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Welcome to Garden-Lou!
St. Louis is a showcase of spectacular gardens, both public and private, a mecca for annual garden tours and events, and a hotbed of horticultural and floral design talent, from amateur to professional.…
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October Tree of the Month-Japanese Maple
One of the most admired and coveted trees among plant geeks is the Japanese maple, Acer japonicum. The closely related Acer palmatum October Tree of the Month-Full Moon Maple – is often called…
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Anti-Vine of the Month-Poison Ivy
The only reason I put this plant in the “Anti” category is the annoying rash and blistering it causes, which can be a nightmare worse than Nightmare on Elm Street and last longer…
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October Perennial of the Month-Blue Mist Flower
Late season in the garden usually means most plants are slowing down…unless you are in the Asteraceae family. Asters and their close relatives provide us, and pollinators, with late-season blooms well into first…
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Highlights from the Moonlight Pond Tour
Nature’s Re-Creations is the host of this annual event focusing on local water features around the St. Louis metro area. Chris Siewing, Garden-Lou Spotlight on Chris Siewing – of Nature’s Re-Creations is the…
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September Tree of the Month-Eastern hop hornbeam
Commonly called Eastern hop-hornbeam, or American hop hornbeam, Ostrya virginiana is a deciduous tree native to the forests of Eastern North America south to Mexico. In the wild, it lives as an understory…
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September Shrub of the Month-St. John’s wort
The genus Hypericum includes 490 species distributed around the globe. Part of this worldwide range is due to the prolific reproductive traits some species possess. Missouri records show 16 of these species, including…
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September Perennial of the Month-Garlic chive
One of the oldest continuously grown herb crops, this Southeast Asian native is well known as a culinary herb. Still, many great cooks may not know that garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) are a…
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Road Trip Destination-Humboldt Redwood State Park/Avenue of the Giants
Humboldt County, California Among the expansive realm of “Plant-Geeks” are the esteemed “Tree-Geeks.” Those of us who love an exotic orchid, native coneflower, or the latest hosta, but start salivating at the sight…
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Road Trip Garden-Humboldt Botanical Garden
Eureka, California Located on the campus of the College of the Redwoods, Humboldt Botanical Garden is a 44.5-acre site south of Eureka near Humboldt Bay. Organized by a small group of volunteers in…
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August Tree of the Month-Swamp White Oak
Soaring up to 60 ’ and living up to 300 years, the swamp white oak, Quercus bicolor, is one of Missouri’s grandest native trees. Like other oaks in the White Group, it has…
