This Week In Gardening & Nature

Want to see something magnificent? Audubon Society’s Sandhill Crane Cam @ Rowe Sanctuary, Platte River Valley, Gibbon, Nebraska. See hundreds of thousands of Sandhill Cranes at dusk and dawn.

This week in the garden: Transplant- broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, bok choy; Sow Outdoors- beets, carrots, parsley, spinach, turnips. Plan your 2023 Garden with Seed St. Louis Seed Starting/Planting Calendar

Seed St. Louis Planting Guides
Asparagus Leeks Onions Potatoes Strawberries

How to Bake Pine Needle Sugar Cookies with Foraged Pine Needles: YouTube Recipe

The Big List of St. Louis Area Plant Sales: African Violets, Carnivorous, Daylilies, Gesneriads, Herbs, Hostas, Iris, Native Plants, Perennials, Roses, Veggies, Wildflowers

10 am Tuesday Trolley Tour at Bellefontaine Cemetery. Two-hour trolley tour led by a Master Guide sharing horticulture and arboretum highlights. Tickets $5. Register

4 pm Tuesday St. Louis Public Library craft/STEM event for K-6 Kids: Make a Weather Vane @ Machacek Library, Lindenwood

10 am Thursday Bellefontaine in Bloom at Bellefontaine Cemetery. 2 Hour walking tour with master guide. Register

6 pm Thursday Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: Spring Crops & Planning your Growing Space. Register

3:30 pm Friday Missouri Conservation Dept Zoom Class: Native Plants- Right Plant Right Spot. Register

9 am Saturday Forest ReLeaf event. Volunteers wanted. Tree Planting at Ruth Porter Mall Spring Tree Planting, St. Vincent Greenway. Register

10 am Saturday Missouri Conservation Dept Class at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood. Native Plants: Tasty Tree-ts. Explore winter wild edibles! 5 Seats remaining. Register

Volunteers Wanted for 10 am Saturday Delmar (Vandeventer to Boyle) Litter Pick Up on Tree Planting Day. Join SLACO, Forest ReLeaf, Vandeventer Community Development Corp, Brightside St. Louis, and AmeriCorps to clean up Delmar as City Forestry plants 102 trees. Register

10 am Saturday Missouri Conservation Dept In-Person Class: Native Plants- Tasty Tree-ts @ Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center. 5 Seats remaining. Register

10 am March 28th Bellefontaine in Bloom at Bellefontaine Cemetery. 2 Hour walking tour with master guide. Register

4 pm March 29th Grow Native! Zoom Master Class: Prairie Garden Primer for Town and Country. Free to Missouri Prairie Foundation members and Grow Native professional members. $15 nonmembers. Register

Noon March 30th Missouri Conservation Dept Zoom Class: Wild Edibles- Edible Redbud Blossoms. Register

April Brightside St. Louis Project Blitz Events. Volunteers wanted. Register

8 am April 1st St. Louis Audubon Society’s Beginner Bird Walk @ Forest Park

9 am April 1st Missouri Conservation Dept event @ Fort Belle Fontaine County Park: Native Plants- Ephemeral Walk at Fort Belle. 5 Tickets remaining. Register

9 am to Noon April 1st Seed St. Louis Spring Plant Sale @ Carriage House, 3815 Bell. Arrive early for best selection. Bring a box lid to carry your plants. $4 seedling 6-packs. Available at this Sale: Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Bok Choy, Collards, Dinosaur Kale, Lettuce

Native Plant Sales Return: 8 am to 4 pm April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and May 20, 27 Missouri Wildflower Nursery @ Kirkwood Farmer’s Market. Order in advance– by Tuesday prior to market day- or buy what they bring to Market

4 pm April 4th St. Louis Public Library craft event for K-6 Kids: Make Your Own Chia Pet @ Divoll Library, Fairground

4 pm April 5th 4 pm April 4th St. Louis Public Library craft event for Kids Ages 7-12: Let’s Make A Garden! @ Machacek Library, Lindenwood

6 pm April 6th Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: Composting 101. Register

4 pm April 12th Missouri Prairie Foundation Zoom Class: The Tallgrass Prairie of Missouri Above and Below the Soil Surface. Register

8 am to 2 pm April 15th Native Plant Workshop and Plant Sale at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood. Hosted by Partners for Native Landscaping.

