This Week in Gardening & Nature

Leek harvest on plywood table
chopped leeks in collander for washing

Plant of the Week: Leeks. Sow leek seeds indoors now or purchase bare roots at Seed St. Louis March 14th Sale. You can sauté and freeze leeks for use in quiche and leek soup or freeze raw for vegetable soup. They are very easy to grow. Our garden is abandoned for a monthat a time when we travel and leeks do just fine.

Plan your garden with  2026 Seed St. Louis Planting Calendar, good for Zones 6a, 6b, 7a, maybe more. Start Indoors this week: cauliflower, chard, collards, kale, kohlrabi, parsley

If you are just looking for St. Louis Area Plant and Seed Swaps and Sales, they are here. Added this week: Kirkwood Market dates for Missouri Wildflowers Nursery; Mississippi Valley Garden Club, Illinois, Plant Sale in Godfrey IL

Sign up for Missouri Coalition for Environment Missouri Legislative Alerts

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

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

Good Reads, Views, Listens —

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

Winter Sowing Seeds (University of Missouri Extension)

These 5 Genius DIY Planters Started as Everyday Household Items (Martha Stewart)

What is Rapini? (Mother Earth News)

Taking Plant Cuttings (University of Missouri Extension)

How to create a calming ‘nature nook’ with indoor plants. (Associated Press)

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.

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. STL Neighborhood Foresters Neighborhood Tree Care Blitzes
February 14th Tower Grove East. Register
February 14th Benton Park West. Register
February 15th Shaw. Register
February 21st Old North. Register
February 21st Benton Park. Register
February 28th Bevo. Register
March 1st Forest Park Southeast. Register
March 7th Hyde Park. Register
March 14th Benton Park West. Register
March 15th Shaw. Register
March 21st Old North. Register
April 4th Hyde Park. Register
April 11th Benton Park West. Register
April 18th Old North. Register
April 19th Shaw. Register

2026 Witch Hazel Hunt. Record your Witch Hazel find with Forest Releaf.

Apply now for 2026 Forest ReLeaf Project CommuniTree Free Trees. 3-gallon trees and shrubs for public or nonprofit plantings by neighborhood associations, schools, Scouts, churches, cities, municipalities and other community groups in St. Louis area.

It’s a new year of fun and learning at St. Louis County Parks & Rec Children’s Garden Club

Register for February 25th-April 1st Forest ReLeaf’s 6-week TreeKeepers Introductory Tree Care Course at Scott Joplin House

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

9 am to 4 pm March 1st-31st Sachs Butterfly House event in Chesterfield: Morpho Mania. Be surrounded by thousands of blue morpho butterflies. Fees apply

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 —–

9-11 am Tuesday, February 10th, University of Illinois Extension Tree Care Webinar Series: Changing Climate and Historic Pests. $10 for access to all sessions. Register

1-4 pm Tuesday, February 10th, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Horticulture Class:  Winter Tree and Shrub ID. $15 donation suggested. Register

1:30 pm Tuesday, February 10th, University of Illinois Extension Four Seasons Gardening Webinar Series: Creating Simply Lovely Nature Art. Learn how to create a nature-inspired living heart craft with freshly cut willow. Register

6:30 pm Tuesday, February 10th, Piasa Palisades Sierra Club Speaker Series in Alton, Illinois: Archaeology and Conservation. Register

24 Seats remaining. 9:30 am Wednesday, February 11th, Tower Grove Park event: Monarchs and Friends

6 pm Wednesday, February 11th, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Zoom Class:  Integrated Pest Management for Home Gardeners. Register

6 pm Wednesday, February 11th, Missouri Conservation Department Zoom class: Birdwatching- Introduction and Benefits presented by Sarah Kendrick, Ornithologist, US Fish and Wildlife Service. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am Thursday, February 12th, Heartlands Conservancy Poag Sand Prairie Restoration Stewardship Day at Edwardsville, Illinois. Register

6:15 pm Thursday, February 12th, Wild Ones St. Charles Area Chapter Winter Speaker Series at Spencer Road Library, St. Peters: Not Like a Haircut- Pruning to Promote Health, Vigor, and Appearance. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am Friday, February 13th, Eastern Missouri Sierra Club Service Day at Castlewood State Park, Ballwin. Register

