Tag: Monarch Butterflies

This Week in Gardening and Nature

Hacinth Bean with pea-like pink to purple flowers on vine

Plant of the Week: non-native, annual Hyacinth Bean, a lovely scented vine for a fence or pole and hummingbird magnet.

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

$15 Home Soil Testing at University of Missouri Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory

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. Only addition is a link for January seed swap

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

Good Reads/Views/Listens —

National Gardening Library has lots of helpful guides (USDA)

5 Places You Should Never Plant Mums, According to Gardening Experts (The Spruce)

Benton Park’s lake is back, after being drained amid sinkhole saga (St. Louis Post-Dispatch via Wayback Machine)

Asian longhorned ticks on the move in Illinois, new detection found in Clay County (University of Illinois Extension)

Bird flu seen in central Nebraska dairy cattle (Nebraska Examiner)

Oklahoma’s earthquakes could help avoid induced seismicity from carbon storage (Oklahoma Voice)

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 —–

Fall Color Reports: Illinois and Missouri

Going on Now: Missouri Conservation Annual Tree Seedling Sale. Orders ship out in Spring. 39 Tree Varieties (Dogwoods, Rose Mallow/Hibiscus, Wild Plum as examples) and Bundles (Edible, Nut, Pollinator, Wildlife) still available. 24 Varieties Sold Out.

Volunteers Wanted. STL Neighborhood Foresters Neighborhood Tree Care Blitzes
September 27th Bevo. Register
September 27th Tower Grove East. Register
September 28th St. Louis Place. Register
October 18th Benton Park. Register
October 25th Bevo. Register
November 15th Benton Park. Register
December 20th Benton Park. Register
December 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.

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 —–

6 pm Monday, September 22nd, Missouri Conservation Department virtual class: Mighty Monarchs. Register

1 pm Tuesday, September 23rd, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Arboretum Horticulture Class: Gardening with Native Fruits Trees & Edible Plants. Walking tour + classroom survey of some of our wild food sources in Missouri. $15 Donation suggested. Register

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

10 Seats remaining. For Kids 0-7 years. 10:30 am Thursday, September 25th, Missouri Conservation Department event at Tower Grove Park: Conservation Kids, You and Me under the Canopy- Ansty Ants. Register

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

6 pm Thursday, 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.

7-10 pm Friday, September 26th, Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood: Moth Ball. Moth BioBlitz for citizen scientists, Crafts at Nature Center, PolliTat Parlour, More. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 8 am Saturday, September 27th, Eastern Missouri Sierra Club Honeysuckle Removal at the Hall’s Ferry Unit of the Big Muddy National Fish & Wildlife Refuge. Register

9 am to Noon Saturday, 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 Saturday, 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

10 am to 3 pm Saturday, September 27th, Missouri Pollinator Network Pollinator Palooza at Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center, St. Charles MO. Missouri Wildflowers Nursery and other native plant vendors will be selling there.

11 am and 1 pm Saturday, 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 Saturday, September 27th, STL Seeding Frenzy’s Homesteaders Hoedown, Exchange & Tool Swap at Watson Trail Park, Sunset Hills

Noon to 3 pm Saturday, September 27th, Edwardsville IL Public Library Houseplant Swap. Noon and 1 pm drop off your houseplants, clippings, unused garden seeds to give them a second life. Those who drop off a plant will have priority access to the swap.

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

For Kids 6-11 years of age, caregiver must attend. 2 pm Saturday, September 27th St. Louis Public Library from Schlafly Library to Forest Park: Nature Art Walk.

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

Saturday, September 27th, Heartlands Conservancy Trout Hollow Hill Prairie Anniversary Tours in Waterloo, Illinois.  9:30 am Tour- Register. 11:15 am Tour- Register.

2-6 pm Sunday, September 28th, LongStory Coffee’s fundraiser for Belleville Heart Garden: Harvest Festival, Year of the Bumblebee at High Street between LongStory Coffee and Garden. For Kids: Paint-a-Pot, Garden Scavenger Hunt, Bird Feeder Craft. Music by Mellow D. Food & Beverages & Merch vendors. Garden Tours. More.  

1-5 pm Sunday, September 28th U City in Bloom’s Plein Air Festival and Garden Tour. $25.

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

Registration Begins: 9 am October 1st Heartlands Conservancy 2025 Jingle Hike Challenge

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

6 pm October 1st Edwardsville IL Library class: Canning with Confidence

23 Tickets remaining. 9 am October 2nd Missouri Conservation Department hike in St. Louis City: North Riverfront Park Hike. 3 miles. Register

6 pm October 2nd Deep Roots KC Webinar: Native Plants- Curious by Nature, Native Gardening with Pop Culture Aesthetics Gardening. Cottage-Core to Goth and Mid-Century Modern to Tropical. Register

3-7 pm Friday and 9 am to Noon Saturday, October 3rd-4th, O’Fallon Mo Garden Club’s Neighborhood Plant and Rummage Sale. Perennials, natives, bulbs, houseplants

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 1 pm October 4th The Nature Institute event at Godfrey, Illinois: Forest Fest 

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

11 am to 6 pm October 4th Tower Grove Park event: Chuseok Korean Harvest Festival

7 pm October 4th St. Louis Astronomical Society event at Tower Grove Park: Stargazing

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

19 Seats remaining. 1 pm October 4th Misssouri Conservation Department craft event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood: Nature Art- Leaf Print Bandanas. Includes 1/3-mile walk on Tanglevine Trail to collect leaves. Register

28 Tickets remaining. 6:30 pm October 4th Missouri Conservation Department hiking event at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area: Hunter’s Moon Walk to the Confluence. Register

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

23 Tickets remaining. 6 am October 5th Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood: Birds & Brews- Birding Hike with Coffee. Register

7 pm October 6th The Nature Institute event at trails of the Mississippi Sanctuary and Olin Nature Preserve, Godfrey, Illinois: Moonlight Hike. Register

Volunters Wanted. 9 am October 8th Heartlands Conservancy event in Edwardsville, Illinois: Poag Sand Prairie Restoration Stewardship Day. Register

6:30 pm October 8th Piasa Pallisades Sierra Club virtual author event:  Jeff Biggers’ “Reckoning at Eagle Creek,” a discussion with award-winning journalist and cultural historian. Register

25 Tickets remaining. 9 am October 9th Missouri Conservation Department hike in St. Louis City: Lafayette Park Hike. 1.5 miles. Register

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

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am October 10th Heartlands Conservancy event in Clinton Hills Conservation Park, Swansea, Illinois: Exploration Garden Volunteer Stewardship Day. Register

1 pm October 9th Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Class: Wild Edibles- May the Forage Be With You. Learn about hickory nuts, chestnuts, walnuts and wild fruits like pawpaws, persimmons and grapes. Register

4-7:30 pm October 10th St. Louis Community College @ Meramec HortiCULTURE Exchange Open House & Self Guided Tours

8 am to 12:30 pm October 11th St. Louis Community College @ Meramec HortiCULTURE Exchange Transforming Community Symposium with keynote speaker Doug Tallamy, entomologist, ecologist, and author.

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

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

6 pm October 14th Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Class: Historic & Primitive Skills, Bushcraft Skills Series- Advanced Friction Fire. Learn about Hand Drill, Pump Drill, Fire Saw, and other methods used to start fires. Register

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

1 pm October 16th University of Illinois Extension Webinar: Uncovering the Winter Secrets of Whip-poor-wills. Register

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

6 pm October 16th Deep Roots KC Webinar: Native Plants- Curious by Nature, Native Gardening with Pop Culture Aesthetics Part II. Cottage-Core to Goth and Mid-Century Modern to Tropical. Register

6:30 pm October 16th Heartlands Conservancy Third Thursday Bike Ride. 16 miles on St. Clair County Transit District trails. Register

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

24 Seats remaining. 6 pm October 17th Missouri Conservation Department event at Tower Grove Park: Conservation Adults- Fall Paint and Sip. 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

10 am October 18th Heartlands Conservancy event at Storck Woods Nature Preserve, Washington County, Nashville, Illinois: Woods Walk. Register

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

23 Tickets remaining. 9 am October 23th Missouri Conservation Department hiking event in St. Louis City: Walk in the Park: Willmore Park. 1.5 miles. 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

17 Tickets remaining. 8:30 am October 26th St. Louis Audubon Society event at Tower Grove Park: Beginner Bird Walk. Register

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

7 pm October 29th Eastern Missouri Sierra Club and Olivette Parks & Recreation event: Building Community Through Sustainability- A Grassroots Journey presented by Kate Pichon-Hellmann, Olivette Sustainability Advocates. Register

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

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am November 2nd Heartlands Conservancy event at Waterloo, Illinois: Trout Hollow Hill Prairie Volunteer Stewardship Day. Register

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

11 am to 3 pm November 8th Greenscape Gardens event in Manchester: Plant Sale & Swap. Check back for more info.

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.

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.

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

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.

This Week in Gardening & Nature

bright yellow Goldenrod spires

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

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 —–

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

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 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

10 am to 3 pm September 27th Missouri Pollinator Network Pollinator Palooza at Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center, St. Charles MO. Missouri Wildflowers Nursery and other native plant vendors will be selling there.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Coral Honesuckle growing on trellis

Plant of the Week: Native Coral Honeysuckle, a hummingbird magnet. Native from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Virginia south to all states bordering the Gulf. Considered escaped in Missouri and Illinois.

Wednesday, April 30th Deadline for Powder Valley Urban Nature Photo Contest

Saturday, May 3rd, Deadline for submissions to Soulard Art Gallery juried Exhibit: The Art of Nature

Seed St. Louis Raised Bed Plant Spacing Chart

Plan your garden with  Seed St. Louis 2025 Planting Calendar.
-> Start Indoors This Week: Melons, Squash
-> Transplant This Week: Perennials, Trees, Basil, Cabbage, Chard, Collards, Kale
-> Sow Outdoors This Week: Beans, Beets, Collards, Kale, Parsley, Peas, Spinach, Turnips

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

Free Garden Planners, most require a computer, will not work on a cell phone

If you are just looking for St. Louis Area Plant and Seed Swaps and Sales, they are here. Added this week: Gardners of Florissant Annual Spring Plant Sale & Garden Bazaar, O’Fallon Mo Garden Club Plant & Rummage Sale, Kress Farm Garden Preserve Plant Sale in Hillsboro, Earth Dance Farm Plant Sale, Montgomery County Master Gardeners Plant Sale, Edwardsville IL Garden Club Plant Sales, Mississippi Valley Garden Club Plant Sale

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

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

River City Outdoors St. Louis now offers a Gear Lending Library for outdoor recreation equipment rentals to St. Louis City residents and St. Louis regional organizations that take children, families, and groups on outdoor trips.

Illinois School Teachers- March 2025 Application process begins for 2026 Illinois Schoolyard Habitat Action Grant Program

Good Reads/Views/Listens —

Gardening This Week? Watch Out For Heavy Rain, Late Freezes And Flooded Soil (The Weather Channel)

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

April Native Plant News (Wild Ones)

Anyone can grow potatoes in a container. 11 year old Sam shows you how. (Gardening Well on YouTube)

Monarch butterfly super generation live up to 9 times longer than most monarchs, migrates thousands of miles (Anderson Cooper, CBS)

Regional Climate Centers shut down abruptly last week. Here’s why it matters (Harvest Public Media, KCUR)

Tips on Sustainable Gardening (Missouri Botanical Garden)

Rethink The Garden Icons: The Tragedy of the Hyacinth (Wild Ones)

Earthjustice President Describes a “Fundamentally Different” Era of Hostility Toward Environmentalists. Abigail Dillen sees the increase of lawsuits targeting green groups as just one of the growing threats to environmental advocacy organizations — and the people who staff them. (ProPublica)

The U.S. takes a step toward allowing mining on the ocean floor, a fragile ecosystem (NPR)

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

Volunteers Wanted. Brightside St. Louis May Blitz events. Register your neighborhood clean up and/or beautification event and request bags/tools here.

Now thru Wednesday, April 30th, St. Louis Public Library event at Schlafly Library: Art Exhibit- Pressed, we flower, recent abstract works by Sean Duvahl Semones

Now thu July 28th Art Exhibit at Kemper Art Museum, Washington University- Seeds: Containers of a World to Come

Opens Friday. 11:30 am to 4:30 pm, May 2nd 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

Noon to 2 pm Sunday, April 27th, St. Charles County Master Gardener Plant Sale at Missouri University Extension, St. Peters

10 am Sunday, April 27th to 6 pm May 4th Missouri River Bird Observatory Fundraiser: Online Auction

1 pm Sunday, April 27th,  Madison County Extension Education Foundation fundraiser at Madison County Farm Bureau Building,  900 Hillsboro Ave, Edwardsville, Illinois: Plant Bingo. $20 donation suggested. Win Plants.

