Bushes – Trees in the Yard

Since Crestwood is hopefully going to receive some free bushes-trees from Forest Releaf, here are some notes on each species from the Missouri Botanical Garden website.

Aromatic Sumacs – Rhus aromatica

Height: 2.00 to 6.00 feet
Spread: 6.00 to 10.00 feet
Bloom Time: April
Bloom Description: Yellow
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Flower: Insignificant
Leaf: Fragrant, Good Fall
Attracts: Birds, Butterflies
Fruit: Showy

Smooth Sumac – Rhus glabra

Zone: 3 to 9
Height: 9.00 to 15.00 feet
Spread: 9.00 to 15.00 feet
Bloom Time: June
Bloom Description: Yellowish-green
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Medium
Flower: Showy
Leaf: Good Fall
Attracts: Birds, Butterflies
Fruit: Showy
Other: Winter Interest

Black Chokeberry – Aronia melanocarpa

Zone: 3 to 8
Height: 3.00 to 6.00 feet
Spread: 3.00 to 6.00 feet
Bloom Time: May
Bloom Description: White
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Hedge, Naturalize, Rain Garden
Flower: Showy
Leaf: Good Fall
Attracts: Birds
Fruit: Showy, Edible
Tolerate: Wet Soil

Deciduous Holly  – Ilex decidua

Zone: 5 to 9
Height: 7.00 to 15.00 feet
Spread: 5.00 to 12.00 feet
Bloom Time: May
Bloom Description: Dull white
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Rain Garden
Flower: Insignificant
Attracts: Birds
Other: Winter Interest

Eastern Ninebark – Physocarpus opulifolius

Height: 5.00 to 8.00 feet
Spread: 4.00 to 6.00 feet
Bloom Time: May to June
Bloom Description: White or pink
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Medium
Suggested Use: Hedge
Flower: Showy
Tolerate: Drought, Erosion, Clay Soil, Dry Soil, Wet Soil, Shallow-Rocky Soil, Black Walnut

Eastern Wahoo – Euonymus atropurpureus

Zone: 3 to 7
Height: 12.00 to 20.00 feet
Spread: 15.00 to 25.00 feet
Bloom Time: June
Bloom Description: Dk. purple
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Rain Garden
Leaf: Good Fall
Attracts: Birds
Fruit: Showy
Tolerate: Black Walnut

False Indigo – Baptisia australis

Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Fabaceae
Native Range: Eastern United States
Zone: 3 to 9
Height: 3.00 to 4.00 feet
Spread: 3.00 to 4.00 feet
Bloom Time: May to June
Bloom Description: Indigo blue
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Naturalize
Flower: Showy
Attracts: Butterflies
Fruit: Showy
Tolerate: Rabbit, Drought, Erosion, Clay Soil, Dry Soil, Shallow-Rocky Soil

Roughleaf Dogwood – Cornus drummondii

Zone: 5 to 8
Height: 6.00 to 15.00 feet
Spread: 6.00 to 15.00 feet
Bloom Time: May to June
Bloom Description: Yellowish-white
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium to wet
Maintenance: Medium
Tolerate: Deer

Silky Dogwood – Cornus amomum

Type: Deciduous shrub
Family: Cornaceae
Native Range: Eastern North America
Zone: 5 to 8
Height: 6.00 to 12.00 feet
Spread: 6.00 to 12.00 feet
Bloom Time: May to June
Bloom Description: Yellowish white
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium to wet
Maintenance: Medium
Suggested Use: Hedge, Rain Garden
Flower: Showy
Attracts: Birds
Fruit: Showy
Tolerate: Deer, Erosion, Wet Soil, Black Walnut

Planning for 2020

Tahiti Island Garden

If you are starting to get the “gardening itch” here are a few ideas for 2020.

1. Mark your calendar – June 13th – Crestwood Garden Tour, We’ll have more details later.

2. Free Seeds – we’ll be handing out free marigold seeds in March for Crestwood residents.

3. Dollarseed.com is the cheapest source of seeds I’ve ever found. They have bee and hummingbird mixes with 100’s of seeds for just $1.00.

4. Grants for neighborhood gardens will be discussed at the Feb. 4th meeting – if you’re interested please attend or stay in touch. City hall – 5:30 p.m.

5. Volunteers will be needed for the numerous city gardens we maintain. If you can help, please email beautifycrestwood@gmail.com. Even if you can only help an hour or two, please let us know.

Judy and Paul Garden of the Month 8926 Rusdon Lane September 2019

 

 

Paul and Judy moved to their Crestwood home seven years ago.  They were already avid gardeners, having earned the Yard of the Month award in their previous home in Ferguson.

When they moved to their home on Rusdon Lane in Crestwood the front yard had a big beautiful Sweet Gum tree at the street line and two berms in the front lawn.  The plantings in the berms did not appeal to the Newshams so they completely redid them. The project was extensive and done by trial and error but the results are lovely.

