This Week in Gardening and Nature

Plant of the Week: Native Aromatic Aster. These are great fall color shrubs.

Gardening by Month, November Gardening Tips, Tasks, and Problems (Missouri Botanical Garden)

If you are just looking for St. Louis Area Plant and Seed Swaps and Sales, they are here

St. Louis Master Gardeners Horticulture Answer Service: Monday-Thursday from 9 am to 2:30 pm

Plan your garden with Seed St. Louis Planting Calendar, good for Zones 6a, 6b, 7a, maybe more.

Find a Native Plant/Seed vendor in Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Kansas,… (Grow Native)

Good Reads/Views/Listens —

Pucker up for persimmon, the first-frost fruit (University of Missouri Extension)

Dark Botanica: Wild Ones Spooky Season Reads (Wild Ones)

Nine new invasive species regulated in Illinois with expansion of Exotic Weeds Act (University of Illinois Extension)

These Inuit Maps Are Reimagining the Arctic. Counter-mapping projects are supporting Indigenous sovereignty in a shifting landscape (Sierra, Sierra Club magazine)

Lost or leading the way? Rare birds may signal shifting migration routes (University of Illinois Extension)

Deep Roots Kansas City Native Plant Gardening Videos

Seed St. Louis Videos: Variety Trials, Virtual Classes, Starting Seeds Indoors, Orchard Tips, Gardening Tips & How To, In the Community Garden, Youth Garden Activities & Tips, Teachers in the Garden Tutorials. I will continue promoting the online resources and activities of Seed St. Louis where appropriate. I will not, however, knowingly promote events at Maxine Clark’s school privatization campus named Delmar Divine. It is unfortunate that Seed St. Louis is now a tenant there.

Growing Vegetables Advice: Begin with a Plan, Seed Starting, Soil Management, Weed Management, Hardening Off Indoor Seedlings, Season Extension, Supporting Plants, Pest Management, Fertilizing Your Garden, Irrigation, Garden Tool Care, Container Gardens, more (University of Illinois Extension)

Shaw Nature Reserve Propagation Guide

Free Native Garden Designs @ Wild Ones. There’s one specific to St. Louis, one for Chicago, one for Denver, …

Native plant gardening in a pot. Missouri Botanical Garden has container designs for sun and shade.

Illinois Native Plants for the Home Landscape

Missouri Native Plant Top 10 Lists (Grow Native) Native Plants for Children, Poorly Drained Clay Soil, Sun, Shade, Half Sun & Half Shade, Under Utility Poles, Rain Gardens, Kitchen Gardens, Bees, Pollinators in Winter, Hummingbirds, Wildlife, Butterflies, More

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)

Gardening and Nature Events —

—– ONGOING —–

Going on Now: Missouri Conservation Annual Tree Seedling Sale. Orders ship out in Spring. 29 Tree/Shrub Varieties (American Beautyberry, Buttonbush, Deciduous Holly/Possumhaw, Dogwoods, Rose Mallow/Hibiscus, Wild Plum) and Bundles (Edible, Nut, Pollinator, Wildlife) as examples, still available.

Volunteers Wanted. STL Neighborhood Foresters Neighborhood Tree Care Blitzes
November 8th Tower Grove East. Register
November 15th Old North. Register
November 15th Benton Park. Register
November 22nd Bevo. Register
December 6th Hyde Park. Register
December 7th Forest Park Southeast. Register
December 20th Benton Park. Register
December 27th Bevo. Register

November 15th Deadline for Wild Ones’ Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education Program. Open to schools, nature center, after-school care programs, community centers or youth groups in need of funding for a native garden or habitat, projects such as pollinator gardens, rain gardens to improve water quality, tallgrass prairies, native plant monarch waystations featuring community science activities, and sensory and natural playgrounds.

November 15th Deadline to enter Missouri Snapshots Photo Contest sponsored by Missouri State Parks and Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives’ Rural Missouri magazine. Categories: Parks Less Traveled, Adventure & Recreation, Park Heroes & Volunteers at Work, Learning Something New, On the Trail

Now thru March 31st, 2026, Missouri Botanical Garden exhibit at Sachs Museum, Missouri Botanical Garden: Smelling the Bouquet- Plants & Scents in the Garden. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday mornings, otherwise Admission Fee applies.

—– DAILY —–

9 am Wednesday, November 5th, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Fall Tree Walk with horticulturist. $5 suggest donation. Register

4 pm Wednesday, November 5th, Grow Native! Webinar: Overwintering Habits of Moths, Butterflies & Bees presented by entomologist Chris Hartley, Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am Thursday, November 6th, work day at The Nature Institute, Godfrey, Illinois: Honeysuckle Sweep. Register

10 am Thursday, November 6th, Tower Grove Park event: Sheffield Memorial, Honoring Tower Grove Park’s Beloved Pony

4 pm Friday, November 7th Missouri Botanical Garden 2025 John Dwyer Lecture in Biology: Food Plant Diversity in a Changing World presented by Dr. Colin Khoury, biodiversity, agriculture, and conservation scientist. Garden Admission Fee may apply.

9 am to Noon Saturday, November 8th, Missouri Botanical Garden Día de los Muertos. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday morning, otherwise Admission Fee applies.

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am Saturday, November 8th Eastern Missouri Sierra Club work day: Trail Maintenance at O’Fallon Park. Register

9 Seats remaining. 10 am Saturday, November 8th, Missouri Conservation Department class at Howard Wood Urban Outreach Office, Southwest Garden: Nature Art, Nature Crocheters- Birds. Register

10 am Saturday, November 8th, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Fall Arboretum Trolley Tour. $5 suggested donation. Register

11 am Saturday, November 8th, St. Charles City-County Library Plant & Seed Swap at Spencer Road Branch. Register

11 am to 3 pm November 8th Plant Lovers of Metro STL Plant Swap & Sale at Greenscape Gardens, Manchester, with 20% off houseplants, $50 off pottery, $10 Thai Constellations (4″ pots), Wok-O Taco Food Truck

12 Seats remaining. 12:30 pm November 11th Missouri Conservation Department class at Tower Grove Park: Habitat Helpers- Won’t You Be My NeighBIRD? Make & Take wooden bird feeder, apartment-friendly and perfect for all spaces. Register

6:30 pm November 11th Piasa Palisades Sierra Club speaker series at Old Bakery Beer, Alton, Illinois: What’s in our DIRT! presented by Dr. John L. Ferry, environmental chemist, University of Illinois. Register

3 pm November 12th Tower Grove Park event: Nee Kee Nee (East Stream) Tour. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am November 13th Heartlands Conservancy work day in Edwardsville, Illinois: Poag Sand Prairie Restoration Stewardship Day. Register

10 am November 13th, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Fall Arboretum Trolley Tour. $5 suggested donation. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am November 14th Heartlands Conservancy work day in Swansea, Illinois: Exploration Garden, Clinton Hills Conservation Park. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 9:30 am November 14th Piasa Palisades Sierra Club work day in Godfrey, Illinois: LaVista Park Invasive Species Removal. Register

10 am November 14th University of Illinois Extension event in East St. Louis, Illinois: Fall Urban Gardening Tour at Jackie Joyner Kersee FAN Center. Register

3 pm November 14th Missouri Conservation Department virtual class: Winter Waterfowl ID. Register

10 am to Noon November 15th Tower Grove Park Bike Rodeo. Register

10 am November 15th Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum History & Horticulture Trolley Tour. $5 suggested donation. Register

5:30 to 9:30 pm or 10 pm November 15th to January 3rd Missouri Botanical Garden Garden Glow. Fees apply.

