13th Ward Profile, St. Louis City

St. Louis City’s 13th Ward includes parts of old 2nd, 22nd, 27th Wards, and other Wards, and is the result of Census Redistricting and Ward Reduction.

Previous Elections

Each ward is now double the population and geographically much larger. That’s an important consideration when looking at past election results.

13th Ward 2023 General Election: Pamela Boyd 984; Norma Walker 839
13th Ward 2023 Primary Election: Pamela Boyd 751; Norma Walker 506; former Alder Lisa Middlebrook 390
27th Ward 2021 General Election: Pamela Boyd 815; Chris Carter 664
27th Ward 2021 Primary Election: Pamela Boyd 603; Chris Carter 518; Mary Ann Jackson 161
27th Ward 2017 General Election: Pamela Boyd 1,280; Antree Spikener 117
27th Ward 2017 Primary Election: Pamela Boyd, 800; Keena Carter 635; Ciera Simril 228

2025 Election

Alder Pamela Boyd
Elected Alder: 2017, 2021, 2023
Previous Campaigns: 2013 ran for Alder
Incumbent Voting Records- Board Bills
Campaign Website
Residence: Walnut Park West
Residence Tax Abated: No
Occupation: Alder; was or is certified dietary manager at The Valley Stonebridge Community skilled nursing facility
Political Genealogy: mother of School Board President Toni Cousins; no relation to former Alder Jeffrey Boyd
Candidate MEC Committee
Treasurer: Brenda Montgomery, Ferguson, works at Normandy School District
January 2025 Report
$5,589.63 on hand; $0 debt
+ Raised $6,975: $2,600 21st Century St Louis PAC (Greater St. Louis); $2,600 Jerry Schlichter, attorney, Schlichter Bogard, Missouri State Historic Tax Credit advocate; $500 Spire PAC; $300 Iron Workers Local NO. 396 Voluntary Fund; $250 David C. Walters, president HY-C, owner Westwood Progress LLC owner, identified instead in report as Affinia Healthcare Board Member; $250 Protect Missouri Workers PAC
– Spent $7,011.60: $3,002 total Steve Engelhardt, fundraising, former communications director for Congressman Lacy Clay; $1,605.04 total Mark’s Quick Printing; $960.27 total RingCentral; $600.15 total Constant Contact
October 2024 Report
$5,625.73 on hand, $0 debt
+ Raised $500: $0 itemized
– Spent $2,047.78: $667.20 total RingCentral; $477 total Constant Contact
July 2024 Report
$7,173.45 on hand, $0 debt
+ Raised $7,000.06: $2,000 Jay R. Johnson, owner Greenworks Construction; $1,000 LIUNA Local 110; $1,000 Laborers’ Int Union Local 42 PAC Fund; $1,000 Clifford Franklin, owner FUSE advertising; $500 David Sweeney, attorney @ Lewis Rice, corporate welfare lobbyist; $300 Electrical Workers Voluntary Political Education & Legislative Funds – Missouri; $250 Jarrod Holst, attorney and owner 1904Group apartment developer; $250 David C. Walters, president HY-C, owner Westwood Progress LLC owner, identified instead in report as Affinia Healthcare Board Member; $250 St Louis City Legislative Club PAC.
– Spent $2,430.82: $1,253.47 total Constant Contact; $465 total Mark’s Quick Printing
April 2024 Report
$2,604.21 on hand, $0 debt
+ Raised $3,231.45: $2,600 South Side Property LLC (gas stations, Munji Abdeljabbar); $200 AFT Local 420
– Spent $2,731.45: $1,366.63 total Mark’s Quick Printing; $343.91 total Constant Contact
– Refunds: $500 Northway Market LLC (one of the Almuttan Brothers businesses)
January 2024 Report
$3,035.63 on hand; $0 debt
+ Raised $3,650: $1,000 Northway Market LLC (one of the Almuttan Brothers businesses); $250 Darryl A. Piggee, attorney @ Stone Leyton, former lobbyist for Rebuild St. Louis, Chief of Staff former Congressman Lacy Clay; $250 Paul T. Reid, Postal Workers Union; $250 Patricia Hofer, property manager; $200 Alder Laura Keys; $200 LeRoy Grant, lobbyist
– Spent $ 758.09: $465 Constant Contact
October 2023 Report
$143.69 on hand; $0 debt
+ Raised $1,200: $500 Associated General Contractors of Missouri; Nexus PAC (MAGA PAC that legally launders money for Rex Sinquefield and others, run by Matt McBride, Lashly Baer); $500 $200 Ryan Thomas LLC
– Spent $4,536.85: $1,200 total campaign worker Nona Thomson (address is a vacant lot in Spanish Lake); $900 Caring Plus, tickets
– Refunds $4,750: $2,600 South Side Property LLC (gas stations, Munji Abdeljabbar); $1,000 Eagle Foods LLC; $500 Ryan Thomas LLC; $500 R & A LLC; $150 Evergreen Resimercial Realty
July 2023 Report
$8,227.52 on hand; $0 debt (no report shows the $1,700 debt to herself being paid back or forgiven)
+ Raised $2.13 interest
– Spent $3,364.06: $1,372.91 Allmail USA Inc; $1,041.15 Mark’s Quick Printing; $600 campaign worker Nona Thomson (address is a vacant lot in Spanish Lake); $250 Constant Contact
Amended April 2023 #3 Report
$11,589.45 on hand; $1,700 debt to herself
+ Raised $8,175: $2,600 Leadership Counts; $2,000 Steve Stone, attorney @ Stone Leyton, Paul McKee’s attorney, Globe Building owner; $1,000 TheLouPAC; $1,000 total Brenda Montgomery, Normandy teacher, candidate’s MEC Treasurer; $500 former Alder Jack Coatar, attorney, now consultant in Florida; $500 Jeff Rainford, lobbyist for Bob Clark and others, Chief of Staff for former Mayor Francis Slay; $275 Rodney Hubbard (report says “retired,” not sure if this is lobbyist Rodney Hubbard Jr married to Alder Shameen Clark-Hubbard, address suggests that is the one, or Rodney Hubbard Sr. of Carr Square Tenant Organization ARPA money fame)
– Spent $7,716.18: $5,000 Media Magic; $2,250 George Poole, campaign worker
April 2023 Report #3
minus a few contributions and expenses, same as Amended April 2023 #3 Report
April 2023 Report #2
Limited Activity
April 2023 Report #1
$11,130.63 on hand; $1,700 debt to herself
+ Raised $2,900: $2,600 Laborers Int Union Local PAC Fund; $300 Sprinkler Fitters Political Education & Legislative Committee
– Spent $2,366.55: $1,415.90 Mark’s Quick Printing; $760 total George Poole, campaign work
March 2023 Report
$10,596.60 on hand; $1,700 debt to herself
+ Raised $15,400.43: $2,600 21st Century St. Louis PAC (Greater St. Louis); $2,600 LIUNA 42; $2,500 Jerry Schlichter, attorney, Schlichter Bogard, Missouri State Historic Tax Credit advocate; $1,000 Spire PAC; $1,000 IAFF 73; $500 Realtors PAC; $500 David Sweeney, corporate welfare and tax district attorney & lobbyist; $300 Operating Engineers 513
– Spent $12,273.06 spent: $2,150 total for George Poole, campaign work
February 2023 Report #2
$7,469.23 on hand; $1,700 debt to herself
+ Raised $7,950 raised: $2,600 21st Century STL (Greater St. Louis); $1,000 LIUNA Local 110; $1,000 LIUNA Local 42; $250 State Rep. Steve Butz; $250 former Mayor Vince Schoemehl
February 2023 Report #1
$2,644.11 on hand; $1,700 debt to herself
+ Raised $7,328.12: $2,600 MidAmerica Carpenters PAC; $1,700 loan from the candidate; $300 former State Rep. Josh Peters; $125 Glaziers Local 513 PAC
– Spent $7,883.85
January 2023 Report #2
$3,199.84 on hand; $0 debt
+ Raised $0
– Spent $765.19
January 2023 Report #1
$3,965.03 on hand; $0 debt
+ Raised $1,052.77: $500 Jeff Rainford, lobbyist for Bob Clark and others, Chief of Staff for former Mayor Francis Slay
– Spent $1,089.95
October 2022 Report
$4,002.21 on hand, $0 debt
+ Raised $2,956.04
– Spent $340
Contributions to Other Campaigns
2023- $100 State Rep Steve Butz; $50 former Sheriff Vernon Betts
2022- $100 Alder Laura Keys
2021- $200 former Board President Lewis Reed; $100 School Board member Toni Cousins (daughter)
2020- $100 former Alder Jeffrey Boyd; $100 accused rapist State Senator Steven Roberts

