May - Saint Louis Water Gardening Society

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE ST. LOUIS WATER GARDENING SOCIETY
WWW.SLWGS.ORG
MAY 2009
Rain Gardens Turn Puddles into Pleasure Pools
ince the earth is not a perfectly sculptured orb, most of us
find dips and low spots in our landscapes. No matter how
we try to build up and fill, they seem to always return after a
particularly hard rain. Storm water runoff creates its own
pathways on the way to its destination. But there is a way to
make these muddy spots a pleasure to look at.
“Rain gardens are sustainable and aesthetic landscape features
that serve as part of the solution to our
regional storm water runoff issues,” says
Cindy Gilberg, horticulturist, landscape
designer and gardening consultant. Gilberg
will discuss creating and maintaining rain
gardens at the May meeting of the St. Louis
Water Gardening Society.
Gilberg, with her husband, Doug, owned
Gilberg Perennial Farms, a garden center in
West St. Louis County that specialized in
herbaceous perennials, native plants, herbs
and aquatic plants for water gardens. In
Cindy Gilberg
2006, the Gilbergs closed the garden center
There were special guests at the last
meeting of the St. Louis Water
Gardening Society—little people waiting
for the train that was making its way
around the pond garden in the
Beaumont Room at Missouri Botanical
Garden. To see what it was all about,
see page 4.
Don’t Miss This!
What: “Rain Gardens”
Where: Missouri Botanical Garden,
Beaumont Room
When: Tuesday, May 26, 7 p.m.
Who: Cindy Gilberg, horticulturist, landscape
designer and gardening consultant
and Cindy’s focus changed to landscape design and consulting,
as well as teaching and writing. She teaches at the Missouri
Botanical Garden, the Native Plant School at Shaw Nature
Reserve, and at St. Louis Community College. She also teaches
at many local garden centers, and frequently is a speaker for
garden groups.
Gilberg writes a monthly column on landscaping with native
plants that appears in the Gateway Gardener. In addition, she
works part time in the Horticulture Department at Shaw Nature
Reserve, specifically in the Whitmire Wildflower Garden.
She recently, joined Moynihan and Associates, a St. Louis
based landscape architect firm, as a part-time horticultural
consultant.
“I enjoy helping people make sound choices for their
landscapes by merging plants and people with sustainable, lowmaintenance practices to create aesthetic results in the
landscape,” she said.
Her discussion on rain gardens for
SLWGS will begin with an in-depth look
at the concepts of rain gardens and their
benefits. She will discuss the components
of rain gardens, then move on to a
thorough look at various plants that are
appropriate for use in them. Gilberg says
she hopes to give members a complete
understanding of how to implement a rain
garden from start to finish.
So, if you have a troublesome garden
wet spot or would just like to make more
use of storm water runoff, bring your
questions to the next meeting.
Water Word, May 2009
1
Polishing the Jewel
The old saying “many hands make light work”
was certainly true when SLWGS volunteers
met at the Jewel Box in Forest Park May 2 to
return hardy lilies and other plants to the
water-filled but otherwise empty pools. In
about two hours, the work was done.
Concrete blocks were unloaded and placed in
the pools to hold pots, fresh dirt was shoveled
into new pots and the old plants were
retrieved from the mud pond. A nice clean
space became a muddy mess as the plants were
divided and repotted. Hand trucks helped get the
heavy pots to the water’s edge so they could be
floated to their summer home. Kay Miskell was
‘crew boss’ for the day, filling in for her absent
husband, Jewel Box coordinator, Paul Miskell.
Other volunteers included Keith and Carolyn Haus;
Sophia and Ken
Cluck; Wayne and
Alice Gibson,
Steve Harris, John
Nies, Dave
Schiele, Roger
and Jeanne Lehr,
Mary Nichols,
Rick Jokerst,
Linda Barr, Gail
Abernathy, Joan
Woelfel and her
unsuspecting
visiting brother-inlaw, Larry
Jacobson. Good
job all!
2
Water Word, May 2009
Presidential Ponderings
Wow! The April meeting was fun!
