Garden-Lou Visits DIG Annuals and Perennials

Tucked onto a 1/3 acre lot just steps away from the busy corner of Gravois and Arsenal is a quiet powerhouse of productivity, DIG Annuals and Perennials.

The vacant lot was full of junk cars, garbage, and Bermuda grass, but that didn’t stop Allana Ross and Jessica Blessing-Patterson from manifesting their dream into a reality-growing local plants for local people.

Both women live in South City. Both had art backgrounds. Jessica previously worked for a nursery and currently teaches horticulture at St. Louis Community College. Allana, a textile artist, teaches at St. Louis Community College in the Art Department. They met through a mutual friend. “We found the lot the same time we decided to partner up,” explains Jessica. “It’s come a long way in two years.”

The lot was purchased in 2020. The pandemic made starting up more challenging, but with more homeowners re-examine their yards and gardens, it seemed optimal to take advantage of the renewed interest in gardening. “We want to see people thinking about the ecosystems in the places they live.”

DIG specializes in foodscaping plants, dye plants, native perennials, and hard-to-find annuals. Sustainable practices are used like recycling plastic pots and using only peat-free soil. Objects and “trash” found on the lot or in the local alleyways are repurposed. Parking pylons and concrete chunks are now flower bed edging or steps. An old sideboard is now a charming one-of-a-kind potting table and desk.

Janie Shoults Bedwell and Sally Martin-two of the fabulous volunteers at DIG!

DIG is having a Fall Plant Sale on October 8^th and is open to the public from 10:00am to 3:00pm Available will be, clearance perennials, trees and veggies, plus woody plants from Custom Foodscapes, and a cutting swap with Seed St. Louis. A propagation workshop is scheduled for 1pm. DIG Annuals and Perennials can be found at 3120 Pennsylvania, 63118.