No 2025 Opponent

Political Party Information

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Democratic Committeewoman
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Democratic Ward Organizations

Republican Committeewoman
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Republican Ward Organizations

Sonya Gray, Political Consultant?

last updated 5:11 pm 01/23/2025

The first of many questions. Are the Gray and Gray of Gray and Gray Associates LLC, political consultants, Daryll Gray and St. Louis City Personnel Director Sonya Gray?

January 9, 2018, Sonya Gray, as agent, and Daryll Gray, as organizer, both using the same address on Enright, filed Gray and Gray Associates LLC with the Missouri Secretary of State. Purpose of the company was to “Provide consulting services.”

November 5, 2018, Ecumenical Leadership Council of MO Political Action Committee paid $3,400 to Darryl Gray, same Enright address, not the company, as a campaign worker.

October 22, 2020, Nicole Galloway for Missouri paid $13,820 to Gray and Gray Associates, same address on Enright, for GOTV services.

November 2nd, 2020, Nicole Galloway for Missouri paid $20,000 to Darryl G. Gray, same address on Enright, not the company, for GOTV services.

December 14, 2020, Nicole Galloway for Missouri paid $7,780 to Darryl G. Gray, same address on Enright, not the company, for GOTV services.

October 6, 2022, St. Louis City Mayor Tishaura Jones announced the hiring of Sonya Jenkins-Gray as the City’s new Personnel Director.

June 5th, 2024, Missouri Governor Mike Parson appointed Darryl Gray to the Missouri Workforce Development Board. There was, prior to Governor Mike Kehoe’s inauguration, a press release for the appointment here. UPDATE: It is available tho on Internet Archive.

The Workforce Development Board’s web page shows that Darryl Gray is a Business Representative on the Board. Per the Board’s By Laws, “1) Business representatives are appointed from among individuals who are nominated by local business organizations and business trade associations.”

Which St. Louis business organization or business trade association nominated Darryl Gray to Governor Parson?

UPDATE 1: I made a Sunshine request to Workforce Development Board on January 15th for the nomination correspondence. They responded, no records on January 16th.