28 Tickets remaining. 8:30 am Friday, February 14th, Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood: Great Backyard Bird Count. Register

13 Tickets remaining. 9 am Saturday, February 14th, Missouri Conservation Department event in West Alton, Missouri: Dresser Island Hike. Register

9 am to Noon Saturday, February 14th, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Horticulture Class:  Winter Tree and Shrub ID. $15 donation suggested. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am Saturday, February 14th, Eastern Missouri Sierra Club Belleview Farm Work Day in Wildwood. Register

11 am February 14th St. Charles County Library Seed & Plant Swap at Spencer Road Branch, St. Peters. Register

4 Seats remaining. Couples event. Must be at least 21 years of age. 4 pm February 14th Missouri Conservation Department event at Tower Grove Park: Art in the Park- Love Birds. BYOB & snacks. Learn about animal courtship + create a diptych pair of love birds. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 10 am February 16th Piasa Palisades Sierra Club Presidents Day Service Project in Alton, Illinois: Litter Pick Up at Wadlow Town Center’s Bicycle and Walking Trail. Register

6:30 pm February 16th Missouri River Bird Observatory webinar: Naturalist Series- Amphibians, presented by Waylon Hiler, Missouri Valley College. Register 

9-11 am February 17th University of Illinois Extension Tree Care Webinar Series: Tree Care After Planting and Tree Responses to Cultural Practices. $10 for access to all sessions. Register

6:30 pm February 17th Missouri Conservation Department Webinar: Owls of Missouri. Register

6:30 pm February 17th Missouri Conservation Department Webinar: Sap to Syrup. Register

10:30 am February 19th Missouri Conservation Department Webinar: Owls of Missouri. Register

Volunteers Want. 9 am February 20th Heartlands Conservancy Exploration Garden Stewardship Day at Clinton Hills Conservation Park, Swansea, Illinois. Register

29 Tickets remaining. 9:30 am February 25th Missouri Conservation Department event at Tower Grove Park: Insect Hotels

9 am February 26th Heartlands Conservancy Bluebird Monitoring Training Session- Zoom or at office in Belleville, Illinois. Register

7 pm February 26th Missouri Conservation Department Upgrading Your Urban Oasis Virtual Series: Planning and Designing Native Plant Spaces. Register

9 am to 2 pm Friday and 8 am to 2 pm Saturday, February 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.

2 pm February 27th Bowood Farms Design a Flower Garden from Seed Workshop. $35. Register

7 pm February 27th Missouri Conservation Department An Evening with Raptors at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood. Register

9 am to Noon February 28th Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Annual Garage Sale Fundraiser

32 Tickets remaining. 10 am to Noon February 28th Missouri Conservation Department Eagle Watching at the Chain of Rocks Bridge. Register

1 pm February 28th Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Class: Nature Art- Soaps & Salves. Learn how to utilize native plants in soothing soaps and salves. Explore traditional uses, craft your own botanical creations, learn how to make your very own natural soap. Register

16 Tickets remaining. For ages 7 an older. 10 am to Noon March 1st Missouri Conservation Department Learn to Fish Class at Forest Park Hatchery: All About Trout. Learn all about trout species, habitat, history, fishing, try your hand at catching a Rainbow Trout. Ages 16-64 needs a fishing permit. Register

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

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

6:30 pm March 2nd Missouri River Bird Observatory webinar: Naturalist Series- Turtle Ecology & Conservation with Alex Heeb of the Turtle Conservation Group. Register

1:30 pm March 3rd, University of Illinois Extension Four Seasons Gardening Webinar Series: Pruning Young Shade Trees. Register

8 am to 4 pm March 4th University of Illinois 2026 Gateway Green Conference in Collinsville. $85. Register

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

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

23 Seats remaining. 10:30 am March 7th Seed St. Louis class at Rockwoods Reservation, Wildwood: How to Grow Native Food Crops. Register

11 am to 2 pm March 7th Piasa Palisades Sierra Club event at Alton, Illinois: Seed Swap. Register

