This Week in Gardening & Nature

Snapdragons. White with purple edges and yellow centers.

Plant of the Week: Snapdragons

Seed St. Louis Shallot Sale. Order Online by Thursday for Saturday, October 14th Pick Up at Carriage House, 3815 Bell Ave. Shallot Grow Guide

Fall Tree Color Reports: Missouri and Illinois

Good Reads —

Gardening by Month: October Tips & Tasks, Pests & Problems (Missouri Botanical Garden)

October Garden To Do List (P. Allen Smith)

2023 Plants of Merit – Annuals, Bulbs, Edibles, Perennials, Shrubs, Trees, Vines (Missouri Botanical Garden)

2023 Plants of Demerit – Bamboo, Big Leaf Hydrangea, Blueberry, Burning Bush, Chameleon Plant, Lavender, Pin Oak, Wintercreeper (Missouri Botanical Garden)

Order Tree Seedlings now for shipping in February from Missouri Conservation Department

Gardening and Nature Events —

Volunteers Wanted. Plant It Forward @ Tower Grove Park 9 am to Noon Tuesday, October 10th and 9 am to Noon Thursday, October 12th

10 am Tuesday, October 10th, Bellefontaine Cemetery Trolley Tour: 2 Hour Horticulture & History guided tour. $5. Register.

10 am Wednesday, October 11th, Bellefontaine Cemetery Arboretum Walking Tour. 2 Hour Horticulture guided tour. Register

4 pm Wednesday, October 11th, Missouri Prairie Foundation Webinar- Dicamba and 2,4-D; Old Herbicides Causing New Problems. Register

1:30 pm Thursday, October 12th, Bellefontaine Cemetery Leaf Walk. 2 Hour Horticulture & History guided tour. Register

2 pm Thursday, October 12th, Seed St. Louis & St. Louis County Public Library Zoom Class: Container Gardening. Register

6 pm Thursday, October 12th, Seed St. Louis Great Fall Wrap Up Zoom Event. How best to clean up and prep your garden, what to compost, what to throw away. How to clean up the area around your garden in order to look tidy while still supporting our local bees and other insects. How to prep your soil for next spring. Register

10 am October 28th Missouri Conservation Department Beginner Watercolor Class at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood: Watercolor Painting: Fall Leaves and Trees. 6 Seats remaining. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 10 am Saturday, October 14th, Forest ReLeaf Beckett Park Memorial Tree Stewardship Day, Lewis Place Neighborhood. Help honor 25 families and their loved ones lost to gun violence by caring for trees planted in their memory. Register

8:30 am Sunday, October 15th, St. Louis Audubon Society Youth & Family Beginner Bird Walk at Tower Grove Park. Register

5-7:30 pm October 16th Missouri Conservation Department Fishing Lessons 1 & 2 (gear, casting, fish handling, knot tying, baiting) at Forest Park Fish Hatchery. Gear provided. 13 Seats remaining. Register

2 pm October 17th information session at Bellefontaine Cemetery, Hotchkiss Chapel: What is Green Burial? Register

Volunteers Wanted. Plant It Forward @ Tower Grove Park 9 am to Noon October 17th, 9 am to Noon October 18th, and 9 am to Noon October 19th

3:30 pm October 18th Missouri Conservation Department Zoom Class: Trees- Fall Color. Find out what causes leaves to change color, which plants have the showiest color, and some great places to visit this fall. Register

For Kids 0-7 years. 4 pm October 19th Missouri Conservation Conservation Kids event at Tower Grove Park: You and me under the Canopy- Sly Critters. Register

1:30 pm October 20th Bellefontaine Cemetery Leaf Walk. 2 Hour Horticulture & History guided tour. Register

3 pm October 20th Missouri Conservation Department Zoom Class: Birds of Missouri. Find out great places in Missouri to view Fall migration and for winter birdwatching season. Register

9 am October 21st Missouri Conservation Department Zoom Class: Where Can I? — Birdwatch. Register

10 am October 21st Bellefontaine Cemetery Trolley Tour: 2 Hour Horticulture & History guided tour. $5. Register

1 pm October 21st Missouri Prairie Foundation Members Field Trip: Bellefontaine Cemetery Fall Tree Walk

6-8 pm October 21st Stargazing at Tower Grove Park

2-5 pm October 22nd Fall Frolic at Tower Grove Park with Missouri Conservation Department. Discover all the flora and fauna that live in St. Louis region through autumn-centric activity stations and wildlife encounters.