1:30 pm Tuesday, April 29th, University of Illinois Extension Webinar: Nature’s Uninvited Guests: The Impact of Invasive Plants. Properly dealing with invasive plants can lessen environmental impact. Register

6 pm Tuesday, April 29th, Willoughby Farm event in Collinsville, Illinois- Fence Picket Planter Workshop. $40 – all materials, tools, instruction included. Register

10 am Wednesday, April 30th, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Springtime History & Horticulture Walking Tour with Master Guide. Register

2 pm Wednesday, April 30th, Partners for Native Landscaping and St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Oh, Deer – Dealing with Unwanted Guests in Your Landscape. Register

6 pm Thursday, May 1st, St. Louis Public Library event at Schlafly Library: Plant Predators- An Introduction to Carnivorous Plants with Carnivorous Plant Society. Register

9 am to 1 pm Friday, May 2nd, Montgomery County Master Gardeners Plant Sale at Hillsboro IL

10 am Friday, May 2nd, Missouri Botanical Garden virtual event: Landscape Therapy with Edwina von Gal. Free. Register

Noon-8 pm Friday and 9 am to 5 pm Sunday, May 2nd-3rd, Gardeners of Florissant Annual Spring Plant Sale & Garden Bazaar at Florissant Elks Lodge

2-7 pm Friday and 7 am to Noon Saturday, May 2nd-3rd, O’Fallon Mo Garden Club Plant & Rummage Sale

4-6 pm Friday, 9 am to 1 pm Saturday, 11 am to 3 pm Sunday, May 2nd-4th Earth Dance Farm Plant Sale at Ferguson MO

7 am to 3 pm Saturday and 9 am to 4 pm Sunday, May 3rd-4th, Kress Farm Garden Preserve Plant Sale in Hillsboro, Jefferson County MO. Native plants, shrubs, trees; nonnative plants, annuals, vegetable seedlings.

8 am to Noon Saturday, May 3rd, Edwardsville IL Garden Club Plant Sale at St. Mary’s Church Parking Lot

8:30 am to Noon Saturday, May 3rd, Webster Groves Women’s Garden Association Plant Sale at the First Congregational Church of Webster Groves parking lot

9 am to 1 pm Saturday, May 3rd, Shaw Nature Reserve Spring Wildflower Market. $5 per person or $10 per vehicle.

9 am to 2 pm Saturday-Sunday, May 3rd-4th, Tower Grove East Community Garden Annual Plant Sale, 3301 Sidney: veggies, annuals, perennials, hostas, ground covers, herbs

9 am to 4 pm Saturday-Sunday, May 3rd-4th, Three Rivers Community Farm Plant Sale in Elsah, Illinois: native perennials, herbs, annual bedding plants, cutting flowers, veggie seedlings

10 am Saturday, May 3rd, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Springtime History & Horticulture Walking Tour with Master Guide. Register

8 am Saturday, May 3rd, St. Louis Audubon Beginner Bird Walk at Forest Park. Register

11 am to 3 pm Saturday, May 3rd, Rustic Roots Sanctuary event at Spanish Lake: Spring Dandelion Festival

1 pm Saturday, May 3rd, St. Louis Public Library event at Buder Library: Meet the Pack: Animals of the Endangered Wolf Center

1 pm Saturday, May 3rd, St. Louis Public Library class at Central Library: Growing Herbs in Containers.

1 pm Saturday, May 3rd, St. Louis Public Library event at Buder Library: Meet the Pack- Animals of the Endangered Wolf Center. No live animals tho.

3 pm Saturday, May 3rd, St. Louis Public Library movie event at Central Library: Green City Life Film Showing & Project. More on the documentary

7-10 pm Saturday, May 3rd, weather permitting, St. Louis Astronomical Society event at Tower Grove Park: Stargazing

9 am to 4 pm Next Sunday, May 4th, Bring Conservation Home & Wild Ones St. Louis Chapter event: St. Louis Native Plant Tour in Webster Groves. $20. Register

Next Sunday-Monday, May 4th-5th Baker Creek Spring Planting Festival in Mansfield, Wright County, MO, about a 3 1/2 hour drive from St. Louis or Kansas City

10 am May 6th Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum History & Horticulture Trolley Tour with Master Guide. Suggested $5 donation. Register

10 Seats remaining. 2 pm May 6th Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood: DIY Hummingbird Feeders. Register

9 am May 7th Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Wildwood Valley Garden Walk with Horticulturist. Register

10 am May 7th Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Springtime History & Horticulture Walking Tour with Master Guide. Register

4 pm May 7th Grow Native! Webinar: Native Plants & Neotropical Bird Migration. Register

May 8th-9th Jeanette Goldfarb Plant Growth Facility Spring Plant Sale at Washington University

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am May 8th Heartlands Conservancy event in Edwardsville IL: Poag Sand Prairie Restoration Stewardship Day. Register

3 pm May 8th St. Louis Public Library event at Baden Library: Mocktails and Garden Party. enjoy refreshing mocktails while crafting your own potted plant to take home.

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am May 9th Sierra Club Eastern Missouri Castlewood State Park Service Project, Ballwin: maintaining and repairing trails, closing social trails, and picking up trash. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am May 9th Heartlands Conservancy event at Clinton Hills Conservation Park, Swansea IL: Exploration Garden Stewardship Day. Register

2 pm May 9th St. Louis County Library class at Meramec Valley Branch, Fenton: Growing Herbs in Containers presented by St. Louis Herb Society. Register

4 pm May 9th Missouri Conservation Department virtual event: Avian IQ- Bird Trivia. Register

8 am to Noon May 10th Mississippi Valley Garden Club Plant Sale at Godfrey, Illinois

8 am to 1 pm May 10th Flora Conservancy Plant Sale @ Greenhouse, Forest Park

22 Tickets remaining. 8 am May 10th Missouri Conservation Department event at Weldon Spring Conservation Area, St. Charles MO: Lewis and Clark Trail Hike, 8.3 miles with spectacular views of the Missouri River. Register

9 am May 10th Seed St. Louis Summer Seedling & Sweet Potato Slip Sale at Carriage House, 3815 Bell. Annuals: Basil, Eggplant, Sweet Peppers, Sweet Potato Slips, Tomatoes. Perennials: native Clustered Mountain Mint, Lavender, Red Veined Sorrel, Rhubarb, Sea Kale, Wild Arugula, Wild Korean Celery. Also see 10:30 am class.

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am May 10th Piasa Palisades Sierra Club event at Alton, Illinois: Wadlow Restoration Volunteer Day. The former site of a municipal gold course is being restored to native plants. Register

9 am to Noon May 10th 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 May 10th St. Louis Hosta Society Show & 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 am to Noon May 10th Illinois Native Plant Society’s Native Plant Sale at Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield. It’s only an hour and a half drive or train ride from St. Louis.

10 am May 10th Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Spring Arboretum Trolley Tour with Horticulturist. Suggested $5 donation. Register

10 am May 10th St. Louis County Library event at Meramec Valley Branch, Fenton: Seed & Plant Swap. Register

10 am May 10th St. Louis Audubon The Birds and the Beers event at Tower Grove Park, then 2nd Shift Brewing on The Hill. $20. Register

10:30 am May 10th Seed St. Louis in-person class at Bell Community Garden: Seed Saving & Plant Breeding 101. Register

11 am May 10th St. Charles City-County Library Plant & Seed Swap at Spencer Road Branch. Register, registration opens April 12th

9 am to 5 pm May 11th Greater St. Louis Iris Society Show at Missouri Botanical Garden. Included with Garden Admission Fee.

For Kids 3-5 years of age. 7 Tickets remaining. May 13th Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood: Conservation Kids- The Native Connection. Kids will help plant native milkweeds andf learn about native plants and insects. 9 am story time. 10 am milkweed activity & more. Register

2-6 pm May 14th Spring Plant Swap at LINC St. Charles County Community Center, 9 Love Park Lane, Wentzville MO

5 pm May 15th St. Louis Public Library event at Walnut Park Library: Wild Hearts- Understanding Animal Behavior in the Wild with St. Louis Zoo

6:30 pm May 15th Heartland Conservancy event: Third Thursday Cycling Series, Illinois.  16 miles on St. Clair County Transit District trails. Register

7 pm May 15th St. Louis County Library Virtual Class: Houseplant Propagation 101. Register

3:30 pm May 16th Missouri Conservation Department virtual class: Outdoor Hazards- snakes, ticks, heat, and more. Learn how to prevent and reduce run-ins with outdoor hazards. Register

9 am to 5 pm May 17th Metropolitan St. Louis African Violet Council 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.

1:30 pm May 20th University of Illinois Extension Webinar: Managing Common Squash and Pumpkin Pests. Register

10 am May 21st St. Louis County Library class at Weber Road Branch: Growing Herbs in Containers presented by St. Louis Herb Society. Register

2 pm May 21st Partners for Native Landscaping and St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Cultivating Native Seeds in the Landscape. Register

4 pm May 21st Grow Native! Zoom Master Class: Native Perennials for Planting on Slopes. Free to all Missouri Prairie Foundation dues-paying members and Grow Native! professional members, or $15 for non-members. Register

9 am to 2 pm Friday and 8 am to 2 pm Saturday, May 23rd-24th, 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.

3 pm May 23rd St. Louis County event at Clark Branch: Seed & Plant Swap. Register

8 am to 4 pm May 24th Missouri Wildflowers Nursery selling at Kirkwood Farmers Market. Order online for pick up at Market or purchase from what they bring that day.

9 am to 5 pm May 24th-25th Rose Society of Greater St. Louis Show 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.

4 Tickets remaining. 8:30 am May 25th St. Louis Audubon Beginner Bird Walk at Tower Grove Park. Register

May 26th Deadline to order native plants online from Missouri Wildflowers Nursery for pick up Saturday, May 31st, at Kirkwood Farmer’s Market

6 pm May 28th St. Louis Public Library event at Schlafly Library: How To Find An Owl In Your Neighborhood, presented by naturalist Mark H.X. Glenshaw, aka “The Owl Man.” Register

May 31st Urban Gardening Symposium at Brightside St. Louis Demonstration Garden. $10. Register

8 am to 4 pm May 31st Missouri Wildflowers Nursery selling at Kirkwood Farmers Market. Order online by previous Monday for pick up at Market or purchase from what they bring that day.

9 am to Noon May 31st Northside Workshop event in Old North: Decolonize the Garden- From Seeds to Bees. Register

For ages 12-18. 4:30 pm June 4th St. Louis Public Library event at Kingshighway Library: Wildflower Seed Ball Making

10 am June 5th Gratree Farm event in Wentzville, St. Charles County: U-Cut Lavender Grand Opening. Register

8 am to 4 pm June 7th Missouri Wildflowers Nursery selling at Kirkwood Farmers Market. Order online by previous Monday for pick up at Market or purchase from what they bring that day.

11 am June 14th St. Charles City-County Library Plant & Seed Swap at Spencer Road Branch. Register, registration opens May 17th

1 pm June 14th St. Louis Public Library class at Central Library: Herbs in the Civil War!

9 am to Noon June 21st 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 June 21st Carnivorous Plant 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.

10 am June 21st Grow Native! Native Garden of Excellence Tour: Native Plant Garden at Ladue City Hall. Register

June 21-22 St. Louis Water Garden Society Pond-A-Rama tour. Tickets

9 am to 5 pm June 25th Kimmswick Visitor Center 25th Annual Daylily Sale. 35 Minute drive from St. Louis. Go early for best selection.

5:30 pm June 26th Missouri Coalition for the Environment St. Louis Chats for Change at Modern Brewing

9 am to 2 pm Friday and 8 am to 2 pm Saturday, June 27th-28th, 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.

11 am July 12th St. Charles City-County Library Plant & Seed Swap at Spencer Road Branch. Register, registration opens June 14th

9 am to 5 pm August 2nd-3rd Greater St. Louis Iris Society 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.

11 am August 9th St. Charles City-County Library Plant & Seed Swap at Spencer Road Branch. Register, registration opens July 12th

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

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

9 am to Noon 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 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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Join us Sundays on Bluesky for #GardenSunday.

This Week in Gardening & Nature

Dwarf Iris

Plant of the Week: Dwarf Iris

River City Outdoors St. Louis now offers a Gear Lending Library for outdoor recreation equipment rentals to St. Louis City residents and St. Louis regional organizations that take children, families, and groups on outdoor trips.

Plan your garden with  Seed St. Louis 2025 Planting Calendar.
-> Start Indoors This Week: Basil, Peppers
-> Transplant This Week: Perennials, Trees, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Cabbage, Chard, Collards, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Lettuce, Onions
-> Sow Outdoors This Week: Arugula, Carrots, Bok Choy, Chard, Collards, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Peas. Spinach, Turnips

When to Plant in Illinois (University of Illinois Extension)

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

Free Garden Planners, most require a computer, will not work on a cell phone

If you are just looking for St. Louis Area Plant and Seed Swaps and Sales, they are here. Added this week: Seed St. Louis Spring Seedling Sale, another St. Louis County Library Seed & Plant Swap

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

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

March 17th Registration Opens for Missouri Invasive Plant Council’s Callery (Bradford) Pear Buyback Program in 17 cities

April 15th Deadine to Nominate for Missouri Invasive Plant Council’s Invasive Plant Action Award

April 25th Deadline to Register community cleaning or greening Blitz Projects with Brightside St. Louis and get free Blitz Blooms annuals to plant in public spaces.

Illinois School Teachers- March 2025 Application process begins for 2026 Illinois Schoolyard Habitat Action Grant Program

Good Reads/Views/Listens —

March Gardening Tips for Outdoor Flowering Plants & Ornamentals, Indoor Plants, Vegetable Gardening, Fruits & Nuts (University of Missouri Extension)

Companion planting: Combining plants for a healthy, well-balanced garden (University of Illinois Extension)

After losing its community garden, Ujima finds ways to grow (St. Louis Public Radio)

Gardening can protect monarch butterflies (University of Missouri Extension)

Trump administration ends reimbursements for Illinois food programs. USDA funds are part of nearly $2 billion being withheld from Illinois, Pritzker says (Capital News Illinois)

Influential factory farm industry presents a massive challenge to safety of Oklahomans, animals (Oklahoma Voice)

Shaw Nature Reserve Propagation Guide

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.

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 —

Volunteers Wanted. Brightside St. Louis March Blitz events. Register your neighborhood clean up and/or beautification event and request bags/tools here.