UPDATE 2: I made a Sunshine request for the nomination correspondence to Governor Mike Kehoe’s office, new governor sworn in on January 13th, on January 16th. Missouri’s Sunshine Law requires a response within three days. That has passed without a response.

UPDATE 3: I received a response from Governor Kehoe’s office at 9:26 am January 23rd and am now waiting for the record(s).

October 28, 2024, Daryll Gray, using an address on Waterman (not owned by him and located in a Special Business District), filed an amendment to the LLC with Missouri Secretary of State. He changed the agent to himself and the address to the Waterman address.

Why did Darryl Gray remove Sonya Gray’s as agent for the company?

There is no website for Gray and Gray Associates in St. Louis.

I did not search the Federal Election Commission database for Gray and Gray, the company or individuals.

Why was money for consulting services paid to Darryl Gray instead of the company?

Did Sonya Gray violate Civil Service Rules or Employee Code of Conduct by participating in or failing to disclose her participation in the company?

Disclosures: September 24, 2018, Darryl and Sonya Gray attended a Drinking Liberally Happy Hour, which I hosted, with guest speaker State Auditor Nicole Galloway and I donated $27 to Daryll Gray’s 2019 campaign for Alder. I have donated to the campaigns of Tishaura Jones for Mayor, most recently in December 2024.

This Week in Gardening & Nature

Plant of the Week: Ornamental Cabbage

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

Visit a rainforest in St. Louis on a winter day: Climatron 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.

January 2nd-31st St. Louis City Public Library annual Martin Luther King Jr. Food Drive, all library locations, to benefit St. Louis Area Foodbank. Donate unopened, unexpired food goods. The Foodbank does offer a list of most requested foods.

If you are just looking for St. Louis Area Plant and Seed Swaps and Sales, they are here. Added this week: Seed Swap at Divoll Library

Plan your garden with Seed St. Louis 2025 Planting Calendar: Have you started onions and leeks indoors? It’s time.

When to Plant in Illinois (University of Illinois Extension)

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

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

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

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

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

Good Reads/Views/Listens —

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

A rare yellow cardinal draws eyes to St. Louis bird-watching (St. Louis Public Radio)

Native Insect Pollinators and Their Habitats (University of Missouri Extension)

Lead is a threat to human health. It’s also killing bald eagles (St. Louis Public Radio)

Some Iowa counties give up the ability to weigh in on livestock facility construction. Counties have until the end of January to submit resolutions to DNR for 2025 (Iowa Capital Dispatch)

‘White people shouldn’t mess with it’: Native American church laments psychedelic cactus shortage. Western ‘psychedelic renaissance’ is partly to blame for dwindling supplies of peyote, which produces mescaline (The Guardian)

A recycling company wants to have a ‘ripple’ effect on glass recycling rates in St. Louis (St. Louis Public Radio)

Missouri bills would let utilities use projections to set rates, may increase prices. The legislation would apply to gas, water and sewer utilities (Missouri Independent)

Shaw Nature Reserve Propagation Guide

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

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

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

Illinois Native Plants for the Home Landscape

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

2023 Plants of Merit – Annuals, Bulbs, Edibles, Perennials, Shrubs, Trees, Vines (Missouri Botanical Garden)

2023 Plants of Demerit – Bamboo, Big Leaf Hydrangea, Blueberry, Burning Bush, Chameleon Plant, Lavender, Pin Oak, Wintercreeper (Missouri Botanical Garden)

Gardening and Nature Events —

10 am Monday, January 13th, St. Louis County Library Zoom class: Eco-Empowerment- Start and Grow a Green Business. Register

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

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

10 am Tuesday, January 14th, Sierra Club Eastern Missouri event on St. Louis Riverfront: Arch Grounds and Eads Bridge Hike. Register

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

1 pm Tuesday, January 14th, Bellefontaine Cemetery horticulture class: Winter Tree ID. Indoor then out to Arboretum. $20. Register

6:30 pm Tuesday, January 14th, Piasa Palisades Sierra Club documentary screening at Old Bakery Beer, Belleville, Illinois: Water for Life. Register

9 am Wednesday, January 15th, University of Illinois Extension Community Tree Care Series webinar: Site, Species Selection, and Construction Damage. $10. Register

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

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am Friday, January 17th, Heartland Conservancy event in Belleville, Illinois: Signal Hill Outdoor Classroom Volunteer Stewardship Day. Register

15 Seats remaining. 6 pm Friday, January 17th, Missouri Conservation Department’s Conservation Trivia Night at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood. Register

9 am to Noon January 18th Missouri Botanical Gardens event: Winter Wonders. Pot a succulent to take home. Investigate plant science with hands-on activities in the PlantLab. Explore the Climatron and Shoenberg Arid House with roving docents. Learn about the top 10 cacti for your home and the 10 least recommended. Bring your binoculars for bird watching. Garden admission is free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, otherwise Admission Fee applies.

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

2-5 pm January 21st Saint Louis City Recycles will be at Schlafly Library to provide information about recycling in St. Louis. FREE in-home recycling bins.

2 pm January 21st St. Charles City-County Library event at Linnemann Branch: How to Sour Dough with Whole Grains. Register

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

6 pm Doors Open. 7 pm January 24th Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood: An Evening with Raptors. Register

7 pm January 24th Missouri Conservation Department virtual event: An Evening with Raptors. Register

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

9 am January 25th Heartland Conservancy event at Collinsville, Illinois: Tree Steward Winter Tree Care at Brushy Lake. Register

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

2 pm January 27th St. Louis Public Library event at Central Library: Plants that Changed the Course of History-Volume 2, Missouri Botanical Garden Speakers Bureau.