Bob Temper and some of his pals from
the Gateway Garden Railroad Club gave
us a delightful program combining the
hobbies of ponding and model railroading. One of the things
that I like about having a pond is that I have an excuse to play
in and with water (just like I did when I was a kid). When I
find some toy that I would like to play with, grandkids make a
convenient excuse: "You know, I'll bet _______ (insert name of
grandkid) would really like this!" Having five grandkids (both
male and female) with ages between two and ten insures that I
can always find a candidate to fill in the blank! Imagine my
surprise when I found out that we have some grown-ups in the
group that like playing with model trains without blaming the
grandkids!
Bob Temper and Jim Agnew (and about a dozen of their
friends from the Gateway Garden Railroad Club) gave us a fun
and interesting slide show of model trains that add a novel
dimension to water gardening.
The presentation showcased a lot of different layouts, many
that ran around ponds. There was even one that had the trains
running in and out of a basement window to park for the night.
The question and answer session was quite lively. Alas,
trains add additional complications to the pond scene. While we
often have to contend with predators, we learned that the
railroads have to deal with moles heaving the tracks, and
hickory nuts falling on the tracks derailing cars!
They say that the difference between men and boys is the cost
of their toys. Bob's comment about having model locomotives
that cost $1000 or more would seem to bear that out!
Saying the April meeting was fun is an understatement.
Thanks, Bob, Jim, and the rest of the folks that helped out!
Well, folks, I have completed my Spring pond maintenance.
I learned one new thing this year: Do not hit a bare foot with a
pressure washer. YIKES, THAT HURT! At least now my fish
population is back under control, the plants have been divided
and the annual battle with green water and algae has begun!
With May just about gone, Pond-O-Rama is almost upon us,
and it promises to be a great one! At the May meeting, ticket
booklets will be distributed to members—two per household.
Be sure you get yours.
On June 6 we will sponsor an "Introduction to Water
Gardening" at Effingers Garden Center in Belleville. We
expect to do some hands-on demonstrations and answer
questions about construction, maintenance, plants and fish.
Effingers is providing the facilities, advertising, and
refreshments, and we'll provide the expertise—and hope to
promote Pond-O-Rama ticket sales. If you are interested in
participating or helping, contact me—it should be fun!
Pam Jokerst is looking for hosts for the annual Tiki Tour.
This is a night time event to show off ponds lit for evening
viewing. If you would like to be a part of it, contact Pam.
Remember "Show and Tell" from school? Well I'm still
looking for folks who would like to give short presentations on
plants, fish, or any other topic at our meetings. If you would
like to tell us the story of your pond, give us some advice on
something you found that works well (or NOT!), just let me
know. I think we could have some fun with this!
As always, I solicit your comments and suggestions, and
appreciate your support. It makes my job more fun!
Sincerely,
Dave Stahre
636.274.5133 ● www.westwindsfalls.com
Water Word, May 2009
3
St. Louis Water
Gardening Society
Calendar of Events
Membership meetings are held at the Missouri
Botanical Garden in the Beaumont room on the LAST
Tuesday of the month between 7 and 9 p.m. unless
otherwise noted.
May 26—”Rain Gardens,” Cindy Gilberg, horticulturist,
landscape designer and gardening consultant.
May 30—Plant tropical lilies and return greenhouse
tropical plants to the Jewel Box pools. Meet at 9 a.m. at
the Jewel Box. Bring wheelbarrows, shovels, hand
trucks and gloves.
Certified Aquascape™ Contractor
June 9—Party and informational meeting for the ninth
annual Pond-O-Rama hosts at the Missouri Botanical
Garden, Beaumont Room, 7 p.m.
June 23—”Hybridizing Tropical Water Lilies,” by Craig
Presnell of Florida’s Luster Aquatic Nursery. Note: This
is a fourth Tuesday, not the last Tuesday of the month.
Eclectic Arts
June 27-28—Ninth Annual Pond-O-Rama Pond and
Garden Tour, open to the public.