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

1 pm March 7th St. Louis Public Library Women’s History Month event at Walnut Park Library: Rooted in Change: Women, Sustainability & the Future of Farming with Maddie Earnest, Local Harvest Grocery. Register

7 pm March 7th  St. Louis Astronomical Society Star Party at Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum. Register

11 Tickets remaining. For ages 7 an older. 10 am to Noon March 8th Missouri Conservation Department Learn to Fish Class at Forest Park Hatchery: All About Trout. Learn all about trout species, habitat, history, fishing, try your hand at catching a Rainbow Trout. Ages 16-64 needs a fishing permit. Register

1 pm March 10th Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Horticulture Class: Natural Landscape Design. $15 suggested donation. Register

4-6 pm March 11th North County Agricultural Education Center gardening class in St. Louis County: Greenhouse Systems Management Workshop. Register

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

6 pm March 11th St. Louis Public Library Sustainability Series at Carpenter Library: Locally Sourced, Mindfully Made with Klondike Bison & Bee. Field to fork bison. Registration opens January 3rd.

6:15 pm March 12th Wild Ones St. Charles Area Chapter Winter Speaker Series at Spencer Road Library, St. Peters: Nature at Night, presented by photographer Dan Zarlenga. Register

9 am March 14th Seed St. Louis March Sale at Carriage House: seed potatoes, onion sets, bare-root leeks, mushroom spawn, bare-root strawberry plants, bare-root asparagus plants, water chestnuts, and Korean taro root. Get in line early for best selection. Bring a box lid for your purchases.

9 am March 14th Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Horticulture Class: Natural Landscape Design. $15 suggested donation. Register

11 am March 14th St. Charles County Library Seed & Plant Swap at Spencer Road Branch, St. Peters. Register. Registration opens February 14th

21 Seats remaining. 1 pm March 14th St. Louis Public Library Garden to Table Series at Central Library: Tomato History. Register

1:30 pm March 14th Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Spring Arboretum Trolley Tour. Register

6:30 pm March 16th Missouri River Bird Observatory webinar: Naturalist Series- Missouri’s Crayfish with Dr. Cheyenne Stratton of the Missouri Department of Conservation. Register

1 pm March 17th Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Horticulture Class: Spring Floriography, the Language of Flowers. $15 suggested donation. Register

9 am March 17th Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Spring Bulb Walk with Horticulturist. $5 suggested donation. Register

4-6 pm March 18th North County Agricultural Education Center gardening class in St. Louis County: Herb Gardening and Utilization Workshop. Register

9 am March 21st Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Horticulture Class: Spring Floriography, the Language of Flowers. $15 suggested donation. Register

1 pm March 21st St. Louis Public Library gardening class at Central Library: Get Up and Grow Herbs, presented by The St. Louis Herb Society. Register (it’s on Herb Society website but not Library calendar yet)

1 pm March 21st St. Louis Public Library event at Walnut Park Library: History of the Weldon Spring Site- Environmental Awareness for the Future. Register

9 am March 25th Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Spring Bulb Walk with Horticulturist. $5 suggested donation. Register

6 pm March 25th St. Louis Public Library Sustainability Series at Buder Library: PFAS the Forever Chemical

7 pm March 26th Missouri Conservation Department Upgrading Your Urban Oasis Virtual Series: Living with Wildlife in Your Garden. Register

7:30 am to Noon, March 27th Grow Native! Southwest Illinois Workshop at Lewis & Clark Community College, Edwardsville IL: Purposeful Prairie Plantings. $25 members, $15 Students, $30 nonmembers includes breakfast buffet. Register

9 am to 2 pm Friday and 8 am to 2 pm Saturday, March 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.

7:45 am to Noon March 28th Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Fox Trot 5K & Kit Crawl 10K Run/Walk fundraiser. Fees to Register.

