Upcoming STL Plant Sales: Veggies, Herbs, Natives

Native Plant Sales across Missouri sponsored by Grow Native!

March 10th & 11th Midwestern Herb & Garden Show in Mount Vernon, Illinois

9 am to Noon March 11th Seed St. Louis Spring Sale @ Carriage House, 3815 Bell. Arrive early for best selection. Bring a box lid to carry your plants. Available at this Sale: Potatoes, Onion bulbs, Asparagus crowns, bare root Strawberries, Leek starts, Mushroom spawn, all with instructions

Registration Begins March 15th for 2023 Callery (Bradford) Pear Buyback Program. Missouri Invasive Plant Council in partnership with Forest ReLeaf, Forrest Keeling Nursery, and Missouri Conservation Dept will host “buyback” around the state on April 18. Homeowners are invited to cut down one or more Callery pear trees and receive one free, non-invasive tree at this event.

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

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.

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

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 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

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

This Week in Gardening & Nature

A Life Bird for a President. The true story of how former President Jimmy Carter saw his first Painted Bunting. – August 2012 issue of BirdWatching. Painted Buntings are seen in Southwest Missouri with occasional sightings in St. Charles County Mo and St. Clair County IL as well as Boone County in Central Missouri.

Missouri Botanical Garden Spring and Summer Classes

Nature, Gardening, Horticulture, Ecology: 2023 St. Louis Community College Continuing Education Classes, some online, some in person. Fees apply

New Direction’s in the American Landscsapes’ March – April Virtual Education Series. Classes are $42 each and are 2-5 sessions each.

Wild Ones Free St. Louis Native Garden Design

Wild Ones Sample Native Plants Ordinance

Thru next Sunday Orchid Show at Missouri Botanical Garden. Tickets

Start eggplant and lettuce seeds indoors this week. Plan your 2023 Garden with Seed St. Louis Seed Starting/Planting Calendar

Blog post on Mushrooms: buying spores from Seed St. Louis, growing info, mushroom hunting in MO and IL, online class, psychedelics legislation, more

10 am Thursday Missouri Conservation Dept. Virtual Class: Becoming a Bluebird Landlord. Register

6 pm Thursday Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: Who is Pollinating Your Food? Register

9-11 am Saturday Missouri Botanical Garden Black History Month event: Black Farmer Panel Discussion @ Visitor Center. Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents with proof of residency and MoBot members.

Volunteers Wanted for 9 am Saturday Forest ReLeaf Tree Pruning at Penrose Park. Register

10 am Saturday Missouri Conservation Dept Virtual Class: DIY Native Landscape Design. 12 Seats remaining. Register

10 am March 1st Bellefontaine in Bloom at Bellefontaine Cemetery. 2 Hour Walking Tour with Master Guide. Register

Noon March 1st Missouri Conservation Dept Zoom Class: Mushrooms- Meet the Morels. Register

4 pm March 1st Missouri Prairie Foundation Zoom Class: Deciphering Botanical Latin. Register

3:30 pm March 3rd Missouri Conservation Dept Zoom Class: Native Plants- Creating a Butterfly Garden. Register

8 am March 4th St. Louis Audubon Society Beginner Bird Walk @ Forest Park. Free. Register

10 am March 4th Missouri Conservation Dept event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Area: Family Invasive Species Day. Ages 12 and older. Register

7 pm March 7th St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Birds, Bees, Flowers & Trees. Register

2 pm March 8th St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Homegrown National Park is Growing Here! Register

7:30 am to Noon March 10th Grow Native’s Native By Design: Community Conservation Conference at Lewis & Clark Community College, Edwardsville IL. Register

3:30 pm March 10th Missouri Conservation Dept Zoom Class: Planting an Edible Native Garden. Register

9 am to Noon March 11th Seed St. Louis Spring Sale @ Carriage House, 3815 Bell. Arrive early for best selection. Bring a box lid to carry your plants. Available at this Sale: Sweet Potato slips, Onion bulbs, Asparagus crowns, bare root Strawberries, Leek starts, Mushroom spawn, all with instructions

10 am March 11th Missouri Conservation Dept event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center: Native Plants- Tasty Tree-ts. Learn how to make Shagbark Hickory bark syrup. 8 Tickets remaining. Register

Noon March 14th Missouri Conservation Dept Zoom Class: Native Plants- Caring for Pollinators. Register

7 pm March 14th St. Louis County Public Library Zoom Class: Container Gardening with Native Plants. Register

2 pm March 15th St. Louis County Public Library Zoom Class: Transforming a Yard from Invasives to Natives. Register

6 pm March 16th Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: Growing & Processing Staple Foods. Register

9 am March 25th Forest ReLeaf event. Volunteers wanted. Tree Planting at Ruth Porter Mall Spring Tree Planting, St. Vincent Greenway. Register

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

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

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.