10 am October 24th Bellefontaine Cemetery Trolley Tour: 2 Hour Horticulture & History guided tour. $5. Register

6 pm October 24th Missouri Conservation Department Zoom Class: Bats of Missouri. Register

4 pm October 25th Missouri Prairie Foundation Zoom Class: Show Me Tarantulas! The Ecology of Aphonopelma hentzi in Missouri Glades. Register

9 am October 26th information session at Bellefontaine Cemetery, Hotchkiss Chapel: What is Green Burial? Register

3-6 pm October 28th Missouri Conservation Department Dutch Oven Cooking Class at Tower Grove Park. Bring law chairs. Must be at least 7 years of age. 12 Seats remaining. Register

1:30 pm October 31st Bellefontaine Cemetery Leaf Walk. 2 Hour Horticulture & History guided tour. Register

9 am November 1st Missouri Conservation Department Project FeederWatch Virtual Kickoff. Help Cornell Lab track birds. Register

1:30 pm November 2nd Bellefontaine Cemetery Leaf Walk. 2 Hour Horticulture & History guided tour. Register

7:45 am to Noon November 4th Bellefontaine Cemetery Coyote Crawl 5K and Head for the Hills 10K Run/Walk. Register

8 am November 4th St. Louis Audubon Society Beginner Bird Walk at Forest Park. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am November 4th Forest ReLeaf North Riverfront Fall Tree Planting, North Entrance @ North Riverfront Park. Register

3:30 pm November 7th Missouri Conservation Department Zoom Class: Backyard Birds, Project FeederWatch. Register

9 am to 3:30 pm November 8th Grow Native! Professionals Conference @ University of Missouri- Columbia. $20 per person for Grow Native! professional members (and their staff). Zoom option: $30 for non-members. Register

Noon to 3 pm November 12th Missouri Prairie Foundation Friends of Cuivre River State Park Grasslands Work Day, Lincoln County Mo. Register

For Kids 0-7 years. 10 am November 16th Missouri Conservation Department Conservation Kids event at Tower Grove Park, Stupp Center: You and me under the Canopy: Talkin’ Turkeys. Learn about some common backyard birds, then create felt ornaments to take home. Must be at least age 16. 12 Seats remaining. Register

4 pm November 16th Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Class: Backyard Bird Feeding. Register

10 am November 19th Missouri Conservation Department In Person Class at Tower Grove Park, Stupp Center: The Science & Art of Soapmaking. Registration Opens November 1st: Register

6 pm November 29th Missouri Conservation Department Zoom Class: Whacky Woodpeckers. Register

9 am December 2nd Forest ReLeaf Christy Greenway Tree Planting, Old St. Marcus Cemetery Park. Register

10 am December 16th Missouri Conservation Department event at Tower Grove Park: Nature Art- Felt Bird Ornaments. Registration Opens November 1st. Register

Join us Sundays on Bluesky 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

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

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

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.

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

Gardening by Month from Missouri Botanical Garden: November Tips & Tasks, Pests & Problems

November Garden To Do List from P. Allen Smith

Woodpeckers: The Hole Story, narrated by Paul Giamatti, is airing on PBS. Check you local PBS station for when in you area.

6 pm Wednesday Old North’s Northside Workshop Support the Bee Sanctuary fundraiser at Turn Restaurant, Midtown. Tickets: $50

5-7 pm Thursday Seed St. Louis Urban Ag Happy Hour at Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust No program. No agenda. Just fun and making connections.

