Plant of the Week: Spiderwort, Tradescantia ohiensis

Plan your garden with 2024 Seed St. Louis Planting Calendar

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Garden Contest

Check out the Butterfly Gardens at St. Louis Public Library branches

If you are only looking for St. Louis Area (Missouri and Illinois) Plant Sales & Swaps, here’s a page for them.

June 20th Deadline for your community organization to apply for Brightside St. Louis Neighbors Naturescaping Program to beautify a public or not-for-profit space, restore Missouri native plant communities, attract beneficial wildlife (butterflies, bees, birds), reduce stormwater runoff and protect drinking water

July 15th Deadline to nominate a tree steward for Missouri Conservation Department Arbor Award of Excellence

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

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

Good Reads/Views —

(YouTube)Tomato Trellising: 4 Methods (Seed St. Louis)

Dealing with Squash Bugs in a No Spray Garden and Advice on Squash Bugs from Missouri Botanical Garden

(YouTube) Native Species Spotlight: Dragonflies. How to attract Dragonflies: Install a water feature at least 2 ft deep, Add submerged plant, emergent plants & floating plants to aid dragonflies throughout their life cycle, Include native plants such as water lilies & irises. (Wild Ones)

University of Missouri launches 5 year climate-smart farming projects with $25M in Federal funds (Columbia Missourian)

Mo communities divided over spreading meatpacking sludge. “Turner is a member of a local activist group, Citizens of Randolph County Against Pollution, or CRAP, which filed a lawsuit that prevented Denali from filling the lagoon.” (Columbia Missourian, Missouri Independent)

Retired Missouri conservation director plans to enjoy the areas she oversaw (St. Louis Public Radio)

Tornadoes shifting east in the U.S., study finds, putting more people at risk. Researchers have pointed to parts of the Deep South and Tennessee Valley as being the modern-day Tornado Alley. Gift article. (Washington Post)

(YouTube) Missouri Botanical Garden Corpse Flower Cam

Container Gardening Tips
Native Plants: Grow Native!
Veggies: Missouri Botanical Garden
5 Tips For Successfully Growing Plants In Containers: P. Allen Smith

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 —

Day Trip for Lavender: It’s You Pick season at Missouri’s largest lavender farm- Battlefield Lavender in Centralia, Boone County

1:30 pm Tuesday University of Illinois Extension Online Class: Understanding and Supporting Lady Beetles in Illinois. Register

5:30-7:30 pm Tuesday, June 11th, Missouri Coalition for the Environment Chats for Change at MCE office, University City. Sounds like a happy hour for environmentalists and conservationists. Register

6:30 pm Tuesday, June 11th, Piasa Palisades Sierra Club June Speaker at Old Bakery Beer, Alton IL: Our  Wetlands Cooperative in Metroeast presented by Dr. Jenny Mullikin, National Great Rivers Research and Education Center. Register

For Ages 4-12. 2 pm Wednesday, June 12th, St. Louis County Library event at Samuel C. Sachs Branch: Garden Adventure- decorate a pot and plant a flower or vegetable to take home. Register

2:30 pm Wednesday, June 12th, St. Louis County Library class at Florissant Valley Branch: Cooking with Herbs. Presented by St. Louis Herb Society. Register

5:30 pm Wednesday, June 12th, Bellefontaine Cemetery History & Horticulture Sunset Stroll with Master Guide. Register.