November 15th to January 3rd Missouri Botanical Garden exhibit at Emerson Conservatory: Holiday Flower and Train Show. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday morning, otherwise Admission Fee applies.

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am November 15th Forest ReLeaf Tree Planting at Ruth Port Mall, West End

Volunteers Wanted. 9:30 am November 15th Piasa Palisades Sierra Club work day in Alton, Illinois: Fall River Road Litter Clean Up. Register

10 am November 15th Seed St. Louis event at Bell Community Garden: Community Gardener Meet-Up. Warning: By registering for this event, you grant permission for your image to appear in a public media production and in print and digital materials. Register

1 pm November 16th Missouri Conservation Department class at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area: Outdoor Skills, Basic Map Reading. Register

9 am November 19th Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Fall Tree Walk. $5 suggested donation. Register

3 pm November 19th Tower Grove Park event: Nee Kee Nee (East Stream) Tour. Register

4 pm November 19th Missouri Prairie Foundation Webinar: Photos of Prairie Splendor with Bruce Schuette. Register

4 pm November 20th Missouri Conservation Department virtual class: Introduction to Winter Sparrow ID. Register

6 pm November 20th Wild Ones Webinar: Living in the Liberated Landscape, My Yard presented by landscape designer Larry Weaner. Register

6 pm November 20th Seed St. Louis virtual class: How to Start a Community Food Project. Warning: By registering for this event, you grant permission for your image to appear in a public media production and in print and digital materials. Register

For kids 2-7 years ogf age. 7 Seats remaining. 5:30 pm November 20th Missouri Conservation Department event at Tower Grove Park: Conservation Kids, You and Me under the Canopy- Critter Comparisons. Register

1 pm November 21st Missouri Conservation Department virtual class: Birds- Cavity Nesters and Nesting Boxes. Register.

7 pm November 21st Missouri Conservation Department event at Das Bevo: Conservation Adults- Nature Trivia Night. Register. Free but food/beverages available for purchase.

14 Tickets remaining. 1 pm November 22nd Missouri Conservation Department event in Sullivan, Franklin County: Cool Weather Forest Hike @ Meramec Conservation Area. 1.3-mile naturalist-guided hike with great view of Meramec River. Register

6:30 pm November 22nd Missouri Conservation Department virtual class: Hootin’ Hunters – All About Missouri’s Owls. Register

10 Tickets remaining. 8:30 am November 30th St. Louis Audubon Society event at Tower Grove Park: Beginner Bird Walk. Register

5:30 pm December 4th The Nature Institute event in Godfrey, Illinois: Moonlight Hike. Register

1 pm December 6th St. Louis Public Library class at Central Library: Preventing Winter Plant Damage

5 pm December 9th Wild Ones Webinar: Turn That Patch Into a Plan. Design workshop for transforming your lawn into a native plant garden. Register

9 am to 2 pm Friday and 8 am to 2 pm Saturday, December 12th-13th, Flyleaf Market monthly pop up on 1st floor of Watson Terrace Christian Church, Watson @ Winnebago: Succulent & Tropical Plant Sale. This involves a very cool Citizen Growers program.

Noon December 12th University of Illinois Extension virtual class: Bats- Why we need to conserve them and how you can help presented by Dr. Joy O’Keefe, a leading researcher in bat ecology. Register

11 am December 13th St. Charles City-County Library Plant & Seed Swap at Spencer Road Branch. Register, registration opens November 15th

Noon December 18th Missouri Conservation Department virtual class: Visitors from the Arctic: Snow Geese. Registration opens December 4th. Register

20 Tickets remaining. 12:30 pm December 19th Missouri Conservation Department class at Tower Grove Park: CSI- Conservation Scene Investigation. Register

11 am to 4 pm January 24th 15th Annual STL Seeding Frenzy Seed Swap at Sunset Hills Community Center, 3915 South Lindbergh Blvd. Seed Swap, Vendors, Raffle. Lable seeds. If you do not have seeds to swap, donate non-perishable food items, hygiene products or new kids socks and underwear for charity. This is a FB event that someone sent me information on but I don’t share FB links.

4 pm January 28th Missouri Prairie Foundation Webinar: Wiski/Oski (River Cane), A Keystone Species in the Floodplain and in Chickasaw Culture presented by Kent H. Sanmann, Natural Resources Instructor, The College of the Muscogee Nation. Register

9 am to 5 pm January 31st-February 1st Orchid Society of Greater St. Louis Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free until Noon on Saturdays and Wednesdays to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents, except during MoBot special events, otherwise Garden Fee applies.

5 pm March 2nd St. Louis Public Library event at Buder Library: Step into Sustainability- Connecting the Dots Between You and Local Climate Action

6 pm March 2nd St. Louis Public Library event at Buder Library: Step into Sustainability- Bird Talk! with the Missouri Department of Conservation

6 pm March 4th St. Louis Public Library event at Buder Library: Step into Sustainability- Introduction into Sustainability

March 6th-7th Midwestern Herb & Garden Show in Mount Vernon, Illinois

Noon March 7th St. Louis Public Library event at Buder Library: Step into Sustainability- A Chick Chat with Second-Hen’d

6 pm March 11th St. Louis Public Library event at Buder Library: Step into Sustainability- Bees, Pollinators and Native Plants

6 pm March 25th St. Louis Public Library event at Buder Library: Step into Sustainability- PFAS the Forever Chemical

9 am to 5 pm April 24th St. Louis Herb Society Herb Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Fee applies.

9 am to 5 pm May 9th St. Louis Hosta Society Show & Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free until Noon on Saturdays and Wednesdays to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents, except during MoBot special events, otherwise Garden Fee applies.

9 am to 5 pm May 16th Metropolitan St. Louis African Violet Council Show & Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free until Noon on Saturdays and Wednesdays to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents, except during MoBot special events, otherwise Garden Fee applies.

9 am to 5 pm June 20th Carnivorous Plant Society Show & Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free until Noon on Saturdays and Wednesdays to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents, except during MoBot special events, otherwise Garden Fee applies.