Now thru March 31st St. Louis Public Library photography exhibit at Schlafly Library: Gaucha Berlin’s In Bloom III, nature throughout the seasons, photos taken in the Benton Park Neighborhood

Now thu July 28th Art Exhibit at Kemper Art Museum, Washington University- Seeds: Containers of a World to Come

March 31st to April 25th, except Wednesdays and Sundays, St. Louis Public Library event at Central Library: St. Louis Watercolor Society 25th Annual Juried Exhibition. Bound to be some gorgeous flowers and nature submissions.

6:30 pm Monday, March 10th, Missouri River Bird Observatory webinar: Plastics and Public Health: the unsettling latest in medical research presented by Megan Wolff, Beyond Plastics. Register

1- 4 pm Tuesday, March 11th, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum horticulture class: Formal and Natural Garden Design Class. Register

4 pm Tuesday, March 11th, Missouri Conservation Department online class: Early Butterflies. Register

6:30 pm Tuesday, March 11th, Piasa Palisades Sierra Club speaker series at Old Bakery Beer, Alton, Illinois: US Army Corps of Engineers and Leave No Trace. Register

7 pm Tuesday, March 11th, St. Louis Audubon and the Sierra Club Eastern Missouri event at Webster University: The Plastic Pollution Crisis- A Threat to Ecosystems and Beyond. Register

9 am Wednesday, March 12th, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum event: Spring Bulb Walk with horticulturist. $5. Register

4 pm Wednesday, March 12th, Missouri Prairie Foundation webinar: Grassland Grouse- Beauty, Biology, & Conservation. Join acclaimed nature photographer Noppadol Paothong for an unforgettable journey through 25 years of photographing grassland grouse. Register

5-7 pm Wednesday, March 12th, Seed St. Louis Young Friends Happy Hour at 2nd Shift Brewing, The Hill

35 Seats remaining. 6 pm Wednesday, March 12th, St. Louis Public Library event at Carpenter Library:  Welcoming Native Species into Your Garden, presented by Ro Kicker. Free native seed packet to each participant. Register

Noon Thursday, March 13th, Missouri Conservation Department virtual class: Organic Gardening. Register

5 pm Thursday, March 13th St. Louis Public Library event at Julia Davis Library: Sowing Seeds of Justice, presented by Jennings farmer Julia Thompson. Learn about urban homesteading with an emphasis on chickens.

6 pm Thursday, March 13th, Seed St. Louis, Table to Garden, Willoughby Farm and Good Dirt Composting Collective class at Collinsville, Illinois:  Food Too Good To Waste Series- Composting 101. $15. Register

6 pm Thursday, March 13th, St. Louis County Library event at Grand Glaize Branch, Manchester: Mad About Mushrooms, presented by St. Louis Herb Society. Learn about harvesting, cooking, and preserving mushrooms. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am Friday, March 14th, Sierra Club Eastern Missouri Service Day at Castlewood State Park, Ballwin. Register

3:30 pm Friday, March 14th, Missouri Conservation Department Zoom class: Native Plants- Unusual Plants. Register

7 pm Friday, March 14th, Heartlands Conservancy Full Moon Hike at Bohm Woods State Nature Preserve in Edwardsville, Illinois. Register

10 am to 2 pm Saturday, March 15th, Rustic Roots Sanctuary 5th Annual Seed Swap in Spanish Lake. Register

10 am Saturday, March 15th, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Spring Arboretum Trolley Tour with naturalist. $5. Register

2 pm Saturday, March 15th, St. Louis Public Library event at Divoll Library: Seed Swap

1 pm Sunday, March 16th, Willoughby Farm event in Collinsville, Illinois: Sustainability Series- Urban Gardening. $15. Register

6:30 pm March 17th Missouri River Bird Observatory webinar: Missouri Water Policy- history and current legislation presented by Mary Culler, Missouri Stream Teams United. Register

10 am March 19th Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum event: History & Horticulture Trolley Tour. $5. Register

2 pm March 19th Partners for Native Landscaping and St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Monarchs and Mosquitoes – Control the Pests, Protect the Pollinators. Register

2 pm March 20th Missouri Conservation Department event at Emmenegger Nature Park, Kirkwood: First Day of Spring Hike, two miles on Bluff Creek Trail. Register

5 pm March 20th St. Louis Public Library event at Julia Davis Library: Sowing Seeds of Justice, presented by Jennings farmer Julia Thompson. Learn about urban homesteading with an emphasis on chickens.

6 pm March 20th Wild Ones National Panel Discussion: The Advocacy Power of Public Native Gardens. Register

3:30 pm March 21st Missouri Conservation Department Zoom class: Plant This, Not That! Learn about great native plants and plants harmful to Missouri wildlife and ecosystems. Register

March 22nd Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Fox Trot 5K and Kit Crawl 10K Run/Walk Fundraiser. Register

9 am to Noon March 22nd 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 mornings.

10 Tickets remaining. 12:30 pm March 22nd Missouri Conservation Department class at Power Valley Nature Conservation Center, Kirkwood: Introduction to Archery. Register

1 pm March 22nd St. Louis Public Library event at Central Library: Critical for Gardening- Get the Dirt on Soil, Missouri Botanical Gardens Master Gardener Speakers Bureau

1 pm March 22nd Missouri Conservation Department Zoom class: Non-Native Invasive Species. Register

6:30 pm March 24th Missouri River Bird Observatory webinar: The Migratory Bird Treaty Act- history, applications, and current status presented by Sarah Kendrick, US Fish & Wildlife Service. Register

4 pm March 25th Grow Native! webinar: Native Cool-Season Grasses & Sedges for Landscaping, Forage, and Wildlife Benefits. Register

6 pm March 26th St. Louis County Library event at Daniel Boone Branch, Ellisville: Mad About Mushrooms, presented by St. Louis Herb Society. Learn about harvesting, cooking, and preserving mushrooms. Register

5 pm Thursday, March 27th St. Louis Public Library event at Julia Davis Library: Sowing Seeds of Justice, presented by Jennings farmer Julia Thompson. Learn about urban homesteading with an emphasis on chickens.

11 Seats remaining. Family-friendly. 6 pm March 27th Missouri Conservation Department event at Forest Park Hatchery: Fishing Lesson 1- Equipment, Casting, & Proper Fish Handling. Gear provided. Register

1 pm March 28th Missouri Conservation Department Virtual class: Hummingbirds of Missouri. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am March 29th Forest ReLeaf event at CommuniTree Gardens Nursery, Maryland Heights: March Open Nursery Potting Day. Help pot up 20,000 bare root tree seedlings. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am March 29th Sierra Club Eastern Missouri Service Day (Trash Pick Up) on Centennial Greenway, Olive to Shaw Park, St. Louis County. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am March 29th Heartland Conservancy Stewardship Day (honeysuckle removal) at Trout Hollow Hill Prairie, Monroe County/Waterloo Area, Illinois. Register

7 pm March 29th Heartlands Conservancy event at Poag Sand Prairie, Edwardsville, Illinois: Frog Walk. Register

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

1 pm March 30th Willoughby Farm event in Collinsville, Illinois: Sustainability Series- Knowing & Growing the Native Garden. $15. Register

1-4:30 pm March 30th Wild & Scenic Film Festival at The Blue Note, Columbia MO

2 pm April 2nd Partners for Native Landscaping and St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Transforming Vacant Lots into Neighborhood Greenspaces. Register

7 pm April 2nd St. Louis County Library and Left Bank Books author event at Clark Family Branch: Paleontologist and Science Writer Riley Black, “When the Earth Was Green: Plants, Animals, and Evolution’s Greatest Romance.” Register

6 pm April 3rd Willoughby Farm event in Collinsville, Illinois: Composting Series- Indoor Compostin- Vermicomposting and Bokashi. $15. Register

9 am to 3 pm April 4th Missouri Botanical Garden Arbor Day Native Tree Seedling Giveaway. Garden Admission required.

8 am to 4 pm April 5th Missouri Wildflowers Nursery returns to Kirkwood Farmers Market. Order online for pick up at Market or purchase from what they bring that day.

8 am April 5th St. Louis Audubon Society Beginner Bird Walk at Forest Park. Register

9 am April 5th Seed St. Louis Spring Seedling Sale at Carriage House, 3815 Bell: bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, lettuce

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am April 5th Forest ReLeaf event at Old St. Marcus Cemetery: Christy Greenway Tree Planting. Register

10:30 am April 5th Seed St. Louis workshop at Bell Garden, 3841 Bell: Community Engagement for the School Garden. Register

1 pm April 6th Willoughby Farm event in Collinsville, Illinois: Composting Series- Container Gardening. $15. Register

April 6th & 7th Baker Creek Tulip Festival in Mansfield, Wright County, MO, about a 3 1/2 hour drive from St. Louis or Kansas City

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am April 10th Heartland Conservancy event at Edwardsville, Illinois: Poag Sand Prairie Restoration Stewardship Day. Register

6 pm April 10th St. Louis County Library Plant Swap at Thornhill Branch

6 pm April 10th St. Louis County Library event at Grant’s View Branch: Introduction to Landscape Design. Register

2 pm April 11th St. Louis County Library event at Mid-County Branch, Clayton: Homesteading- Gardens for Small Spaces. Register

7 am to 5 pm April 12th Veterans Free Fishing Day at Bennett Spring State Park near Lebanon MO

8 am to 4 pm April 12th Missouri Wildflowers Nursery selling at Kirkwood Farmers Market. Order online for pick up at Market or purchase from what they bring that day.

9 am April 12th Missouri Conservation Department Virtual class: Learning to Hunt- Wild Edibles presented by Bo Brown. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am April 12th Forest ReLeaf event at CommuniTree Gardens Nursery, Maryland Heights: March Open Nursery Potting Day. Help pot up 20,000 bare root tree seedlings. Register

10 am April 12th Grow Native! Native Plant Sale at World Bird Sanctuary, Valley Park Mo. $12 entry fee

11 am April 12th St. Louis Public Library class at Central Library: For the Birds. Learn about planting beautiful, bird-friendly plants, and providing supplemental food, water, and shelter.

1 pm April 12th St. Louis Public Library class at Central Library: Pest Control with Herbs. Register

10 am to 2 pm April 13th Riverlands Native Plant Festival at West Alton, Missouri: Speakers, workshops, native plant giveaway for attendees volunteering for sand prairie planting at event

6 pm April 17th St. Louis County Public Library Spring Gardening Swap at Prairie Commons Branch, Hazelwood. Bring plants, seeds, bulbs, gardening tools, gardening books to swap

8 am to 4 pm April 19th Missouri Wildflowers Nursery selling at Kirkwood Farmers Market. Order online for pick up at Market or purchase from what they bring that day.

9 am to Noon April 22nd 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.

11 am April 12th St. Charles City-County Library Plant & Seed Swap at Spencer Road Branch. Register, registration opens March 15th

2 pm April 16th Partners for Native Landscaping and St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Pollinator Powerhouses and Keystone Plant Species. Register

6 pm April 17th St. Louis County Library event at Jamestown Bluff Branch, Florissant: Make It, Take It- Plant Pot. Register

For Ages 3-6 years. 10 am April 19th St. Louis County Library event at Grand Glaize Branch, Manchester: Preschool STEAM- Plants and Flowers. Dress for the mess. Register

4 pm April 21st St. Louis County Library event at Jamestown Bluffs Branch, Florissant: Pollinator Party. Register

6 pm April 23rd St. Louis County Library event at Rock Road Branch, St. Ann:
Spring Seed Bombs. Register

6 pm April 24th Missouri Conservation Department Virtual class: Learning to Hunt- Mushrooms. Register

6 pm April 24th Seed St. Louis, Table to Garden, Willoughby Farm and Good Dirt Composting Collective class at Collinsville, Illinois:  Food Too Good to Waste Series- Outdoor Composting: Bins and Tumblers. $15. Register

9 am to 4 pm April 25th St. Louis Herb Society Herb Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden parking lot.

8 am to 4 pm April 26th Missouri Wildflowers Nursery selling at Kirkwood Farmers Market. Order online for pick up at Market or purchase from what they bring that day.

10 am April 26th St. Louis County Library event at Daniel Boone Branch, Ellisville: Seed & Plant Swap

April 26th-27th Project Pollinator Native Plant Sale at Sachs Butterfly House, Chesterfield  

Noon to 3 pm April 26th Heartlands Conservancy Native Plant Sale & Order Pick Up at Clinton Hills Conservation Park Pavilion, Swansea, Illinois. Online Pre-Ordering March 20th to April 9th.

10 am to 4 pm April 26th Missouri River Bird Observatory Birds, Bees & Blooms Festival at Arrow Rock, Missouri. This is a 2 1/2 hour drive from St. Louis and a 1 1/2 hour drive from Kansas City.

2 pm April 30th Partners for Native Landscaping and St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Oh, Deer – Dealing with Unwanted Guests in Your Landscape. Register

6 pm May 1st St. Louis Public Library event at Schlafly Library: Plant Predators- An Introduction to Carnivorous Plants with Carnivorous Plant Society. Register

19 Seats remaining. 10 am May 3rd St. Louis Public Library event at Central Library: Tomatoes 101. Register

1 pm May 3rd St. Louis Public Library event at Buder Library: Meet the Pack: Animals of the Endangered Wolf Center

1 pm May 3rd St. Louis Public Library class at Central Library: Growing Herbs in Containers.

May 4th-5th Baker Creek Spring Planting Festival in Mansfield, Wright County, MO, about a 3 1/2 hour drive from St. Louis or Kansas City

May 8th-9th Jeanette Goldfarb Plant Growth Facility Spring Plant Sale at Washington University

3 pm May 8th St. Louis Public Library event at Baden Library: Mocktails and Garden Party. enjoy refreshing mocktails while crafting your own potted plant to take home.