2 pm Friday Seed St. Louis and St. Louis County Library In Person Class at Mid-County Library, Clayton: Container Gardening. Register

9 am Saturday ForestReLeaf North Riverfront Mississippi Greenway Tree Planting. Volunteers Wanted. Register

11 am Saturday Missouri Conservation Department’s Harvest Feast for the Birds at Rockwoods Reservation, Wildwood. 4 Tickets remaining. Register

1:30 pm Nov 14th Leaf Walk at Bellefontaine Cemetery. Master Guide led walking tour. Register

3 pm Nov 14th Seed St. Louis and St. Louis County Library In Person Class at Bridgeton Trails Library: Container Gardening. Register

9 am Nov 16th Missouri Conservation Department’s Birdwatching Hike at Rockwoods Reservation, Wildwood. Register

6 pm Nov 17th Missouri Conservation Department’s Conservation Kids @ Tower Grove Park, Stupp Center. You and Me under the Canopy: Fall Fun for 3-6 year olds. Register

10 am Nov 19th Seed St. Louis In Person Workshop: Utilizing the School Garden in Winter. At Carriage House, Bell Community Garden, 3815 Bell. Register

4 pm Nov 23rd Missouri Prairie Foundation Online Master Class Wasps: The Astonishing Diversity of a Misunderstood Insect Free to Mo Prairie Foundation members & Grow Native Missouri professional members. $15 for non-members. Register

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.

This Week in Gardening & Nature

Gardening by Month from Missouri Botanical Garden: November Tips & Tasks, Pests & Problems

Now thru Next Sunday, final week to see Seedfolks at Grandel Theater. A 9-year-old Vietnamese girl plants bean seeds in a trash-filled, vacant lot and starts a series of changes. Tickets

Peak color right now in a lot of places. Missouri Fall Color Report and Illinois Fall Color Report

For Grade School Teachers: Pumpkin Graveyard lesson plan

Someone asked me about plant dyes awhile back. Have deleted the DM or text. Apologies. Anyways, this is the recommended book: The Handbook of Natural Plant Dyes: Personalize Your Craft with Organic Colors from Acorns, Blackberries, Coffee, and Other Everyday Ingredients by Sasha Duerr

1:30 pm Thursday Leaf Walk at Bellefontaine Cemetery. Master Guide led walking tour. Register

8 am Saturday St. Louis Audubon Society Beginner Bird Walk at Forest Park

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

3:30-5 pm Sunday Missouri Conservation Department’s Beaver Moon Stroll at the Confluence, Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. 5 Tickets remaining. Register

6:30 pm Saturday rescheduled Astronomy Festival activities at Tower Grove Park: Telescope Viewings + Night Hike with Naturalists, Missouri Conservation Department

6 pm Nov 9th Old North’s Northside Workshop Support the Bee Sanctuary fundraiser at Turn Restaurant, Midtown. Tickets: $50

5-7 pm Nov 10th Seed St. Louis Urban Ag Happy Hour at Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust No program. No agenda. Just fun and making connections.

November Seed St. Louis and St. Louis County Library In Person Container Gardening Classes: 2 pm Nov 11th @ Mid-County Library and 3 pm Nov 14th @ Bridgeton Trails Library. Register

9 am Nov 12th ForestReLeaf North Riverfront Mississippi Greenway Tree Planting. Volunteers Wanted. Register

10 am Nov 19th Seed St. Louis In Person Workshop: Utilizing the School Garden in Winter. At Carriage House, Bell Community Garden, 3815 Bell. Register

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.

This Week in Gardening & Nature

Thru Nov 6th Seedfolks at Grandel Theater. A 9-year-old Vietnamese girl plants bean seeds in a trash-filled, vacant lot and starts a series of changes. Tickets

Brightside St. Louis still has some daffodils and tulips for sale. 30 for $17.

Missouri Fall Color Report and Illinois Fall Color Report

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

5:30 pm Tuesday Heartland Conservancy Prairie du Point Watershed Informational Open House, Kappa House, Cahokia Hts, IL. Register

10 am Wednesday Seed St. Louis and St. Louis County Public Library Workshop: Container Gardening. Jamestown Bluff Library. Register

4 pm Wednesday Grow Native Missouri Zoom Master Class: The Seed Cycle: Native Seed Collection, Stratification, Propagation with Mike Hoyle, manager, Missouri Wildflowers Nursery. Free: MPF members and Grow Native Professional Members. $15: non-members. Register

4 pm Thursday Grow Native Missouri’s FINCA EcoFarm Tour and Native Edibles Tasting @ Lincoln University, Jefferson City. Register