9 am March 28th Seed St. Louis Spring Seedling Sale at Carriage House

11 am March 28th Seed St. Louis class at Bell Community Garden: Garden-Based Learning Integration at Your School or Youth Program. Register

15 Seats remaining. 1 pm March 28th St. Louis Public Library Garden to Table Series at Central Library: Strawberry and Basil Planting. Register

20 Tickets remaining. 8:30 am March 29th St. Louis Audubon Society Beginner Bird Walk at Tower Grove Park. Register

6:30 pm March 30th Missouri River Bird Observatory webinar: Naturalist Series- Grassland Birds with Dr. Alice Boyle of the University of Western Ontario. Register

6:30 pm March 31st Missouri Conservation Department webinar: Mushroom Hunting. Register

April Seven Pines Garden Club Plant Sale

April UCity in Bloom Plant Sale

8 am to 4 pm April 4th Missouri Wildflowers Nursery returns to Kirkwood Farmers Market. Order five days in advance for pick up at Market or purchase from what they bring.

6 pm April 6th St. Louis Public Library Sustainability Series at Buder Library: Weeding Without Chemicals

8 am to 4 pm April 11th Missouri Wildflowers Nursery at Kirkwood Farmers Market. Order five days in advance for pick up at Market or purchase from what they bring.

9 am April 11th Missouri Conservation Department virtual class: Learning to Hunt- Wild Edibles, presented by Bo Brown, foraging author and nature educator. Register

11 am April 11th St. Charles County Library Seed & Plant Swap at Spencer Road Branch, St. Peters. Register. Registration opens March 14th

1-4:30 pm April 14th Missouri Coalition for the Environment hosts Wild & Scenic Film Festival in Columbia. Short films about our planet and the people working to protect it. Fees. Film lineup to be released March 15th.

6 pm April 15th St. Louis Public Library Sustainability Series at Carpenter Library: Locally Sourced, Mindfully Made with HareandBearco. Floral art. Register

8 am to 4 pm April 18th Missouri Wildflowers Nursery at Kirkwood Farmers Market. Order five days in advance for pick up at Market or purchase from what they bring.

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am April 18th Eastern Missouri Sierra Club Trail Maintenance at O’Fallon Park. Register

10 am to 2 pm April 18th Missouri Prairie Foundation Native Plant Sale at World Bird Sanctuary, Valley Park, St. Louis County

1 pm April 18th St. Louis Public Library gardening class at Central Library: Pest Control with Herbs, presented by The St. Louis Herb Society. Register (it’s on Herb Society website but not Library calendar yet)

Volunteers wanted. 9 am April 19th Eastern Missouri Sierra Club Trail Maintenance at O’Fallon Park. Register

April 21, 2026, Missouri Invasive Plant Council Callery Pear, Bradford Pear Buyback. Info on 2025 event. No link yet for 2026. Confirmed locations: Cape Girardeau, Columbia, Doniphan, Hannibal, Jefferson City, Joplin, Kansas City, Kirksville, Lebanon, Liberty, Moberly, Park Hills, Parkville, Riverside, Rolla, Sikeston, Springfield, St. Charles, St. Joseph, St. Louis, Warrensburg, and West Plains.

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

9 am to 2 pm Friday and 8 am to 2 pm Saturday, April 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.

7 pm April 24th St. Louis Astronomical Society Stargazing at Tower Grove Park

27 Seats remaining. 1 pm April 25th St. Louis Public Library Garden to Table Series at Central Library: Strawberry Basil Mocktails & Plant Health Clinic. Register

2 pm April 25th St. Louis County Library event at Grand Glaize Branch: Plant Swap. Register

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

May Garden Club of Lebanon, Illinois, Plant Sale. 2025 Info
May Garden Club of Edwardsville, Illinois Plant Sale. 2025 Info
May Goldfarb Plant Growth Facility Plant Sale

May 2nd-3rd Kress Farm Garden Preserve Spring Plant Sale at Hillsboro

6 pm May 4th St. Louis Public Library Sustainability Series at Buder Library: Sustainability, Ecology, & Conservation efforts in St. Louis Parks.

May 8, 2026 to March 31, 2027 Missouri Botanical Garden exhibit at Sachs Museum: The Literary Garden- The Cultivation of Plants and Gardens in Narratives. Garden Admission Free until Noon on Saturdays and Wednesdays to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents, except during MoBot special events, otherwise Garden Fee applies.