9 am May 10th Seed St. Louis Summer Seedling & Sweet Potato Slip Sale at Carriage House, 3815 Bell

May 10th Flora Conservancy Plant Sale @ Greenhouse, Forest Park – no link yet

9 am to Noon May 10th 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 May 10th St. Louis Hosta Society Show & 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.

11 am May 10th St. Charles City-County Library Plant & Seed Swap at Spencer Road Branch. Register, registration opens April 12th

9 am to 5 pm May 11th Greater St. Louis Iris Society Show at Missouri Botanical Garden. Included with Garden Admission Fee.

5 pm May 15th St. Louis Public Library event at Walnut Park Library: Wild Hearts- Understanding Animal Behavior in the Wild with St. Louis Zoo

9 am to 5 pm May 17th Metropolitan St. Louis African Violet Council 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.

2 pm May 21st Partners for Native Landscaping and St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Cultivating Native Seeds in the Landscape. Register

8 am to 4 pm May 24th Missouri Wildflowers Nursery selling at Kirkwood Farmers Market. Order online for pick up at Market or purchase from what they bring that day.

9 am to 5 pm May 24th-25th Rose Society of Greater St. Louis Show 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.

May 31st Urban Gardening Symposium at Brightside St. Louis Demonstration Garden. $10. Register

8 am to 4 pm May 31st Missouri Wildflowers Nursery selling at Kirkwood Farmers Market. Order online for pick up at Market or purchase from what they bring that day.

1 pm June 14th St. Louis Public Library class at Central Library: Herbs in the Civil War!

9 am to Noon June 21st 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 June 21st Carnivorous Plant 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.

June 21-22 St. Louis Water Garden Society Pond-A-Rama tour. Tickets

9 am to 5 pm August 2nd-3rd Greater St. Louis Iris Society 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.

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

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

9 am to Noon 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 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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Join us Sundays on Bluesky for #GardenSunday.

This Week in Gardening & Nature

Plant of the Week: Coral Bells, Heuchera, some varieties provide great Fall and Winter leaf color

Now thru January 1st at Missouri Botanical Garden: Holiday Flower and Train Show. Garden admission is free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

Now thru January 4th Missouri Botanical Garden’s Garden Glow. Purchase Tickets.

Now thru April 15th On Line Ordering for Missouri Conservation Department annual Tree & Shrub Seedling Sale. They still have Redbud, Elderberry, Witchhazel, and lots more.

February 28th Deadline to apply for Missouri Coalition for the Environment’s High School Student Environmental Action Award

Missouri 4-H Independent members program for 8-18 years olds living some distance from a 4-H club (University of Missouri Extension)

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

When to Plant in Illinois (University of Illinois Extension)

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

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 Reads/Views —

Monarch Butterfly Proposed for Endangered Species Act Protection (US Fish & Wildlife Service)

Missouri Conservation Department finds likely bird flu cases among snow geese. Tests show probable infections in birds recovered in Henry and Vernon counties, prompting advisory asking for reports of dead waterfowl and warning against contact (Missouri Independent)

Supreme Court weighs limits on key federal environmental law (Colorado Newsline)

How a state sales tax helps Missouri farmers resist droughts (Columbia Missourian)

Native Plants at Noon Series on YouTube (Deep Roots Kansas City)

Container Gardening with Keystone Species. Find your Ecoregion. Missouri is a part of four regions- Southeastern Plains, Ozark Ouachita Appalachian Forest, Mississippi Alluvial, Temperate Prairies. Illinois is a part of Central Plains and Southeast Plains. (Homegrown National Park)

Fall/Winter edition of Meanderings (Heartlands Conservancy, Belleville IL)

Seed St. Louis Videos: Variety Trials, Virtual Classes, Starting Seeds Indoors, Orchard Tips, Gardening Tips & How Tos, 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.

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 —

8:30 am Tuesday, December 17th, Missouri Conservation Department Zoom class: Winter Backyard Bird Watching. Register

4 Tickets remaining. 6:30 pm Tuesday, December 17th, Missouri Conservation Department Zoom class: The Science and Art of Soap Making Pt. 1. Register

2 pm Wednesday, December 18th, Missouri Conservation Department Zoom class: Missouri Foxes. Register

4 pm Wednesday, December 18th, Missouri Prairie Foundation webinar: Prairie Planting Establishment & Stewardship, includes Q & A with Jerod Huebner. Register

33 Tickets remaining. 6 pm Wednesday, December 18th, Missouri Conservation Department Zoom class: Outdoor Survival- Useful Knots for the Outdoors. Register

9 am Friday, December 20th, Missouri Sierra Club’s Eastern Missouri Group Service Day at Castlewood State Park, Ballwin. Register

3 pm Friday, December 20th, Missouri Conservation Department virtual class: Owls of Missouri. Register

3 Seats remaining. 10 am Saturday December 21st Missouri Conservation Department event at Tower Grove Park: The Science and Art of Soap Making Pt. 2. Requires online #1 class. Register

1 pm Saturday, December 21st Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood: Conservation Matinee- Flight of the Snow Geese

Volunteers Wanted. 10 am December 28th St. Louis Neighborhood Foresters Bevo Neighborhood Tree Care Blitz. Register

25 Tickets remaining. 1 pm December 31st Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood: Year End Hike. Register

4 Tickets remaining. 4:30 pm December 31st Missouri Conservation Department event at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area: New Year’s Eve Stroll to the Confluence. Register

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

18 Tickets remaining. 9 am January 4th Missouri Conservation Department event at West Alton, Missouri: Dresser Island Hike. 5-7 mile hike along the Mississippi River. Register

1 pm January 4th St. Louis Public Library event at Central Library: Plants that Changed the Course of History-Volume 1, Missouri Botanical Garden Speakers Bureau.

6:30 pm January 6th Missouri River Bird Observatory Winter Learning Series on Zoom: Series Introduction & Towards Restoration Agriculture in Missouri, presented by Zach Miller, Preserve Engagement Manager, The Nature Conservancy. Register

25 Seats remaining. 6:30 pm January 9th St. Charles City-County Library event at Spencer Road Branch: Maintaining Native Plant Gardens

5 Seats remaining. 8-10 am January 11th Missouri Conservation Department event at Forest Park Hatchery: Learn to Fish- All About Trout! Lessons 1 & 2. Register

10 am January 11th Missouri Conservation Department online class: Kestrel Nesting Boxes. Register

20 Seats remaining. 11 am January 11th St. Charles City-County Library Plant & Seed Swap at Spencer Road Branch. Register

6 pm January 13th Missouri Conservation Department online class: Suet-Yourself, Homemade Bird Feeders. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am January 12th St. Louis Neighborhood Foresters Tower Grove East Neighborhood Tree Care Blitz. Register

6:30 pm January 13th Missouri River Bird Observatory Winter Learning Series on Zoom: What Can Climate Litigation Teach Us About Holding the Plastics Industry Responsible for Pollution Problems, presented by Bart Elmore, Professor of Environmental History, Ohio State University. Register

10:30 am January 14th Missouri River Bird Observatory event at Ethical Society of St. Louis: The Global Effect of Plastics on the Environment, presented by Dana Ripper, co-founder, MRBO.

4 pm January 15th Grow Native! and Missouri Prairie Foundation online Master Class: Seeded Tree Islands for Beauty, Shade, and Native Diversity presented by horticulturist Scott Woodbury. Free to MPF members and Grow Native! professional members. $15 non-members. Register

6 Seats remaining. 8-10 am January 18th Missouri Conservation Department event at Forest Park Hatchery: Learn to Fish- All About Trout! Lessons 1 & 2. Register

19 Seats remaining. Ages 16+. 10 am January 11th Missouri Conservation Department event at Tower Grove Park: Art in the Park, Canvas & Cocoa. Paint a deer. All materials provided. Register

6:30 pm January 20th Missouri River Bird Observatory Winter Learning Series on Zoom: What Can Climate Litigation Teach Us About Holding the Plastics Industry Responsible for Pollution Problems, presented by Bart Elmore, Professor of Environmental History, Ohio State University. Register

2 pm January 22nd St. Louis Public Library event at Central Library: Plants that Changed the Course of History-Volume 2, Missouri Botanical Garden Speakers Bureau.

6 pm January 23rd Collinsville Park & Rec, Illinois class: Food Too Good to Waste Series- Food for Thought- Smart Planning to Reduce Food Waste. $15. Register

January 25th thru March 4th event at Sachs Butterfly House, Faust Park, Chesterfield: Morpho Mardi Gras- Bugs, Rhythm, & Blues. Fee applies

11 am to 4 pm January 25th St. Louis Seeding Frenzy Seed Swap & Homesteading Showcase at Sunset Hills Community Center, 3915 S Lindbergh. Also, will be an unused equipment/tool/supply exchange. If you do not have seeds to share, please bring a donation of either non-perishable food items, hygiene products, new kids socks, underwear for local charity.

6:30 pm January 27th Missouri River Bird Observatory Winter Learning Series on Zoom: Climate Change Conversations, presented by Jamin Bray, Co-Director, Missouri Environmental Education Association. Register

6 pm January 30th Seed St. Louis Zoom class: Indoor Food Gardening. Register

8 am February 1st St. Louis Audubon Society Beginner Bird Walk at Forest Park. Register

February 1st thru March 9th at Missouri Botanical Garden: Orchid Show. Garden admission is free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

12 Seats remaining. 9-11 am February 4th Missouri Conservation Department event at Forest Park Hatchery: Pond to Plate, All About Trout! Register

12 Seats remaining. 8-10 am February 8th Missouri Conservation Department event at Forest Park Hatchery: Pond to Plate, All About Trout! Register

9 am to 3 pm February 8th Eagle Days at Audubon Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary in West Alton, Missouri

11 am February 8th St. Charles City-County Library Plant & Seed Swap at Spencer Road Branch. Register, registration opens January11th

1 pm February 15th St. Louis Public Library event at Divoll Library: What’s All the Buzz About Natives? presented by Sue Leahy from Wild Ones.

2 pm February 15th St. Louis Public Library Seed Swap at Carpenter Library in partnership with Urban Harvest STL

7:30 am to Noon February 21st Grow Native! Southwest Illinois Workshop at Lewis & Clark Community College, Edwardsville, Illinois: Stormwater Challenges & Native Plant Solutions. $25 for MPF members and Grow Native! professional members, $15 for students with a valid student ID, and $30 for non-members. Includes breakfast. Register

March 1st St. Louis Public Library event at Central Library: Lore and Legend of Herbs with St. Louis Herb Society

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

1 pm March 22nd St. Louis Public Library event at Central Library: Critical for Gardening- Get the Dirt on Soil, Missouri Botanical Gardens Master Gardener Speakers Bureau

April 6th & 7th Baker Creek Tulip Festival in Mansfield, Wright County, MO, about a 3 1/2 hour drive from St. Louis or Kansas City

7 am to 5 pm April 12th Veterans Free Fishing Day at Bennett Spring State Park near Lebanon MO

9 am April 12th Missouri Conservation Department Virtual class: Learning to Hunt- Wild Edibles presented by Bo Brown. Register

11 am April 12th St. Charles City-County Library Plant & Seed Swap at Spencer Road Branch. Register, registration opens March 15th

6 pm April 24th Missouri Conservation Department Virtual class: Learning to Hunt- Mushrooms. Register

9 am to 4 pm April 25th St. Louis Herb Society Herb Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden parking lot.

6 pm May 1st St. Louis Public Library event at Schlafly Library: Plant Predators- An Introduction to Carnivorous Plants with Carnivorous Plant Society. Register

20 seats remaining. 10 am May 3rd St. Louis Public Library event at Central Library: Tomatoes 101. Register

1 pm May 3rd St. Louis Public Library event at Buder Library: Meet the Pack: Animals of the Endangered Wolf Center

May 4th-5th Baker Creek Spring Planting Festival in Mansfield, Wright County, MO, about a 3 1/2 hour drive from St. Louis or Kansas City

11 am May 10th St. Charles City-County Library Plant & Seed Swap at Spencer Road Branch. Register, registration opens April 12th

5 pm May 15th St. Louis Public Library event at Walnut Park Library: Wild Hearts- Understanding Animal Behavior in the Wild with St. Louis Zoo

June 21-22 St. Louis Water Garden Society Pond-A-Rama tour. Tickets

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

Join us Sundays on Bluesky for #GardenSunday. No longer on Twitter thanks to Elon Musk turning it into a dumpster fire.

This Week in Gardening & Nature

Plant of the Week: native Goldenrod

If you are only looking for St. Louis Area Plant Sales (plant sales & swaps- plants, native plants, tree & shrub seedings + seed swaps) here’s a page for them. No additions this week, just deleted past events.

Fall Color Reports. Missouri and Illinois

November 15th Deadline for Grade Schools to High Schools, Youth Groups, Community Groups with youth programs, to apply for Wild Ones’ Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education Program Grants: native plant use in pollinator gardens, rain gardens to improve water quality, tallgrass prairies, Monarch waystations featuring community science activities, and sensory and natural playgrounds.