9 am to 5 pm August 1st-2nd Greater St. Louis Iris Society Plant Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free until Noon on Saturdays and Wednesdays to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents, except during MoBot special events, otherwise Garden Fee applies.

Noon to 5 pm August 9th Orchid Society of Greater St. Louis Auction at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Fee applies.

9 am to 5 pm August 15th Missouri Botanical Garden Daylily Society Plant Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free until Noon on Saturdays and Wednesdays to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents, except during MoBot special events, otherwise Garden Fee applies.

9 am to 5 pm September 12th Gateway West Gesneriad Society Show & Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free until Noon on Saturdays and Wednesdays to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents, except during MoBot special events, otherwise Garden Fee applies.

This Week in Gardening & Nature

Plant of the Week: Native Goldenrod.

St. Louis Master Gardeners Horticulture Answer Service: Monday through Thursday from 9 am. to 2:30 pm

Plan your garden with Seed St. Louis Planting Calendar, good for Zones 6a, 6b, 7a, maybe more.

If you are just looking for St. Louis Area Plant and Seed Swaps and Sales, they are here. No additions this week, only clean up.

Find a Native Plant/Seed vendor in Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Kansas,… (Grow Native)

Good Reads/Views/Listens —

September Gardening Tips: Outdoor Flowering Plants & Ornamentals, Vegetable Gardening, Fruits & Nuts, Lawns, Indoor Plants (University of Missouri Extension)

September Gardening Tips, Tasks, and Problems (Missouri Botanical Garden)

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

YouTube. Season Extension and Winter Gardening (Seed St. Louis)

Crape myrtle: Colorful southern shrub that’s moving north (University of Missouri Extension)

Deep Roots Kansas City Native Plant Gardening Videos

Shaw Nature Reserve Propagation Guide

Free Native Garden Designs @ Wild Ones. There’s one specific to St. Louis, one for Chicago, one for Denver, …

Native plant gardening in a pot. Missouri Botanical Garden has container designs for sun and shade.

Illinois Native Plants for the Home Landscape

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)

Gardening and Nature Events —

—– ONGOING —–

Fall Color Reports: Illinois and Missouri

Going on Now: Missouri Conservation Annual Tree Seedling Sale. Orders ship out in Spring. 36 Tree Varieties (Dogwoods, Rose Mallow/Hibiscus, Wild Plum as examples) and Bundles (Edible, Nut, Pollinator, Wildlife) still available. 28 Tree Varieties Sold Out in the first week.

MU Extension wants your input on Alpha-Gal Syndrome. Tickborne disease can cause allergies to red meat; new survey seeks input to guide education, resources on emerging health issue. Take the survey even if you have not been affected.

Volunteers Wanted. STL Neighborhood Foresters Neighborhood Tree Care Blitzes
September 13th Tower Grove East. Register
September 13th Benton Park West. Register
September 20th Old North. Register
September 20th Benton Park. Register
September 21st Shaw. Register
September 27th Bevo. Register

September 26th Deadline to Order. Brightside St. Louis Blooming Soon! Tulip & Daffodil Bulb Sale. 30 bulbs only $18: Brightside’s “Midwest Mix” Daffodils – a selection of 6 varieties of fine daffodils chosen by the Greater St. Louis Daffodil Society; Carlton Daffodils; “Brightside Red” hybrid Darwin Tulips; Pink Impression hybrid Darwin Tulips. Order now for October pick up October 10th-11th at Forest Park Greenhouse or pay for mailing.

September 30th Deadline to participate in University of Missouri Extension Online St. Louis City & County Gardening Needs Assessments Survey

—– DAILY —–

9 am Tuesday, September 9th, The Nature Institute hiking event at Godfrey, Illinois: Roaming Naturalists, Native Fall Fruits Hike. Register

1-4 pm Tuesday, September 9th, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Horticulture Class: Oak Trees. $15 Donation suggested. Register

6 pm Tuesday, September 9th, University of Missouri Extension Virtual Class: Cover Crops & Soil Health for Vegetable Gardens. $10. Register

6 pm Tuesday, September 9th, The Nature Institute class at Godfrey, Illinois: Plant Identification Workshop. Learn basic plant anatomy, field guide instruction, Illinois wildflower identification. $25 fee includes copy of Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Register

9 am Wednesday, September 10th, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Arboretum Tour – Wildwood Valley Garden Walk with Horticulturist. $5 Donation suggested. Register

4 pm Wednesday, September 10th, Missouri Prairie Foundation Wetlands Webinar Series: Wiski/Oski (River Cane)- A Keystone Species in the Floodplain and in Chickasaw Culture. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am Thursday, September 11th, Heartlands Conservancy event at Poag Sand Prairie, Edwardsville, IL: Monarch Tagging and Stewardship Day presented by Kent H. Sanmann, Natural Resources Instructor, The College of the Muscogee Nation. Register

3-5 pm Thursday, September 11th, St. Louis Public Library event at Baden Library: Mums the Word, Fall Garden Gathering

Only a two hour drive from St. Louis 4:30-7 pm Thursday, September 11th, Lincoln University Cooperative Extension’s Ferntastic Fair in Jefferson City. Explore native ferns. Register by September 10th to receive a potted fern.

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am Friday, September 12th, Heartlands Conservancy event at Exploration Garden, Clinton Hills Conservation Park, Swansea, IL: Monarch Tagging and Stewardship Day. Register

5 pm Friday, September 12th, Audubon Center at Riverlands event at West Alton, Missouri: Riverlands Wellness- Bikes, Birds, & Brews. $20. Register

8 am to Noon Saturday, September 13th, Edwardsville IL Garden Club Plant Sale at St. Mary’s Church Parking Lot

9 am to Noon Saturday, September 13th, St. Charles Mo Master Gardeners event in St. Peters: In The Garden 2025, Fall Session- Planting Garlic, Prepping & Planting Fall & Spring Bulbs, Fall Lawn Renovation and Maintenance. $20. Register

9 am to 1 pm Saturday, September 13th, Missouri Prairie Foundation Native Plant Sale at The Nature Institute, Godfrey, Illinois

11 am Saturday, September 13th, St. Charles City-County Library Plant & Seed Swap at Spencer Road Branch. Register, registration opens August 16th

1 pm Saturday, September 13th, St. Louis Public Library class at Central Library: Mad About Mushrooms

2:30 pm Saturday, September 13th, St. Louis Public Library class at Central Library: Fascinating Victorian Gardens

2:30 pm Saturday, September 13th, The Nature Institute hike in Godfrey, Illinois: Bird Hike with educators from Audubon Center at Riverlands. $5. Register

3 pm Saturday, September 13th, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival event at Strauss Park, Grand Center: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Free

9:30 am to 12:30 pm Sunday, September 14th, St. Louis Native Plant Swap’s Fall Swap at 722 Delchester Ln, Kirkwood. Only native plants/cuttings/seeds. Write name on plants. Prefer bare roots to avoid spreading jumpworms. This is a FB event that someone sent me information on but I don’t share FB links.