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

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.

Shrooms: Growing, Hunting, Psychedelics Legislation

Large morel mushroom next to table fork for scale

Growing

Seed St. Louis will be selling Mushroom Spores ‘Wine Cap’ at its March 11th Sale. $5 for one pound of mushroom spawn, enough for 10 square feet. Grow in full shade to part sun in wood chips/mulch or straw mulched areas of garden.

Here’s a nice Wine Cap Mushroom Growing Guide from Seed St. Louis

University of Missouri Extension’s: Growing Shiitake Mushrooms in an Agroforestry Practice

Hunting

Noon March 1st there’s a Zoom Class by Missouri Conservation Department: Mushrooms- Meet the Morels. Register

Missouri Conservation Department’s A Guide to Missouri’s Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms

March/April 2021 Missouri Life magazine article: Fascinating Fungi (includes various mushroom seasons)

Illinois Natural Resources Department’s Illinois Mushrooms poster

Illinois Mycological Association

Missouri Mycological Association

Psychedelic Therapy Legislation

Missouri Republican pushes to legalize ‘magic mushrooms’ to treat depression, PTSD – Missouri Independent, January 30, 2023

Illinois lawmaker introduces bill to create regulated psychedelic therapy program – WCIA, January 18, 2023

Can Psychedelics Solve the Youth Mental Health Crisis? Nearly two-thirds of young adults report having either depression or anxiety. In California, Connecticut, Illinois, and other states, lawmakers are considering their options for psychedelics legalization. – The Nation, February 3, 2023

This Week in Gardening & Nature

Nature, Gardening, Horticulture, Ecology: 2023 St. Louis Community College Continuing Education Classes, some online, some in person. Fees apply

Fun Valentine’s Day project for kids of all ages. Herb & Flower Lollipops (YouTube) via P. Allen Smith

Thru February 26 Orchid Show at Missouri Botanical Garden. Tickets

Start boy choy and mustard greens indoors this week. Plan your 2023 Garden with Seed St. Louis Seed Starting/Planting Calendar

Blog post on Mushrooms: buying spores from Seed St. Louis, growing info, mushroom hunting in MO and IL, online class, psychedelics legislation, more

1 pm Tuesday Missouri Conservation Dept Online Class- Native Plants: Plant Romance. “All registrants for this event must be between 14 and 120 years of age by 2/14/2023.” Register

Noon Wednesday University of Missouri Extension’s Garden Hour on YouTube

4 pm Wednesday Grow Native Zoom Master Class: Practical Magic for Pondscapes. Free to Missouri Prairie Foundation members and Grow Native! professional m embers. $15 for non-members. Register

Hey, teachers & parents 6 pm Wednesday Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: School Garden Design. Start planning now for September-May 2023-2024 school gardens. Register

6 pm Thursday Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: Dormant Fruit Tree Pruning. Register

6:30 pm Thursday Missouri Conservation Dept. Virtual Class: Birding in Winter. Register

6 pm Friday Missouri Conservation Dept. Virtual Class: Common Raptors of Missouri. Register

4:30 pm Saturday St. Louis Audubon Society Owl Prowl at Forest Park. Register

10 am Feb 23rd Missouri Conservation Dept. Virtual Class: Becoming a Bluebird Landlord. Register

6 pm Feb 23rd Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: Who is Pollinating Your Food? Register

9:30 am Feb 24th Missouri Conservation Dept event at Victoria Glades Conservation Area, Hillsboro, Jefferson County: Winter Glade Hike @ Victoria Glades. Only 3 Tickets remaining. Register

Volunteers Wanted 9 am Feb 25th for Forest ReLeaf Pruning at Penrose Park. Register