9 am Saturday ForestReLeaf Fall Tree Planting, Ruth Porter Park, St. Vincent Greenway, West End. Volunteers Wanted. Register

7:45 pm Saturday Missouri Conservation Department’s Night Shift Walk to the Confluence, Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. 3 Tickets Remaining. Register

3:30-5 pm Nov 7th Missouri Conservation Department’s Beaver Moon Stroll at the Confluence, Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. 12 Tickets remaining. Register

6 pm Nov 9th Old North’s Northside Workshop Support the Bee Sanctuary FR at Turn Restaurant, Midtown. Tickets: $50

5-7 pm Nov 10th Seed St. Louis Urban Ag Happy Hour at Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust No program. No agenda. Just fun and making connections.

9 am Nov 12th ForestReLeaf North Riverfront Mississippi Greenway Tree Planting. Volunteers Wanted. Register

10 am Nov 19th Seed St. Louis In Person Workshop: Utilizing the School Garden in Winter. At Carriage House, Bell Community Garden, 3815 Bell. Register

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.

This Week in Gardening & Nature

Brightside St. Louis still has some daffodils and tulips for sale. 30 for $17.

Thru Nov 6th Seedfolks at Grandel Theater. A 9-year-old Vietnamese girl plants bean seeds in a trash-filled, vacant lot and starts a series of changes. Tickets

Missouri Fall Color Report and Illinois Fall Color Report

Missouri Native Plants and Illinois Native Plants

2 pm Tuesday Seed St. Louis and St. Louis County Library Workshop: Composting 101 at Grand Glaize Library, 1010 Meramec Station Rd, Manchester. Register

1 pm Wednesday Horticulture Hike at Bellefontaine Cemetery. Horticulturalist led walking tour focusing on trees, shrubs, and flowering plants. Be prepared to walk on uneven terrain with moderate slopes. Register

1:30 pm Wednesday Leaf Walk at Bellefontaine Cemetery. Master Guide led walking tour. Register

4 pm Wednesday Grow Native Missouri Webinar: Dicamba and 2,4-D- Old Herbicides Causing New Problems. Presented by Robbie Doerhoff, Forest Entomologist, Missouri Department of Conservation. Register

6 pm Thursday Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: Reuse in the Garden. Register

6:15 am Saturday Missouri Department of Conservation Sunrise Breakfast at the Confluence, Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. Register

8:30 am Saturday Brightside St. Louis Blitz Clean Up @ Bellerive Park & Sister Marie Charles Park in Carondelet. Volunteers Wanted.

9 am Saturday Americorps St. Louis Clean Up at Laumeier Sculpture Park, Sappington. Mary Miss’s Pool Complex: Orchard Valley needs a clear out, clean up. Volunteers Wanted. Register

10 am to 2 pm Saturday St. Louis Audubon Society’s Bring Conservation Home Native Plant Sale at Webster University, Bookstore Parking Lot, 554 Garden, Webster Groves

10 am Saturday Plant a tree in memorial to someone special with Sustainable St. Louis Memorial Tree Planting at Shaw Forest, 39th @ DeTonty. Register

10 am Saturday Missouri Conservation Department In Person Workshop: Butterfly Gardening with Tom Terrific. At Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center.

2-5 pm Sunday Tower Grove Park and Missouri Department of Conservation Fall Frolic

10 am Oct 26th Seed St. Louis and St. Louis Public Library Workshop: Container Gardening. Jamestown Bluff Library. Register

4 pm Oct 26th Grow Native Missouri Zoom Master Class: The Seed Cycle: Native Seed Collection, Stratification, Propagation with Mike Hoyle, manager, Missouri Wildflowers Nursery. Free: MPF members and Grow Native Professional Members. $15: non-members. Register

9 am Oct 29th ForestReLeaf Fall Tree Planting, Ruth Porter Park, St. Vincent Greenway, West End. Volunteers Wanted. Register

9 am Nov 12th ForestReLeaf North Riverfront Mississippi Greenway Tree Planting. Volunteers Wanted. Register

10 am Nov 19th Seed St. Louis In Person Workshop: Utilizing the School Garden in Winter. At Carriage House, Bell Community Garden, 3815 Bell. Register

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.