1 1/2 hours from St. Louis. 11 am to 2 pm Sunday, September 14th, Join Missouri Prairie Foundation and Missouri Conservation Department for Monarch Tagging at Edgar Prairie, near Rolla. Register

1-4 pm Sunday, September 14th, Oratorio STL Workshop at St. Francis de Sales Oratory: Courtyard Urbanism: Building Cities for Families. Register

6:30 pm Sunday, September 14th, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival event at Love Bank, Cherokee Street: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Free

10 am September 17th Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum History & Horticulture Trolley Tour with Master Guide. $5 Donation suggested. Register

2 pm September 17th Partners for Native Landscaping and St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Missouri Native Trees and Shrubs for Urban Landscapes. Register

6 pm September 18th Wild Ones Webinar: EcoBeneficial Landscape Strategies for the Climate Crisis. Register

6 pm Septepmber 18th Seed St. Louis Class at Bell Community Garden: Successful Weed Management. Register

3:30 pm September 19th Missouri Conservation Department Zoom Class: Native Plants- Seed Sowing Basics. Register

10 am September 20th Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Arboretum Trolley Tour with Horticulturist. $5 Donation suggested. Register

10 am to 1 pm September 20th Missouri Botanical Garden event: Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing Celebration. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday mornings, otherwise Admission Fee applies.

10 am to Noon September 20th Missouri Coalition for the Environment Annual Meeting & Awards Bruncheon at SqWires. Free MCE members; $45 for non-members. Register/Join

1:30 pm September 20th Join Grow Native! for a Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Wildwood Valley Walking Tour with James Faupel, Director of Horticulture and Curator of Living Collections. Register

4-8 pm September 20th Soulard Garden Co-op fundraising event at 2331 S 9th: Garden Party. Food, drink, music, 50-50 raffle.

10 am to 2 pm September 22nd Bring Conservation Home Expo at Tower Grove Park. Missouri Wildflower Nursery and other vendors will be selling but you can also order plants for pick up at the event.

6:30 pm September 23th Illinois Sierra Club Virtual Workshop: Clean Energy for our Communities, status of wind and solar energy throughout Illinois. Register

3:30-6:30 pm September 25th Missouri Prairie Foundation Native Plant Sale at Roeslein & Associates, Crestwood

6 pm September 25th Seed St. Louis Class Virtual Class: Transitioning to Fall Container Gardening. Register

9 am to 2 pm Friday and 8 am to 2 pm Saturday, September 26th-27th, Flyleaf Market monthly pop up on 1st floor of Watson Terrace Christian Church, Watson @ Winnebago: Succulent & Tropical Plant Sale. This involves a very cool Citizen Growers program.

9 am to Noon September 27th Webster Groves Herb Society Display at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday morning, otherwise Admission Fee applies.

10 am September 27th St. Louis County Library Plant & Seed Swap at Oak Bend Branch. Refreshments.

10 am to 1 pm September 27th Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing Celebration at Mississippi Greenway

11 am and 1 pm September 27th Missouri Botanical Garden concert at Sachs Museum: Musical Scents- Voices in the Garden, performances by Benedetta Orsi and St. Louis Women’s Chorale. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday morning, otherwise Admission Fee applies.

11 am to 4 pm September 27th STL Seeding Frenzy’s Homesteaders Hoedown, Exchange & Tool Swap at Watson Trail Park, Sunset Hills

1 pm September 27th St. Louis County Library Plant Swap at Grand Glaize Branch, Manchester

4-7 pm September 27th Forest ReLeaf Fundraiser: Arbormeisters

7 Tickets available. 8:30 am September 28th St. Louis Audubon Society event at Tower Grove Park: Beginner Bird Walk. Register

1:30 pm September 30th University of Illinois Extension Webinar: Be a Seed Shaker: Which Are Worth Saving? Register

10 am October 1st Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum History & Horticulture Trolley Tour with Master Guide. $5 Donation suggested. Register

2 pm October 1st Partners for Native Landscaping and St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: St. Louis Native Plants in a Changing Climate. Register

October 3rd-5th Best of Missouri Market at Missouri Botanical Garden. Missouri Wildflowers Nursery is usually a vendor and this is last opportunity to purchase native plants in St. Louis City for the year. Admission Fee applies.

10 am to 3 pm October 4th Willoughby Farm’s Fall Farm Day at Collinsville, Illinois. $3 per person.

Noon to 4 pm October 4th Benton Park Neighborhood Association event: Benton Park Tunes on Tap – A Musical Garden Tour. Six home gardens. Live music and drinks from local breweries. Tickets $35 General Admission, $65 VIP. Advance sales end September 14th. Register

1 pm October 4th St. Louis Public Library class at Central Library: How Indigenous People Used Native Plants for Their Health and Well-Being

October 5th-6th Baker Creek Fall Harvest Festival in Mansfield, Wright County, MO, about a 3 1/2 hour drive from St. Louis or Kansas City

5:30 pm October 9th Seed St. Louis Class at Bell Community Garden: Food All Winter- Harvesting & Storing Fall Crops. Register

10:30 am October 11th Seed St. Louis Class at Bell Community Garden: Building a Children’s Garden. Register

11 am October 11th St. Charles City-County Library Plant & Seed Swap at Spencer Road Branch. Register, registration opens September 13th

11 am and 1 pm October 11th Missouri Botanical Garden event at Sachs Museum: Poetry and Scents, the poetry of Devin Johnston. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday morning, otherwise Admission Fee applies.

10 am to 2 pm October 12th Sustainable Backyard Network Fall Fest Sustainability Fair & Native Plant Sale at Garden Chapel Sanctuary, St. Louis County. Event isn’t under their calendar, scroll down link for the event flyer

2 pm October 14th St. Louis County Library Virtual Class: Fall Gardening Wrap-Up presented by Seed St. Louis. Register

4:30-9:30 pm October 14th The Royale & Missouri Botanical Gardens’s Show Me Your Harvest Cocktail Competition 2025 at The Royale. Tickets $45. Register

2 pm October 15th Partners for Native Landscaping and St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Native Gardening Maintenance Tips, Tricks and Hacks. Register

6 pm October 16th Wild Ones Virtual Event: Next Steps for Nature presented by entomologist and ecologist Doug Tallamy. Register

6-9 pm October 17th Urban Harvest Raise the Roof fundraiser at Sally’s Rooftop Garden & Terrace, Grand Center. Tickets $60.54. Register

9 am October 18th Seed St. Louis Garlic, Shallot, Plant Sale at Carriage House, 3815 Bell. Also selling overwintering cover crop seeds and Dig Annuals & Perennials will be selling perennials, shrubs, trees.