4 pm April 26th Missouri Prairie Foundation Zoom Class: Spring Into Action for Declining Birds. Register

April 28th-29th St. Louis Herb Society Plant Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden

U-City in Bloom Plant Sale is usually last week of April but there’s no 2023 info yet

9 am April 30th Partners for Native Landscaping Native Plant Sale & Native Plant Swap @ Beyond Housing. Preorder from vendors for pick up or shop from what is available that day.

9 am to 1 pm May 6th Wildflower Market @ Shaw Nature Reserve. $5

9 am to 5 pm May 6th West County Daylily Club Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden. Entrance included with Garden Admission. Garden Admission is free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents 7 am to Noon Wednesdays and Saturdays.

9 am to Noon May 13th Seed St. Louis Summer Plant Sale @ Carriage House, 3815 Bell. Arrive early for best selection. Bring a box lid to carry your plants. $4 seedling 6-packs. Available at this Sale: Basil, Eggplant, Sweet & Hot Peppers, Tomatoes, Mint, Lavender, Rhubarb, Sorrel, more

9 am to 5 pm May 13th Metropolitan St. Louis African Violet Council Show and Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden. Entrance included with Garden Admission. Garden Admission is FREE to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents 7 am to Noon Wednesdays and Saturdays.

10 am May 13th World Bird Sanctuary Native Plant Sale. Preorder from vendors for pick up or shop from what is available that day.

8:30 am May 20th Brightside St. Louis Downtown Planting Day. Volunteers wanted. Register

9 am to 5 pm May 20th & 21st St. Louis Hosta Society Show and Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden. Entrance included with Garden Admission. Garden Admission is FREE to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents 7 am to Noon Wednesdays and Saturdays.

9 am to 5 pm May27th Rose Society of Greater St. Louis Show and Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden. Entrance included with Garden Admission. Garden Admission is FREE to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents 7 am to Noon Wednesdays and Saturdays.

10 am to 5 pm June 3rd Lafayette Square Garden Tour & Antique Fair

9 am to 5 pm June 10th Carnivorous Plant Society Show and Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden. Entrance included with Garden Admission. Garden Admission is FREE to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents 7 am to Noon Wednesdays and Saturdays.

11 am to 4 pm June 11th St. Louis Sustainable Backyard Tour. Free. Register

9 am to 5 pm June 24th Kimmswick Daylily Sale to benefit Kimmswick Visitor Center, Jefferson County.

9 am to 5 pm August 5th & 6th Greater St. Louis Iris Society Plant Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden. Entrance included with Garden Admission. Garden Admission is FREE to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents 7 am to Noon Wednesdays and Saturdays.

9 am to 5 om September 9th Gateway West Gesneriad Society Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden. Entrance included with Garden Admission. Garden Admission is FREE to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents 7 am to Noon Wednesdays and Saturdays.

9 am to 5 pm September 16th & 17th Greater St. Louis Daylily Society Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden. Entrance included with Garden Admission. Garden Admission is FREE to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents 7 am to Noon Wednesdays and Saturdays.

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

School Board Candidate Profiles Updated

St. Louis City voters will elect two new School Board Members from three candidates on April 4th. No excuse Absentee Voting (what Missouri calls early voting) begins Tuesday, April 21st at four locations. No incumbent School Board Members are on the ballot.

School Board Candidate Profiles are posted here. Not much to see.

One candidate doesn’t have a candidate committee filed with Missouri Ethics Commission.

Only one candidate has a website. I don’t count Facebook. Don’t use it and will not encourage people to use it.

