Starting a Garden the Easy Way – No Dig

The “New” way to start a garden is to use the method taught by Charles Dowding on Youtube.

Cover your grass/area with cardboard and then add 4″ of compost on top.

Make sure the compost is cooled down and then you can plant directly into the compost.

While you can use wood to create a raised bed, it is not necessary.

I usually buy compost locally from https://www.stlcompost.com/compost
Using their calculator, a 4′ x 8′ garden takes about 1/2 cubic yard of compost.

If you either have a pickup truck or have a friend with a pickup truck you can buy the compost for as little as $30/cu. yard.

Gardeners of the Past

This was from the city of Crestwood newsletter, dated October 1993.

If you’d like to help plant flowers in Crestwood, please email
BeautifyCrestwood@Gmail.com.

April 22, 2023 – Honeysuckle Hack

Crestwood Park

April 22nd – 9 to 12 p.m.
Click here for details and to signup.

Curse of the bush honeysuckles brochure.

REGISTRATION NOTES:

• Pre-registration is encouraged, but walk-ups the morning of are always welcome.
• This volunteer opportunity is limited to volunteers 12 and up. Must be 18 years or older to handle herbicide. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. 

Shade Gardening with Native Plants

Bluebells – early spring bloomer

If you’ve got a shady area under a tree, below is a great video on using native plants to fill in the shady area.

Volunteers Needed for Whitecliff Cleanup

It’s time to clean up the Whitecliff Garden at the Recreation Center.

Sunday – April 2nd

Time – 10 a.m. until Noon

Place – Whitecliff Recreation Center Garden

Adult volunteers are needed to help cleanup the garden.
Just show up – no need to register.

Please bring gloves, hand clippers and loppers if you have them.

If you have any questions email BeautifyCrestwood@gmail.com.

Vegetable Gardening 101

Here’s a good video from Seed St. Louis about the basics of starting a vegetable garden.
He doesn’t talk much about preparing the soil,
so take a look at Charles Dowding videos on YouTube for No-Till gardening.

Native Plants in Pots

The above picture is a pot I grow every year in my pond – Swamp Milkweed and Cardinal Flower.
They both love wet roots.

Merv Wallace of Missouri Wildflowers talks about raising native plants in pots

Homegrown National Park

If you’re interested in starting a small or large native garden in your yard or business, here’s a great video by Jean Ponzi on the basics.

Free Nature Series

Sign up ASAP. 10 Different Programs!

Birds, Bees, Flowers & Trees
Homegrown National Park
Container Gardening with Native Plants
Transforming a Yard from Invasives to Natives
Rainscaping Solutions
How Native Landscaping Makes a Difference
Our Garden is for the Birds!
Shade Gardening with Native Plants
Native Trees and Shrubs
Native Landscaping with Hungry Deer

Honeysuckle Hack at Crestwood Park

March 25th – 9 to 12 p.m.
Click here for details and to signup.

April 22nd – 9 to 12 p.m.
Click here for details and to signup.

Curse of the bush honeysuckles brochure.

REGISTRATION NOTES:

• Pre-registration is encouraged, but walk-ups the morning of are always welcome.
• This volunteer opportunity is limited to volunteers 12 and up. Must be 18 years or older to handle herbicide. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.