Plan your garden with  Seed St. Louis Planting Calendar

Good Reads —

One of the rarest trees in the world- Karomia gigas – is on display at MoBot’s Arid House. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents mornings on Saturdays and Wednesdays. (KSDK)

Health and farmworker advocates urge ban of herbicide linked to Parkinson’s. EPA will determine next year if the herbicide, paraquat dichloride, should have its license renewed for another 15 years. (Missouri Independent)

Scientists just figured out how many chemicals enter our bodies from food packaging. A new study details the chemicals finding their way into human bodies from contact with food. (Gift article @ Washington Post)

Residents worry Ameren gas plant in St. Louis County will be expensive, dirty (paywall St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

Why ‘chaos wheat’ may be the future of bread. It’s time to look beyond all-purpose flour (Gift article @ Washington Post)

A turtle and its advocates could stand in the way of a huge Pearl River engineering project in Mississippi (Louisiana Illuminator)

Elon Musk’s New AI Data Center in Memphis Raises Alarms Over Pollution (Time)

Arctic Seed Vault Shows Flawed Logic of Climate Adaptation. The difficulties illustrate why we need to prevent climate disaster rather than plan for it. In 2017, the vault suffered a flood caused, ironically, by climate change. (Scientific American)

Some Sports v. Nature News. Once Again, a Lizard Interrupts Singapore Grand Prix Weekend. It appears Singapore’s monitor lizards are getting faster as this year’s party crasher is chased down the track by the marshals. (Road & Track)

Seed Saving Class available on YouTube (Seed St. Louis)

Winter Cover Crops for St. Louis Area. Cover crops are any plant that you grow not to harvest but for some other benefit like weed suppression, mulch production, soil improvement, beneficial insect support, etc. (Seed St. Louis)

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 —

Thursday, September 26th Order Deadline: Brightside St. Louis Blooming Spring Daffodil & Tulip Sale. 30 bulbs for $17. Carlton Daffodils; Midwest Mix Daffodils, 5 each Carlton, Barrett Browning, Pink Charm, Slim Whitman, Tahiti, Suada; Brightside Red Hybrid Darwin Tulips; Pink Impression Tulips. Pick up 11 am to 4 pm October 11th and 9 am to Noon October 12th at Forest Park Greenhouse. Orders to be shipped will be sent the week of October 7th.

Going on Now- On Line Ordering for Missouri Conservation Department annual Tree & Shrub Seedling Sale. Don’t delay. Items are selling out fast, such as Beautyberry, Blackberry, Concordia Oak, Flowering Dogwood, Hazelnut, PawPaw, Spicebush.

For crafty gardeners. Virtual Class 1 of 12. 5 pm Monday, September 23rd, Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Class: 2024 Swamp Needlers, Wildflowers. Learn simple, but beautiful, embroidery techniques while exploring some iconic, as well as secretive wildflowers in Missouri. Complete 17 blocks, to create a large quilt with enough extras for pillows or wall art. Register

6 pm Monday, September 23rd, St. Louis County Public Library craft event at Bridgeton Trails Branch: Paint Night- DIY “Welcome” Garden Flag. Register

10 am to 5 pm Wednesday, September 25th, Missouri Botanical Garden event @ Little Shop Around the Corner (resell store), 4474 Castleman: Clearance Sale

2 pm Wednesday, September 25th, Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Class: Monarch Magic. Register

4 pm Wednesday, September 25th, Grow Native Webinar: Prairie Reconstruction at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. Register

3:30-6:30 pm Thursday, September 26th, Missouri Prairie Foundation Native Plant Sale, Crestwood.

5:30 pm Thursday, September 26th, Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Class: The Marvels of Biomimicry – Part 2. Register

6 pm Thursday, September 26th, St. Louis Public Library class at Schlafly Library: Insights from Experts Nature Series with Jessica Ely, St. Louis Carnivorous Plant Society. Register

6:30 pm Thursday, September 27th, Mid-Continent Public Library (Kansas City) Zoom Class: Monarch Mania. Register

4 Seats remaining. 1 pm Friday, September 27th, Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Class: Hummingbirds. Register

3:30 pm Friday, September 27th, Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Class: Fall Maintenance for Your Native Garden. Register

5:30-7:30 pm Friday, September 27th, Bellefontaine Cemetery Fundraiser: Beer Barons 2024, Barons of Beer and Distilling Chapter IV. Tickets $30.

7 am to 3 pm Saturday, September 28th, Missouri Conservation Department Women’s Free Fishing Day at Bennett Spring Park. No license or tag required. Bennett Spring is in Laclede and Dallas Counties about a 3-hour drive from Kansas City or St. Louis.

Saturday-Sunday, September 28th-29th Tower Grove Pride at Tower Grove Park

Volunteers Wanted. 8 am Saturday, September 28th, Heartlands Conservancy Monarch Tagging & Stewardship @ at Arlington Wetlands, Granite City IL. Register

9 am to 5 pm Saturday, September 28th, Rose Society of Greater St. Louis Show at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Not a sale.

10 am Saturday, September 28th, St. Louis County Public Library Autumn Plants & More Swap at Oak Bend Branch. Bring plants, seeds, bulbs, tools, books, gardening supplies to swap with fellow gardeners. Plants should be divided, brought in containers, and labeled.

10 am to 3 pm Saturday, September 28th, Missouri Botanical Garden and Missouri Conservation Department Wild about Nature Festival at Shaw Nature Reserve, Gray Summit, Franklin County MO. Fee: MoBot Members- $5 Adults, Free for Children; Nonmembers $7 Adults, $3 for children. Tickets

1 pm Saturday, September 28th, St. Louis County Public Library Plant Swap at Grand Glaize Branch, Manchester.

1:30 pm Saturday, September 28th, Bellefontaine Cemetery History & Horticulture Tour with Master Guide: Fall Tour. Register

4-7 pm Saturday, September 28th, Forest ReLeaf Fundraiser at their Nursery and Arboretum in Creve Coeur Park, St. Louis County: 10th Annual ArborMeisters Homebrew + Craft Beer Festival. Tickets start at $40.

9 am to 1 pm Sunday, September 29th, Metropolitan Parks & Rec Tax District (dba Great Rivers Greenway) Bridge Boogie at Chain of Rocks Park

1:30 pm October 1st, Bellefontaine Cemetery History & Horticulture Tour with Master Guide: Fall Tour. Register

6 pm October 2nd St. Louis Public Library event at Schlafly Library: Insights from Experts Nature Series- Mark Glenshaw of Forest Park Owls. Register

October 4-6 Best of Missouri Market at Missouri Botanical Garden: Missouri Wildflowers Nursery is a vendor. Buy from what the bring or order online for pick up at event. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Saturday and Wednesday mornings.

6 pm October 4th Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood: WildHeart Concert and Scout/Family Event

9 am October 5th Seed St. Louis Garlic Sale

12 Seats remaining. 10 am October 5th Missouri Conservation Department event at Howard Wood Urban Outreach Office, Southwest Garden: Nature Crocheters Fall Fun! Register

6:30-9 pm October 5th The Garden Shop’s Sip & Soil, Fall Edition. Tickets $45 includes houseplant of your choosing, 6″ planter, supplies to paint, and at least two Fall themed cocktails

Noon October 8th University of Illinois Extension Webinar, Thriving Communities series: Current Funding Opportunities for Energy and the Environment Explore grants available for community environmental projects. Register

10 am October 8th Bellefontaine Cemetery History and Horticulture Tour with Master Guide: Trolley Tour. $5. Register

6:30 pm October 8th Piasa Palisades Sierra Club event at Old Bakery Beer, Alton IL: Missouri Stream Team program. Register

9 am October 9th Bellefontaine Cemetery tour with Horticulturist: Fall Tree Walk. Register

1:30 pm October 9th Bellefontaine Cemetery History & Horticulture Tour with Master Guide: Fall Tour. Register

4 pm October 9th Grow Native Zoom Class: Native Ferns in Missouri and their Potential as Specialty Crops. Register

5 pm October 9th Missouri Conservation Department Online Class: Native Yards, Getting Started. Register

October 10th-12th University of Missouri @ St. Louis Indigenous Knowledge and Sustainability Event Series, The Buffalo Treaty

6 pm October 10th Seed St. Louis event at DIG Annuals and Perennials, Benton Park West: Food for Years- Best Perennial Vegetables for a Fall & Winter Harvest. Register

9 am October 10th Heartlands Conservancy event in Belleville IL: Volunteer Training- Native Seed Collection. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am October 11th Heartlands Conservancy event in Edwardsville IL: Poag Sand Prairie Restoration Volunteer Day. Register

9 am to 1 pm October 12th Seed St. Louis, Forrest Keeling Nursery, Greenscape Gardens event in Manchester: Tree Sale & Fall Festival

10 am October 12th Bellefontaine Cemetery History and Horticulture Tour with Master Guide: Trolley Tour. $5. Register

11 am to 1 pm October 12th, St. Charles Public Library event at Spencer Road Branch, St. Peter’s: Plant & Seed Swap

2 pm October 12th Missouri Botanical Garden event: Indigenous Knowledge and Sustainability, The Buffalo Treaty collaborative event series, two presentations. 1) Keystone Species & Sovereignty = Rejuvenation, Innovation and Wonder, presented by Jonny BearCub Stiffarm, JD (Assinaboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Montana). 2) The Ecological Buffalo: On the Trail of a Keystone Species, a talk and book-signing with author Wes Olson and photographer Johane Janelle. Garden Admission fee required. Event is free with Garden Admission but Registration required by October 10th.

6:30 pm October 15th St. Louis County Public Library Virtual Class: Houseplants 101. Register

6 pm October 17th St. Louis County Public Library event at Prairie Commons Branch, Hazelwood: Succulent Swap. Register

10 am October 19th St. Louis County Public Library event at Meramec Valley Branch, Fenton: Houseplant Swap. Register

Noon to 4 pm October 19th Benton Park Neighborhood Association’s Benton Park Tunes on Tap – A Musical Garden Tour. Tickets $35-$65

Noon October 20th Missouri Prairie Foundation event in Lincoln County MO: Friends of Cuivre River State Park Grasslands Work Day. Register

6 pm October 21st St. Louis Public Library event at Machacek Library: Carnivorous Plants presentedby Shaw Cactus & Succulent Society. Register

28 Seats remaining. 5:30 pm October 28th St. Louis Public Library event at Central Library: Cacti & Succulents- A Beginner’s Guide to Thriving Plants. Register

4 pm November 6th Missouri Invasive Plant Council Webinar: Common General Use Herbicides & How They Relate to Aquatic Use Sites. Register

Join us Sundays on 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

Many stems of Blue Sage growing in outdoor garden.

Plant of the Week: native Blue Sage. These will grow tall to compete for sun. They look great next to Goldenrod and Sunflowers.

If you are only looking for St. Louis Area Plant Sales (plant sales & swaps- plants, native plants, tree & shrub seedings + seed swaps) here’s a page for them. No additions this week, just deleted past events.

Fall Color Reports. Missouri and Illinois

It’s PawPaw Season. + In St. Louis area, buy your PawPaw and Bourbon PawPaw Jams from Larder Cupboard at a local farmer’s market. + Missouri Conservation Department is now Sold Out on PawPaw seedlings but get in on the wait list if you want to try that.

We talked about Pokeweed and Eastern Hog-Nosed Snakes on Twitter #GardenSunday. check out that link for information.

November 15th Deadline for Grade Schools to High Schools, Youth Groups, Community Groups with youth programs, to apply for Wild Ones’ Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education Program Grants: native plant use in pollinator gardens, rain gardens to improve water quality, tallgrass prairies, Monarch waystations featuring community science activities, and sensory and natural playgrounds.

Plan your garden with  Seed St. Louis Planting Calendar

Good Reads —

Pawpaw craze hits Missouri as festivals and farmers embrace the custardy native fruit. (St. Louis Public Radio)

In celebration of being a terrible gardener. There are as many ways to fail in the garden as there are plant varieties. (Gift Article @ Washington Post)

Foraging Tips. The woods: Missouri’s other place to shop for food (University of Missouri Extension)

Giant crop art portrait of Kamala Harris in Lawrence, Kansas, now complete with Tim Walz (KMUW)

St. Louis water lily reigns victorious in social media weigh-off competition (St. Louis Public Radio)

As climate change and other threats destroy the habitats of living things, biologists are beginning to think of doing the once unthinkable: finding new homes for species outside their native ranges. (Gift Article @ Washington Post)

Seed Saving Class available on YouTube (Seed St. Louis)

Winter Cover Crops for St. Louis Area. Cover crops are any plant that you grow not to harvest but for some other benefit like weed suppression, mulch production, soil improvement, beneficial insect support, etc. (Seed St. Louis)

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 —

Volunteers Wanted for Brightside St. Louis September Blitz events

Order Online Now thru September 26th: Brightside St. Louis Blooming Spring Daffodil & Tulip Sale. 30 bulbs for $17. Carlton Daffodils; Midwest Mix Daffodils, 5 each Carlton, Barrett Browning, Pink Charm, Slim Whitman, Tahiti, Suada; Brightside Red Hybrid Darwin Tulips; Pink Impression Tulips. Pick up 11 am to 4 pm October 11th and 9 am to Noon October 12th at Forest Park Greenhouse. Orders to be shipped will be sent the week of October 7th.

Going on Now- On Line Ordering for Missouri Conservation Department annual Tree & Shrub Seedling Sale. Don’t delay. Items are selling out fast, such as Beautyberry, Blackberry, Concordia Oak, Flowering Dogwood, Hazelnut, Paw Paw, Spicebush.

