Alley Asters

Alley asters is a volunteer-run ecological gardening program in St. Louis, Missouri, with the mission of beautifying the alleys of South City with native perennial plants. We convert unloved alley spaces into ecologically productive native habitat.

Why we work on/in alleys:

Community members tend to be less concerned (or not concerned at all) with the formality of alley plantings, which means they are more likely to allow these spaces to be converted to natives compared to their front/back gardens. Therefore, they're an excellent opporunity to introduce our community to native plants.
Unloved alley spots often host invasive species, so this work allows us to remove them.
Alley soil tends to be unimproved, allowing native plants to survive/thrive.
Alleys are frequently used by local community members, offering neighbors an opportunity to deeply learn the lifeycle of native plants in their alley.

Want to get involved? Send an email to alleyasters [at] gmail [dot] com.

Thanks to:

St. Louis Native Plant Swap Facebook Group for being a constant source of volunteer plants!
Dig Annuals and Perennails for their significant plant donations throughout our operation.

Gardens

3891 Connecticut St

First planted: fall 2024

Removed: n/a - was bare dirt

Initial planting: 13 plants

Size: ~10 sq. ft

Before

Initial planting

3847 Connecticut St

First planted: fall 2024

Removed: hostas

Initial planting: 18 plants

Size: ~25 sq. ft

Before (east bed)

Initial planting

1st year

Before (west bed)

Initial planting

1st year

3614 Wyoming St

First planted: fall 2024

Removed: daylilies and grasses

Initial planting: 30 plants

Size: ~55 sq. ft

Before, trimmed (east bed)

Solarization

Initial planting

1st year

Before, trimmed (west bed)

Solarization

Initial planting

1st year

4020 Hartford St

First planted: fall 2024

Removed: n/a - mulched dirt

Initial planting: 30 plants

Size: ~55 sq. ft

During planting

Initial planting

1st year

3895 Connecticut St

First planted: fall 2024

Removed: misc weeds

Initial planting: 15 plants

Size: ~25 sq. ft

Notes: A butterfly garden is being attempted behind the recycling bin. Along the side of the garage, a less formal planting of golden ragwort and cliff goldenrod was used.