10 am Feb 25th Missouri Conservation Dept Virtual Class: DIY Native Landscape Design. 12 Seats remaining. Register

4:30 pm Feb 25th St. Louis Audubon Society Owl Prowl at Forest Park. Register

10 am March 1st Bellefontaine in Bloom at Bellefontaine Cemetery. 2 Hour Walking Tour with Master Guide. Register

Noon March 1st Missouri Conservation Dept Virtual Class: Mushrooms- Meet the Morels. Register

4 pm March 1st Missouri Prairie Foundation Zoom Class: Deciphering Botanical Latin. Register

3:30 pm March 3rd Missouri Conservation Dept Virtual Class: Native Plants- Creating a Butterfly Garden. Register

10 am March 4th Missouri Conservation Dept event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Area: Family Invasive Species Day. Ages 12 and older. Register

2 pm March 8th St. Louis County Library Virtual Class: Homegrown National Park is Growing Here! Register

7:30 am to Noon March 10th Grow Native’s Native By Design: Community Conservation Conference at Lewis & Clark Community College, Edwardsville IL. Register

3:30 pm March 10th Missouri Conservation Dept Virtual Class: Planting an Edible Native Garden. Register

Noon March 14th Missouri Conservation Dept Virtual Class: Native Plants- Caring for Pollinators. Register

9 am March 25th Forest ReLeaf event. Volunteers wanted. Tree Planting at Ruth Porter Mall Spring Tree Planting, St. Vincent Greenway. Register

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

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.

Candidate Requirements Updated, Prez Caucus Date Unknown

Six question marks, one each yellow, green, orange, pink, dark blue, light blue

Missouri & St. Louis City Candidate Age & Residency Qualifications page has been updated with 2026 election cycle date for offices elected in 2022.

Date of the Missouri 2024 Presidential Caucuses, which replace statewide Presidential Primary, remain a mystery. Elimination of Presidential Primaries in Missouri was a part of the voter suppression bill passed by Republicans last year and signed into law by Governor Mike Parson.

But two Republican Missouri House members want to bring back March Presidential Primaries to the State. Neither House Bill 267 nor House Bill 347 has been assigned to a committee yet, let alone had a hearing.

Further Reading: Uncertainty abounds as Missouri prepares for 2024 presidential caucuses, Columbia Missourian, July 23, 2022

2023 School Board Candidate Profiles

St. Louis City School Board candidates needed their own page in addition to inclusion in New Ward Profiles.

You can now find Profiles for the three School Board candidates here.

The School Board is elected at-large in citywide elections, not by district/ward. The next School Board election is April 4th. In this election, the top two of three candidates will join the Board.

Information on the current School Board here.

This Week in Gardening & Nature

Thru February 26 Orchid Show at Missouri Botanical Garden. Tickets

February Gardening Tips & Tasks, Pests & Problems from Missouri Botanical Garden. Now is the time to sow larkspur, sweet pea, snapdragon, Shirley poppy seeds!

Seed St. Louis Seed Starting Class on YouTube

Start cauliflower, chard, collards, kale, kohlrabi, parsley seeds indoors this week. Plan your 2023 Garden with Seed St. Louis Seed Starting/Planting Calendar

Missouri and Illinois Endangered Species- Animals and Plants

6 pm Monday Missouri Department of Conservation Virtual Class: Invasive Species- Identify and Manage Exotic Invasive Plants. Learn how to identify and manage exotic invasive plants. 33 Tickets remaining. Register

Saturday is Eagle Days at Audubon Center at Riverlands, West Alton (Not Chain of Rocks Bridge). Register

11 am Feb 14th For Kids, 3-6 Year Olds. Missouri Conservation Dept program at Tower Grove Park, Stupp Center. Conservation Kids: You and Me under the Canopy- Making Tracks. Register

1 pm Feb 14th Missouri Conservation Dept Online Class- Native Plants: Plant Romance. “All registrants for this event must be between 14 and 120 years of age by 2/14/2023.” Register

4 pm Feb 15th Grow Native Zoom Master Class: Practical Magic for Pondscapes. Free to Missouri Prairie Foundation members and Grow Native! professional members. $15 for non-members. Register