10 am Tuesday, September 17th, Bellefontaine Cemetery History & Horticulture Trolley Tour with Master Guide. $5. Register

3:30 pm Tuesday, September 17th, Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Class: Native Plants- Be the Host with the Most. Register 

1:30 pm Wednesday, September 18th, Bellefontaine Cemetery Fall History & Horticulture Tour with Master Guide. Register

6 pm Wednesday, September 18th, St. Louis City Public Library class at Schlafly Library: Insights from Experts Nature Series- What’s the Buzz About Natives presented by Susan Leahy, Wild Ones. Register

For ages 0-7. 5 Seats remaining. 10:30 am Thursday, September 19th, Missouri Conservation Department event at Tower Grove Park: You and Me under the Canopy: Almost Fall Y’all! Register

6 pm Thursday, September 19th, Willoughby Farm, Table to Garden, Seed St. Louis In Person Composting Series, Collinsville IL: Static Systems. $12. Register

6 pm Thursday, September 19th, Wild Ones Webinar: The Beauty and Benefits of Hedgerows with Heather McCargo, founder of Wild Seed Project (Wabanaki territory now called Maine). Register

Volunteers Wanted. 8 am Friday, September 20th, Heartlands Conservancy Monarch Tagging & Stewardship @ at Signal Hill Outdoor Classroom, Belleville IL. Register

For ages 7-17, parents also welcome. 4 pm Friday, September 20th, St. Louis Public Library event at Tower Grove Park: Bird Nerds Birding Club. Register

9 am to Noon Saturday, September 21st, St. Louis Community College Horticulture Program Native Plant Sale @ Meramec Campus

9 am Saturday, September 21st, Bellefontaine Cemetery Wildwood Valley Gardens Walk with Horticulturist. Register

9:30 am Saturday, September 21st, Forest ReLeaf Treesilience (free trees, maybe free tree removal) Orientation at O’Fallon Park for homeowners in O’Fallon Park, Fairgrounds, Kingsway East, Ville, Greater Ville neighborhoods.  Register

10 am to 5 pm Saturday, September 21st, Old North St. Louis Restoration Group’s Old North House Tour: Tour of homes, gardens, murals + Arts Festival @ Crown Square + New art installation at Griot Museum. Tickets $10-$20

Ages 4th Grade to Adult. 11 am Saturday, September 21st, St. Louis Public Library arts & craft event at Schlafly Library: Plant A Plant, make and take decorate a pot and plant in it.

8:30 am Sunday, September 22nd, St. Louis Audubon Society Beginner Bird Walk at Tower Grove Park. Register

10 am to 2 pm Sunday, September 22nd, Bring Conservation Home Native Plant Expo at Tower Grove Park. Missouri Wildflowers Nursery is a vendor. 

6 pm September 23rd St. Louis County Public Library craft event at Bridgeton Trails Branch: Paint Night- DIY “Welcome” Garden Flag. Register

4 pm September 25th Grow Native Webinar: Prairie Reconstruction at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. Register

3:30-6:30 pm September 26th Missouri Prairie Foundation Native Plant Sale, Crestwood.

6 pm September 26th St. Louis Public Library class at Schlafly Library: Insights from Experts Nature Series with Jessica Ely, St. Louis Carnivorous Plant Society. Register

5:30-7:30 pm September 27th Bellefontaine Cemetery Fundraiser: Beer Barons 2024, Barons of Beer and Distilling Chapter IV. Tickets $30.

September 28th-29th Tower Grove Pride at Tower Grove Park

Volunteers Wanted. 8 am September 28th, Heartlands Conservancy Monarch Tagging & Stewardship @ at Arlington Wetlands, Granite City IL. Register

9 am to 5 pm September 28th Rose Society of Greater St. Louis Show at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

10 am September 28th St. Louis County Public Library Autumn Plants & More Swap at Oak Bend Branch. Bring plants, seeds, bulbs, tools, books, gardening supplies to swap with fellow gardeners. Plants should be divided, brought in containers, and labeled.

1 pm September 28th St. Louis County Public Library Plant Swap at Grand Glaize Branch, Manchester.

4-7 pm September 28th Forest ReLeaf Fundraiser at their Nursery and Arboretum in Creve Coeur Park, St. Louis County: 10th Annual ArborMeisters Homebrew + Craft Beer Festival. Tickets start at $40.

9 am to 1 pm September Metropolitan Parks & Rec Tax District (dba Great Rivers Greenway) Bridge Boogie at Chain of Rocks Park

6 pm October 2nd St. Louis Public Library event at Schlafly Library: Insights from Experts Nature Series- Mark Glenshaw of Forest Park Owls. Register

October 4-6 Best of Missouri Market at Missouri Botanical Garden: Missouri Wildflowers Nursery is a vendor. Buy from what the bring or order online for pick up at event. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Saturday and Wednesday mornings.

9 am October 5th Seed St. Louis Garlic Sale

6:30-9 pm October The Garden Shop’s Sip & Soil, Fall Edition. Tickets $45 includes houseplant of your choosing, 6″ planter, supplies to paint, and at least two Fall themed cocktails

9 am to 1 pm October 12th Seed St. Louis, Forrest Keeling Nursery, Greenscape Gardens event in Manchester: Tree Sale & Fall Festival

11 am to 1 pm October 12th, St. Charles Public Library event at Spencer Road Branch, St. Peter’s: Plant & Seed Swap

6:30 pm October 15th St. Louis County Public Library Virtual Class: Houseplants 101. Register

6 pm October 17th St. Louis County Public Library event at Prairie Commons Branch, Hazelwood: Succulent Swap. Register

10 am October 19th St. Louis County Public Library event at Meramec Valley Branch, Fenton: Houseplant Swap. Register

4 pm November 7th Missouri Invasive Plant Council Webinar: Common General Use Herbicides & How They Relate to Aquatic Use Sites. Register

Join us Sundays on 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

Pale violet flowers on Obedient Plant

Plant of the Week: native False Dragonhead, Obedient Plant

If you missed the Seed St. Louis Fall Seedling Sale, The Garden Shop on Hampton has got you covered. They are selling seedlings: arugula, cabbage, lettuce, peas, Swiss chard, more. Friday, August 16th through August 31st at The Garden Shop, Deep Discounts on select annuals and perennials: $2 for 4-inch pot, $4 for a quart-sized pot, $6 for 1/2-gallon pots. Say hi to new shop cat- Ms. Astilbe, aka Bebe

If you are only looking for St. Louis Area Plant Sales, here’s a page for them. Updated this week with Plant & Seed Swaps @ St. Charles County Library and new Tree & Shrub Sales category

Native Plant Gardeners: Have you joined Wild Ones? Three St. Louis Area, MO & IL Area chapters. A chapter in Southeast Missouri. A Midwest Missouri chapter in Columbia.

I wonder if St. Louis City’s Forest Park Golf Course knows there’s a program called Monarchs in the Rough, for golf courses west of Mississippi, to help restore pollinator habitat in out-of-play areas.

St. Louis Gardeners: Growing more veggies than you can eat? Drop off by Noon Mondays-Tuesdays at The Garden Shop on Hampton. There’s a table for donated produce. Donated veggies go to Growing Food, Growing People.

A good resource for starting and maintaining a Seed Library (Seed Library Network) Some Seed Libraries in Missouri

August 30th Deadline to Enter Wild Ones Native Flora & Fauna Photography Contest: categories- Living Things, Landscapes, Winter, Events

August 31st Deadline to Enter Missouri Conservation Department’s Busch Conservation Area (St. Charles Mo) Wildlife Photography Contest. Submit photos of native Mo wildlife, trees, plants at Busch Conservation Area or Weldon Spring Conservation Area.

September 1st Deadline to Enter Missouri Department of Natural Resources Photography Contest. Submit photos of Natural Resources, Unique Places (state parks, historic sites), People Enjoying Outdoors

November 15th Deadline for Grade Schools to High Schools, Youth Groups, Community Groups with youth programs, to apply for Wild Ones’ Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education Program Grants: native plant use in pollinator gardens, rain gardens to improve water quality, tallgrass prairies, Monarch waystations featuring community science activities, and sensory and natural playgrounds.

Plan your garden with  Seed St. Louis Planting Calendar

Good Reads —

Fertilizer from human waste faces scrutiny but remains a profitable industry. Oklahoma lawmakers and environmental officials attempted to take steps this year to protect cities & corps from liability if new health problems are found (Investigate Midwest via Missouri Independent)

EPA takes emergency action to stop use of dangerous pesticide used on broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, onion. DCPA is known to harm fetuses and “needs to be removed from the market immediately” Gift article (Washington Post)

For our crafty gardeners- Make a basket with iris leaves (Fairegarden blog)

Gardening By Month: August Tips, Tasks, and Problems (Missouri Botanical Garden)

August Gardening Tips on Outdoor Flowering Plants & Ornamentals, Vegetable Gardening, Fruits and Nuts, Lawns (University of Missouri Extension)

Winter Cover Crops for St. Louis Area. Cover crops are any plant that you grow not to harvest but for some other benefit like weed suppression, mulch production, soil improvement, beneficial insect support, etc. (Seed St. Louis)

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 —

Volunteers Wanted. Brightside St. Louis August Blitz events in Fountain Park, Grand Center, Penrose Neighborhoods

Go see the Sunflowers Fields at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area

Going on now: August Artists at the Gallery, Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood: Photographer Steve Springmeyer’s Portraits of the Southwest and watercolor artist Wylie Longmire‘s scenes of forests and rivers of St. Louis and rural eastern Missouri.

Going on now. Online Ordering for 3 am to 7 pm Friday, September 6th, Shaw Nature Reserve Fall Wildflower Market in Gray Summit, Franklin County.

Going on now. Online Ordering: Brightside St. Louis Blooming Spring Daffodil & Tulip Sale. Carlton Daffodils- 30 bulbs $17. Midwest Mix Daffodils 30 for $17, 5 each Carlton, Barrett Browning, Pink Charm, Slim Whitman, Tahiti, Suada. Brightside Red Hybrid Darwin Tulip- 30 bulbs $17. Pink Impression Tulips- 30 bulbs $17. Pick up 11 am to 4 pm October 11th and 9 am to Noon October 12th at Forest Park Greenhouse. Orders to be shipped will be sent the week of October 7th.

Shakespeare in the Park this Week, The Tempest: Free performances 6:30 pm Thursday at Ivory Perry Park, Visitation Park Neighborhood; 6:30 pm Friday at City Park, 101 S Buchanan
Edwardsville IL; 6:30 pm Saturday at January-Wabash Park, Ferguson; 6:30 pm Sunday at Bellevue Park, Belleville IL

1:30 pm Tuesday, August 13th, University of Illinois Extension Webinar: Foodscaping- Creating Snacks Among the Flower Beds. Register

2 pm Tuesday, August 13th, Seed St. Louis and St. Louis County Public Library Zoom Class: Winter Gardening and Overwintering Crops. Register

6:30 pm Tuesday, August 13th Piasa Sierra Club event at Old Bakery Beer, Alton IL: “Back to the Basics: Madison County’s Approach to Waste Management.” Register

4 pm Wednesday, August 14th, Missouri Prairie Foundation Webinar: Monarch Conservation: Opportunities and Challenges. Register

5 pm Wednesday, August 14th Metro-East Green Cities Gathering at The Mill, Granite City IL. Register

9 am Thursday, August 15th, Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center: Guided Nature Walk with Naturalist. Register

6 pm Thursday, August 15th, Willoughby Farm, Table to Garden, Seed St. Louis In Person Composting Series, Collinsville IL: Bokashi. $12. Register

6 pm Thursday, August 15th, Missouri Botanical Garden event: Nature Speaks…Through History—The Influencers with Abra Lee, storyteller and author of the forthcoming book, Conquer The Soil: Black America and the Untold Stories of Our Country’s Gardeners, Farmers, and Growers. Garden admission fee required.

6 pm Thursday, August 15th, Piasa Sierra Club event: Bike Outing, 10-mile ride thru the woods on the Madison County IL Transit bike trail system. Register

6 pm Thursday, August 15th, Piasa Sierra Club Bike Outing, 10-mile ride thru the woods on the Madison County IL Transit bike trail system. Register

9 am to 1 pm Friday, August 16th, Missouri Conservation Department event at Lincoln University’s Carver Farm, Jefferson City: Pollinator Workshop. Register

23 Tickets remaining. For Kids Ages 7-16, parents also welcome. 4 pm Friday, August 16th, St. Louis Public Library and Tower Grove Park event at Tower Grove Park: Bird Nerds Birding Club. Register

5:30 pm Friday, August 16th, Bellefontaine Cemetery History & Horticulture tour with Master Guide: Sunset Stroll. Register

8 am Friday, August 16th, Eastern Missouri Sierra Club event at Greensfelder Park, St. Louis County: Phenology Walk with Adam Rembert. Litzsinger Road Ecology Center. $1 cash event day appreciated. Register

9 am to 5 pm Saturday, August 17th, Missouri Botanical Garden Daylily Association Plant Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

9 am to 4 pm Sunday, August 18th, Sachs Butterfly House event: Bee Jubilee. Fee required. Sachs Butterfly House provides Free Admission to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents only 9-11 am Tuesdays.

Noon to 5 pm Sunday, August 18th. Orchid Society of Greater St. Louis Auction at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden admission fee required.

10 am August 20th Bellefontaine Cemetery History & Horticulture Tour with Master Guide: Trolley Tour. $5. Register

13 Tickets available. 5 pm August 22nd Missouri Conservation Department event at Forest Park Hatchery: Fishing Lesson 2- How to Tie a Knot & Bait a Hook. Register

6 pm August 22nd Wild Ones Webinar: Combating the Biodiversity Crisis with Native Plants presented by Sarah Gray and Coralie Palmer from the Indiana Native Plant Society. Register

6 pm August 22nd Missouri Botanical Garden event: Nature Speaks…Through Art History. Learn about Robert Duncanson and Edward Bannister, two 19th-century Black artists known for their nature landscapes. Garden admission fee required.

6 pm August 23rd Urban Harvest fundraiser: Harvest Dinner featuring Chef David Kirkland. Tickets $125

2-5 pm August 24th Soulard Art and Floral Auction at Soulard Station, fundraiser for Beautification Committee, Soulard Restoration Group.