Unique garden and patio accents
Handmade benches, plant stands and tables
One-of-a-kind items
Landscape and garden design
July 25—”All Aboard” members’ summer tour. For
more information, contact Pam Jokerst.
www.eArtsStudio.com
August 25—SLWGS Awards’ Banquet at the Jewel
Box in Forest Park.
636.207.7499 ♦ 314.651.4803
September 26—Members’ fall “Tiki Torch” tour. For
more information or to participate, contact Pam Jokerst.
Save a tree—and
printing and
mailing costs—
get your SLWGS
Water Word via
e-mail!
Contact John
Nies at
[email protected]
to sign up!
Current and
back issues also
are available on
our website
www.slwgs.org!
4
July 28—Seventh annual SLWGS auction with Jim
Thale and Pat Tosie as auctioneers.
Water Word, May 2009
September 29—”Plants for Water Gardens,” Greg
Speichert, director of Hilltop Garden and Nature Center
at Indiana University and co-author with his wife, Sue,
of “Encyclopedia of Water Gardening.”
October 27—”Koi Competitions,” by Bryan Bateman,
Associated Koi Clubs of America (AKCA) Illinois judge.
Did You Miss This?
Making the Trains Run on Time
Bob Temper, Jim Agnew and other members of the Gateway
Garden Railroad Club know all about making the trains run—
around the garden, beside the river, across the pond and into the
basement. These were just a few of the scenes the railroad club
members shared with the St. Louis Water Gardening Society at
the April meeting. Temper and Agnew also laid out what was
needed to operate a large scale ‘G’ railroad (“G for garden,”
said Temper. G-scale actually is 1/2” scale models.)
How to get started? “It’s just like starting a pond,” said
Temper. “You dig a hole, lay out some track, then water it and
watch it grow.”
Temper said the St. Louis area club has all kinds of railroad
owners—some with indoor layouts, some with outside, some
large and some small, some very elaborate and some simple.
“There is something for everyone,” he said. “Men enjoy trains
and electronics. Women like gardening. Both men and women
also do both.”
In addition, he said, kids like to operate the trains and help
dad or grandpa, and “Dogs like to chase the trains and cats like
to sleep in the tunnels.”
The club often sets up displays at home shows and at other
events. For us, tracks surrounded the pond/garden in the
Beaumont Room for the April meeting and elaborate layouts of
houses, commercial buildings, vehicles, animals and dozens of
little people were included in the scenery.
Garden railroading began in England, said Temper, and often
involved intricate clockwork engines and brass tracks. Now,
more often, the engines run on batteries, and the large G- scale
Continued on page 9
The civic project of the Gateway Garden Railroad Club is
maintaining the trains that run above the walkway at St. Louis
Children’s Hospital, and work gatherings at the site always
attract a lot of attention. Members are always happy to answer
questions, which is exactly what Bob Temper, above right, and
Jim Agnew, above left, did for SLWGS members.
For the latest in
St. Louis Water
Gardening
Society
happenings,
visit our website
regularly. There
you also will
find links to our
advertisers’
websites, many
of which contain
how-to articles
for building and
maintaining
ponds. See
www.slwgs.org
Water Word, May 2009
5
636-
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Water Word
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when you need
plants, fish,
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Find links to their
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ours at
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6
Water Word, May 2009
Water Word is published by the St. Louis Water Gardening
Society 10-11 times annually, and is distributed to all members.
The newsletter contains information about water gardening and
fish-keeping, as well as information about SLWGS meetings
and activities. Contributions of articles and photos are welcome
and should be sent to the Water Word editor listed below.
Documents should be in common text formats, and photos
should be in high resolution (300 dpi or higher) jpeg format.
The deadline for submissions is the first of each month.
SLWGS membership dues are $20 annually per household.
Information about the Society, including how to join, can be
found at our website, www.slwgs.org or from any of the officers,
board members or coordinators listed below.
