For Michelle, whose garden encompasses eight acres in the heart of St. Louis County, gardening is all about sharing. Whether it is three cuttings of special mint passed on to a fellow gardener, dinner in a succulent-filled greenhouse for family and friends or an invitation to the general public to view the garden as part of last year’s Nature Conservancy tour, she firmly believes the historic garden, of which she now considers herself the caretaker, is meant to be enjoyed by others.

Looking to add some perennials with “pop” to your garden? Go Native! That’s the advice of M.A. Ward, perennial plant manager at SummerWinds Nursery in Ellisville. Not only will you have plants with gorgeous flowers, you will be helping the environment in more ways than one.

Color. Bold, beautiful, exuberant, raucous, dazzling color sets the tone for this spectacular West County pool and patio space. But just below the brilliant surface, there is sentiment, nostalgia and peace.

To understand both aspects, requires knowing the story of how the garden came about.  It began when the homeowner’s mother passed away leaving her the family ranch-style home and 2.5 acres of property.

Long-blooming annuals and perennials bring color and texture to your garden all season. Check out our local landscape experts' favorites.

Situated between the Lichtenstein Victorian District and the Japanese Garden, visitors step into a shaded patch of tranquility known as the Cherbonnier English Woodland Garden. Beneath a canopy of trees, more than 300 rhododendrons and azaleas and 100 dogwoods burst into bloom each spring, while clusters of wildflowers, hydrangeas and perennials provide surprising splashes of color against the background music of a babbling brook. The garden peaks around the second week of April, when the dogwoods, wildflowers and other spring blooms are out.

Forget Jack and his ethereal, spiraling beanstalk. If you want to see some authentic, fancy, fast-growing plant magic, local garden experts want you to checkout “Green Giant” arborvitae. It is rapidly becoming the “go-to” plant for garden designers and homeowners who want to create an all year, living, green privacy screen.