Native plants show a respect for our environment and reduce the homeowner’s labor

Missouri is blessed with a burst of colorful native plants that will increase your curb appeal and show off your eco-friendly property.

Missouri is a wonderfully diverse state, with flat plains to the north and the craggy Ozarks to the south. With different terrains come a cornucopia of native plants that will do quite well in your landscaping plans and require little maintenance once established.

The first look a potential buyer has of your house is the drive-by, or curb appeal. If the buyer doesn’t like the outside, most likely the interest goes down, almost regardless of how wonderful the inside is. Enhance your property and show off the beautiful Missouri native plants, whether you are selling now or planning on staying for a while.

From a small balcony garden to acres and acres of land, planting native has distinct advantages:
Once established, native plants need minimal watering, reducing your water bill and the time it takes to spray the plantings.

Because the plants are acclimated to grow in Missouri soil, they establish quickly and don’t need pampering.

Native plants have already dealt and adapted to the problems of pests and weeds. This reduces the need for commercial fertilizers and pesticides, thereby saving you money and reducing your chemical footprint.

Birds and butterflies thrive on native plants, giving you a garden paradise and hours of entertainment watching those in flight coming and going.

Missouri native plants adapt well to sun or shade. For your sunny garden, the Missouri black-eyed Susan is a sure hit. Found in the Ozarks, this tenacious flower can handle rocky areas with well-drained soil. Another winner is the Missouri primrose, or the glade lily, which also does well in rocky areas. The lemon-yellow flowers open in the afternoon for nighttime pollination. The prairie blazing star is another sun worshipper and blooms into October to keep your garden colorful. Butterflies love these purple plums.

On the shady side, there are plenty of choices, all attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. The crested iris is an impressive ground cover in partial shade and just right for landscape borders. The columbine, with its red tubular flowers, is a popular nectar source for hummingbirds and flowers from April through July in average to moist soil. Very common but still spectacular and tough is the purple coneflower. Well into October, the purple blossoms will provide flowers for cutting bouquets.

Including native plants in your yardscape is a gradual process, one the demands planning and patience, but you’ll be rewarded with a low maintenance, natural garden. To learn more about planting native, visit grownative.org and for a downloadable guide, visit the Missouri Department of Conservation website.

St. Charles County Real Estate
Written by Myra Vandersall

Putting your yard “to bed” in October means less work in the spring

Taking good care of your lawn at the end of the season makes good sense

While it may not be as rewarding up front as planting new spring flowers, getting your lawn and gardens ready for winter will be a real time saver come next year. Here are some tips to help you organize a fall clean-up.

Dead-head perennials. Remove spent annuals after the first frost, but resist the urge to prune perennials to the ground as this can invite insects and fungal infections. Always wait until spring when the first new growth appears before cutting perennials back.

Dig tender plants such as canna lily, dahlia and annual geraniums right after the first frost. Air dry plants and store in a cool dry location for the winter.

Don’t forget to water trees and shrubs, especially evergreens. The general rule is one inch of water per week. So check your rain gauge.

Collect soil samples from several locations in your lawn and around your trees. Have both samples tested. If lawn samples indicate a low pH apply lime now. Fertilize trees if soil samples indicate a deficiency.

If you are planning on reseeding or over seeding your lawn be sure to do it in October.

• Cool season grasses benefit from fall applications of fertilizer. Nurserymen recommend three applications during the fall months. Cool season grasses include bluegrass, fescue and rye grass. Warm season grasses include zoysia, buffalo and Bermuda grass.
• Broadleaf herbicides can be applied now to control cool season weeds.
• For those who garden organically and shy away from herbicides and petroleum based fertilizers, a lush lawn is attainable. Organic fertilizers are available. Bradfield Organics, a local company, produces organic fertilizers specifically designed for lawns. If you choose an organic use a 3-1-5 fertilizer in the fall.
• Rake your lawn to help keep it healthy. Your grass can actually be smothered when covered by a deep layer of leaves.

By Jeanne Baker, MLA, Landscape Designer

October planting for spring sale

October is the time to garden for now and for a spring sale
Look to the future when planning your fall garden. Putting in some extra work and planning now will pay off in ready–made spring blooms

By Jeanne Baker, MLA, Landscape Designer

Fall is officially here. The nights are cool and the trees are starting to change. There are beautiful flowers that wait to bloom until the temperature drops and the days shorten. Take advantage of this opportunity to add color by planting fall blooming perennials in containers, flower boxes or perennial beds. Containers are the perfect way to extend the growing season and bring color to your entrance. Remember to plant a mix of different species in your container and play with color. Choosing plants with contrasting color and form will stand out from a distance inviting a closer look.

