Planting for the Future

The garden, which includes native Missouri grasses, flowers, succulents and prairie plants, is part of the facility’s expansion and increased emphasis on green building techniques. Water runoff drained from the garden will be collected for use in the facility bathrooms, and the garden also will help cool the area during the summer and warm it in the winter by absorbing sunlight rather than reflecting it.

Planters used seeds donated by the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Grow Native program and mulch donated by the city’s Yard Waste Recycling Center.