10 am to Noon October 18th Forest Releaf event at Scott Joplin House: Persimmon Festival and Tree Distribution

1:30 pm October 21st University of Illinois Extension Webinar: Reclaiming Runaway Landscapes. Register

2 pm October 21st St. Louis County Library Virtual Class: Composting 101 presented by Seed St. Louis. Register

9 am to 2 pm Friday and 8 am to 2 pm Saturday, October 24th-25th, Flyleaf Market monthly pop up on 1st floor of Watson Terrace Christian Church, Watson @ Winnebago: Succulent & Tropical Plant Sale. This involves a very cool Citizen Growers program.

5-8 pm October 25th Seed St. Louis event at Bell Community Garden: Fair on the Farm & Chili Cook Off

2 pm October 28th St. Louis County Library Virtual Class: Indoor Food Gardening presented by Seed St. Louis. Register

1 pm November 1st St. Louis Public Library class at Central Library: Decorating with Herbs

11 am November 8th St. Charles City-County Library Plant & Seed Swap at Spencer Road Branch. Register, registration opens October 11th

1 pm December 6th St. Louis Public Library class at Central Library: Preventing Winter Plant Damage

11 am December 13th St. Charles City-County Library Plant & Seed Swap at Spencer Road Branch. Register, registration opens November 15th

The last #GardenSunday hosted by me on Bluesky was August 31st due to inability to draft posts (please don’t suggest adding another app to make Bluesky work better) and dwindling active accounts from St. Louis area. I appreciate everyone who participated in Garden Sunday for 181 weeks on Twitter and then 40 weeks on Bluesky. We had a good run. It was a lot of fun and I learned much from and was inspired by so many gardeners and nature lovers. St. Louis Area Plant and Seeds Sales and Swaps and This Week in Gardening & Nature will continue on this blog and links posted to Bluesky. Should Bluesky make changes, such as ability to draft posts, would consider bringing back Garden Sunday.

This Week in Gardening & Nature

Plant of the Week: Native Liatris, Gayfeather, Blazing Star

3 am Tuesday, August 19th, Deadline to enter Jackson & Perkins Name A Rose Contest. Submit a four words or less name for their new rose- a golden yellow with pink blush- for a chance to win $500 Gift Card, THE rose you have named, more.

Application deadline for FEMA assistance for St. Louis tornado extended until Aug. 26

Plan your garden with Seed St. Louis Planting Calendar, good for Zones 6a, 6b, 7a, maybe more.

St. Louis Master Gardeners Horticulture Answer Service: Monday through Thursday from 9 am. to 2:30 pm

If you are just looking for St. Louis Area Plant and Seed Swaps and Sales, they are here. Added this week: Missouri Prairie Foundation Native Plant Sale in Crestwood, link for info on Missouri Pollinator Network Pollinator Palooza in St. Charles County

Find a Native Plant/Seed vendor in Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Kansas,… (Grow Native)

Good Reads/Views/Listens —

20 Tips for Success in Germinating Seeds in Hot Weather (Mother Earth News)

Missouri now has a law against the sale of six invasive plants- sericea lespedeza, burning bush (‘Compactus’), Callery pear, Japanese honeysuckle, perilla mint, and wintercreeper (variety Coloratus). BUT not really a sales ban until January 2029. And the new law does nothing to compel removal of established invasive species.

How to tell when your garden veggies are ripe for harvesting (Associated Press)

We need more alley gardening and alley garden contests. Street wins ‘alleyway of the year’ for 2025 (BBC)

In a victory for Great Plains petroleum and cattle industries, Kansas lesser prairie chicken loses endangered species act protections after Texas court order (Kansas Reflector)

Deep Roots Kansas City Native Plant Gardening Videos

Shaw Nature Reserve Propagation Guide

Free Native Garden Designs @ Wild Ones. There’s one specific to St. Louis, one for Chicago, one for Denver, …

Native plant gardening in a pot. Missouri Botanical Garden has container designs for sun and shade.

Illinois Native Plants for the Home Landscape

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)

Gardening and Nature Events —

—– ONGOING —–

Going on now Brightside St. Louis Blooming Soon! Tulip & Daffodil Bulb Sale. 30 bulbs only $18: Brightside’s “Midwest Mix” Daffodils – a selection of 6 varieties of fine daffodils chosen by the Greater St. Louis Daffodil Society; Carlton Daffodils; “Brightside Red” hybrid Darwin Tulips; Pink Impression hybrid Darwin Tulips. Order now for October pick up October 10th-11th at Forest Park Greenhouse or pay for mailing.

Volunteers Wanted. STL Neighborhood Foresters Neighborhood Tree Care Blitzes
August 23rd Bevo. Register
September 6th Hyde Park. Register
September 7th Forest Park Southeast. Register
September 13th Tower Grove East. Register
September 13th Benton Park West. Register
September 20th Old North. Register
September 20th Benton Park. Register

August 29th Deadline to submit entries for Wild Ones Photo Contest. Categories: Living Things, Home Landscapes, Signs of Spring, Events

Now thru August 29th St. Louis City Public Library Art Exhibit at Schlafly Library: Sun Liu: Thousand Years Brilliant–Flowers & Birds from Song Dynasty

August 31st Deadline to submit entries for Missouri River Birds Observatory 10th Annual Bird Photography Contest. Prizes $100 to $1000. $25 Entry Fee per photo.

Now thru August 31st St. Louis Public Library Art Exhibit at Buder Library: Carolyn Lewis‘ Empowering Our Community, Fifty Empowerment Birds created using fabric, dried paint palettes, and dictionary pages from the 1940’s.

September 1st Deadline to enter 12th Annual Missouri Department of Natural Resources Photo Contest. Categories: Natural Resources, Unique Places, People Enjoying Missouri’s Outdoors

September 30th Deadline to participate in University of Missouri Extension Online St. Louis City & County Gardening Needs Assessments Survey

—– DAILY —–

1:30 pm Tuesday, August 19th, University of Illinois Extension Virtual Class: Crop Rotation- Building Resilient Gardens. Register

6:30 pm Tuesday, August 19th, Missouri Botanical Garden event at Cohen Amphitheater: St. Louis Shakespeare Festival presents A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream. Doors open 5:30 pm. Free

7 pm Tuesday, August 19th, Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center: Moments in Nature by Wildlife Photographer Danny Brown. Learn how he “makes the shot” and how he locates critters and photographs them with minimal intrusion into their daily activities. Register

10 am Wednesday, August 20th, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum History & Horticulture Trolley Tour with Master Guide. $5 Donation suggested. Register

Noon Wednesday, August 20th, Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Program: Wild Foxes. Register

1 pm Thursday, August 21st, University of Illinois Extension Webinar: Saving the World, One Box Turtle at a Time. $5. Register

6 pm Thursday, August 21st, Missouri Botanical Garden Event: Ireland and Its Aromatic Heritage, Short Documentary Film & Discussion Panel. Admission Fee.