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

9 am Wednesday, January 15th, University of Illinois Extension Community Tree Care Series webinar: Planting and Improper Practices. $10. Register

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

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

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

9 am to 5 pm February 1st-2nd Orchid Society of Greater St. Louis Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday mornings, otherwise Admission Fee applies.

1 pm February 1st St. Louis Public Library event at Central Library: Missouri’s Wild Mushrooms; is it Edible? presented by Maxine Stone, author, Missouri’s Wild Mushrooms

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

9 am February 5th Bellefontaine Cemetery event: Arboretum Tour with Horticulturist – Winter Shrub Walk. $5. Register

9 am February 7th Heartlands Conservancy event in Belleville, Illinois or Zoom: Bluebird Monitoring Training Session. Register

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

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

20 Seat remaining. 11 am February 8th St. Charles City-County Library Plant & Seed Swap at Spencer Road Branch. Register

1 pm February 8th St. Louis Public Library event at Central Library: Get Up & Grow. Introduction to growing and using herbs presented by St. Louis Herb Society. Register

1 pm February 11th Bellefontaine Cemetery Horticulture Class: Pruning Trees and Shrubsclass. $20. Register

9 am February 15th Bellefontaine Cemetery event: Arboretum Tour with Horticulturist – Winter Shrub Walk. $5. Register

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

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

2 pm February 19th Partners for Native Landscaping and St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Front Yard Raingardens. Register

2 pm February 20th St. Louis County Library Black History Month event at Meramec Valley Branch: Fannie Lou Hamer: Seeds of Change. Learn about Fannie Lou Hamer and her work for food justice and start some seeds for your garden. Register

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

9 am to Noon March 1st Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum Annual Garage Sale

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

15 Seats remaining. 5 pm March 3rd St. Louis Public Library event at Central Library: Worms at Work & DIY Composting Bins. Supplies provided. Registration opens 9 am February 1st.

March 5th University of Illinois Extension’s Gateway Green Conference at Collinsville, Illinois: Building Sustainable Landscapes, Conservation Stewardship, Tree Care. Fee applies.

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

March 7th-8th Midwestern Herb & Garden Show in Mount Vernon, Illinois

2 pm March 5th Partners for Native Landscaping and St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Native Garden Design Panel Discussion. Register

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

6 pm March 12th St. Louis Public Library event at Carpenter Library: Welcoming Native Species into Your Garden. Registration opens 10 am February 12th.

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

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

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

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

9 am to Noon March 22nd Webster Groves Herb Society Display at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday mornings.

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

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

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

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

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

9 am to Noon April 22nd Webster Groves Herb Society Display at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday morning, otherwise Admission Fee applies.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9 am to Noon May 10th Webster Groves Herb Society Display at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday morning, otherwise Admission Fee applies.

9 am to 5 pm May 10th St. Louis Hosta Society Show & Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday mornings, otherwise Admission Fee applies.

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

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

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

9 am to 5 pm May 17th Metropolitan St. Louis African Violet Council Show and Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday mornings, otherwise Admission Fee applies.

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

9 am to 5 pm May 24th-25th Rose Society of Greater St. Louis Show at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday mornings, otherwise Admission Fee applies.

9 am to Noon June 21st Webster Groves Herb Society Display at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday morning, otherwise Admission Fee applies.

9 am to 5 pm June 21st Carnivorous Plant Society Show and Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday mornings, otherwise Admission Fee applies.

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

9 am to 5 pm August 2nd-3rd Greater St. Louis Iris Society Plant Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday mornings, otherwise Admission Fee applies.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Join us Sundays on Bluesky for #GardenSunday.

St. Louis Area Seed and Plant Swaps and Sales

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

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

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

March 7th-8th Midwestern Herb & Garden Show in Mount Vernon, Illinois

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

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

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

9 am to 4 pm April 25th St. Louis Herb Society Herb Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden parking lot. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday mornings, otherwise Admission Fee applies.

May 2nd-3rd Shaw Nature Reserve Spring Wildflower Market

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

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

9 am July 26th-27th Shaw Cactus & Succulent Sale at Jost Event Center, St. Louis County

Join us Sundays on Bluesky for #GardenSunday.

This Week in Gardening & Nature

Plant of the Week: Bromeliad, a houseplant in most of United States

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

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

Plan your garden with Seed St. Louis Planting Calendar: Have you started onions and leeks indoors? It’s time.

When to Plant in Illinois (University of Illinois Extension)

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

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

Forest Park Bird Checklist

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

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

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

Good Reads/Views/Listens —

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

Shaw Nature Reserve Propagation Guide

Kernels of hope: Inside Missouri’s seed conservation efforts (Columbia Missourian)

Video. Anne Spencer House & Garden Museum, Lynchburg, Virginia. The garden of Harlem Renaissance poet and civil rights activist Anne Spencer (The Garden Conservancy)

A cicada: ‘What cicadas leave behind is a kind of crystallized memory’ (The Guardian)

Bald eagles, now officially the national bird, not uncommon within Chicago (gift article, Chicago Tribune)

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is rebuilding under Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker after more than a decade spent shedding inspectors, slowing the policing of air and water pollution and feuding with the state attorney general’s office. (gift article, Chicago Tribune)

