Wildflower Nursery @ Kirkwood Farmer’s Market. Order in advance– by Tuesday prior to market day- or buy what they bring to Market

4 pm April 4th St. Louis Public Library craft event for K-6 Kids: Make Your Own Chia Pet @ Divoll Library, Fairground

4 pm April 5th 4 pm April 4th St. Louis Public Library craft event for Kids Ages 7-12: Let’s Make A Garden! @ Machacek Library, Lindenwood

6 pm April 6th Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: Composting 101. Register

4 pm April 12th Missouri Prairie Foundation Zoom Class: The Tallgrass Prairie of Missouri Above and Below the Soil Surface. Register

8 am to 2 pm April 15th Native Plant Workshop and Plant Sale at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood. Hosted by Partners for Native Landscaping.

4 pm April 26th Missouri Prairie Foundation Zoom Class: Spring Into Action for Declining Birds. Register

April 28th-29th St. Louis Herb Society Plant Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden

U-City in Bloom Plant Sale is usually last week of April but there’s no 2023 info yet

9 am April 30th Partners for Native Landscaping Native Plant Sale & Native Plant Swap @ Beyond Housing. Preorder from vendors for pick up or shop from what is available that day.

9 am to 1 pm May 6th Wildflower Market @ Shaw Nature Reserve. $5

Join us Sundays on Spoutible or Twitter for #GardenSunday to interact with other outdoor and indoor gardeners and nature enthusiasts, ask questions, give answers, share photos.

School Board Candidate Profiles Updated

St. Louis City voters will elect two new School Board Members from three candidates on April 4th. No excuse Absentee Voting (what Missouri calls early voting) begins Tuesday, April 21st at four locations. No incumbent School Board Members are on the ballot.

School Board Candidate Profiles are posted here. Not much to see.

One candidate doesn’t have a candidate committee filed with Missouri Ethics Commission.

Only one candidate has a website. I don’t count Facebook. Don’t use it and will not encourage people to use it.

One candidate lives in a tax abated development. Tax abated means public school kids helped pay for it.

Future campaign finance reports due/may be due:

8 Day Before General Election Report. Close: 3/23/2023. Due: 3/27/2023. Required if Committee made Expenditures (paid or incurred) or made Contributions for the election. Noon Friday, Missouri Ethics Commission will conduct a webinar on how to complete this report.

Mandatory April Quarterly Report. Close: 3/31/2023. Due: 4/17/2023.

30 Day After Election Report. Close: 4/29/2023. Due: 5/4/2023. Required if Committee made Expenditures (paid or incurred) or made Contributions for the election. If this report is required, it must be filed prior to taking office. If debt exceeds $1,000, Committee may not file Limited Activity for this report.

Additional Campaign Finance Reporting

48 Hour Report of Contribution over $5,000: Due within 48 Hours after receipt.
24 Hour Notice of Late Contribution Over $250 Received Less Than 12 Days Before Election: Due within 24 Hours after receipt.
24 Hour Late Expenditure Report by Continuing Committees (PACs including ward committees): Due within 24 Hours after paid or incurred.

Campaign Finance Info Added to Ward Profiles

St. Louis City New Ward Profiles have been updated with 8 Days Before Primary Reports, Amended Reports, and 24 Hour Later Expenditure Reports for Board President, Alders and Alder candidates, School Board Members and School Board candidates, Candidate PACs, Ward PACs, Political Party Committeepeople, other elected officials, former elected officials who still have accounts.

Next up, I will add Primary Election Results.

New campaign finance information will be added as it comes in and I have time or inclination to do so. No one really cares about campaign money unless it is damaging to an opponent, which really blows.

Future campaign finance reports due/may be due:

30 Day After Primary Election Report. Close: 4/1/2023. Due: Due: 4/6/2023. Required if Committee made Expenditures (paid or incurred) or made Contributions for the election. If debt exceeds $1,000, Committee may not file Limited Activity for this report.

Additional Campaign Finance Reporting

48 Hour Report of Contribution over $5,000: Due within 48 Hours after receipt.
24 Hour Notice of Late Contribution Over $250 Received Less Than 12 Days Before Election: Due within 24 Hours after receipt.
24 Hour Late Expenditure Report by Continuing Committees (PACs including ward committees): Due within 24 Hours after paid or incurred.