One candidate lives in a tax abated development. Tax abated means public school kids helped pay for it.

Future campaign finance reports due/may be due:

8 Day Before General Election Report. Close: 3/23/2023. Due: 3/27/2023. Required if Committee made Expenditures (paid or incurred) or made Contributions for the election. Noon Friday, Missouri Ethics Commission will conduct a webinar on how to complete this report.

Mandatory April Quarterly Report. Close: 3/31/2023. Due: 4/17/2023.

30 Day After Election Report. Close: 4/29/2023. Due: 5/4/2023. Required if Committee made Expenditures (paid or incurred) or made Contributions for the election. If this report is required, it must be filed prior to taking office. If debt exceeds $1,000, Committee may not file Limited Activity for this report.

Additional Campaign Finance Reporting

48 Hour Report of Contribution over $5,000: Due within 48 Hours after receipt.
24 Hour Notice of Late Contribution Over $250 Received Less Than 12 Days Before Election: Due within 24 Hours after receipt.
24 Hour Late Expenditure Report by Continuing Committees (PACs including ward committees): Due within 24 Hours after paid or incurred.

Campaign Finance Info Added to Ward Profiles

St. Louis City New Ward Profiles have been updated with 8 Days Before Primary Reports, Amended Reports, and 24 Hour Later Expenditure Reports for Board President, Alders and Alder candidates, School Board Members and School Board candidates, Candidate PACs, Ward PACs, Political Party Committeepeople, other elected officials, former elected officials who still have accounts.

Next up, I will add Primary Election Results.

New campaign finance information will be added as it comes in and I have time or inclination to do so. No one really cares about campaign money unless it is damaging to an opponent, which really blows.

Future campaign finance reports due/may be due:

30 Day After Primary Election Report. Close: 4/1/2023. Due: Due: 4/6/2023. Required if Committee made Expenditures (paid or incurred) or made Contributions for the election. If debt exceeds $1,000, Committee may not file Limited Activity for this report.

Additional Campaign Finance Reporting

48 Hour Report of Contribution over $5,000: Due within 48 Hours after receipt.
24 Hour Notice of Late Contribution Over $250 Received Less Than 12 Days Before Election: Due within 24 Hours after receipt.
24 Hour Late Expenditure Report by Continuing Committees (PACs including ward committees): Due within 24 Hours after paid or incurred.

This Week In Gardening & Nature

This week: Sow Outdoors- beets, carrots, parsley, spinach, turnips, Plan your 2023 Garden with Seed St. Louis Seed Starting/Planting Calendar

Momma birds would appreciate your egg shells for extra calcium. Learn from Audubon Society how to do it safely.

Seed St. Louis Planting Guides
Asparagus
Leeks
Onions
Potatoes
Strawberries

If you are just looking for Plant Sales in St. Louis Area- here

Interested in Residential Compost Services in St. Louis? Check out compost pick up from New Earth Farm. Weekly pick up is $26 a month, Bi-Weekly is $18 a month.

Wild Ones Free St. Louis Native Garden Design and Sample Native Plants Ordinance

7 pm Tuesday St. Louis County Public Library Zoom Class: Container Gardening with Native Plants. 7 Tickets available. Register

Wednesday Registration Begins for 2023 Callery (Bradford) Pear Buyback Program. Missouri Invasive Plant Council in partnership with Forest ReLeaf, Forrest Keeling Nursery, and Missouri Conservation Dept will host “buyback” around the state on April 18. Homeowners are invited to cut down one or more Callery pear trees and receive one free, non-invasive tree at this event.

