For continuous color and interest in your garden, consider these favorite plantings from local landscapers. 

“One of our favorite multiple-blooming perennials is 'Summer Storm' Hardy Hibiscus. This large perennial is a prolific bloomer from summer into the fall and grows to 5’. The blooms themselves are wonderful; pink petals contrast with rose veins and deep magenta centers.” Daniel Mee, Frisella Nursery.

In my three short years here, one Midwestern generalization has been proven true, time and time again, by both county and city dwellers. The moment the freeze warnings lift, the ice turns to rain and the brown of winter gives life to the electric-green haze of early spring, Missourians are outside fussing with whatever patch of land they can get their hands on, be it county-style acreage or a strip of sun-soaked alleyway downtown. 

Why did the chicken cross the road? There are as many variations to that old riddle as there are trick or treaters on Halloween, who always seem to come up with a few new versions. But these days there are some new takes that even kids looking for a new joke to trade for candy haven’t dreamed up.

Add a touch of nostalgia to your garden with these beautiful blooms that have stood the test of time. Our local landscapers share their old-fashioned favorites.  

There’s a small taste of the historic Ottoman Empire right here in St. Louis at the Missouri Botanical Garden.  The Ottoman Garden is a unique quarter-acre walled garden that carries on the little known but great gardening tradition of the Ottomans. 

The Ottoman Garden provides a visually lush and peaceful setting. Visitors can enjoy the refreshing sound of water, earthy patina of the surrounding walls, antique brick and stone and the myriad of plants whose primary functions are for fragrance, fruit and color.

Estimates vary as to how many microbreweries dot the Greater St. Louis region. Some go as high as 50, with more springing up all the time. That doesn’t count the number of home brewers, who painstakingly create masterful beer in their basements using endless variations of the standard grain, yeast, water and hops.