Crittenden County Gardeners enjoy gathering new ideas from other gardeners and locations. To assist these gardeners in expanding their knowledge the Crittenden County ANR agent Dee Heimgartner has been taking them on day trips to surrounding botanical gardens and ag tourism farms. That tradition continued this past summer and even expanded to an overnight trip.

The first trip of the summer was an overnight trip to St. Louis to visit the Missouri Botanical Garden to se different plant species and to view the glass art exhibit on display in the garden. Participants also toured a butterfly house to learn about entomology,  learned about one of the oldest Farmer's Markets in the nation and experience a little of St. Louis culture by taking a riverboat ride by the St. Louis Arch. 

The second trip of the summer was to Murray Arboretum which is managed by someone who grew up in Crittenden County and still has relatives that live in county. The manager toured the group around The Arboretum and answered any questions on landscaping that the group had. Participants learned about native plants and how to incorporate trees and shade gardens into their own landscapes while at The Arboretum.

Both of these trips were a fun way to educate Crittenden County Gardeners on different aspects of their landscapes. One participant said she does not drive in big cities anymore and would not have been able to see the St. Louis attractions if it hadn't been for this program. That participant also plans on incorporating some new plants and ideas into her own garden to attract more butterflies.