2009 SLWGS Officers, Board Members
and Coordinators
President
David Stahre
(618) 785-2501 [email protected]
Vice President
Alice Gibson
(618) 876-1628 [email protected]
Treasurer
Gail Abernathy
(314) 428-3037 [email protected]
Publicity Coordinator
Virginia Mueller
(314) 831-3063 [email protected]
Special Events Coordinator
Pam Jokerst
(314) 514-8348 [email protected]
Society Shirt Sales Coordinator
Ruth Mosley
(314) 878-7281 [email protected]
Librarian
Roger Lehr
(314) 432-2842 [email protected]
Pond-O-Rama Coordinator
Alice Gibson
(618) 876-1628 [email protected]
Membership Coordinators
John & Mary Nies
(636) 458-2149 [email protected]
Jewel Box Coordinator
Paul Miskell
(618) 344-6216 [email protected]
Water Word Editor
Alice Gibson
(618) 876-1628 [email protected]
AKCA Representative
Steve Metzler
(314) 845-3902 [email protected]
Website Coordinator
Joan Woelfel
(636) 394-6342 [email protected]
e-mail Coordinator
Jim Potts
(314) 631-9032 [email protected]
Hospitality Coordinator
Sophia Cluck
(636) 530-1726 [email protected]
Koi Health Advisor
Lynne Jones
(314) 646-7301 [email protected]
Horticulture Advisor
Mary Ann Fink
(636) 939-9079 [email protected]
Cherry Blossom Tour Postponed
Unforeseen circumstances have caused the spring
members’ tour, scheduled for May 17, to be postponed. A
new date will be selected, said Pam Jokerst, special events
coordinator. The summer members’ tour is in July and the fall
‘Tiki Torch’ evening tour will be in September. If you are
interested in showing your pond on any of these tours—open
only to members of the St. Louis Water Gardening Society—
contact Pam Jokerst.
Pond-O-Rama Tour to Showcase 42 Gardens
The time is drawing near—ponds are being
cleaned, shaky rocks are being reset and the
plants are arriving by the truckloads. PondO-Rama 2009 is upon us! There are 42 water
features, including spectacular large falls and
quiet trickling streams, on the 2009 tour.
Nearly 60 percent of the ponds and gardens,
including several Illinois locations, are new
to Pond-O-Rama this year.
In addition, many favorites make a return,
including the “clockwork” garden of Terry
and Steve Metzler, above, right, and the twin
waterfalls at the home of David and Nancy
Carney, below, right. On the tour for the
ninth straight year is the backyard garden of
Joy Cooper-Presson and her husband, David,
below left.
All SLWGS member households are
entitled to two free ticket booklets that can
be used for both days of the tour, June 27
and 28. They may be picked up at either the
May or June meetings. Tickets also may be
mailed, but a $2 per ticket mailing charge
applies. Additional tickets may be purchased
at garden centers and retailers located
throughout the metropolitan area, or from the
SLWGS website, www.slwgs.org. (Note:
member tickets may not be picked up at
retail locations. To arrange for delivery,
contact Alice Gibson, Pond-O-Rama
coordinator, at 618-876-1628, or via e-mail
to [email protected]. )
Garden clubs and other groups purchasing
10 or more tickets at one time can receive a
group discount of $2 per ticket. For more
information about group purchases, contact
Gibson or use the order form on the SLWGS
website.
(636) 946-2242
(800) 598-9413
2130 First Capitol Drive
(Hwy. 94) at West Clay
St. Charles, MO 63301
HOURS: Seasonal
“OPEN 7 DAYS”
Water Word, May 2009
7
Marriage on the Rocks
Continued from page 10
center and nursery. Many landscape centers that deal with stone
will offer delivery and placement.
Once you have the bed rock, consider the plants you may
want to investigate for your rock garden such as old time
favorite ‘Hens and Chicks’ (Sempervivums species). There are a
great number of plants loosely grouped together as succulents.
They have a wide variety of different shapes, colors and
textures that will add overall interest to your design. They are
best known for their ability to store moisture in their juicy thick
leaves. They are easy to grow as long as they have quick
drainage. Wet soil can be fatal to these cactus-like plants. Some
succulents are tender and may need to spend the winter indoors
but several are perfectly hardy to USDA Zone 4. Most die back
to the ground and reemerge in the spring but a few are
evergreen or only have a very brief period of dormancy.