6:30 pm Thursday, August 21st, Heartlands Conservancy Bike Ride on St. Clair County Transit District Trails, approximately 16 miles. Register

9 am to 2 pm Friday and 8 am to 2 pm Saturday, August 22nd-23rd, Flyleaf Market monthly pop up on 1st floor of Watson Terrace Christian Church, Watson @ Winnebago: Succulent & Tropical Plant Sale. This involves a very cool Citizen Growers program.

10 am Friday, August 22nd, Lincoln University Cooperative Extension Specialty Crops/Native Plants Program at Jefferson City MO: Introduction to Missouri Fern Identification and Ecology Workshop. $25 includes lunch. Register

7 pm Friday, August 22nd, Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood: An Evening with Nature Photographer Noppadol Paothong. Register

7 am Saturday, August 23rd, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum History & Horticulture Sunrise Stroll with Master Guide. 2 mile walk over moderate terrain. $5 Donation suggested. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 8 am Saturday, August 23rd, Heartlands Conservancy Knoll Family Wildlife Sanctuary Stewardship Day at Edwardsville, Illinois. Register

Heads up for Tower Grove Park users. 10 am to 8 pm Saturday-Sunday, August 23rd-24th Festival of Nations at Tower Grove Park

10 am Saturday, August 23rd, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Summer Arboretum Trolley Tour with Horticulturist. $5 Donation suggested. Register

For families. 10 am to 2 pm Saturday, August 23rd, Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood: Peanut the Turtle’s Birthday Bash. Peanut turns 41. Register

Noon to 4 pm Saturday, August 23rd, Piasa Palisades Sierra Club Summer Picnic at Beaver Dam State Park, Royal Lakes, IL. Register

1 pm Saturday, August 23rd, St. Louis County Public Library event at Grant’s View Branch: Dig In & Learn- A Day in the Garden with Seed St. Louis. Register

7 am August 25th, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum History & Horticulture Sunrise Stroll with Master Guide. 2 mile walk over moderate terrain. $5 Donation suggested. Register

5:30 pm August 25th, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum History & Horticulture Sunset Stroll with Master Guide. 2 mile walk over moderate terrain. $5 Donation suggested. Register

6 pm August 25th University of Missouri Extension Workshop at EarthDance Organic Teaching Farm, Ferguson MO: Twilight Farm Tour – Integrated Pest Management for small farmers. $10. Register

9:30 am to 3:30 pm August 26th Eastern Missouri Sierra Club Tour, Hike, and Swim at Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park, East Fork of the Black River, Reynolds County in St. Francois Mountains. Two hour drive from St. Louis. Register

August 26th Deadline to order native plants from Missouri Wildflowers Nursery for pick up August 30th at Kirkwood Farmers Market. You may also purchase from what they bring.

1 pm August 26th Missouri Conservation Department Virtual program: Dragonflies, The Sky’s Apex Predators. Register

25 Seats remaining. 10 am August 27th Missouri Conservation Department program at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood: Bobcats. Register

4 pm August 27th Missouri Prairie Foundation Webinar: Take a (Virtual) Hike on the Prairie – Summer Edition, Penn-Sylvania in Dade County. Register

For Kids ages 0-7 years. 20 Seats remaining. 10:30 am August 28th Missouri Conservation Department program at Tower Grove Park: You and Me under the Canopy- Aqua Adventures. Register

6:30 pm August 28th St. Louis Shakespeare Festival event at Kiener Plaza, Downtown St. Louis: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Free

7 pm August 28th join Piasa Palisades Sierra Club at Illinois Commerce Commission Public Forum on Ameren Gas Rate Hike at East St Louis, IL.

7 pm August 29th Missouri Conservation Department program at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood: Conservation Trivia Under the Stars. Register

8 am to 4 pm August 30th Missouri Wildflowers Nursery selling native plants at Kirkwood Farmers Market. Order in advance for pick up or purchase from what they bring.

9 am August 30th Urban Harvest STL workshop at Grandel Square Center for Urban Agriculture: DIY Compost Tumbler Class. You will be responsible for transporting the barrel to your site. $10. Register (not available yet)

6:30 pm August 30th St. Louis Shakespeare Festival event at Carondelet Park, Bandstand: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Free

September 2nd Ordering Begins for Missouri Conservation Annual Tree Seedling Sale. Order early for best selection, some trees and shrubs sell out first day. Orders ship out in Spring.

6:30 pm September 2nd St. Louis Shakespeare Festival event at January-Wabash Park, Ferguson: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Free

9 am September 3rd Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Arboretum Tour – Wildwood Valley Garden Walk with Horticulturist. $5 Donation suggested. Register

For Kids ages 7+ years. 25 Tickets remaining. 5 pm September 4th Missouri Conservation Department event at Tower Grove Park: Monarch Caterpillar Bracelets. Register

15 Tickets remaining. 6 pm September 5th Missouri Conservation Department Hike at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area: Moonrise/Sunset Walk to the Confluence. Register

8 am to Noon September 6th Fox Park Garden Tour. Free. Register

9 am to 1 pm September 6th Missouri Conservation Department event at Lincoln University’s Carver Farm, Jefferson City: Invasive Species Workshop. Register

9 am to 5 pm September 6th Gateway West Gesneriad Society Show and Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday mornings, otherwise Admission Fee applies.

9:30 am to 3 pm September 6th Film Screening Day for “Big Medicine: York Outdoors,” a documentary on York, an enslaved servant of William Clark, at Lewis & Clark State Historic Site, Madison County, Illinois

15 Tickets remaining. 1 pm September 6th Missouri Conservation Department event at Tower Grove Park: Leaf ID and Leaf Prints, canvas tote bag craft. Register

6:30 pm September 7th St. Louis Shakespeare Festival event at Fairground Park: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Free

9 am September 9th The Nature Institute hiking event at Godfrey, Illinois: Roaming Naturalists, Native Fall Fruits Hike. Register

6 pm September 9th University of Missouri Extension Virtual Class: Cover Crops & Soil Health for Vegetable Gardens. $10. Register

6 pm September 9th The Nature Insitute class at Godfrey, Illinois: Plant Identification Workshop. Learn basic plant anatomy, field guide instruction, Illinois wildflower identification. $25 fee includes copy of Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am September 11th Heartlands Conservancy event at Poag Sand Prairie, Edwardsville, IL: Monarch Tagging and Stewardship Day. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am September 12th Heartlands Conservancy event at Exploration Garden, Clinton Hills Conservation Park, Swansea, IL: Monarch Tagging and Stewardship Day. Register