10 am Wednesday Bellefontaine in Bloom at Bellefontaine Cemetery. 2 Hour walking tour with master guide. Register

2 pm Wednesday St. Louis County Public Library Zoom Class: Transforming a Yard from Invasives to Natives. Register

4 pm Wednesday Grow Native! Webinar: Gardens of Excellence Panel. Includes Cody Hayo on the gardens of South Grand Business District. Register

6 pm Thursday Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: Growing & Processing Staple Foods. Register

10 am Friday Missouri Conservation Dept Zoom Class: Creating Soft Landings for Pollinators. 42 seats remaining. Register

1-5 pm Sunday Old Bakery Beer Buzz’d Beer Festival in Alton, IL to benefit Piasa Palisades Sierra Club. Tickets

6 pm March 23rd Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: Spring Crops & Planning your Growing Space. Register

9 am March 25th Forest ReLeaf event. Volunteers wanted. Tree Planting at Ruth Porter Mall Spring Tree Planting, St. Vincent Greenway. Register

Volunteers Wanted for 10 am March 27th Delmar (Vandeventer to Boyle) Litter Pick Up on Tree Planting Day. Join SLACO, Forest ReLeaf, Vandeventer Community Development Corp, Brightside St. Louis, and AmeriCorps to clean up Delmar as City Forestry plants 102 trees. Register

8 am to 2 pm April 15th Native Plant Workshop and Plant Sale at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood. Hosted by Partners for Native Landscaping.

April 28th-29th St. Louis Herb Society Plant Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden

U-City in Bloom Plant Sale is usually last week of April but there’s no 2023 info yet

9 am April 30th Partners for Native Landscaping Native Plant Sale & Native Plant Swap @ Beyond Housing. Preorder from vendors for pick up or shop from what is available that day.

9 am to 1 pm May 6th Wildflower Market @ Shaw Nature Reserve. $5

10 am May 13th World Bird Sanctuary Native Plant Sale. Preorder from vendors for pick up or shop from what is available that day.

9 am to 5 pm June 10th Carnivorous Plant Society Show and Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden. Entrance included with Garden Admission. Garden Admission is FREE to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents 7 am to Noon Wednesdays and Saturdays.

9 am to 5 pm June 24th Kimmswick Daylily Sale to benefit Kimmswick Visitor Center, Jefferson County.

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

Aldergeddon Campaign Finance Info

Old black and white photo of St. Louis City Hall

The New Ward Profiles include up-to-date campaign finance information for most St. Louis City Alder candidates and ward organizations/political action committees.

Most instead of all because the reports are constantly changing with amended reports and late contribution or late expenditure filings with Missouri Ethics Commission. It’s very hard to keep up with.

There really ought to be a law against raising and spending money the last week of election. Get it done before then. Make that public at least five days before elections. Make it apply to candidates, political action committees, political parties.

Heartbreaking for me, personally, all the candidates taking money from the captains of industry and recipients of corporate welfare known as Civic Progress and Great White Fathers via 21st Century St. Louis PAC. Each accepted $2,600.

New 2nd Ward: 16th Ward Tom Oldenburg

New 3rd Ward: 25th Ward Alder Shane Cohn

New 5th Ward: 10th Ward Alder Joe Vollmer

New 6th Ward: Daniela Velazquez

New 8th Ward: 20th Ward Alder Cara Spencer

New 9th Ward: 28th Ward Alder Michael Gras and Michael Browning

New 11th Ward: 21st Ward Alder Laura Keys

New 13th Ward: 27th Ward Alder Pam Boyd

New 14th Ward: 5th Ward Alder James Page and State Rep. Rasheen Aldridge

Also: Mayor Tishaura Jones, Comptroller Darlene Green, Board President Megan Green

New 8th Ward Alder Candidate Forum Tonight

6 pm Tonight/Thursday New 8th Ward Alder Candidate Forum at Epiphany UCC Church, 2911 McNair, Benton Park.

Moderated by St. Louis League of Women Voters.

Unfortunately, it will only be streamed on Book of Faces

Submit questions in advance.

New 8th Ward stretches down the City’s Mississippi Riverfront from Near North to Bellerive Park in Carondelet. It includes parts of current 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 20th, and 25th Wards and is the result of Census Redistricting and Ward Reduction.