Hey, teachers & parents 6 pm February 15th Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: School Garden Design. Start planning now for September-May 2023-2024 school gardens. Register

6 pm Feb 16th Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: Dormant Fruit Tree Pruning. Register

6:30 pm Feb 16th Missouri Conservation Dept. Virtual Class: Birding in Winter. Register

6 pm Feb 17th Missouri Conservation Dept. Virtual Class: Common Raptors of Missouri. Register

4:30 pm Feb 18th St. Louis Audubon Society Owl Prowl at Forest Park. Register

10 am Feb 23rd Missouri Conservation Dept. Virtual Class: Becoming a Bluebird Landlord. Register

6 pm Feb 23rd Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: Who is Pollinating Your Food? Register

Volunteers Wanted 9 am Feb 25th for Forest ReLeaf Pruning at Penrose Park. Register

4:30 pm Feb 25th St. Louis Audubon Society Owl Prowl at Forest Park. Register

10 am March 1st Bellefontaine in Bloom at Bellefontaine Cemetery. 2 Hour Walking Tour with Master Guide. Register

7:30 am to Noon March 10th Grow Native’s Native By Design: Community Conservation Conference at Lewis & Clark Community College, Edwardsville IL. Register

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.

New Ward Profiles Updated

40 Days Before Election campaign finance report information and other committee changes have been added to the New Ward Profiles.

Mostly, these are updates to candidate for Alder and changes to ward committees.

Next up are 8 Days Before Election Reports: Due February 27th. Required only if committee 1) had expenses (paid or incurred) or 2) donated to another committee. The closing date for this report is February 23rd.

The New Ward Profiles WILL NOT be updated with:

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.

Contributions and expenditures reported in these filings are included in the next report filed by the committee. There are too many candidates in this election cycle for one person (me) to keep up with these kinds of filings.

This Week in Gardening & Nature

February Gardening Tips & Tasks, Pests & Problems from Missouri Botanical Garden. Now is the time to sow larkspur, sweet pea, snapdragon, Shirley poppy seeds!

February Garden To Do List from P. Allen Smith

Thru February 26 Orchid Show at Missouri Botanical Garden. Tickets

Thru Sunday- Audubon Society Bows for Birds Challenge. Where: Missouri Botanical Garden, Forest Park, Lafayette Park, Bellerive Park, Powder Valley Conservation… Prizes include Tickets for Big Muddy Adventures, Alpine Shop, Cardinals Baseball…

Seed St. Louis Seed Starting Class on YouTube

Start cauliflower, chard, collards, kale, kohlrabi, parsley seeds indoors this week. Plan your 2023 Garden with Seed St. Louis Seed Starting/Planting Calendar

4 pm Wednesday Grow Native! Webinar: Meaningful Design and Stewardship of Native Landscapes With Missouri Conservation Department Native Landscape Specialists. Register

6 pm Thursday Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: Jump Starting the Growing Season. Register

10 am Saturday Missouri Conservation Dept Nature Hike: Ellis Island has Eagles and Swans and Geese, Oh My. Columbia Bottom Conservation Area, meet at Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, East of Hwy 67, West Alton. 12 Tickets remaining. Register

6 pm Feb 6th Missouri Department of Conservation Virtual Class: Invasive Species- Identify and Manage Exotic Invasive Plants. Learn how to identify and manage exotic invasive plants. 33 Tickets remaining. Register

Register for 8 am to 3 pm Feb 11th Seed St. Louis Community Agriculture Conference, In Person and Virtual. $15 but scholarships available. Keynote Presentation: Soul Farmer, Tyrean “Heru” Lewis. Sessions: Growing Mushrooms at Home, Help Pollinators & Increase Your Harvest, Wild Edibles of Missouri, Growing Microgreens 101, Schoolyard Animal Husbandry, Free Plants in the Kitchen Garden, Lacto Ferment Your Garden Produce for Better Gut Health, What is Therapeutic Horticulture?, Land Trust Garden Update

Feb 11th Eagle Days at Audubon Center at Riverlands, West Alton (Not Chain of Rocks Bridge). Register

11 am Feb 14th For Kids, 3-6 Year Olds. Missouri Conservation Dept program at Tower Grove Park, Stupp Center. Conservation Kids: You and Me under the Canopy- Making Tracks. Register

