Featured plants in the Lou!
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October Tree of the Month-Ash
This post isn’t just Tree of the Month; it’s a Love letter to my sentimental favorite, the ash tree. I grew up with two white ash trees, Fraxinus americana, one male and one female,…
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September Perennial of the Month-Pink turtlehead
I love plants that shine in late summer or autumn! After the trials of a typical St. Louis Summer, most plants show some wear and tear, so it’s refreshing to see a beautiful…
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September Shrub of the Month-Carolina allspice
With a common name as beautiful and intriguing as Carolina allspice, you’d think it would be more popular. Sadly, it’s another underused and underappreciated shrub that I hope this article will help change.…
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September Tree of the Month-Serviceberry
It seems more and more homeowners are shying away from large trees like oaks or maples. They want something small, they want flowers, they want fall color … some want native. So why…
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St. Louis Summer Plant Combos!
Remember last January when we thought spring would NEVER come, let alone summer? Well, hard to believe Labor Day Weekend-the unofficial end of Summer, is fast approaching, and if you’re like me, you…
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August Perennial of the Month-Black-eyed Susan
An Old English poem titled ‘Sweet William’s Farewell to Black-Eyed Susan’ is supposedly the origin of the common name for Rudbeckia fulgida. This Missouri native might have English roots, but she knows how…
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August Shrub of the Month-Crape myrtle
It happens every summer. I get emails or phone calls asking, “What’s that big bush with the pink flowers on the corner of….” The reaction is usually surprise when I say it’s a…
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August Tree of the Month-Willow oak
There is an oak for just about every location. The diverse genus, Quercus, has a range of species that prefer high and dry, or low and wet. One that will tolerate a more…
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Garden-Lou visits the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area Sunflower Fields
Bees love them, birds love them, but what the Missouri Department of Conservation people didn’t realize, is that people love them too! Sunflowers have to the happiest flowers on the planet. Just look…
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July Tree of the Month-American Linden
The American linden, or basswood tree, Tilia americana, is one of our largest native shade trees. Naturally found on slopes, at the base of bluffs, or along streams, when planted in a park-like…