Candidates for New 8th Ward Alder include:

Shedrick “Nato Caliph” Kelley lives in McKinley Heights and is a financial analyst at Wells Fargo and hip hop artist/emcee. In 2021, Kelley came within 134 votes (5.5%) of beating incumbent Old 7th Ward Alder Jack Coatar, who is sitting out this election.

Coatar lives in Soulard and is an attorney at Spencer Fane’s Litigation, Governmental Affairs, and Real Estate Practice. He lost a bid for higher office last November, running for Board of Alder President against Old 15th Ward Alder Megan Green. Green won by 1,417 votes (5.5%). Coatar barely won in his home ward, New 8th Ward, by 118 votes.

Old 20th Ward Alder Cara Spencer lives in Gravois Park and is senior vice president for Community and Economic Development at St. Louis Bank. She ran for Mayor in 2021, losing to Treasurer Tishaura Jones by 2,301 votes (5%).

Former Old 9th Ward Alder Ken Ortmann lives in Benton Park and owns a bar in Soulard. He lost his 2021 re-election bid to Dan Guenther by 674 votes (31.1%). Old 9th Ward Alder Guenther, also of Benton Park, chose not to run in this year.

Also see New 8th Ward Profile for information on candidate campaign finances.

This Week in Gardening & Nature

Invasive Plant of the Month: Wintercreeper

This week: Start Basil and Pepper seeds indoors + Transplant Bok Choy, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Chard, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Onions to garden. Plan your 2023 Garden with Seed St. Louis Seed Starting/Planting Calendar

Gardening By Month- March Tips & Tasks, Pests & Problems from Missouri Botanical Garden

Registration Begins March 15th for 2023 Callery (Bradford) Pear Buyback Program. Missouri Invasive Plant Council in partnership with Forest ReLeaf, Forrest Keeling Nursery, and Missouri Conservation Dept will host “buyback” around the state on April 18. Homeowners are invited to cut down one or more Callery pear trees and receive one free, non-invasive tree at this event.

Interested in Residential Compost Services in St. Louis? Check out compost pick up from New Earth Farm. Weekly pick up is $26 a month, Bi-Weekly is $18 a month.

Nature, Gardening, Horticulture, Ecology: 2023 St. Louis Community College Continuing Education Classes, some online, some in person. Fees apply

Missouri Botanical Garden Spring and Summer Classes. Fees apply

New Direction’s in the American Landscsapes’ March – April Virtual Education Series. Classes are $42 each and are 2-5 sessions each.

Wild Ones Free St. Louis Native Garden Design

Wild Ones Sample Native Plants Ordinance

Blog post on Mushrooms: buying spores from Seed St. Louis, growing info, mushroom hunting in MO and IL, online class, psychedelics legislation, more

10 am Wednesday Bellefontaine in Bloom at Bellefontaine Cemetery. 2 Hour Walking Tour with Master Guide. Register

Noon Wednesday Missouri Conservation Dept Zoom Class: Mushrooms- Meet the Morels. Register

Noon Wednesday thru March 29th White Oak, Whiskey & Wine Webinars sponsored by University of Missouri Extension, Missouri Conservation Dept, USDA, Forest & Woodland Association of Missouri. Register

4 pm Wednesday Missouri Prairie Foundation Zoom Class: Deciphering Botanical Latin. Register

3:30 pm Friday Missouri Conservation Dept Zoom Class: Native Plants- Creating a Butterfly Garden. Register

8 am Saturday St. Louis Audubon Society Beginner Bird Walk @ Forest Park. Free. Register

Saturday University of Illinois Extension Virtual Weekend Gardener Program. 9 am. Everlasting Flowers (dried flowers. 10 am Making the Most of Your Soil Amendments. Register

10 am Saturday Missouri Conservation Dept event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Area: Family Invasive Species Day. Ages 12 and older. 17 Seats remaining. Register