Some other reliable plants for rock gardens in USDA Zone 5
and 6 include small shrubs such as 'Crimson Pigmy' Barberry
(Berberis thunbergii var atropurpurea 'Crimson Pigmy'). This
is a compact fine-textured shrub with dark burgundy foliage
and stiff stems. Summersweet "Hummingbird" (Clethra
alnifolia 'Hummingbird') grows to only three feet with a
profusion of white fragrant flowers. It can look quite at home in
a rock garden but prefers not to dry out completely. Deutzia
gracilis 'Nikko' has a gentle sprawling habit barely achieving
one foot in height with white flowers in early spring.
For a perfect wedding of perennials in your rock garden, try
Geranium sanguineum var. striatum "Lancaster" with Veronica
spicata "Red Fox." The hardy geranium develops a spreading
mound of finely cut leaves with many bright pink flowers with
dark pink stamens in mid-spring. The Veronica's rosy spikes
match the deep pink stamens of the geranium blossoms. The
geranium's foliage is an added bonus when it turns red in the
Jaeger Greenhouses
2369 Creve Coeur Mill Road
Maryland Heights, MO 63043
314.739.1507
Water Plants ♦ Annuals ♦ Perennials
Herbs ♦ Flowering Shrubs ♦ Baskets
Master Grower Since 1985
Art Ruebel
8
Water Word, May 2009
Dan Koenig
autumn. Strawberry plants make a great ground cover. They
can tolerate shallow soil but not extreme drought. This means
more care, but try some of the new strawberry hybrids such as
Fragaria x "Lipstick" or "Pink Panda" paired with the
sometimes rambunctious double flowering buttercups
(Ranunculus acris 'Flora Pleno').
The Buttercup family is notorious for its vigor and it can take
some effort to keep them in check. This one spreads slower and
the combination is a "marriage made in heaven" with the
charming chubby pink petals and the yellow stamens of "Pink
Panda" or "Lipstick."
Talinum teretifolium is a petite native plant which provides
tiny starry flowers for a long season of interest on tufts of fine
green foliage. Its delicate look is quite deceiving as it can
reseed profusely when happy.
The extensive array of plants to choose from for this backyard
solution will help you decide which way to go if you find
yourself on this type of "rocky ground."
Note: This article originally appeared in the St. Louis PostDispatch and is reprinted with the permission of the author.
Mary Ann Fink is the Environmental Horticulture Advisor for
the Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center in Kansas City, Mo. A
life-long horticulture practitioner and green industry
representative, she shares best management practices for the
professional horticulturist known as “Show Me Smart
Gardening”. The founding coordinator of the Missouri
Botanical Garden’s Plants of Merit program and past
Executive Director of the Missouri Landscape & Nursery
Association, she appreciates the functional and ornamental
aspects of native plants for the lower Midwest and encourages
their use in the cultivated landscape. She can be reached at
[email protected]
Coming Soon—Spectacular Lilies
The water is waiting and the weather is warming, so wonderful
tropical lilies will be returning to the lily pools in front of the
Jewel Box in Forest Park. Stage two of our annual service project
plantings—the arrival of the tropicals— will take place Saturday,
May 30, at 9 a.m., said Paul Miskell, coordinator of the Jewel
Box project. Hardy plants were placed in the pools on May 2.
(See page 2 for more details.) Volunteers are needed again—
bring wheelbarrows, carts, hand trucks, shovels and gloves.
The tropical lilies are among the largest and most colorful, and
often have extremely interesting leaves as well, such as the
Alfred Greenberg shown at left, a part of the summer 2008
collection. The plants bloom from mid summer until October.
In addition to the lilies, other tropical plants, such as water
canna and papyrus, will come out of the greenhouse and be
returned to the water.
Making the Trains Run on Time
Continued from page 5
makes them perfect for children, since they are easier to reset
on the tracks than are the smaller-scale trains. Using
electricity to power the outdoor trains once was the norm and
is still often used, Agnew said, but most of his are now
battery operated. “One issue of outdoor railroading is keeping
the track clean for electric operations,” said Agnew.