5 pm September 12th Audubon Center at Riverlands event at West Alton, Missouri: Riverlands Wellness- Bikes, Birds, & Brews. $20. Register

6:30 pm September 7th St. Louis Shakespeare Festival event at Saint Louis Art Museum Sculpture Garden: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Free

8 am to Noon September 13th Edwardsville IL Garden Club Plant Sale at St. Mary’s Church Parking Lot

9 am to Noon September 13th St. Charles Mo Master Gardeners event in St. Peters: In The Garden 2025, Fall Session- Planting Garlic, Prepping & Planting Fall & Spring Bulbs, Fall Lawn Renovation and Maintenance. $20. Register

9 am to 1 pm September 13th Missouri Prairie Foundation Native Plant Sale at The Nature Institute, Godftey, Illinois

11 am September 13th St. Charles City-County Library Plant & Seed Swap at Spencer Road Branch. Register, registration opens August 16th

1 pm September 13th St. Louis Public Library class at Central Library: Mad About Mushrooms

2:30 pm September 13th St. Louis Public Library class at Central Library: Fascinating Victorian Gardens

2:30 pm September 13th The Nature Institute hike in Godfrey, Illinois: Bird Hike with educators from Audubon Center at Riverlands. $5. Register

1-4 pm September 14th Oratorio STL Workshop at St. Francis de Sales Oratory: Courtyard Urbanism: Building Cities for Families. Register

6:30 pm September 7th St. Louis Shakespeare Festival event at Love Bank, Cherokee Street: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Free

2 pm September 17th Partners for Native Landscaping and St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Missouri Native Trees and Shrubs for Urban Landscapes. Register

6 pm September 18th Wild Ones Webinar: EcoBeneficial Landscape Strategies for the Climate Crisis. Register

10 am to Noon September 20th Missouri Coalition for the Environment Annual Meeting & Awards Bruncheon at SqWires. Free MCE members; $45 for non-members. Register/Join

10 am to 2 pm September 22nd Bring Conservation Home Expo at Tower Grove Park. Missouri Wildflower Nursery and other vendors will be selling but you can also order plants for pick up at the event.

6:30 pm September 23th Illinois Sierra Club Virtual Workshop: Clean Energy for our Communities, status of wind and solar energy throughout Illinois. Register

3:30-6:30 pm September 25th Missouri Prairie Foundation Native Plant Sale at Roeslein & Associates, Crestwood

10 am September 27th St. Louis County Library Plant & Seed Swap at Oak Bend Branch. Refreshments.

10 am to 1 pm September 27th Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing Celebration at Mississippi Greenway

11 am to 4 pm September 27th STL Seeding Frenzy’s Homesteaders Hoedown, Exchange & Tool Swap at Watson Trail Park, Sunset Hills

1 pm September 27th St. Louis County Library Plant Swap at Grand Glaize Branch, Manchester

4-7 pm September 27th Forest ReLeaf Fundraiser: Arbormeisters

14 Tickets available. 8:30 am September 28th St. Louis Audubon Society event at Tower Grove Park: Beginner Bird Walk. Register

1:30 pm September 30th University of Illinois Extension Webinar: Be a Seed Shaker: Which Are Worth Saving? Register

2 pm October 1st Partners for Native Landscaping and St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: St. Louis Native Plants in a Changing Climate. Register

10 am to 3 pm October 4th Willoughby Farm’s Fall Farm Day at Collinsville, Illinois. $3 per person.

1 pm October 4th St. Louis Public Library class at Central Library: How Indigenous People Used Native Plants for Their Health and Well-Being

October 5th-6th Baker Creek Fall Harvest Festival in Mansfield, Wright County, MO, about a 3 1/2 hour drive from St. Louis or Kansas City

11 am October 11th St. Charles City-County Library Plant & Seed Swap at Spencer Road Branch. Register, registration opens September 13th

2 pm October 15th Partners for Native Landscaping and St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Native Gardening Maintenance Tips, Tricks and Hacks. Register

9 am October 18th Seed St. Louis Garlic Sale at Carriage House, 3815 Bell

10 am to Noon October 18th Forest Releaf event at Scott Jopling House: Persimmon Festival and Tree Distribution

1:30 pm October 21st University of Illinois Extension Webinar: Reclaiming Runaway Landscapes. Register

1 pm November 1st St. Louis Public Library class at Central Library: Decorating with Herbs

11 am November 8th St. Charles City-County Library Plant & Seed Swap at Spencer Road Branch. Register, registration opens October 11th

1 pm December 6th St. Louis Public Library class at Central Library: Preventing Winter Plant Damage

11 am December 13th St. Charles City-County Library Plant & Seed Swap at Spencer Road Branch. Register, registration opens November 15th

Join us Sundays on Bluesky for #GardenSunday.

This Week in Gardening & Nature

Plant of the Week: Native Persimmon. Missouri is about a month or so away from Persimmon Season. Check state park websites for information on whether you can harvest Persimmons and quantity. Persimmon trees are one of the seedlings available from Missouri Conservation’s Annual Tree Seedling Sale. Ordering begins September 2nd. Order early as they sell out fast. Orders ship out in Spring.

Application deadline for FEMA assistance for St. Louis tornado extended until Aug. 26

Hey, parents, teachers, child care providers: Storybooks on Pollinators

Sign up for University of Missouri Extension Online Food Preservation Class: pressure canning, boiling water bath canning, steam canning, dehydration, and freezing. $30. Register

Plan your garden with Seed St. Louis Planting Calendar, good for Zones 6a, 6b, 7a, maybe more. Sow Outdoors: Beets, Bok Choy, Chard, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Peas, Radish. Transplant: Bok Choy, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Chard, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lettuce.

St. Louis Master Gardeners Horticulture Answer Service: Monday through Thursday from 9 am. to 2:30 pm

If you are just looking for St. Louis Area Plant and Seed Swaps and Sales, they are here. Addedthis week: Missouri Prairie Foundation Native Plant Sale at The Nature Institute, Godfrey IL

Find a Native Plant/Seed vendor in Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Kansas,… (Grow Native)

Good Reads/Views/Listens —

August Gardening Tips (University of Missouri Extension)

Grow successful made in the shade gardens (University of Illinois Extension)

The 5 Best Natural Fixes for Clay Soil, According to Gardening Experts (Martha Stewart)

Chicago’s 10 best bungalow gardens, chosen by locals (Fox 32 Chicago)

Birds of Summer (Missouri Conservationist)

Smelling The Bouquet Virtual Tour (Missouri Botanical Garden)

Old-Growth Forests in Canada (The Canadian Enclyclopedia)

Trump’s EPA proposes rollback of basis for climate change rules, sparking Dem outrage (Missouri Indpendent, States Newsroom)

Deep Roots Kansas City Native Plant Gardening Videos

Shaw Nature Reserve Propagation Guide

Free Native Garden Designs @ Wild Ones. There’s one specific to St. Louis, one for Chicago, one for Denver, …

Native plant gardening in a pot. Missouri Botanical Garden has container designs for sun and shade.