Paul took on the design and maintenance of the front yard. One berm has a small maple tree and a laurel as the vertical elements. The base of the berm is filled with colorful coleus, small grasses, and lantana.  The other berm features a hydrangea tree, a mini hydrangea, Chinese daisies, aster, non spreading mint, and coral bells. Arranged on the front porch are multiple small pots of succulents. The effect is a pleasing array of textures and colors.

As you move to the backyard, Judy’s domain, you are met with many more succulents in various sizes and shapes of pots. The backyard also has shady spots perfect for the hostas, begonias and impatiens.

Colorful metal vintage lawn chairs are scattered around. Lawn ornaments are tastefully tucked in the landscape along with whimsical bird houses.  The whole effect is playful and fun.  

Paul and Judy’s yard can best be described as welcoming, friendly and fun.  They deserve our thanks for making Crestwood even more beautiful!

 

Reminder: Beautify Crestwood needs you! As volunteers for the Crestwood Fire Department Plantings September 14, 2019

The fire house garden, a project of the Crestwood  Beautification Committee, will be planted Saturday, September 14 at 8 a.m. We will have 150 plants to place, most of which are plugs. The new garden will be located on the south side of the Crestwood Fire Department driveway on Sappington Road.

We need about 10 volunteers. Please help us.

Let us know by replying to this message.

Call for volunteers for the Crestwood Fire Department Plantings this September

The much anticipated fire house garden, a project of the Crestwood  Beautification Committee, will be planted Saturday, September 14 at 8 a.m.

We will have 150 plants to place, most of which are plugs. The new garden will be located on the south side of the Crestwood Fire Department driveway on Sappington Road.

We need about 10 volunteers. Please help us.

Let us know in the comments section to this post.

Yard of the Month August 2019 9447 Lodge Pole

Since Daniel, Tim and dog Tucker live in the house that was once the home of Daniel’s grandmother, there are lots of good memories for Daniel in the house and grounds.

Daniel is the gardener and Tim is the lawn man.  Both take pride in their work and enjoy it.

For the front plantings Daniel created a kind of classic symmetry. Feather Reed Grass creates columns for height in the front garden which has a boarder of Liriope along the front edge.  The middle of the bed has a great variety of plants mostly with a low mounding shape. To maintain the mounding effect Daniel sometimes pushes the plants down physically.

Many of the plants are pollinators.  Daniel attended classes and read the book by Tom Terrific for his inspiration on butterflies and bees and what attracts them.  For example, besides the plants that butterflies prefer they also like a rock here and there to rest on. 

Some of the plants in this area are apricot Drift Roses, black eyed susan, salvia, coneflowers, coreopsis, hummingbird mint, sage, irises.  Some of the plants had been part of Daniel’s Grandmother’s garden.  

About 18 months ago there was a large water main break in the middle of the lawn.  Daniel and Tim quickly and expertly restored the lawn its original beauty, including its  zoysia grass. It was not any easy task. When the water company repaired the water main and was preparing to replace the grass Tim and Dan did not want them to do the usual seeding and covering with straw.  They wanted the original zoysia. After some research they called Scott Sifton, their State Senator and found some other resources who helped them get the results they desired, zoysia sod replacing the sod which was dug up.  In general, Tim maintains the lawn with quarterly weed and feed. It really looks great. 

The backyard is more random. An important feature is an enormous Sweet Gum tree which provides welcome shade and spectacular color in the Fall.

There is a row of Hosta running up the hill along the border of the back yard which matches the neighbor’s row of Hosta on the other side of the fence. Another corner of the backyard is home to lilac, bee balm, native iris, morning glory, parsley, basil, lavender, mountain mint and more!

Besides working on their own garden and lawn Daniel and Tim often help their neighbors.

Beautiful Crestwood Business Landscaping Awards August 2019

 

Kohls

 

Kohls

Kohls

Kohls Department Store  9701 Watson Road

Kohls has been in this location in Crestwood for many decades and has consistently maintained a beautiful traditional landscape design.  We appreciate the mature trees and the abundant well-maintained bushes on the well traveled corner of Watson and Sappington.

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EZ Storage  9900 Big Bend Road

The many beautiful flowers are well maintained throughout the year at EZ Storage. Lots of color and texture grab the attention of those driving by. Each year, it seems, they lavish more attention and effort on their landscaping. It keeps getting better. 

 

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Lipics 10030 Big Bend Road

Gerri at Lipics designed the planters this year for their store front. This is the second year that Lipics enhanced their entrance with interesting planters. Beautify Crestwood helped get them started last year and we think Gerri did an even better job than we did. That’s the way we hoped it would work. Thanks, Gerri.

 

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Office complex at 9420 Watson Road

Bill and Kim Schlotz have owned the attractive building since 2007. This year they planned and implemented big changes to the front. They wiped the landscape slate clean and used concrete and simple large planters with colorful flowers to create a dramatic new welcoming entrance.  They also have interesting development plans for the future of the lower level space.