8 am to Noon May 9th Mississippi Valley Garden Club, Illinois, Plant Sale in Godfrey, Illinois

9 am May 9th Seed St. Louis Summer Seedling Sale at Carriage House

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

10 am May 9th St. Louis Public Library Sustainability Series at Buder Library: Wildflower Garden Planning

11 am May 9th St. Charles County Library Seed & Plant Swap at Spencer Road Branch, St. Peters. Register. Registration opens April 11th

6 pm May 12th St. Louis Public Library Sustainability Series at Carpenter Library: Locally Sourced, Mindfully Made with Erin Luna. A hands-on workshop on indigo dyeing, includes make & take tea towel. Registration opens March 6th.

2 pm May 14th St. Louis Public Library Sustainability Series at Buder Library: Nee Kee Nee (Osage Nation), Tower Grove Park’s East Stream

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

9 am to 1 pm May 16th Missouri Prairie Foundation Native Plant Sale at The Nature Institute, Godfrey, Illinois

1 pm May 16th St. Louis Public Library gardening class at Central Library: Cooking with Herbs, presented by The St. Louis Herb Society. Register (it’s on Herb Society website but not Library calendar yet)

10 am to 2 pm May 17th Bring Conservation Home Native Plant Sale at Five Oaks on Warson, Olivette

2 pm May 19th St. Louis Public Library Sustainability Series at Buder Library: Pollution Solution, presented by River des Peres Watershed Coalition

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

8 am to 4 pm May 23rd Missouri Wildflowers Nursery at Kirkwood Farmers Market. Order five days in advance for pick up at Market or purchase from what they bring.

9 am to 5 pm May 23rd-24th Rose Society of Greater St. Louis Show at  Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free until Noon on Saturdays and Wednesdays to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents, except during MoBot special events, otherwise Garden Fee applies.

25 Seats remaining. 1 pm May 23rd St. Louis Public Library Garden to Table Series at Central Library: Tomato Transplant Class. Register

May 30th Brightside St. Louis Urban Gardening Symposium

8 am to 4 pm May 30th Missouri Wildflowers Nursery at Kirkwood Farmers Market. Order five days in advance for pick up at Market or purchase from what they bring.

June Kimmswick Visitor Center Daylily Sale

9 am June 10th Missouri Botanical Garden Earthways Center class at Commerce Bank Education Center: Climate Change and Plants. Register

6 pm June 10th St. Louis Public Library Locally Sourced, Mindfully Made event at Carpenter Library: Urban Buds flower arranging class. Register

11 am June 13th St. Charles County Library Seed & Plant Swap at Spencer Road Branch, St. Peters. Register. Registration opens May 16th

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

9 am to 2 pm Friday and 8 am to 2 pm Saturday, June 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.

June 27th-28th St. Louis Water Garden Society’s Pond-O-Rama

26 Seats remaining. 1 pm June 27th St. Louis Public Library Garden to Table Series at Central Library: Garden Party Strawberry & Basil Mocktails! Register

11 am July 11th St. Charles County Library Seed & Plant Swap at Spencer Road Branch, St. Peters. Register. Registration opens June 13th

27 Seats remaining. 1 pm July 11th St. Louis Public Library Garden to Table Series at Central Library: Tomato & Basil Health Clinic. Register

9 am to 2 pm Friday and 8 am to 2 pm Saturday, July 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.

July 25th-26th Shaw Cactus and Succulent Society Plant Sale at Jost Event Center, Overland

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

11 am August 8th St. Charles County Library Seed & Plant Swap at Spencer Road Branch, St. Peters. Register. Registration opens July 11th

24 Seats remaining. 1 pm August 8th St. Louis Public Library Garden to Table Series at Central Library: Garden Party Caprese Salad. Bring tomatoes & basil from your garden. Register

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

9 am August 15th Seed St. Louis Fall Seedling Sale at Carriage House

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

9 am to 2 pm Friday and 8 am to 2 pm Saturday, August 21st-22nd, 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 5 pm September 12th Gateway West Gesneriad Society Show & Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free until Noon on Saturdays and Wednesdays to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents, except during MoBot special events, otherwise Garden Fee applies.