Switching to battery power means there is less worry about
the track and maintaining conductivity on the rails. Agnew
said his use rechargeable batteries and are remote controlled.
Houses, vehicles and people in the scenes are built to scale,
so it is important that plants also be. Part of the fun of the
“gardening” here is finding plants that work in the miniature
landscape. There are more choice than you might think—rock
garden plants, such as small sedums or creeping thyme, work
very well. It also is possible to mold plants to your needs,
Temper said. For example, dwarf Alberta Spruce trees can be
pruned into shapes representing many different kinds of trees.
One question for Temper was this: “Which is more
expensive, ponds or garden railroads?” His answer: “Yes,”
indicating that both are fairly expensive hobbies, but noted
that the two are easily combined.
For more information about garden railroads, check out the
Gateway Garden Railroad Club website at www.ggrrc.org.
Train and
track layouts
for the
Gateway
Garden
Railroad Club
members run
the gamut
from large,
elaborate
ones with
bridges and
trestles, top,
to those
presented in
much more
confined spaces, above, center. The
miniature settings deserve
landscapes also planted to scale.
Dwarf Alberta Spruce, far left, can
be pruned to mock the shapes of
many trees. Rock garden plants
such as thyme and Golden Carpet
sedum, left, also work well trackside.
Water Word, May 2009
9
SLWGS Water Word
3410 Whitsetts Fork Road
Wildwood, MO 63038
www.slwgs.org
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Inside this edition:
Rain Gardens Turn Puddles into
Pleasure Pools…………….Page1
Also inside:
Polishing the Jewel ..................... Page 2
Presidential Ponderings .............. Page 3
Calendar of Events...................... Page 4
Did You Miss This? ..................... Page 5
2009 Officers, Board Members
and Coordinators...................... Page 6
Cherry Blossom Tour
Postponed ................................ Page 6
Pond-O-Rama to Showcase
42 Gardens .............................. Page 7
Coming Soon-Spectacular Lilies. Page 9
Mary Ann Fink ........................... Page 10
Marriage on the Rocks—A Closer Look at Rock Garden Plants
Mary Ann Fink
Do you feel like a walk in your yard is
like a hike up a miniature mountain
slope? Is the rugged terrain strewn with
jagged rocks? Is a stroll through your
garden like visiting an ancient ruin
complete with enough rocks to twist an
ankle? Turn this rocky road into a
perfect setting for the ultimate in
"matchmaking." Some plants may offer
a quick satisfying solution for poor
rocky soil, so a perfect
match is this spot and rock
garden plants. This low
cost solution is an
appealing option when
there is no space to support
Good rock garden plants
include the old favorite ‘Hen
and Chicks’ (Sempervivums)
right, and Deutzra graeilis,
above. Top photo courtesy of
Missouri Botanical Garden
10
Water Word, May 2009
a more typical garden. This is an opportunity to "partner" great
plant combinations. Many of these "happy couples" would
become easily overlooked or lost in more typical gardens.
Rock gardens require a minimum of work. They require
occasional watering once established and are perfect solutions
for a hillside or terraced wall areas. Rocks, purchased or on
hand, should provide the basic frame work of the rock garden's
design. If you don't have a rocky site already, collecting and
creating a rock garden feature can be an adventure and a way to
build memories for your family. Collecting and placing rocks
can be fun, but always be sure to get permission from property
owners before collecting rocks. Whether collecting rocks that
have surfaced in your own yard or out scouting, you should
gather just a few at a time to avoid a back breaking experience.
Choose rocks with character—angular shapes, cracks, crevices
or interesting imprints. Observe natural outcrops along the
highway and hillsides and try to copy the look on a miniature
scale. Group small rocks together to give the impression of
larger masses worn away by time and weathering. Medium
stones should be used in groups of two or three. Bury large
boulders halfway into the ground for stability. Using rocks
native to your area and limiting the number of different kinds of
rocks in the garden gives a more natural look. Limestone,
sandstone and fieldstone are typically available. You may be
able to purchase large rocks and boulders at your local garden
Continued on page 8