Chicago keeps its New Year’s resolution: All city buildings now use 100% clean power. To achieve its climate goals, the city helped finance the largest solar farm east of the Mississippi. (Grist Magazine)

Yes, Denver successfully cut its goose population by feeding families in need (Colorado Public Radio)

Fossil Fuel Interests Are Working to Kill Solar in One Ohio County. The Hometown Newspaper Is Helping (ProPublica)

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

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

Illinois Native Plants for the Home Landscape

2023 Plants of Merit – Annuals, Bulbs, Edibles, Perennials, Shrubs, Trees, Vines (Missouri Botanical Garden)

2023 Plants of Demerit – Bamboo, Big Leaf Hydrangea, Blueberry, Burning Bush, Chameleon Plant, Lavender, Pin Oak, Wintercreeper (Missouri Botanical Garden)

Gardening and Nature Events —

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

9 am to Noon Saturday, January 11th, St. Charles County Master Gardeners Class: Succession Planting & Lighting for Indoor Seedlings. $20. Register

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

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

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

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

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

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

10 am January 14th Sierra Club Eastern Missouri event on St. Louis Riverfront: Arch Grounds and Eads Bridge Hike. Register

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

6:30 pm January 14th Piasa Palisades Sierra Club documentary screening at Old Bakery Beer, Belleville, Illinois: Water for Life. Register

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

23 Seats remaining. 6 pm January 17th Missouri Conservation Department’s Conservation Trivia Night at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood. Register

2-5 pm January 21st Saint Louis City Recycles will be at Schlafly Library to provide information about recycling in St. Louis. FREE in-home recycling bins.

2 pm January 21st St. Charles City-County Library event at Linnemann Branch: How to Sour Dough with Whole Grains. Register

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

6 pm Doors Open. 7 pm January 24th Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood: An Evening with Raptors. Register

7 pm January 24th Missouri Conservation Department virtual event: An Evening with Raptors. Register

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

2 pm January 27th St. Louis Public Library event at Central Library: Plants that Changed the Course of History-Volume 2, Missouri Botanical Garden Speakers Bureau.

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

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

1 pm February 1st St. Louis Public Library event at Central Library: Missouri’s Wild Mushrooms; is it Edible? presented by Maxine Stone, author, Missouri’s Wild Mushrooms

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9 am to Noon March 22nd Webster Groves Herb Society Display at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday mornings.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Join us Sundays on Bluesky for #GardenSunday.

This Week in Gardening & Nature

Two Amaryllis flowers with orange speckled petals and white centers

Plant of the Week: Amaryllis

Nature Conservancy’s Calculate Your Carbon Footprint

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

Forest Park Bird Checklist

Now thru Wednesday at Missouri Botanical Garden: Holiday Flower and Train Show. Garden admission is free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, otherwise Admission Fee applies.

Now thru Saturday Missouri Botanical Garden’s Garden Glow. Purchase Tickets.

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

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

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

Plan your garden with Seed St. Louis Planting Calendar

When to Plant in Illinois (University of Illinois Extension)

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

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

Good Reads/Views/Listens —

Poinsettia Care Advice (University of Missouri Extension)

Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants for Dogs, Cats. Horses (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)

From Garden to Kitchen: the Versatility of Peppermint, includes Peppermint Hot Cocoa and Mint Limeade recipes (University of Illinois Extension)

Interesting scientific paper on the health benefits of Dandelions (National Library of Medicine)

Bayer, Corteva control vast majority of GMO seed patents (Investigate Midwest)

Floridians have no right to bodies of water ‘free of pollution,’ appeals court rules (Florida Phoenix)

Federal government approves 20-year mining ban in part of South Dakota’s Black Hills. Decision splits clean-water activists and mineral industry (South Dakota Searchlight)

Reintroducing bison to Kansas tallgrass prairies promotes biodiversity and resilience, study finds (Kansas Reflector)

USDA’s Tyson Foods investigation collected thousands of documents. Would Donald Trump end it? The USDA has withheld 18,000 records tied to its investigation into Tyson Foods, citing active enforcement. Some worry the inquiry could be dropped under a second Trump presidency (Investigate Midwest)

UK to finish with coal power after 142 years. The UK is about to stop producing any electricity from burning coal – ending its 142-year reliance on the fossil fuel. (BBC)

Lake Michigan waves could be a clean power source for remote spots like Beaver Island (Gift article, Chicago Tribune)

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

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

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

Illinois Native Plants for the Home Landscape

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 —

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

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

20 Tickets remaining. Noon Saturday, January 4th, Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood: Winter Walk with Naturalist. 2/3 mile. Register

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

3 Tickets remaining. 3 pm Saturday, January 4th, Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood: Nature Photography with a Phone. Takes place on Tanglevine Trail, 1/3-mile-long flat loop. Register

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

Volunteers Wanted. 9 am January 9th Heartlands Conservancy event in Edwardsville, Illinois: Poag Sand Prairie Restoration Volunteer Stewardship Day. Register

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

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

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

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

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

6:30 pm January 14th Piasa Palisades Sierra Club documentary screening at Old Bakery Beer, Belleville, Illinois: Water for Life. Register

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

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

2-5 pm January 21st Saint Louis City Recycles will be at Schlafly Library to provide information about recycling in St. Louis. FREE in home recycling bins.