September 12th Missouri Prairie Foundation Native Plant Sale at The Nature Institute, Godfrey, Illinois

11 am September 12th St. Charles County Library Seed & Plant Swap at Spencer Road Branch, St. Peters. Register. Registration opens August 15th

September 24th Missouri Prairie Foundation Native Plant Sale at Roeslein & Associates, St. Louis County

9 am to 2 pm Friday and 8 am to 2 pm Saturday, September 25th-26th, 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 October 10th St. Charles County Library Seed & Plant Swap at Spencer Road Branch, St. Peters. Register. Registration opens September 12th

9 am October 17th Seed St. Louis Garlic Sale at Carriage House

9 am to 2 pm Friday and 8 am to 2 pm Saturday, October 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.

11 am November 14th St. Charles County Library Seed & Plant Swap at Spencer Road Branch, St. Peters. Register. Registration opens October 17th

9 am to 2 pm Friday and 8 am to 2 pm Saturday, November 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.

9 am to 2 pm Friday and 8 am to 2 pm Saturday, December 11th-12th, 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 Decemner 12th St. Charles County Library Seed & Plant Swap at Spencer Road Branch, St. Peters. Register. Registration opens October 17th

This Week in Gardening & Nature

Blue Sage

Plant of the Week: Native Blue Sage. This will grow tall and even taller if competing with Sunflowers, Goldenrod, or other tall plants. The good news is that you can prune it back to four feet or more/less over the summer and it will still look great come Fall.

The last #GardenSunday on Bluesky is 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.

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.

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

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

If you are just looking for St. Louis Area Plant and Seed Swaps and Sales, they are here. 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, Tasks, and Problems (Missouri Botanical Garden)

Increase flower power by dividing overgrown perennials (University of Missouri Extension)

‘It’s like when you see the tsunami coming in’: Agricultural economists are sounding the alarm about produce prices doubling (Fortune)

Bring your annuals back to life with these tips (gift article, Chicago Tribune)

The joys of mullet gardening: neat and tidy, messy and wild(life). Inspired by the Eighties hairdo, this gardening trend is a great way to organise your plot and help wildlife. (The Times, London)

August Native Plant News (Wild Ones)

Running dry on data: Missouri drought hard to measure (KBIA Radio)

Gardening’s hidden benefits: How digging in the dirt could bolster mental wellbeing (Associated Press)

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

Volunteers Wanted. STL Neighborhood Foresters Neighborhood Tree Care Blitzes
September 6th Hyde Park. Register
September 7th Forest Park Southeast. Register
September 13th Tower Grove East. Register
September 13th Benton Park West. Register
September 20th Old North. Register
September 20th Benton Park. Register
September 21st Shaw. Register
September 27th Bevo. Register

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.

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

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

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

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

—– DAILY —–

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

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

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

10 am Wednesday, September 3rd, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum History & Horticulture Trolley Tour with Master Guide. $5 Donation suggested. Register

Noon Thursday, September 4th, Deep Roots Kansas City Webinar: Urban Green Rooftop Garden: Growing Season. Register

Just a two hour drive from St. Louis or Kansas City. 4-7 pm Thursday, September 4th, University of Missouri Extension event at Jefferson Farm, Columbia: Tomato Festival

For Kids ages 7+ years. 22 Tickets remaining. 5 pm Thursday, September 4th, Missouri Conservation Department event at Tower Grove Park: Monarch Caterpillar Bracelets. Register

3 pm Friday, September 5th, Missouri Conservation Zoom Class: Missouri Black Bears. Register

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

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

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

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

10 am Saturday, September 6th, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum History & Horticulture Trolley Tour with Master Guide. $5 Donation suggested. Register

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

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

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

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

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

6 pm September 9th The Nature 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 September 10th Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Arboretum Tour – Wildwood Valley Garden Walk with Horticulturist. $5 Donation suggested. Register

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9:30 am to 12:30 pm September 14th St. Louis Native Plant Swap’s Fall Swap at 722 Delchester Ln, KirkwoodOnly 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 September 14th Join Missouri Prairie Foundation and Missouri Conservation Department for Monarch Tagging at Edgar Prairie, near Rolla. Register

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

6:30 pm September 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

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

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

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

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 CountyEvent isn’t under their calendar, scroll down link for the event flyer

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

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

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.

