Creating Winter Wonder in Forest Park

Ice skating at Steinberg Rink may be paused this season as we construct the Glade, but Forest Park is still a winter wonderland, thanks to our imaginative, hardworking Land Management team.

At the end of last year, our creative crew of horticulturists, led by Superintendent Nick Selby, designed seasonal displays for visitors to enjoy during this colder, less-colorful time of year. In some cases, they even incorporated wood from tornado-felled trees and made handwoven wreaths from vines found in the Park.

If you need one more reason to come visit Forest Park soon, these displays will be in place through the end of January and maybe longer, depending on the weather.   

Emerson Grand Basin

In the Grand Basin, horticulturist Faith Warren designed container displays that feature a bundle of birch logs or a grouping of white and brown twigs as the central “thriller.” These are surrounded by evergreen sprays, pinecones and bright red and orange berries, all of which are bound by a beautifully woven vine wreath.

Jefferson Lake

The Clayton Avenue overlook of Jefferson Lake hosts another set of festive planters. Horticulturist Kate Eihausen’s creations frame the lake with woodsy displays that hint at the nearby freshwater habitat. She used branches, pinecones, vibrant red and minty green berries and wood from fallen trees as features in the arrangements. American Lotus seed pods are a nod to the displays’ location near the terminus of the Park’s interconnected waterway, which now extends 3.35 miles after the completion of the East Waterways project last year.

Photo of a large concrete planter overlooking Jefferson Lake filled with greenery, twigs, pinecones, berries and seed pods
Photo showing details of a winter display at Jefferson Lake with greenery, red berries and seed pods

Jewish Tercentenary Monument and Government Hill

Horticulturists Marley Renner and Brenda Walter used the concept behind “grave blankets”—evergreen arrangements placed on new burial plots during winter—to protect bulbs in the annual flowerbeds at the Jewish Tercentenary Monument and in the garden rooms on Government Hill. In these landscaped areas, they covered the bare soil with “bulb blankets” to add visual interest and deter curious wildlife from the freshly planted spring bulbs.

Photo of bare soil in a flowerbed near the Jewish Tercentenary Monument

Flowerbed at the Jewish Tercentenary Monument before

Photo of soil covered by a "bulb blanket" in a flowerbed near the Jewish Tercentenary Monument

Flowerbed at the Jewish Tercentenary Monument after

Support Our Work in Every Season

As the nonprofit conservancy that maintains Forest Park in partnership with the City of St. Louis, Forest Park Forever employs experts in land management, ecology, conservation, park operations, community engagement, education and visitor services. We’re now using our expertise to integrate long-term tornado recovery into our annual plans and the master plan for Forest Park.

There’s still so much work to be done and many ways you can help!

Forest Park Experience, Land Management, Maintenance, NatureTiffany WebbLand Management, Jefferson Lake, East Waterways