2 pm January 21st St. Charles City-County Library event at Linnemann Branch: How to Sour Dough with Whole Grains. Register

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

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

2 pm January 27th St. Louis Public Library event at Central Library: Plants that Changed the Course of History-Volume 2, Missouri Botanical Garden Speakers Bureau.

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

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

1 pm February 1st St. Louis Public Library event at Central Library: Missouri’s Wild Mushrooms; is it Edible? presented by Maxine Stone, author, Missouri’s Wild Mushrooms

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9 am to Noon March 22nd Webster Groves Herb Society Display at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday mornings.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Join us Sundays on Bluesky for #GardenSunday.

St. Louis Area Seed and Plant Swaps & Sales

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

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

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

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

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

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

May 2nd-3rd Shaw Nature Reserve Spring Wildflower Market

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

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

9 am July 26th-27th Shaw Cactus & Succulent Sale at Jost Event Center, St. Louis County

Join us Sundays on Bluesky for #GardenSunday.

St. Louis City Alder Candidate Filing Ends Jan 3rd

Updated Thursday, 01/02/2025, with additional candidate filed in 11th Ward, the incumbent Alder.

Updated Monday, 12/30/2024, with additional candidate filed in 7th Ward.

Seven Alder seats in St. Louis City, the odd numbered wards, are up for election this Spring. Even numbered wards will be elected in 2027.

Filing began November 25th and ends January 3rd. Filing for Alder is done at St. Louis City Board of Election Commissioners in Downtown.

The Primary Election is March 3rd and the General Election is April 8th. This will be the second election that Alders are elected by nonpartisan ballot with the top two Primary winners going on to General Election. In 2023, all 14 Alders were elected to two year or four year terms. This is the election for four year terms in 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, and 13th Wards.

Alder Salary is $72,000. That may seem like a full time job salary but in St. Louis City you can be elected an Alder and still own businesses, be a bank Vice President like 2nd Ward Alder Tom Oldenburg, be a landlord for apartments or Airbnbs.

Qualifications to run for Alder
√ Age: at least 25 years
√ City Resident: at least 3 years
√ Resident of Ward: at least 1 year
√ City Taxpayer: at least 2 years
√ U.S. Citizen: at least 5 years
√ Shall not have been convicted of malfeasance in office, bribery or other corrupt practice or crime

Requirements to file for Alder
√ Filing Fee: 1% of Salary (current salary is $72,000)
√ Nominating Petition
√ Tax Clearance: by Collector of Revenue for personal property, real estate, earnings taxes + water-trash bills
√ Compliance with all Campaign Finance Laws

Candidates Filed as of January 2nd

First Ward

Filed: Anne Schweitzer
Incumbent Voting Records- Board Bills
Campaign Website
Occupation: Alder; campaign consultant at Public Eye; 2018 consultant for election of State Rep. Steve Butz; owner of now dissolved nonprofit Rumble Cats Rescue
Residence: Boulevard Heights
Residence Tax Abated: No
Candidate MEC Committee
October 2024 Report: $26,017.63 on hand, no debts. Donors of Note: $750 Richard Callow, Public Eye owner; $500 City Collector of Revenue Gregg Daly; $500 State Rep. Steve Butz; $500 Fred Wessels, former State Rep and former Alder; $250 Matt Villa, Villa Lighting COO and former Alder; $100 Firefighters Local #73; $100 Sarah Martin, lobbyist and former Alder; $50 Jimmy Lappe, Mo AFL CIO program director and former Alder

Filed: Anthony M. “Tony” Kirchner
Campaign Website
Occupation: former Deputy Sheriff; former U.S. Navy
Residence: Bevo
Residence Tax Abated: No
Candidate MEC Committee
October 2024 Report: Limited Activity. Committee filed 09/13/2024.

Notes
1st Ward 2023 Primary Election: Anne Schweitzer 1,173; Tony Kirchner 1,088; Matt Kotraba 409
1st Ward 2023 General Election: Anne Schweitzer 1,614; Tony Kirchner 1,472
In that election, Kirchner was endorsed by former Sheriffs Vernon Betts and Jim Murphy, former Alder Jack Coatar, St. Louis Police Officers Association
13th Ward 2021 Primary Election: Anne Schweitzer 1318; Beth Murphy 744
13th Ward 2021 General Election: Anne Schweitzer 1497; Beth Murphy 885

Third Ward

Filed: Shane Cohn
Incumbent Voting Records- Board Bills
Campaign website (have not found one)
Occupation: Alder; owner of 4664 Tennessee LLC, investment and redevelopment of real estate
Residence: Dutchtown
Residence Tax Abated: No
Candidate MEC Committee
October 2024 Report: $14,505.14 on hand, no debt. Donors of Note: $2,600 South Side Property LLC; $500 IBEW; $500 Jon Chen, Urban Eats owner; $500 Associated General Contractors of Mo PAC; $250 Matthew McBride, corporate welfare attorney, serves on many economic development boards; $150 Sean Spencer, Tower Grove CDC executive director; $102 Richard Callow, Public Eye owner; $100 Scott Intagliata, Charter Commission secretary and Unico + other businesses owner. Same report was filed by mistake for 25th Ward Regular Democratic Club.
Candidate MEC PAC: STL Neighbors United for Progress PAC
October 2024 Report: Committee created 11/05/2024, no reports yet

Filed: Inez M. Bordeaux
Campaign website
Occupation: former Deputy Director of Community Collaborations, ArchCity Defenders; owner of Highfalutin LLC
Residence: Mount Pleasant
Residence Tax Abated: No
Candidate MEC Committee
October 2024 Report. Committee created 11/19/2024, no reports yet