This Week in Gardening & Nature

two dozen Lantana flowers in ywllow, orange, red colors

Plant of the Week: Lantana. This tropical can be overwintered indoors. Winter 2025-26 will be our third winter with beautiful indoor Lanatana flowers when it’s dreary outside.

Tuesday, August 26th, Application Deadline for FEMA assistance for St. Louis tornado

Learn about pressure canning, boiling water bath canning, steam canning, dehydration, and freezing your garden harvests and farmers market buys at University of Missouri Food Preservation Online Class. $30. Register

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

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

If you are just looking for St. Louis Area Plant and Seed Swaps and Sales, they are here. Added this week: St. Louis Native Plant Swap’s Fall Swap in Kirkwood, Sustainable Backyard Network Fall Fest Sustainability Fair & Native Plant Sale, 2026 STL Seeding Frenzy Seed Swap at Sunset Hills Community Center

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

Good Reads/Views/Listens —

8 Native Sunflowers That Support Pollinators and Birds (Wild Ones)

Grow fruit trees in small spaces with the trick known as espalier (Associated Press)

The Mimosa Webworm in Missouri (University of Missouri Extension)

5 Places You Should Never Plant Hostas, According to Gardening Experts (Martha Stewart)

When Advocacy Fails: Lessons from the Loss of Bell Bowl Prairie to Chicago Rockford International Airport expansion (Wild Ones)

The unseen harvest: Pesticides, cancer and rural Missouri’s health crisis. The counties with the highest use of pesticides per square mile are all located in Missouri’s Bootheel. Many of these counties have some of the state’s highest cancer rates and their health care options are dwindling. (Investigate Midwest)

Pesticide politics: Inside the corporate push to limit liability. As lawsuits over Roundup’s safety mount, Bayer has launched a multi-state lobbying effort to limit its legal liability. (Investigate Midwest)

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

Volunteers Wanted. STL Neighborhood Foresters Neighborhood Tree Care Blitzes
August 23rd Bevo. Register
September 6th Hyde Park. Register
September 7th Forest Park Southeast. Register
September 13th Tower Grove East. Register
September 13th Benton Park West. Register
September 20th Old North. Register
September 20th Benton Park. Register
September 21st Shaw. Register
September 27th Bevo. Register

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

—– DAILY —–

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

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

Monday, August 25th Deadline to order native plants from Missouri Wildflowers Nursery for pick up August 30th at Kirkwood Farmers Market. You may also purchase from what they bring.

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

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

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

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

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

For Kids ages 0-7 years. 18 Seats remaining. 10:30 am Thursday, August 28th, Missouri Conservation Department program at Tower Grove Park: You and Me under the Canopy- Aqua Adventures. Register

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

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

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

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

9 am Saturday, August 30th, Urban Harvest STL workshop at Grandel Square Center for Urban Agriculture: DIY Compost Tumbler Class. You will be responsible for transporting the barrel to your site. $10. Register

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

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

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

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

10 am September 3rd Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum History & Horticulture Trolley Tour with Master Guide. $5 Donation suggested. Register

Just a two hour drive from St. Louis or Kansas City. 4-7 pm September 4th University of Missouri Extension event at Jefferson Farm, Columbia: Tomato Festival

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

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

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

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

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

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

10 am September 6th Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum History & Horticulture Trolley Tour with Master Guide. $5 Donation suggested. Register

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

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

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

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

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

6 pm September 9th The Nature 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 September 10th Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Arboretum Tour – Wildwood Valley Garden Walk with Horticulturist. $5 Donation suggested. Register

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9:30 am to 12:30 pm September 14th St. Louis Native Plant Swap’s Fall Swap at 722 Delchester Ln, KirkwoodOnly 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.

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

6:30 pm 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 CountyEvent isn’t under their calendar, scroll down link for the event flyer

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

6-9 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 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 Jopling House: Persimmon Festival and Tree Distribution

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

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.

Join us Sundays on Bluesky for #GardenSunday.