Excellent container plants are chrysanthemums, asters (‘Purple Dome’), pansies, ornamental kale, purple fountain grass and Japanese blood grass. To plant, partially fill your container with potting soil or Styrofoam and insert plants still in their nursery pots. Protect your containers from an early frost by covering or moving them to an unheated garage. This will typically allow you to have beautiful plantings through Thanksgiving. Once the weather turns and an extended period of freezing temperatures is predicted, remove potted plants from their container and place pots in holes in the garden, water well and mulch heavily. Plants can over winter and be planted in a permanent home in the spring or repotted in containers.

Work now to insure a vibrant spring sale
If you want to sell your home next spring, now is the time to get a head start by planting spring flowering bulbs. The more planning you do now, the less work you’ll have come March and April. Pairing bulbs with compatible perennials will keep your beds looking neat even when after your bulbs have bloomed and their foliage have started to droop and yellow. The key is picking bulbs and perennials that require similar growing conditions, such as sunny/dry, moist or shady. Plant the bulbs with their companion perennials so that spreading plants will grow in over the spent bulbs. Suggested combinations:

• Sunny/dry locations – pair daffodils, tulip and/or hyacinth with peony, cranesbill or lamb’s ear to cover. You can plant dianthus in front of bulbs/perennial companions.
• Moist locations – pair Spanish bluebell, fritillaria and/or quamash with astilbe, cardinal flower or brunnera to cover. Can plant mazus and/or coral bells in front of bulbs/perennial companions.
• Shady locations – pair wood hyacinth, windflower or toad lily with hostas, celandine poppy or ferns to cover. Can plant sweet woodruff in front of bulbs/perennial companions.

Don’t have the time or the budget to plant everything at once? Plant the bulbs this fall and fill in with the perennials in the spring. Bulbs need the cold weather in order to bloom so be sure to get them before winter.
For more on bulb/perennial companions go to: http://www.gardengatemagazine.com/extras/083/bulb_companions.php

Fall is the perfect time to plant new trees and shrubs
Give the new plants time to start acclimating to their new environment during their dormant period before spring and the demands of new growth. Be sure to follow planting instructions carefully. The top of the root ball of a B&B plant should never be below ground level. Water thoroughly and apply 3 inch layer mulch. If you haven’t yet selected a tree/shrub the Missouri Botanical Garden (MOBOT) has excellent online references to help you decide.
Try using Plants of Merit if you are looking for something different that you aren’t likely to see in everyone’s garden. Plants of Merit have all been tested by MOBOT and local horticulturalists and have proven to be reliable performers with excellent plant characteristics but are underutilized in our region.

Want to browse and look at all the trees there are to choose from that like a wet and shady location? Use Plant Finder Search. Plant Search is the garden’s most extensive plant database search engine. It allows you to search by plant type; cultural requirements, such as sun, water, and planting zone; plant characteristics, like height, width, bloom color and time; uses for plant; features of flowers, leaves and fruit.

With a bit of planning, some imagination and digging power, you can enjoy your fall garden now and potential buyers will enjoy your efforts next spring.

6 Landscaping Tricks That Wow Buyers

In today's market, sellers have to work harder to persuade buyers that their property is worth the bite.

Landscape designer Michael Glassman has cooked up a recipe for guaranteed curb appeal.

1. Add splashes of color. With every changing season, a landscape should provide a new display of colors, textures, and fragrances. "It’s best to use one or two and repeat them," Glassman says. Example: white iceberg roses that bloom in spring, summer, and fall as a backdrop; in front, a contrasting punch of purple salvia or lavender that will flower at the same time; and as an accent, a crape myrtle tree that provides changing leaf colors in fall and interesting branches come winter.

2. Size trees and shrubs to scale. These should be planted in the right scale for the house so that they don’t block windows, doors, and other architectural features on the home’s facade. A large two-story house can handle a redwood, Chinese pistache, sycamore, or scarlet oak, but a one-story cottage is better paired with a flowering cherry, crabapple, or eastern redbud. Too many trees cast too much shadow and cause potential buyers to worry about maintenance and costs.

3. Maintain a perfect lawn. A velvety green lawn demonstrates tender loving care, so be sure sellers’ homes don’t have brown spots. Some rocks, pebbles, boulders, drought-tolerant plants, and ornamental grasses will generate more kudos, especially in drought areas.

4. Light up the outside. Good illumination allows buyers to see a home at night and adds drama. Sellers should use low-voltage lamps to highlight branches of specimen trees, a front door, walk, and corners of the house. But less is better. The yard shouldn’t resemble an airport runway.

5. Let them hear the water. The sound of water appeals to buyers, and you shouldn’t just reserve this for your backyard. A small fountain accented with rocks provides a pleasant gurgling sound, blocks street noise, and is affordable.

6. Use decorative architectural elements. A new mailbox, planted window boxes, and a low fence wrapped in potato vines add cachet, particularly during winter months when fewer plants blossom. Colors should complement the landscape and home. Just don’t overdo it: Too much can seem like kitschy lawn ornaments.

Source: Michael Glassman, landscape designer, Michael Glassman and Associates, Sacramento, Calif., www.michaelglassman.com