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KIRKWOOD, Mo.—Native gardeners can arm themselves with the knowledge and plants they’ll need to establish their own native gardens at a special event hosted by the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Powder Valley Nature Center.
Get a head start on spring planting with Powder Valley’s Native Plant Workshop and Sale, happening Saturday, April 9 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Admission to the event is free and includes both opportunities to learn about native plants and to purchase them for planting at home. The workshop is geared for beginning gardeners or native plant-curious homeowners.
Headlining the event will be a live presentation from native plant expert Scott Woodbury, horticulturalist at Shaw Nature Reserve. Woodbury will talk about the many benefits of planting natives and how to get started doing it. He will offer his program twice, both virtually and in-person, from 11 a.m. – noon and from 1-2 p.m.
Visitors will have the chance for self-guided exploration at a number of educational tables set up at the event. The tables will cover topics that include how to create a rain garden, identifying and dealing with non-native invasive plants, planting to attract wildlife and pollinators, and the value of caterpillars and mason bees. Participants can also learn about nature journaling in their own home gardens, and how to use the iNaturalist Seek mobile app to help ID plants and animals.
In addition to going home with new knowledge, gardeners can bring home new plants as well. Missouri Wildflower Nursery will set up a plant sale so participants can purchase native plants during the event and will enable customers to pick up pre-orders from previous purchases. Every registered participant will even receive a free plant to take with them. The nature center will also hold native flower seed giveaways.
The Powder Valley Native Plant Workshop and Sale is a free event open for all ages, but preregistration online is required at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/44b. Registering at this link will give access to the event at the nature center. Participants must register separately for Woodbury's presentations by using the following links:
Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center is located at 11715 Cragwold Road in Kirkwood, near the intersection of I-270 and I-44.
As this is an in-person activity, MDC asks all participants to observe any current local social distancing or masking guidelines, if applicable.