Illinois Native Plants for the Home Landscape

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)

Gardening and Nature Events —

—– ONGOING —–

See a gillion sunflowers at Columbia Bottom Nature Conservation Area

Volunteers Wanted. STL Neighborhood Foresters Neighborhood Tree Care Blitzes
August 16th Old North. Register
August 16th Benton Park. Register
August 17th Shaw. Register
August 23rd Bevo. Register
September 6th Hyde Park. Register
September 7th Forest Park Southeast. Register
September 13th Tower Grove East. Register
September 13th Benton Park West. Register

Now thru August 29th St. Louis City Public Library Art Exhibit at Schlafly Library: Sun Liu: Thousand Years Brilliant–Flowers & Birds from Song Dynasty

Now thru August 30th Missouri Conservation Department Art Exhibit at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood: Nature Photography by Noppadol Paothong. Special Event 7 pm August 22nd: An Evening with Noppadol Paothong. Register

August 29th Deadline to submit entries for Wild Ones Photo Contest. Categories: Living Things, Home Landscapes, Signs of Spring, Events

August 31st Deadline to submit entries for Missouri River Birds Observatory 10th Annual Bird Photography Contest. Prizes $100 to $1000. $25 Entry Fee per photo.

September 1st Deadline to enter 12th Annual Missouri Department of Natural Resources Photo Contest. Categories: Natural Resources, Unique Places, People Enjoying Missouri’s Outdoors

September 30th Deadline to participate in University of Missouri Extension Online St. Louis City & County Gardening Needs Assessments Survey

—– DAILY —–

Noon to 5 pm Sunday, August 10th, Orchid Society of Greater St. Louis Auction at Missouri Botanical Garden. Plant List. Admission Fee applies. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday mornings, otherwise Admission Fee applies.

1-4 pm Tuesday, August 12th, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Horticulture Class: Home Landscape Design and Practices for the Fall/Winter Season. $15 Donation suggested. Register

6 pm Tuesday, August 12th, The Nature Institute Workshop in Godfrey, Illinois: Plant Identification Workshop– Basic plant anatomy, Field guide instruction, IL wildflower identification. $25 fee wnhich includes a copy of Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Register

9 am Wednesday, August 13th, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Summer Wildflower Walk with Horticulturist. $5 donation suggested. Register

4 pm Wednesday, August 13th, Grow Native! Webinar: Dispelling Myths of Native Gardening. Register

6 pm Thursday, August 14th, St. Louis County Public Library event Grant’s View Branch: Introduction to Hardscaping. Register

6 pm Thursday, August 14th, St. Louis County Public Library event at Clark Branch: Celebrating a Century of Conservation, Shaw Nature Reserve – Past, Present, Future

6 pm Thursday, August 14th, Edwardsville IL Public Library event: How to Find an Owl in Your Neighborhood, presented by naturalist Mark H.X. Glenshaw of Forest Park Owls fame

Noon Friday, August 15th, St. Louis County Public Library workshop at Thornhill Branch: Anthotype Making. Test out the photographic process of using natural plant pigments to create prints. Register

9 pm Friday, August 15th, Shaw Nature Reserve Fall Wildflowers Market online pre-sale ends for September 5th event at Gray Summit, Franklin County MO.

5:30 pm Friday, August 15th, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum History & Horticulture Sunset Stroll. $5 Donation suggested. Register

9 am Saturday, August 16th, Seed St. Louis Fall Seedling Sale at Carriage House, 3815 Bell

9 am Saturday, August 16th, Piasa Palisades Sierra Club Bike Ride, Edwardsville, Illinois: Madison County Transit Trail Bike Ride. Nine miles in two hours. Register

9 am to Noon Saturday, August 16, Webster Groves Herb Society Display at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday morning, otherwise Admission Fee applies.

9 am to 5 pm Saturday, August 16th, Missouri Botanical Garden Daylily Association Plant Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday mornings, otherwise Admission Fee applies.

For Kids 5+ years. 24 Seats remaining. 10 am Saturday, August 16th, Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center: Conservation Kids- Sun Printing for Kids. Register

10:30 am Saturday, August 16th, Seed St. Louis Workshop at Bell Community Garden: Using the Garden to Teach. Register

1 pm Saturday, August 16th, St. Louis Public Library class at Central Library: Gardens and Plants of Colonial America. Oddly does not mention labor and plants of enslaved persons.

1:30 pm August 19th University of Illinois Extension Virtual Class: Crop Rotation- Building Resilient Gardens. Register

6:30 pm August 19th Missouri Botanical Garden event at Cohen Amphitheater: St. Louis Shakespeare Festival presents A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream. Doors open 5:30 pm. Free

7 pm August 19th Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center: Moments in Nature by Wildlife Photographer Danny Brown. Learn how he “makes the shot” and how he locates critters and photographs them with minimal intrusion into their daily activities. Register

Noon August 20th Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Program: Wild Foxes. Register

1 pm August 21st University of Illinois Extension Webinar: Saving the World, One Box Turtle at a Time. $5. Register

6 pm August 21st Missouri Botanical Garden Event: Ireland and Its Aromatic Heritage, Short Documentary Film & Discussion Panel. Admission Fee.

6:30 pm August 21st Heartlands Conservancy Bike Ride on St. Clair County Transit District Trails, approximately 16 miles. Register

10 am August 22nd Lincoln University Cooperative Extension Specialty Crops/Native Plants Program at Jefferson City MO: Introduction to Missouri Fern Identification and Ecology Workshop. $25 includes lunch. Register

7 pm August 22nd Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood: An Evening with Nature Photographer Noppadol Paothong. Register

Heads up for Tower Grove Park users. 10 am to 8 pm August 23rd-24th Festival of Nations at Tower Grove Park

Volunteers Wanted. 8 am August 23rd Heartlands Conservancy Knoll Family Wildlife Sanctuary Stewardship Day at Edwardsville, Illinois. Register

For families. 10 am to 2 pm August 23rd Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood: Peanut the Turtle’s Birthday Bash. Peanut turns 41. Register

Noon to 4 pm August 23rd Piasa Palisades Sierra Club Summer Picnic at Beaver Dam State Park, Royal Lakes, IL. Register

1 pm August 23rd St. Louis County Public Library event at Grant’s View Branch: Dig In & Learn- A Day in the Garden with Seed St. Louis. Register