This Week in Gardening & Nature

Photo of Aromatic Aster with Common Checkered Skipper on a flower.

Plant of the Week: Aromatic Aster

Fall Tree Color Reports: Missouri (Peak color in SE Mo Bootheel, past peak elsewhere) and Illinois

Missouri Prairie Foundation is selling “Leave The Leaves” signs for $20 each

It’s never too early to start planning your 2024 Garden: Seed St. Louis Planting Calendar

Good Reads —

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

Garden Tasks for Fall video (Seed St. Louis)

These American birds and dozens more will be renamed, to remove human monikers: “the American Ornithological Society has vowed to change the English names of all bird species currently named after people, along with any other bird names deemed offensive or exclusionary. (NPR Morning Edition)

Leave the leaves! Missouri Department of Conservation says to leave behind some of the leaves on your lawn this autumn (KY3)

(paywall) Agricultural weedkillers are slowly killing trees across Missouri and Illinois, scientists, state workers and landowners say (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

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 —

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

9 am to 3:30 pm Wednesday, 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

1:30 pm Wednesday, November 8th, Bellefontaine Cemetery Leaf Walk. 2 Hour Horticulture & History guided tour. Register

6:30 pm Wednesday, Nov 8th, St. Louis County Library, Grant’s View Branch, In Person Class: Beginner Food Preservation. Covers Canning, Dehydrating, Fermentation, Pickling. Register

4 pm Friday, November 10th, Missouri Botanical Garden In Person Event at Visitor Center: Dr. Shahina Ghazanfar will present the 2023 John Dwyer Lecture in Biology on her book “Plants of the Quran: History and Culture.”

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

10 am November 14th Bellefontaine Cemetery Trolley Tour: 2 Hour Horticulture & History guided tour. $5. Register.

10 am November 15th Seed St. Louis & St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Edible Landscaping. 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. 15 Seats remaining. Register

Noon November 16th Deep Roots Kansas City Native Plants at Noon Zoom event. Register

1:30 pm November 16th Bellefontaine Cemetery Leaf Walk. 2 Hour Horticulture & History guided tour. Register

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

10 am November 18th Bellefontaine Cemetery Trolley Tour: 2 Hour Horticulture & History guided tour. $5. Register.

November 18th thru January 6th Garden Glow at Missouri Botanical Garden. Tickets

10 am November 19th Missouri Conservation Department In Person Class at Tower Grove Park, Stupp Center: The Science & Art of Soapmaking. Class is full but Register for Waiting List

1:30 pm November 22nd Bellefontaine Cemetery Leaf Walk. 2 Hour Horticulture & History guided tour. Register

4 pm November 22nd Missouri Prairie Foundation Webinar: Ecology & Management of Missouri’s Woodland Communities. Register

1 pm November 24th Missouri Conservation Department Walk off the Turkey and Pumpkin Pie Hike at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area, St. Louis County. 11 Tickets remaining. Register

10 am November 28th Bellefontaine Cemetery Trolley Tour: 2 Hour Horticulture & History guided tour. $5. Register.

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

1 pm November 30th Missouri Conservation Department Zoom Class: Black Bears of Missouri. Register

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

6 pm November 30th Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: Tree Saps & Syrups. Register

6:30 November 30th Missouri Conservation Department Zoom Class: Attracting Backyard Birds. Register

8 am December 2nd St. Louis Audubon Society Beginner Bird Walk at Forest Park. Register

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

10 am December 7th Seed St. Louis and St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Tree Saps & Syrups. Register

Noon December 13th Missouri Conservation Department Zoom Class: Winter Woodpeckers. Register

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

2 pm December 19th Missouri Conservation Department Zoom Class: Creature Feature- River Otter. Register

10 am December 20-29th Missouri Botanical Garden holiday break fun for kids: Budding Scientist- Celebrate Urban Birds.  $3 each child. Register

1 pm December 20-29th Missouri Botanical Garden holiday break fun for kids: Budding Scientist- Celebrate Urban Birds.  $3 each child. Register

January 27th thru February 25th Orchid Show at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission is free to residents of St. Louis City and St. Louis County on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

March 8th-9th Midwestern Herb & Garden Show in Mount Vernon, Illinois (little over an hour drive from St. Louis City)


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

Ripe persimmons

Plant of the Week: Persimmon Tree

Tree Specific Events

3-6 pm Friday, October 6th, Forest ReLeaf Native Tree Giveaway at Scott Joplin House, 2700 Samuel Shepard Dr

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

Nonprofits: Order Free 3 Gallon Native Trees & Shrubs from Forest ReLeaf and Project CommuniTree

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

Fall 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)

How long does spaghetti squash last? Everything you need to know (Food Champs)

Brussels Sprouts, Prolong Fall Harvest (University of Missouri County Extension)

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)

How to Divide and Transplant Perennials in Fall (P. Allen Smith)

Missouri colleges expand cannabis programs to prepare students for ‘green jobs’ (Missouri Independent) Info on St. Louis Community College Horticulture program which includes three cannabis related classes

General Gardening and Nature Events —

Volunteers Wanted for Plant It Forward @ Tower Grove Park 9 am to Noon Tuesday, October 3rd and 9 am to Noon Thursday, October 5th

1:30 pm Tuesday, October 3rd, Leaf Walk Horticulture & History Guided Tour at Bellefontaine Cemetery. Register

4:30 pm Tuesday, October 3rd, Seed St. Louis Fall School Gardener Meet-Up with Perennial Plant & Seed Swap at Mallinkcrodt School, Lindenwood. Register

1 pm Wednesday, October 4th, Arboretum Walking Tour at Bellefontaine Cemetery. Register

1 pm Friday, October 6th, Missouri Conservation Department Online Class- Wild Edibles, May the Forage be With You. Register. Also see Jan Phillips “Wild Edibles of Missouri” pdf

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, October 6th-8th, Missouri Botanical Garden Best of Missouri Market. I know Missouri Wildflowers Nursery will be there but unsure about others.

8 am Saturday, October 7th, St. Louis Audubon Society Beginner Bird Walk at Forest Park. Register

9 am to Noon Saturday, October 7th, Seed St. Louis Garlic & More Sale at Carriage House, 3815 Bell: Hardneck Garlic ‘Music’, Softneck Garlic ‘Inchelium Red’, Red Shallots, Walking Onions plus row cover, hoops, sod staples. Seed St. Louis Planting Guides: Softneck Garlic, Hardneck Garlic, Shallots

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

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

6 pm 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

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


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.