1 pm Feb 14th Missouri Conservation Dept Online Class- Native Plants: Plant Romance. “All registrants for this event must be between 14 and 120 years of age by 2/14/2023.” Register

4 pm Feb 15th Grow Native Zoom Master Class: Practical Magic for Pondscapes. Free to Missouri Prairie Foundation members and Grow Native! professional members. $15 for non-members. Register

Hey, teachers & parents 6 pm February 15th Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: School Garden Design. Start planning now for September-May 2023-2024 school gardens. Register

Volunteers Wanted 9 am Feb 25th for Forest ReLeaf Pruning at Penrose Park. Register

10 am March 1st Bellefontaine in Bloom at Bellefontaine Cemetery. 2 Hour Walking Tour with Master Guide. Register

7:30 am to Noon March 10th Grow Native’s Native By Design: Community Conservation Conference at Lewis & Clark Community College, Edwardsville IL. 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: Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Bok Choy, Collards, Dinosaur Kale, Lettuce. More Info

Join us Sundays on Twitter for #GardenSunday with host @stl7thward to interact with other outdoor and indoor gardeners and nature enthusiasts, ask questions, give answers, share photos.

Familiar But Better Than Twitter- Monday Pre-Registration Deadline

Spoutible.com is what Twitter could’ve been if Twitter cared more about its users than profit.- Christopher Bouzy, founder of Spoutible and founder of Bot Sentinel, a company specializing in identifying and understanding disinformation and targeted attacks on social media platforms.

Spoutible is the new social media platform that prioritizes the protection of its users from abuse and disinformation.

By using advanced moderation tools, privacy and security features, fact-checking tools, and transparency and accountability features, Spoutible will strive to create a safe and trustworthy environment for users.

Spoutible’s mission is to build a better and more informed social media platform where people can connect, share ideas, and stay informed without fear of abuse or disinformation.

Main advantages of Spoutible: 1. Safety & Security. 2. Diversity. 3. Users come before profits. 4. Spoutible will develop and deploy new features faster than all of the competitors. 5. Spoutible is committed to news outlets and journalists.

Deadline to Pre-Register for Spoutible is Today, Monday, January 30th. After today, there will be a one week wait to register while the rest of us (over 150,000 pre-registered) grab our account name of choice and give the platform a test run.

Tomorrow/Tuesday is the Spoutible Pre-Launch Q&A

Wednesday is Spoutible’s launch.

Please join me over on Spoutible.

Some Details You Might Want To Know

Spout Character Limit: 300 but links do not count

Chronological Timeline: You will see spouts from people you follow as soon as they are spouted. You will control what you see in your feed.

Verified Notable Accounts: On launch day, some accounts will be verified, aka blue checkmark, but Spoutible will open the verification process to everyone shortly after.

Edit Button: Users can edit spouts for up to 7 minutes and are allowed one edit. These limits are employed to mitigate abuse.

Images: You can post up to 10 images in a spout.

Alt Text: There will be a blue bar prompt for Alt Text when images are added.

Quoted Spouts: You can quote spouts from other users.

Pinned Spouts: You can pin your spouts to your profile, but you can also pin other users’ spouts to your profile.

Delete Replies: You can delete abusive replies to your spouts. We have safeguards in place to prevent users from abusing the delete replies feature.

Enhanced Blocking: Enhanced blocking allows users to control their Spoutible experience and protect themselves from unwanted interactions. Accounts you have blocked will not be permitted to reply to someone who has replied to you.

Anti-Abuse Features: They have developed additional anti-abuse features to protect our users from targeted harassment and abuse.

Private Messages: Users can send and receive private messages, and private messages are encrypted.

Dark Mode: You can change the Spoutible user interface to a darker theme.

Bot Sentinel Rating: Every profile and spout will display the user’s Bot Sentinel rating.

The App: The app will come in a couple of of weeks. Meanwhile, you can access the web version from you cell phone and it will adapt to your device. It’s amazing what has been accomplished in two months, but there are only so many hours in the day.

Cost: All of the above for FREE. There will be an optional subscription fee later to raise revenue to pay for growth of the platform but you will never pay for any of the above. Subscribers might get no ads and things like that but you will never have to pay for the experience you begin with.