Featured plants in the Lou!
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May Perennial of the Month-Purple poppy mallow
“Plays well with others, always friendly, positive, and tolerant.” Thus, would read the report card for purple poppy mallow If garden beds were kindergarten classes. Purple poppy mallow (Callirhoe involucrata) is also called…
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April Tree of the Month-Japanese flowering cherry/Kwanzan cherry
A tour around the Japanese Garden (Siewa-en) at Missouri Botanical Garden during spring is a feast for the senses. Azaleas, peonies, and, of course, the Yoshino cherry trees. But one tree that sparks…
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April Shrub of the Month-Lilac
Growing up, we had an old-fashioned lilac bush along our chain-link fence. It was over 8′ tall with a vase-like shape and branches that arched over the fence into our neighbor Mary’s yard.…
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April Perennial of the Month-Siberian bugloss/Brunnera
Few perennials bloom in spring as long as Siberian bugloss or Brunnera. (Brunnera spp. & cvs.) The charming blue flowers are as blue as one can get in the garden, especially in the…
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March Tree of the Month-Star magnolia
Magnolia season is the start of the ‘big show’ in St. Louis regarding spring blooming trees. The first magnolia that takes the spotlight is the star magnolia, Magnolia stellata. Like their other deciduous cousins,…
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March Perennial of the Month-Harry Lauder’s walking stick
Sir Winston Churchill deemed Harry Lauder Scotland’s greatest ambassador, but few in the U.S. know the man our Shrub of the Month was named after. The comedian was born in 1870 in Portobello,…
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March Perennial of the Month-Barrenwort
Dry shade can be a common issue for most gardeners. The same shade that provides relief from the blistering sun for the shade garden can also mean competition from tree roots and, overall,…
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February Shrub of the Month-Cornelian cherry
Branches that can be brought indoors and forced to bloom are welcome when spring is taking too long to arrive. One uncommon shrub that is easy to force indoors for long-lasting blooms is…
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February Perennial of the Month-Northern sea oats
The seed heads of Northern sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) seem to whisper in the fall and winter on the slightest breeze. The attractive seed heads are uniquely flat, unlike their fellow fuzzy-headed cousins in…
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February Tree of the Month-Sycamore
The brilliant contrast of crisp white branches against a deep, true-blue sky is one thing that endears the sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) to many. Sycamores can grow to be giants among their neighboring trees…
