Fleur de Lis Garden Society Plants St Peters Rain Garden

The Fleur de Lis Garden Society recently planted 548 mud balls at the St Peters Rain Garden behind the South St Peters Rec-Plex in St Peters.  Members, guests, Girl Scouts and parents made mud balls in January with compost, water and wildflower seed.  These were stored until planting time.  Rudbeckia hirta, New England Aster and Purple Coneflower seeds were collected from member’s gardens and mixed with the compost donated by St Louis Composting, Inc. 

“What are mud balls?” asked Elaine Fix, 2011 – 2013 President of the group. “Think back to the mud pies you made as a child, only these are round and the size of baseballs.” The party was the idea shared with her by another member of a garden club in Mountain View, Mo.  Federated Garden Clubs of Missouri, Inc. has annual conventions where members meet around the state once a year and have programs, tours and share ideas about gardening.   

The compost to make the mud balls was donated by St. Louis Composting, Inc.  The St. Louis Zoo is one of the company’s suppliers of composting material.  “Yes, we have zoo poo in our compost,” said Roy Gross, a Sales Representative for the company who joined in fashioning the mud balls. 

Rain gardens are miniature wetlands that reduce stormwater runoff and create a wildlife habitat.   Ever watch your gutter’s downspout gush during a heavy rain?  The average Missouri roof shed tens of thousands of gallons of water that runs off into storm sewers already stressed by road and parking lot runoff.  As a tiny wetland, your rain garden will reduce drainage and flooding problems, keep pollutants out of your local stormwater system and bring beauty and wildlife to your landscape. 

The Fleur de Lis Garden Society holds monthly meetings  on this and other topics, has trips and does projects in the community like “Plant it Pink”, Adopt a Road Litter Control, Bluebird Trails, Garden Therapy and gives programs on gardening topics in cooperation with the Adult Education Series with the St Charles County Library system at the Kisker Road Library.  Guests are always welcome.  For more information, visit www.fleurdelisgardensociety.org, or contact 2012 Membership Chairman, Jean Davis at jkd1030@sbcglobal.net or 314-605-8563.  Please RSVP.  Refreshments are served. 

You can visit their website at www.fleurdelisgardensociety.org for more information.