Filed: Dallas Nicole Adams
Campaign website
Occupation: former Communications Manager for Metropolitan Parks & Recreation District (tax district dba Great Rivers Greenway, had a seat via job on Seed St. Louis Board, which moved to Delmar Divine)
Residence: Dutchtown
Residence Tax Abated: No
Candidate MEC Committee
October 2024 Report. Committee created 12/02/2024, no reports yet

Notes
3rd Ward 2023 Primary Election: Shane Cohn 410, no opponent
3rd Ward 2023 General Election: Shane Cohn 827, no opponent
25th Ward 2017 Primary Election: Shane Cohn 858, no opponent
25th Ward 2017 General Election: Shane Cohn 981, no opponent

5th Ward

Incumbent NOT Running: Joseph “Joe” Vollmer, has endorsed Matthew Devoti
Incumbent Voting Records- Board Bills
Campaign website
Occupation: owner of Milo’s Bocce Garden; co-owner TLJ Investments (funeral home); owner of TLSJ (commercial real estate); landlord
Residence: The Hill
Residence Tax Abated: No
Candidate MEC Committee
October 2024 Report. $3,105 on hand; no debt. No contributions received for period.

Filed: Matthew Devoti
Campaign website
Occupation: personal injury attorney; serves on 22nd Circuit Judicial Commission
Residence: The Hill
Residence Tax Abated: Yes
Candidate MEC Committee
October 2024 Report. $4,996.66; no debt. Donors of Note: $2,600 Jim Heine, retiree in Boerne TX; $1,000 Bonnie Devoti, candidate’s mother

Notes
5th Ward 2023 Primary Election: Joe Vollmer 1,533; Helen Petty 990
5th Ward 2023 General Election: Joe Vollmer 2,177; Helen Petty 1,580
10th Ward 2019 Primary Election: Joe Vollmer 968; Pat Hickey 623
10th Ward 2019 General Election: Joe Vollmer 700

7th Ward

Filed: Alisha Sonnier
Incumbent Voting Records- Board Bills
Campaign Website
Residence: Tower Grove East
Residence Tax Abated: No
Occupation: former mental health advocate at Cigna; campaign staffer, 2022 paid total of $1,975 as “Political Director” by Board President Megan Green’s candidate committee; also paid $1,000 on 04/04/2023 (general election day, the day Sonnier was elected Alder) for “Win bonus” by Board President Megan Green’s candidate committee
Other Politics: 2021-23 St. Louis City School Board, appointed by Mayor Tishaura Jones
Candidate MEC Committee
October 2024 Report. $2,601.44 on hand; no debt. Donors of Note: $500 Kelvin Adams, president of St. Louis Community Foundation and former Superintendent of St. Louis Public Schools; $250 Shilpa Patel, Hotel Avyan/real estate; $200 total Scott Intagliata, Charter Commission secretary and Unico + other businesses owner; $100 Richard Callow, Public Eye owner

Filed: Cedric L. Redmon Jr
Campaign Website
Residence: Benton Park West; his Linkedin account says he is in Florissant
Residence Tax Abated: No
Occupation: musician; 2020-2021 spy plane advocate, may have lobbied for pay without registering as lobbyist
Others Politics: 2023 candidate for Alder; 2019 candidate for 6th Ward Alder, one of two candidates
Candidate MEC Committee
October 2024 Report: No committee created yet

Notes
7th Ward 2023 Primary Election: Alisha Sonnier 1,108; J.P. Mitchom 731; Cedric Redmon 643
7th Ward 2023 General Election: Alisha Sonnier 1,470 ; J.P. Mitchom 933
6th Ward 2019 Primary Election: Christine Ingrassia 930; Cedric Redmon 412; Debra Carnahan 590; Henry Gray 179
6th Ward 2019 General Election: Christine Ingrassia 969; Michael Hebron 199

9th Ward

Filed: Michael Browning
Incumbent Voting Records- Board Bills
Campaign Website
Residence: Forest Park Southeast
Residence Tax Abated: No
Occupation: former senior grant specialist at Washington University School of Medicine (but still identified as employed by Washington University on some but not all donations he made in 2024); former vice president of Forest Park Southwest Neighborhood Association
Candidate MEC Committee
October 2024 Report. $2,601.44 on hand, no debt. Donors of Note: $500 Associated General Contractors of Mo PAC; $250 Sean Spencer, Tower Grove CDC executive director; $200 Tom Brackman, retired attorney, serves on Waterman Lake tax district; $180 Karen Presley Karabell, SF Shannon partner (vacation & long-term rentals); $100 Katharyn Davis, real estate attorney; $100 Richard Callow, Public Eye owner

Notes
9th Ward 2023 Primary Election: Michael Browning 1,007; former 17th Ward Alder Tina Pihl 876; former 28th Ward Alder Michael Gras 868 (election following redistricting with ward consolidation, from 28 wards to 14)
9th Ward 2023 General Election: Michael Browning 1,773; former 17th Ward Alder Tina Pihl 1,027