5:30 pm August 24th Bellefontaine Cemetery History & Horticulture tour with Master Guide: Sunset Stroll. Register

8 am August 25th Southwest Garden Neighborhood Tree Care Blitz. Register

8:30 am August 31st Eastern Missouri Sierra Club event in Hillsboro, Jefferson County: Kress Farm Garden Preserve Talk, Tour, Hike. Register

3-7 pm September 6th Shaw Nature Reserve Fall Wildflower Market, Gray Summit, Franklin County. Online Ordering Begins August 9th for Pick Up event day.

9 am to 5 pm September 7th Gateway West Gesneriad Society Show and Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

9 am to 1 pm September 7th Fox Park Neighborhood Garden Tour. Register

10 am September 7th Body N Soul Urban Farm event, Old North Neighborhood: Pot Party- Paint Your Own Containers. Register

September 13th, 14th, 15th Kirkwood Greentree Festival at Kirkwood Park. Greater St. Louis Daffodil Society sells Daffodil bulbs at this event.

10 am to 3 pm September 14th Monarch Madness Pollinator Festival at Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center, St. Charles. Missouri Wildflowers Nursery is a vendor. Order native plants from them online by Monday prior for pick up at event.

2 pm August 19th St. Louis City Public Library class at Central Library: Missouri Botanical Garden Speaker Series- Plants, Pollen and Allergies. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 8 am August 24th Heartland Conservancy event at Pontoon Beach, IL: Arlington Wetlands Work Day. Register

8 am to 4 pm Saturdays. September 7th & 14th. Missouri Wildflowers Nursery returns to Kirkwood Farmers Market. Order your native plants online by Monday prior to Saturday pick up at Market or purchase from what they bring.

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

5 pm September 7th Heartlands Conservancy Fundraiser at Rock Springs Park, O’Fallon, IL: Farm to Fork. Tickets $100.

8 am September 14th St. Louis Audubon Society Beginner Bird Walk at Meramec River Greenway, Greentree Park, Kirkwood. Register

2 pm September 14th St. Louis Public Library class at Central Library: Missouri Botanical Garden Speaker Series- Winter Damage. Learn how to prevent winter garden damage. Register

6 pm September 18th St. Louis City Public Library class at Schlafly Library: Insights from Experts Nature Series- What’s the Buzz About Natives presented by Susan Leahy, Wild Ones. Register

6 pm September 19th Willoughby Farm, Table to Garden, Seed St. Louis In Person Composting Series, Collinsville IL: Static Systems. $12. Register

10 an to 2 pm September 20thUrban Harvest STL and Perennial Class at Grandel Square Center for Urban Agriculture demonstration farm: Building a Garden Bed-Mini Greenhouse Edition. Free. Register

8:30 am September 22nd St. Louis Audubon Society Beginner Bird Walk at Tower Grove Park. Register

September 22nd Bring Conservation Home Native Plant Expo at Tower Grove Park. Missouri Wildflowers Nursery is a vendor. Order native plants from them online by Monday prior for pick up at event.

6 pm September 23rd St. Louis County Public Library craft event at Bridgeton Trails Branch: Paint Night- DIY “Welcome” Garden Flag. Register

3:30-6:30 pm September 26th Missouri Prairie Foundation Native Plant Sale at World Bird Sanctuary, Valley Park, St. Louis County. Entry Fee $12 per car.

9 am to 5 pm September 28th Rose Society of Greater St. Louis Show at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

10 am September 28th St. Louis County Public Library Autumn Plants & More Swap at Oak Bend Branch. Bring plants, seeds, bulbs, tools, books, gardening supplies to swap with fellow gardeners. Plants should be divided, brought in containers, and labeled.

1 pm September 28th St. Louis County Public Library Plant Swap at Grand Graize Branch, Manchester.

4 pm September 28th Forest ReLeaf Fundraiser at their Nursery and Arboretum in Creve Coeur Park, St. Louis County: 10th Annual ArborMeisters Homebrew + Craft Beer Festival. Tickets start at $40.

October 4-6 Best of Missouri Market at Missouri Botanical Garden: Missouri Wildflowers Nursery is a vendor. Buy from what the bring or order online for pick up at event. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Saturday and Wednesday mornings.

9 am October 5th Seed St. Louis Garlic Sale

Join us Sundays on 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

Plant of the Week: native and very tall Curly Top Ironweed

St. Louis Gardeners: Growing more veggies than you can eat? Drop off by Noon Mondays-Tuesdays at The Garden Shop on Hampton. There’s a table for donated produce. Donated veggies go to Growing Food, Growing People. Say Hi to the new Shop Cat: Astilbe, aka Queen Bebe, Bee.

Volunteers Wanted. St. Louis City Forestry Dept needs help watering trees

Volunteers Wanted. Brightside St. Louis August Blitz events in Fountain Park and Penrose Neighborhoods

If you are only looking for St. Louis Area Plant Sales, here’s a page for them. Updated this week with Plant & Seed Swaps @ STL County Libraries, Missouri Wildflowers Nursery returns to Kirkwood Farmers Market, Plant Vendors @ Weldon Spring Pollinator Festival, More

A good resource for starting and maintaining a Seed Library (Seed Library Network) Some Seed Libraries in Missouri

August 11th to December 23rd University of Missouri Extension Online Master Gardener Core Training. $200

August 30th Deadline to Enter Wild Ones Native Flora & Fauna Photography Contest: categories- Living Things, Landscapes, Winter, Events

August 31st Deadline to Enter Missouri Conservation Department’s Busch Conservation Area (St. Charles Mo) Wildlife Photography Contest. Submit photos of native Mo wildlife, trees, plants at Busch Conservation Area or Weldon Spring Conservation Area.

September 1st Deadline to Enter Missouri Department of Natural Resources Photography Contest. Submit photos of Natural Resources, Unique Places (state parks, historic sites), People Enjoying Outdoors

November 15th Deadline for Grade Schools to High Schools, Youth Groups, Community Groups with youth programs, to apply for Wild Ones’ Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education Program Grants: native plant use in pollinator gardens, rain gardens to improve water quality, tallgrass prairies, Monarch waystations featuring community science activities, and sensory and natural playgrounds.

Plan your garden with  Seed St. Louis Planting Calendar

Good Reads —

Gardening By Month: August Tips, Tasks, and Problems (Missouri Botanical Garden)

August Gardening Tips on Outdoor Flowering Plants & Ornamentals, Vegetable Gardening, Fruits and Nuts, Lawns (University of Missouri Extension)

July Native Plant News from around the country (Wild Ones)

The lawyer who fights for people’s right to grow ‘weeds.’ She used to enforce local weed ordinances. Now she helps native plant enthusiasts combat them. Gift article (Washington Post)

Winter Cover Crops for St. Louis Area. Cover crops are any plant that you grow not to harvest but for some other benefit like weed suppression, mulch production, soil improvement, beneficial insect support, etc. (Seed St. Louis)

It’s grain country now, but western Kansas used to be awash in watermelons. (KMUW)

River Otters Were Once Nearly Extinct In Illinois — But Now They Roam Chicago Waterways. River otters have made a remarkable comeback in Chicago’s waterways, signaling improved water quality, showcasing successful conservation efforts (Block Club Chicago)

Who would win gold in the bird Olympics? We simulated a race between the fastest fliers to find out. Gift article (Washington Post)

One idea to curb the invasive Asian carp: Eat them. Anyone in St. Louis region serving Asian carp? (Louisianna Illuninator)

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 —

Go see the Sunflowers Fields at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area

Going on now. Order Online: Brightside St. Louis Blooming Spring Daffodil & Tulip Sale. Carlton Daffodils- 30 bulbs $17. Midwest Mix Daffodils 30 for $17, 5 each Carlton, Barrett Browning, Pink Charm, Slim Whitman, Tahiti, Suada. Brightside Red Hybrid Darwin Tulip- 30 bulbs $17. Pink Impression Tulips- 30 bulbs $17. Pick up 11 am to 4 pm October 11th and 9 am to Noon October 12th at Forest Park Greenhouse. Orders to be shipped will be sent the week of October 7th.

Shakespeare in the Park this Week, The Tempest: Free performances 6:30 pm Tuesday @ Tower Grove Park, Roman Pavilion and 6:30 pm Saturday @ Crown Square, Old North, 1400 St. Louis Ave

6 pm Tuesday, August 6th, St. Louis Public Library and Seed St. Louis class at Buder Library: Urban Homesteading- Winter Gardening and Overwintering Crops.

Noon Wednesday, August 7th, Missouri Conservation Department Zoom Class: Cooking and Cleaning Catfish. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 8 am Thursday, August 8th Heartland Conservancy event at Clinton Hills Conservation Park in Swansea, IL: Exploration Garden Volunteer Day. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 8 am Friday, August 9th, Heartland Conservancy event at Edwardsville, IL: Poag Sand Prairie Restoration Volunteer Day. Register

9 am Friday, August 9th, Online Ordering Begins for Pick Up at 3 am to 7 pm Friday, September 6th, Shaw Nature Reserve Fall Wildflower Market in Gray Summit, Franklin County.

9:30 am Friday, August 9th, St. Louis County Public Library event at Sachs Branch: Bird Walk. Register

1 pm Friday, August 9th, St. Louis City Public Library class at Buder Library: Urban Homesteading- Best Gardening Practices

2 pm Friday, August 9th, St. Louis County Library class at Mid-County Branch: Homesteading- Windowsill Herbs. Register

2 pm Friday, August 9th, St. Louis City Public Library class at Buder Library: Urban Homesteading- Canning and Preservation 101

9 am Saturday, August 10th, Seed St. Louis Fall Seedling Sale: 4-packs for $3.50 each- Bok Choy, Broccoli (purple & green), Cabbage (red & green), Cauliflower, Collards, Lettuce (red & green), Misome (Tatsoi Hybrid). Edible, perennial Hosta $6.

11 am and 1 pm Saturday, August 10th, Missouri Botanical Garden event: Sachs Museum Performance Series- “A Corn-Fed Musical Comedy Performance” by Opera Bell Band. Seating first come, first served. Garden Admission is free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents Saturday and Wednesday mornings.

2 pm Saturday, August 10th, St. Louis City Public Library class at Buder Library: Urban Homesteading: Intro & Advanced Chicken Tending

1:30 pm August 13th University of Illinois Extension Webinar: Foodscaping- Creating Snacks Among the Flower Beds. Register

2 pm August 13th Seed St. Louis and St. Louis County Public Library Zoom Class: Winter Gardening and Overwintering Crops. Register

4 pm August 14th Missouri Prairie Foundation Webinar: Monarch Conservation: Opportunities and Challenges. Register

9 am August 15th Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center: Guided Nature Walk with Naturalist. Register

6 pm August 15th Willoughby Farm, Table to Garden, Seed St. Louis In Person Composting Series, Collinsville IL: Bokashi. $12. Register

11 Tickets remaining. 6 pm August 15th Missouri Conservation Department event at Forest Park Hatchery: Fishing Lesson 1- Equipment, Casting, & Proper Fish Handling. Register

8 am August 16th Eastern Missouri Sierra Club event at Greensfelder Park, St. Louis County: Phenology Walk with Adam Rembert. Litzsinger Road Ecology Center. Register

9 am to 1 pm August 16th Missouri Conservation Department event at Lincoln University’s Carver Farm, Jefferson City: Pollinator Workshop. Register

For Kids Ages 7-16, parents also welcome. 4 pm August 16th St. Louis Public Library and Tower Grove Park event at Tower Grove Park: Bird Nerds Birding Club. Register

9 am to 5 pm August 17th Missouri Botanical Garden Daylily Association Plant Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

9 am to 4 pm August 18th Sachs Butterfly House event: Bee Jubilee. Fee required. Sachs Butterfly House provides Free Admission to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents only 9-11 am Tuesdays.

Noon to 5 pm August 18th Orchid Society of Greater St. Louis Auction at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden admission fee required.

21 Tickets available. 5 pm August 22nd Missouri Conservation Department event at Forest Park Hatchery: Fishing Lesson 2- How to Tie a Knot & Bait a Hook. Register

6 pm August 22nd Wild Ones Webinar: Combating the Biodiversity Crisis with Native Plants presented by Sarah Gray and Coralie Palmer from the Indiana Native Plant Society. Register

August 24th Soulard’s Art in the Garden Tour fundraiser for Beautification Committee, Soulard Restoration Group

8:30 am August 31st Eastern Missouri Sierra Club event in Hillsboro, Jefferson County: Kress Farm Garden Preserve Talk, Tour, Hike. Register

3-7 pm September 6th Shaw Nature Reserve Fall Wildflower Market, Gray Summit, Franklin County. Online Ordering Begins August 9th for Pick Up event day.

9 am to 5 pm September 7th Gateway West Gesneriad Society Show and Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

September 13th, 14th, 15th Kirkwood Greentree Festival at Kirkwood Park. Greater St. Louis Daffodil Society sells Daffodil bulbs at this event.

10 am to 3 pm September 14th Monarch Madness Pollinator Festival at Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center, St. Charles. Missouri Wildflowers Nursery is a vendor. Order native plants from them online by Monday prior for pick up at event.

2 pm August 19th St. Louis City Public Library class at Central Library: Missouri Botanical Garden Speaker Series- Plants, Pollen and Allergies. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 8 am August 24th Heartland Conservancy event at Pontoon Beach, IL: Arlington Wetlands Work Day. Register

8 am to 4 pm Saturdays. September 7th & 14th. Missouri Wildflowers Nursery returns to Kirkwood Farmers Market. Order your native plants online by Monday prior to Saturday pick up at Market or purchase from what they bring.

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

5 pm September 7th Heartlands Conservancy Fundraiser at Rock Springs Park, O’Fallon, IL: Farm to Fork. Tickets $100.