10 am to 1 pm Saturday Missouri Conservation Dept event at Tower Grove Park- Art in the Park: Brushes, Bees & Brews. Register

11 am March 7th & 21st Urban Land Institute Prioritizing Parks and Open Spaces Online Classes- exploring the value that parks create and build the case for prioritizing park development, funding, and operations. ULI Members $100, Nonmembers $150. Register

7 pm March 7th St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Birds, Bees, Flowers & Trees. Register

2 pm March 8th St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Homegrown National Park is Growing Here! Register

7:30 am to Noon March 10th Grow Native’s Native By Design: Community Conservation Conference at Lewis & Clark Community College, Edwardsville IL. $25 for Grow Native! or Missouri Prairie Foundation members, $30 for non-members, $15 with student ID. Register

3:30 pm March 10th Missouri Conservation Dept Zoom Class: Planting an Edible Native Garden. Register

9 am to Noon March 11th Seed St. Louis Spring Sale @ Carriage House, 3815 Bell. Arrive early for best selection. Bring a box lid to carry your plants. Available at this Sale: Potatos, Onion bulbs, Asparagus crowns, bare root Strawberries, Leek starts, Mushroom spawn, all with instructions

10 am March 11th Missouri Conservation Dept event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center: Native Plants- Tasty Tree-ts. Learn how to make Shagbark Hickory bark syrup. 8 Tickets remaining. Register

Noon March 14th Missouri Conservation Dept Zoom Class: Native Plants- Caring for Pollinators. Register

7 pm March 14th St. Louis County Public Library Zoom Class: Container Gardening with Native Plants. Register

2 pm March 15th St. Louis County Public Library Zoom Class: Transforming a Yard from Invasives to Natives. Register

4 pm March 15th Grow Native! Webinar: Gardens of Excellence Panel. Includes Cody Hayo on the gardens of South Grand Business District. Register

6 pm March 16th Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: Growing & Processing Staple Foods. Register

6 pm March 23rd Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: Spring Crops & Planning your Growing Space. Register

9 am March 25th Forest ReLeaf event. Volunteers wanted. Tree Planting at Ruth Porter Mall Spring Tree Planting, St. Vincent Greenway. Register

8 am to 2 pm April 15th Native Plant Workshop and Plant Sale at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood. Hosted by Partners for Native Landscaping.

April 28th-29th St. Louis Herb Society Plant Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden

9 am April 30th Partners for Native Landscaping Native Plant Sale & Native Plant Swap @ Beyond Housing. Preorder from vendors for pick up or shop from what is available that day.

9 am to Noon May 13th Seed St. Louis Summer Plant Sale @ Carriage House, 3815 Bell. Arrive early for best selection. Bring a box lid to carry your plants. $4 seedling 6-packs. Available at this Sale: Basil, Eggplant, Sweet & Hot Peppers, Tomatoes, Mint, Lavender, Rhubarb, Sorrel, more

10 am May 13th World Bird Sanctuary Native Plant Sale. Preorder from vendors for pick up or shop from what is available that day.

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

Predictions: Aldergeddon Primary

These are predictions for March 7th St. Louis City Alder Primary Election, not who I wish or would like to see headed to April 4th General Election.* I would be happy to see some of these predictions proven wrong.

In this election, voters may vote for as many candidates as they want and the top two candidates will advance to the General Election.

Board President Megan Green drew no opponent for this election and that hurts some candidates, I think. That, along with potential weather problems, could drive turnout very low. The result could be the candidates who drag the most family and friends to the polls, the extra super loyal who would walk thru fire or a snow storm for them, providing the win by a few dozen votes. That has heavily influenced some of my predictions.

1st Ward: Alder Anne Schweitzer and deputy sheriff Tony Kirchner. I say Kirchner, instead of Republican Matthew Kotraba, because Kirchner is endorsed by SLPOA.

2nd Ward: Alder Tom Oldenburg and Republican former cop Phill Menendez because St. Louis Hills is Republican and has a cop fetish. I do appreciate Katie Bellis running and giving voters a choice.