11th Ward

Filed: Laura Keys
Incumbent Voting Records- Board Bills
Campaign Website
Residence: O’Fallon
Residence Tax Abated: No
Occupation: Alder; landlord; owner Able Hands In-Home Health Services of Missouri LLC; owner Missouri DNA & Drug Testing Centers, LLC; owner Secure Identity Fingerprinting LLC; owner St. Louis Fingerprints LLC; owner Residential Maid Service LLC
Candidate MEC Committee:
December 2024 Report: $1,381.97 on hand, no debt. $621.13 total in reimbursements to James Keyes, husband
October 2024 Report: $3,729.50 on hand, no debt. Donor of Note: $2,000 from Ring the Bell PAC (PAC not filed with MEC) @ Crown Mart, 4501 Union

Filed: Melinda L. Long
Campaign Website (have not found one)
Residence: O’Fallon
Residence Tax Abated: No
Occupation: former Alder 2001-2002; insurance agent; owner United Health, Accident & Life (UHAL) LLC Ins. Agency; The O’Fallon Block Link LLC; administratively dissolved Fellowship Foundation Organization
Candidate MEC Committee
October 2024 Report: No committee created yet

Filed: Rebecca I. McLoud
Campaign Website (have not found one)
Residence: O’Fallon
Residence Tax Abated: No
Occupation: insurance agent; former Board Secretary, O’Fallon Community Developing Organization
Candidate MEC Committee
October 2024 Report: No committee created yet

Notes
11th Ward 2023 Primary Election: Laura Keys 568; Carla Wright 312
11th Ward 2023 General Election: Laura Keys 782; Carla Wright 335
21st Ward 2017 Primary Election: John Collins-Muhammad 812; Laura Keys 783; Marlene Buckley 227
21st Ward 2017 General Election: John Collins-Muhammad 1406; Marty Spikener 107

13th Ward

Filed: Pamela Boyd
Incumbent Voting Records- Board Bills
Campaign Website
Residence: Walnut Park West
Residence Tax Abated: No
Occupation: Alder; was or is certified dietary manager at The Valley Stonebridge Community skilled nursing facility
Candidate MEC Committee:
October 2024 Report. $5,625.73 on hand; no debt. No itemized donors this period.

Notes
13th Ward 2023 Primary Election: Pamela Boyd 751; Norma Walker 506; former Alder Lisa Middlebrook 390
13th Ward 2023 General Election: Pamela Boyd 984; Norma Walker 839
27th Ward 2017 Primary Election: Pam Boyd, 800; Keena Carter 635; Ciera Simril 228
27th Ward 2017 General Election: Pam Boyd 1280; Antree Spikener 117

This Week in Gardening & Nature

Plant of the Week: Sprouting Broccoli, a great winter crop if you can provide protection for when the temperature drops

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

Forest Park Bird Checklist

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

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

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

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

Plan your garden with Seed St. Louis Planting Calendar

When to Plant in Illinois (University of Illinois Extension)

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

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

Good Reads/Views/Listens —

Wishing for Winter Habitat? Plant These Grasses this Spring (Wild Ones)

‘Bad for everything:’ Invasive aquatic plant hydrilla discovered in DuPage County, Illinois: Hydrilla,an aquatic plant native to Europe and Asia. (Gift article, Chicago Tribune)

How America Lost Control of the Bird Flu, Setting the Stage for Another Pandemic (KFF News)

Kansas county sues plastic companies over recycling, alleging ‘fraud and deception.’ Ford County claims in a lawsuit that plastic manufacturers knew recycling wasn’t viable but misled the public (Kansas Reflector)

Arkansas lawmakers consider suggestions to improve underfunded scrap tire recycling program (Arkansas Advocate)

Gov. Stitt to explore ‘unplugging’ Oklahoma from Southwest Power Pool grid, says he wanted to maintain the state’s sovereignty over its permitting rights and eminent domain. (Oklahoma Voice)

Huge majorities in Ohio oppose fracking our state parks, but state leaders just ignore all concerns. The short-term profit of massive companies are apparently far more important to our leaders than Ohioans’ concerns about clean water, air and land. (Ohio Capital Journal)

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

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

Illinois Native Plants for the Home Landscape

2023 Plants of Merit – Annuals, Bulbs, Edibles, Perennials, Shrubs, Trees, Vines (Missouri Botanical Garden)

2023 Plants of Demerit – Bamboo, Big Leaf Hydrangea, Blueberry, Burning Bush, Chameleon Plant, Lavender, Pin Oak, Wintercreeper (Missouri Botanical Garden)

Gardening and Nature Events —

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

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

8Tickets remaining. 4:30 pm December 31st Missouri Conservation Department event at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area: New Year’s Eve Stroll to the Confluence. Register

10 am January 1st Sierra Club Eastern Missouri New Year’s Day Walk at Forest Park. Register

10 am January 1st Piasa Palisades Sierra Club New Years Day Hike @ Pere Marquette State Park, Grafton, Illinois. Register

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

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

20 Tickets remaining. Noon January 4th Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood: Winter Walk with Naturalist. 2/3 mile. Register

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

7 Tickets remaining. 3 pm January 4th Missouri Conservation Department event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood: Nature Photography with a Phone. Takes place on Tanglevine Trail, 1/3-mile-long flat loop. Register

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6:30 pm January 14th Piasa Palisades Sierra Club documentary screening at Old Bakery Beer, Belleville, Illinois: Water for Life. Register

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9 am to Noon March 22nd Webster Groves Herb Society Display at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission Free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Saturday and Wednesday mornings.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

St. Louis Area Seed and Plant Swaps and Sales

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9 am July 26th-27th Shaw Cactus & Succulent Sale at Jost Event Center, St. Louis County

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