6 pm Thursday, June 13th, St. Louis City Public Library event at Buder Library: Urban Homesteading– Composting 101

2 pm Friday, June 13th, St. Louis County Library class at Thornhill Branch: Cooking with Herbs. Presented by St. Louis Herb Society. Register

6:30 pm Friday, June 14th, event at The Garden Shop on Hampton: Sip & Soil, an evening of painting, planting, cocktail making. $35. Register

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

10 am Saturday, June 15th, Bellefontaine Cemetery History & Horticulture Trolley Tour with Master Guide. $5. Register

10 am and 11:30 am Saturday, June 15th, Missouri Botanical Garden event: Sentimental Symbols of the Garden Tour. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

7:30 pm Saturday, June 15th, St. Louis Astronomical Society Stargazing at Tower Grove Park

Noon June 17th Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Class: Folklore of Birds. Register

9 am to 5 pm June 19th Missouri Botanical Garden Juneteenth at the Garden: Ethiopian Book Binding presentation, Pot-A-Plant, “In the Garden with Dr. Carver,” more. Garden admission free to St. Louis City and County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

10 am June 20th Seed St. Louis and St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Water for the Garden. Register

For Kids 0-7 years. 10:30 am June 20th Missouri Conservation Department event at Tower Grove Park: You and Me under the Canopy- Twinkle Firefly. Register

For Kids 7-14 years. 2 pm June 20th St. Louis County Library event at Oak Bend Branch: Summer Science- Explore the science of plants with guided, hands-on activities and experiments. Register

6 pm June 20th Willoughby Farm, Table to Garden, Seed St. Louis In Person Composting Series, Collinsville IL: Vermicomposting, aka Worm Composting. $12. Register

6:30 pm June 20th St. Louis County Library class at Mid-County Branch: Harvesting & Preserving Herbs. Presented by St. Louis Herb Society. Register

7 pm June 20th Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Class: Folklore of Birds Part 2. Register

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

9 am to to 5 pm June 22-23 St. Louis Water Garden Society Pond-O-Rama Tour

10 am to 3 pm June 22nd University of Missouri Extension Butterfly Festival at Jefferson Farm & Garden, Columbia MO

1 pm June 22nd St. Louis City Public Library event at Buder Library: Urban Homesteading– Chicken Tending 101

12 Seats remaining. 8 pm June 22nd Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Nature Conservation Area, Kirkwood: Owl Prowl. Register

11 am to 1 pm June 23rd Piasa Sierra Club event at La Vista Park, Godfrey, IL: Pollinator Party. Register

2 pm June 25th St. Louis County Library class at Eureka Hills Branch: Cooking with Herbs. Presented by St. Louis Herb Society. Register.

6:30 June 28th Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Nature Conservation Center: Planting Native, presented by horticulturist Scott Woodbury + tour of the native plant gardens at the nature center. Register

June 30th Greater St. Louis Sustainable Backyard Tour

6 pm July 2nd St. Louis County Library Indoor Plant Swap at Prairie Commons Branch

2 pm July 6th St Louis County Library In-Person Class at Mid-County Branch: Planning Your Tea Garden. Register

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

1 pm June 29th St. Louis City Publiuc Library event at Buder Library: Urban Homesteading- Advanced Chicken Tending

2 pm July 11th Seed St. Louis and St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Fall Gardening. Register

7:30 pm July 13th St. Louis Astronomical Society Stargazing at Tower Grove Park

6 pm July 18th Willoughby Farm, Table to Garden, Seed St. Louis In Person Composting Series, Collinsville IL: Compost Tumblers. $12. Register

7 Tickets remaining. 10 am to 2 pm July 20th Missouri Department of Conservation Camp Hellbender, Summer Camp for Adults at Tower Grove Park: learn tree ID and put new skills to the test on a tree ID geocaching adventure. After lunch, learn about native plants and insects and do a flower pounding craft. Register

6 pm July 29th St. Louis County Library & Left Banks Book author event at Clark Family Branch: Nature Writer Amy Stewart, Author of “The Tree Collectors: Tales of Arboreal Obsession.” Register

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

August 10th Seed St. Louis Fall Seedling Sale

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

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

10-11:30 am August 17th Homegrown Hot Sauce Class with Urban Harvest’s Chef Queenie at Rung, Fox Park. Register

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

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

3-7 pm September 6th Shaw Nature Reserve Fall Wildflower Market

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

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

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

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

September 22nd Bring Conservation Home Native Plant Expo at Tower Grove Park

October 5th Seed St. Louis Garlic Sale

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