3rd Ward: Alder Shane Cohn. No one else is running. Predicting Cohn also wins General Election.

4th Ward: Alder Bret Narayan and Alder Joe Vacarro. Photographer Casey Otto does not have a campaign account filed with MEC.

5th Ward: Alder Joe Vollmer and salon owner Helen Petty are the only candidates on ballot.

6th Ward: FleishmanHillard VP Daniela Velázquez and former Alder, former Recorder of Deeds Jennifer Florida are the only candidates on ballot.

7th Ward: School Board Member Alisha Sonnier and St. Louis Priory School Equity Director Jon-Pierre Mitchom. Former Board President Lewis Reed is not much help to Cedric Redmon these days.

8th Ward: Alder Cara Spencer and former Alder Ken Ortmann. If business analyst and hip hop artist Shedrick Kelley were running against Alder Jack Coatar again, my prediction would be different. I think the addition of the rest of conservative and wealthier Lafayette Square via redistricting to the new ward and “vote for as many as you want” reform hurts Kelley this time.

9th Ward: Alder Michael Gras and grant specialist Michael Browning. Alder Tina Pihl has been pretty much abandoned by the so-called progressives who helped elect her.

10th Ward: Alder Shameem Clark-Hubbard and realtor Emmett Coleman are the only candidates on the ballot.

11th Ward: Alder Laura Keys and former US Senate candidate Carla Wright are the only candidates on ballot.

12th Ward: Alder Sharon Tyus and beauty supply business owner Tashara Earl. Tyus is a household name and Earl is backed by State Rep. Kimberly-Ann Collins. 1st Ward Committeewoman Yolanda Brown lives in same neighborhood as Tyus, but I don’t picture any strategic voting in that neighborhood to vote for both in Primary.

13th Ward: I have no idea and I am not pulling a prediction out of my ass to make this blog post tidy.

14th Ward: Alder Brandon Bosley and Alder James Page. Bosley has the Bosley Family base and Alder Page has his Downtown base. Ebony Washington has her Hubbard Family base but only makes it to General Election if there is more Absentee voting shenanigans. State Rep. Rasheen Aldridge is putting a lot of money in digital.

All New Ward Profiles here. Updating for recent MEC reporting will start Monday..

*Disclosure: I gave $100 to 7th Ward candidate Alisha Sonnier and $100 to Mayor Tishaura Jones this month. Those are the only MEC reported donations that I’ve made recently.

Upcoming STL Plant Sales: Veggies, Herbs, Natives

Native Plant Sales across Missouri sponsored by Grow Native!

March 10th & 11th Midwestern Herb & Garden Show in Mount Vernon, Illinois

9 am to Noon March 11th Seed St. Louis Spring Sale @ Carriage House, 3815 Bell. Arrive early for best selection. Bring a box lid to carry your plants. Available at this Sale: Potatoes, Onion bulbs, Asparagus crowns, bare root Strawberries, Leek starts, Mushroom spawn, all with instructions

Native Plant Sales by Missouri Wildflower Nursery return to Kirkwood Farmer’s Market: 8 am to 4 pm April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and May 20, 27. Order in advance– by Tuesday prior to market day- or buy what they bring to Market

8 am to 2 pm April 15th Native Plant Workshop and Plant Sale at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood. Hosted by Partners for Native Landscaping.

April 28th-29th St. Louis Herb Society Plant Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden

9 am April 30th Partners for Native Landscaping Native Plant Sale & Native Plant Swap @ Beyond Housing. Preorder from vendors for pick up or shop from what is available that day.

10 am May 13th World Bird Sanctuary Native Plant Sale. Preorder from vendors for pick up or shop from what is available that day.

This Week in Gardening & Nature

A Life Bird for a President. The true story of how former President Jimmy Carter saw his first Painted Bunting. – August 2012 issue of BirdWatching. Painted Buntings are seen in Southwest Missouri with occasional sightings in St. Charles County Mo and St. Clair County IL as well as Boone County in Central Missouri.