8 am September 14th St. Louis Audubon Society Beginner Bird Walk at Meramec River Greenway, Greentree Park, Kirkwood. Register

2 pm September 14th St. Louis Public Library class at Central Library: Missouri Botanical Garden Speaker Series- Winter Damage. Learn how to prevent winter garden damage. Register

6 pm September 18th St. Louis City Public Library class at Schlafly Library: Insights from Experts Nature Series- What’s the Buzz About Natives presented by Susan Leahy, Wild Ones. Register

6 pm September 19th Willoughby Farm, Table to Garden, Seed St. Louis In Person Composting Series, Collinsville IL: Static Systems. $12. Register

8:30 am September 22nd St. Louis Audubon Society Beginner Bird Walk at Tower Grove Park. Register

September 22nd Bring Conservation Home Native Plant Expo at Tower Grove Park. Missouri Wildflowers Nursery is a vendor. Order native plants from them online by Monday prior for pick up at event.

6 pm September 23rd St. Louis County Public Library craft event at Bridgeton Trails Branch: Paint Night- DIY “Welcome” Garden Flag. Register

3:30-6:30 pm September 26th Missouri Prairie Foundation Native Plant Sale at World Bird Sanctuary, Valley Park, St. Louis County. Entry Fee $12 per car.

9 am to 5 pm September 28th Rose Society of Greater St. Louis Show at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

10 am September 28th St. Louis County Public Library Autumn Plants & More Swap at Oak Bend Branch. Bring plants, seeds, bulbs, tools, books, gardening supplies to swap with fellow gardeners. Plants should be divided, brought in containers, and labeled.

1 pm September 28th St. Louis County Public Library Plant Swap at Grand Graize Branch, Manchester.

4 pm September 28th Forest ReLeaf Fundraiser at their Nursery and Arboretum in Creve Coeur Park, St. Louis County: 10th Annual ArborMeisters Homebrew + Craft Beer Festival. Tickets start at $40.

October 4-6 Best of Missouri Market at Missouri Botanical Garden: Missouri Wildflowers Nursery is a vendor. Buy from what the bring or order online for pick up at event. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Saturday and Wednesday mornings.

9 am October 5th Seed St. Louis Garlic Sale

Join us Sundays on 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

Plant of the Week: Dianthus. We have some potted indoors and blooming. The ones in garden bed borders bloomed until December last year.

If you are only looking for St. Louis Area (Missouri and Illinois) Seed Swaps and Plant Sales, here’s a page for them. Plant Sales Added this week: Two Native Plant Sales, a Seed Swap, Kimmswick Visitor Center Daylily Sale, Leeks & Water Chestnuts added to March 9th Seed St. Louis Sale

Start Indoors This Week: Bok Choy, Mustard and Cauliflower, Collards, Chard, Kale, Kohlrabi, Parsley if not started already. Plan your garden with NEW 2024 Seed St. Louis Planting Calendar

Order your Grow Native! Free Resource Guide to Native Plants in Missouri– products, services, institutions

Keep Up To Date on Missouri Environmental Legislation at Missouri Coalition for the Environment’s Bill Tracker

February 28th Deadline to apply for Missouri Coalition for the Environment High School Student Environmental Action Award

Good Reads —

Struggle to survive: Monarch population at all-time low, new report says (Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)

Bookmark for summer… How to make flower-studded lollipops (P. Allen Smith)

Seed Libraries in Missouri– did not find any in St. Louis City

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 —

Now thru Feb 25th at Missouri Botanical Garden: Orchid Show. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings

6 pm Monday, February 12th, Missouri River Bird Observatory Zoom Winter Learning Series: Light Pollution and Birds presented by Travis Longcore, UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. Register

2 pm Tuesday, February 13th, Seed St. Louis and St. Louis County Public Library Virtual Class: Starting Seedlings. Register

5 pm Tuesday, February 13th, Missouri Department of Conservation Zoom event: Introduction to Great Backyard Bird Count. Register. Also see Cornell Lab of Ornithology video on GBBC (YouTube)

6:30 pm Tuesday, February 13th, Piasa Sierra Club Speaker Series at Old Bakery Beer, Alton IL: AltonWorks National Parks Proposal presented by Kiku Obata. Register

9 to 11 am Wednesday, February 14th, Black History Month event at Missouri Botanical Garden: Learn about Edmond Albius, who discovered the technique still used today to pollinate vanilla when he was 12 years old but was never compensated for his contribution to this multi-million-dollar industry. The Garden’s Education team will share his story with engaging activities and takeaways. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

4 pm Wednesday, February 14th, Missouri Prairie Foundation Webinar: Native Grassland Birds: Population Trends and Conservation. Register

Thursday-Friday, February 15-16th, Deep Roots Kansas City 2024 Plan It Native Landscapes Conference at Kauffman Foundation Conference Center, KC. $225. Register

9 am Friday, February 16th, Missouri Department of Conservation In-Person event at Powder Valley Nature Conservation Center: Great Backyard Bird Count. 23 Seats remaining. Register. Also see Cornell Lab of Ornithology video on GBBC (YouTube)

Saturday, February 17th, Seed St. Louis Community Agriculture Conference. In-Person or Virtual. $10. Register

9:30 am February 19th (Presidents Day) Missouri Conservation Department In-Person event at Forest Park: Great Backyard Bird Count. 23 Tickets remaining. Register

7 pm February 20th Partners for Native Landscaping Zoom Speaker Series with St. Louis County Public Library: Native Plants for Native Pollinators with Dr. Ed Spevak, St. Louis Zoo. Register

9 am February 21st Black History Month at Missouri Botanical Garden. Tyrean “Heru” Lewis of Heru Urban Farming will share his latest endeavors to further his mission of transforming the community’s access to quality wholesome food. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

11 am February 21st Black History Month at Missouri Botanical Garden. Screening of High on the Hog, a documentary on the history of foods native to Africa and foods that came to the U.S. through the Transatlantic Slave Trade and are still part of our current food selections.  Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

2 pm February 21st Partners for Native Landscaping Zoom Speaker Series with St. Louis County Public Library: Native Plant Gardening 101 with Erin Goss, Shaw Nature Reserve. Register

6 pm February 22nd Table to Garden, Willoughby Heritage Farm, Seed St. Louis Class 1 of 4 core composting series at Willoughby Heritage Farm, Collinsville IL: Eat Your Compost. $12. Register

7:30 am to Noon February 23rd Southwest Illinois Grow Native! Workshop with breakfast @ Lewis and Clark Community College, Edwardsville IL: Southwest Illinois Landscape Challenges & Native Plant Solutions. $25 Grow Native! Members, $15 Students, $30 Non-members

3:30 pm February 23rd Missouri Conservation Department Zoom Class: Native Plants- Planning and Prepping Your Garden. Register.

Ages 12+. 10 am February 24th Missouri Conservation Department event at Tower Grove Park, Stupp Center: Wildlife CSI- Conservation Scene Investigation. 16 seats remaining. Register

10 am to 2 pm February 24th Seed Swap at 314 Garden Supply, Florissant

7 pm February 27th Partners for Native Landscaping Zoom Speaker Series with St. Louis County Public Library: The Social Benefits of Trees with Rebecca Hankins, Forest ReLeaf of Missouri. Register

2 pm February 28th Partners for Native Landscaping Zoom Speaker Series with St. Louis County Public Library: Native? Invasive? Exotic? Choose Eco-Logically with Jean Ponzi, Earthways Center. Register

6-8 pm Wednesdays, February 28th-April 3rd Forest ReLeaf 6 Week TreeKeepers Introductory Course at Renewable Energy Center, Maryland Hts. Register

6 pm February 29th Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: So You Want to Start a Garden: Our Favorite Things, & What You Don’t Need. Register

10 am March 1st Bellefontaine Cemetery History & Horticulture Walking Tour. Register

9 am to Noon March 2nd Bellefontaine Cemetery Garage Sale

10 am March 5th Bellefontaine Cemetery History & Horticulture Trolley Tour. $5. Register

2 pm March 5th Seed St. Louis and St. Louis County Public Library Webinar: Dormant Fruit Tree Pruning. Register

7 pm March 5th Partners for Native Landscaping Zoom Speaker Series with St. Louis County Public Library: Using iNaturalist in Your Garden with Dr. Nina Fogel, ShutterBee & Washington University. Register

10 am March 6th Bellefontaine Cemetery Springtime History & Horticulture Walking Tour. Register

1 pm March 6th St. Louis Public Library In Person Class @ Central Library: Alien Invasion! Plants with Betsy Alexander, Master Gardener from the Missouri Botanical Gardens Master Gardener Program. 35 Seats remaining. Register.

2 pm March 6th Partners for Native Landscaping Zoom Speaker Series with Seed St. Louis and St. Louis County Public Libraryt: Native Plant Food Gardening Panel– Dr. Nadia Navarrete Tindall, Lincoln University; Matt Lebon, Custom Foodscaping; Dean Gunderson , Seed STL; Moderator Jean Ponzi, Earthways Center. Register

6 pm March 7th 6 pm February 22nd Table to Garden, Willoughby Heritage Farm, Seed St. Louis Class 2 of 4 core composting series at Willoughby Heritage Farm, Collinsville IL: Composting 101. $12. Register

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

9 am to Noon March 9th Seed St. Louis Plant Sale: Potatoes, Strawberries, Asparagus, Mushroom Spawn, Onions.

Noon March 9th Piasa Sierra Club Seed Swap at Milton Schoolhouse, Alton IL. Register

Noon March 12th Missouri Conservation Department Zoom Class: Native Plants- The Mints- Fresh Breath for Pollinators. Register

7 pm March 12th Partners for Native Landscaping Zoom Speaker Series with St. Louis County Public Library: Kill Your Lawn for the Birds with Emily Connor, Audubon Riverlands and Dan Pearson, St. Louis Audubon. Register

10 am March 13th Bellefontaine Cemetery Springtime History & Horticulture Walking Tour. Register

Noon March 13th Missouri Conservation Department Zoom event: Native Plants- Planting for Hummingbirds. Register

2 pm March 13th Partners for Native Landscaping Zoom Speaker Series with St. Louis County Public Library: Container Gardening with Native Plants with Joan Klingensmith, Shaw Nature Reserve. Register

2 pm March 15th St. Louis County Public Library In-Person Class @ Prairie Commons Branch, Hazelwood: Houseplants for Beginners- The Science of Plant Care. 22 Seats remaining. Register

6 pm March 18th St. Louis County Public Library In-Person Class @ Daniel Boone Branch, Ellisville: Houseplants for Beginners- The Science of Plant Care. Register

7 pm March 19th Partners for Native Landscaping Zoom Speaker Series with St. Louis County Public Library: Planning for Future Drought with Native Plants with Shannon Callahan – St. Louis Audubon. Register

2 pm March 20th Partners for Native Landscaping Zoom Speaker Series with St. Louis County Public Library: Native Landscaping for Butterflies & Moths with Chris Hartley, Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House. Register

10 am March 22nd St. Louis County Public Library In-Person Class @ Thornhill Branch, St. Louis County: Houseplants for Beginners- The Science of Plant Care. Register

March 23rd Partners for Native Landscaping In-Person Workshop & Plant Sale, Maryland Heights Community Center

Noon March 24th St. Louis Audubon Society Beginner Bird Walk at Tower Grove Park. Register

6 pm March 28th Table to Garden, Willoughby Heritage Farm, Seed St. Louis Class 3 of 4 core composting series at Willoughby Heritage Farm, Collinsville IL: Pick Your System. $12. Register

Missouri Wildflowers Nursery returns to Kirkwood Market Saturdays 8 am – 4 pm April 6, 13, 20, 27 May 25 June 1 Order in advance for pick up at Market or select from what they bring

2 pm April 8th St. Louis Public Library program at Central Library: Plants, Pollen, and Allergies. 35 Seats remaining. Register.

April 9-11 Missouri Native Grasslands Summit, Jefferson City. $75. Register

6 pm April 18th Table to Garden, Willoughby Heritage Farm, Seed St. Louis Class 4 of 4 core composting series at Willoughby Heritage Farm, Collinsville IL: Soil Health. $12. Register

9 am to 5 pm April 26th St. Louis Herb Society Herb Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden, parking lot

Noon April 27th Heartland Conservancy Spring Native Plant Sale at Clinton Hills Conservation Park, Swansea IL

8:30 am to 12:30 pm May 4th Webster Groves Women’s Garden Association Plant Sale, First Congregational Church, Webster Groves

9 am to 1 pm May 4th Shaw Nature Reserve Wildflower Market

9 am to 5 pm May 4th West County Daylily Club Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

9 am to 5 pm May 11th St. Louis Hosta Society Show and Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

10 am to 2 pm May 11th Missouri Prairie Foundation Native Plant Sale at Wild Bird Sanctuary, Valley Park. $8-$12 entrance fee.

9 am to 5 pm May 12th Greater St. Louis Iris Society Show at Missouri Botanical Garden

May 18th Wild Ones Illinois Prairie Chapter Native Plant Sale at Carlock, McLean County IL

9 am to 5 pm May 25th Metropolitan St. Louis African Violet Council Show and Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

9 am to 5 pm June 15th Carnivorous Plant Society Show and Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

9 am to 5 pm June 22nd Kimmswick Visitor Center Daylily Sale, Jefferson County Mo

July 20st-22nd Shaw Cactus & Succulent Society Cactus & Succulent Sale, St. Louis County

9 am to 5 pm August 3rd Greater St. Louis Iris Society Iris Sale at at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

9 am to 5 pm August 17th Missouri Botanical Garden Daylily Association Plant Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

Noon to 5 pm August 18th Orchid Society of Greater St. Louis Auction at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden admission fee required.

9 am to 5 pm September 7th Gateway West Gesneriad Society Show and Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

9 am to 5 pm September 28th Rose Society of Greater St. Louis Show at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

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