Current Events
Winter Is Coming
Just because the plants have slowed their growing doesn’t mean that things have slowed down at the Garden. Garden Glow installation is well underway and will be open to the public November 23–January 4. For tickets and more information on food, drink, and when to expect visits from Santa, visit the Garden Glow website.
The early winter weather on November 11 dressed Garden Glow decorations in an especially festive snow. Photo by Kristina Schall DeYong.
Staff has been hard at work preparing the grounds for winter. This doesn’t just mean installing Christmas lights-it also includes tasks like planting bulbs, making sure the bees have enough honey stores to survive the winter, shutting down the trams and Children’s Garden for the season, draining the reflecting pools, and preparing the Garden for the harsh weather ahead.
One area of the Garden getting a new wintertime treatment is the Chinese Garden. After a major repair to one of the crane mosaics earlier this summer, General Services Manager Kevin Mattingly decided to introduce yearly preventative maintenance to reduce the risk of major damage to the mosaics. They will now be sealed each fall to protect them from freezes.
2019 Growing Season Saw Garden’s Biggest Water Lily Pad Ever
This summer, the Garden grew its biggest water lily yet. The pad measured 91 inches across, which is over a foot larger than the average Victoria water lily pad grown in St. Louis. It’s also just two inches short of the world record–and thanks to a brand new heating system, the Garden is well within reach of beating that record, too. Nursery Senior Manager Derek Lyle is determined to make that happen.
Horticulture staff measures a Victoria water lily pad. This one measured at 6 feet 9 inches.
St. Louis Green Teen Alliance Awarded by the Missouri Environmental Education Association
The St. Louis Green Teen Alliance, of which the Garden is a founding and current member, was recognized by the MEEA (Missouri Environmental Education Association) at their annual statewide conference on November 2. The Alliance includes youth employment programs operated by Forest Park Forever, St. Louis Science Center, Audubon Center at Riverlands, EarthDance Farms, and a few others, including the Garden’s own Outdoor Youth Corps.
The Outdoor Youth Corps at work. Photo by Cassidy Moody.
The Alliance was presented with the 2019 Student Group Award, which recognizes an active student organization that has improved the quality of their campus or local environment by engaging with and mobilizing fellow students and the surrounding community. The goal of St. Louis Green Teen Alliance is to “grow the future of the green workforce by engaging youth from historically marginalized communities in environmental work;” MEEA specifically recognized the work of the Alliance to build a more diverse and equitable field for environmental jobs.
Stephen and Peter Sachs Museum honored with AIA Craftsmanship Award
The recent restoration and addition to the Sachs Museum was honored by The American Institute of Architects (AIA) St. Louis 2019 Design Award in the Craftsmanship category. According to the AIA, “The award is given to local firms for superior craftsmanship in the construction industry in a specific trade profession. The winning projects represent great skill, patience, and attention to detail of the craftsmen, who beautifully carry out the design intent of some of St. Louis’s most expressive and complex building projects.”
The recently restored Sachs Museum. Photo by Claire Cohen.
The award was given to Christner, Inc. and Fenton-based masonry contractor Grant Contracting for their work on the building. In their statement, they specifically noted that the new wing provides an accessible entrance–a much-needed modern update–and that while it is distinctly new, it remains complimentarily similar to the original building in the simplicity of its design and shape.
The Museum’s next exhibit, Apple of the Earth, is an interdisciplinary look at the art, science, and history of the potato. The exhibit opens November 15.
Shaw Nature Reserve and Missouri Botanical Garden win TripSavvy Awards
Shaw Nature Reserve and the Missouri Botanical Garden both earned Editor’s Choice awards from TripSavvy. Shaw was recognized as Best for Outdoor Enthusiasts, and the Garden was recognized in the Best for Plant Moms category.
A doe and fawn cross the Wetland Trail at Shaw Nature Reserve. Photo by Kathy Melton.
Kristina Schall DeYong–Digital Media Specialist