Missouri Botanical Garden Spring and Summer Classes

Nature, Gardening, Horticulture, Ecology: 2023 St. Louis Community College Continuing Education Classes, some online, some in person. Fees apply

New Direction’s in the American Landscsapes’ March – April Virtual Education Series. Classes are $42 each and are 2-5 sessions each.

Wild Ones Free St. Louis Native Garden Design

Wild Ones Sample Native Plants Ordinance

Thru next Sunday Orchid Show at Missouri Botanical Garden. Tickets

Start eggplant and lettuce seeds indoors this week. Plan your 2023 Garden with Seed St. Louis Seed Starting/Planting Calendar

Blog post on Mushrooms: buying spores from Seed St. Louis, growing info, mushroom hunting in MO and IL, online class, psychedelics legislation, more

10 am Thursday Missouri Conservation Dept. Virtual Class: Becoming a Bluebird Landlord. Register

6 pm Thursday Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: Who is Pollinating Your Food? Register

9-11 am Saturday Missouri Botanical Garden Black History Month event: Black Farmer Panel Discussion @ Visitor Center. Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents with proof of residency and MoBot members.

Volunteers Wanted for 9 am Saturday Forest ReLeaf Tree Pruning at Penrose Park. Register

10 am Saturday Missouri Conservation Dept Virtual Class: DIY Native Landscape Design. 12 Seats remaining. Register

10 am March 1st Bellefontaine in Bloom at Bellefontaine Cemetery. 2 Hour Walking Tour with Master Guide. Register

Noon March 1st Missouri Conservation Dept Zoom Class: Mushrooms- Meet the Morels. Register

4 pm March 1st Missouri Prairie Foundation Zoom Class: Deciphering Botanical Latin. Register

3:30 pm March 3rd Missouri Conservation Dept Zoom Class: Native Plants- Creating a Butterfly Garden. Register

8 am March 4th St. Louis Audubon Society Beginner Bird Walk @ Forest Park. Free. Register

10 am March 4th Missouri Conservation Dept event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Area: Family Invasive Species Day. Ages 12 and older. Register

7 pm March 7th St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Birds, Bees, Flowers & Trees. Register

2 pm March 8th St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Homegrown National Park is Growing Here! Register

7:30 am to Noon March 10th Grow Native’s Native By Design: Community Conservation Conference at Lewis & Clark Community College, Edwardsville IL. Register

3:30 pm March 10th Missouri Conservation Dept Zoom Class: Planting an Edible Native Garden. Register

9 am to Noon March 11th Seed St. Louis Spring Sale @ Carriage House, 3815 Bell. Arrive early for best selection. Bring a box lid to carry your plants. Available at this Sale: Sweet Potato slips, Onion bulbs, Asparagus crowns, bare root Strawberries, Leek starts, Mushroom spawn, all with instructions

Noon March 14th Missouri Conservation Dept Zoom Class: Native Plants- Caring for Pollinators. Register

7 pm March 14th St. Louis County Public Library Zoom Class: Container Gardening with Native Plants. Register

2 pm March 15th St. Louis County Public Library Zoom Class: Transforming a Yard from Invasives to Natives. Register

6 pm March 16th Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: Growing & Processing Staple Foods. Register

9 am March 25th Forest ReLeaf event. Volunteers wanted. Tree Planting at Ruth Porter Mall Spring Tree Planting, St. Vincent Greenway. Register

April 28th-29th St. Louis Herb Society Plant Sale @ Missouri Botanical Garden

9 am April 30th Partners for Native Landscaping Native Plant Sale & Native Plant Swap @ Beyond Housing. Preorder from vendors for pick up or shop from what is available that day.

10 am May 13th World Bird Sanctuary Native Plant Sale. Preorder from vendors for pick up or shop from what is available that day.

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