This Week in Gardening & Nature

Plant of the Week: Melons.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Good Reads/Views/Listens —

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

Time to head out and sow some Chinese cabbage (University of Missouri Extension)

‘It’s ours now’: St. Louis farmer expands community garden to serve more neighbors. Leah Lee-Pulliam started with a garden in her backyard. Now she’s transforming vacant lots into a shared space for growth, healing and access to healthy food. (KSDK St. Louis)

The Potato’s Mysterious Family Tree Revealed—And It Includes Tomatoes (Scientific American)

Wolf in Queen Anne’s clothing: Beware the poison hemlock (Arkansas Times)

Podcast. Midsummer Lessons: What’s Growing (and Dying) in Our Yards. At 34:04 check out Ken’s passive mosquito control – mosquito bucket of doom! (University of Illinois Extension)

July 2025 Native Plant News. Includes news from Illinois. (Wild Ones)

2025 Missouri Hunger Atlas (University of Missouri Extension)

‘Bee Atlas’ project turns up 26 new or rare species buzzing around Washington (Washington State Standard)

A century of data reveals declining forest diversity (University of Illinois Extension)

YouTube. Native Plants Planted Right: A Practical Guide for Beginners (Wild Ones)

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 —–

See a gillion sunflowers at Columbia Bottom Nature Conservation Area

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

Volunteers Wanted. STL Neighborhood Foresters Neighborhood Tree Care Blitzes
August 9th Benton Park West. Register
August 9th Tower Grove East. Register
August 16th Old North. Register
August 16th Benton Park. Register
August 17th Shaw. Register
August 23rd Bevo. Register
September 6th Hyde Park. Register

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

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

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

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

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

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 to 5 pm Sunday, August 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.

9 am Tuesday, August 5th, Shaw Nature Reserve Fall Wildflowers Market online pre-sale begins for September 5th event at Gray Summit, Franklin County MO

2 pm Tuesday, August 5th, St. Louis County Public Library Virtual Class: Seed Saving and Plant Breeding presented by Seed St. Louis. Register

9 am Wednesday, August 6th, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Summer Wildflower Walk with Horticulturist. $5 donation suggested. Register

9 am Wednesday, August 6th, Collinsville, Illinois, Willoughby Farm Teacher Workshop: Waste-Free Classrooms. Register

10 am Wednesday, August 6th, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum History & Horticulture Trolley Tour with Master Guide. $5 donation suggested. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 8 am Thursday, August 7th, Heartlands Conservancy Poag Sand Prairie Restoration Stewardship Day in Edwardsville, Illinois. Register

August 7th Deadline to register for Missouri Prairie Foundation Annual Dinner and Silent Auction at Columbia MO. Tickets are $75 each for Missouri Prairie Foundation and Grow Native! Professional members, $85 for the general public. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 8 am Friday, August 8th, Heartlands Conservancy Exploration Garden Stewardship Day at Clinton Hills Conservation Park, Swansea, Illinois. Register

1:30-3 pm Friday, August 8th, St. Louis City Public Library Art Exhibit event at Schlafly Library: Reception for Sun Liu- Thousand Years Brilliant–Flowers & Birds From Song Dynasty

2 pm Friday, August 8th, St. Louis County Public Library event at Clark Branch: Planter Pot Decorating. Register

5:30 pm Friday, August 8th, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum History & Horticulture Sunset Stroll. $5 Donation suggested. Register

8 am Saturday, August 9th, Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Class: Tree Identification. Register

10 am Saturday, August 9th, Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum History & Horticulture Trolley Tour with Master Guide. $5 Donation suggested. Register

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

11:30 am Saturday, August 9th, Missouri Botanical Garden event at Sachs Museum: Sniff ‘n Learn- Scents of Wine & Spices. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday mornings, otherwise Admission Fee applies.

7:30 pm Saturday, August 9th, Missouri Conservation Department hiking event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Area, Kirkwood: Nature’s Night Shift Hike. Hickory Ridge Short Loop, 1/2 mile trail with steep inclines and declines. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am Sunday, August 10th, Piasa Palisades Sierra Club event in Alton, Illinois: Wadlow Restoration Work Day. The former site of a municipal golf course is being restored to native plants. Register

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9 am to Noon 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.

For Kids 5+ years. 25 Seats remaining. 10 am August 16th Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center: Conservation Kids- Sun Printing for Kids. Register

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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 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. Sorry for no link. If you know of a link that isn’t Facebook or Instagram, please let me know.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Join us Sundays on Bluesky for #GardenSunday.