Demonstration Gardens
The vision of hands-on demonstrations for the general public spurred Master Gardeners to establish different types of gardens on site at the
St. Charles County Extension Center. The gardens give residents a place to learn about plants that do well in St. Charles County, as well as to see gardening techniques and methods. Master Gardeners also use the gardens in many of the gardening classes they offer.

A plot plan for the gardens is available. After opening the plan, you may need to enlarge it to 200% for it to be legible. You can also take a virtual tour of the gardens by clicking the links below.

Compost Bins
 Active compost piles fill the decorative bins constructed in 2006. Learn how to recycle lawn and garden waste into the "black gold" that replenishes soil with nutrients. This demonstration area will be enhanced with a soil building display in the future.

Entrance Garden
A small area around the entrance sign to the St. Charles County Extension Center became a garden for seasonal plants. A few perennials serve as backbone to the bulbs and annuals that splash color around the sign.

Herb Garden
A small, formal herb garden was established in 2006. Container-grown herbs are used as well as in-ground plantings. This garden is a good example of small space gardening -- a single herb can delight the senses!

Native Gardens
Three gardens were established with Missouri native forbs, grasses, sedges and shrubs. Plants that thrive in moist-to-wet conditions fill the rain garden, which takes storm-water runoff from a parking lot. Plants that serve as host or nectar source for butterflies fill the butterfly garden and a mix of prairie plants and grasses were started from seed in 2006 to create a prairie plot.

Perennial Garden
This garden holds a variety of perennials and shrubs, many of them being Plants of Merit. It was officially given Plants of Merit Garden designation in 2006. The garden surrounds a flagpole and was designed to offer year-round interest.

Raised Bed Garden
The raised vegetable beds demonstrate a way to bring beauty to vegetable gardening. Trellis' add the visual interest to the ordinary view of vegetable plants. A variety of vegetables grow well in the raised beds -- an attribute to the benefits of raising the bed.

Gardens to be established include a shade garden, disability garden and turf grass plots.