Through Oct. 3

DinoQuest: A Tropical Trek Through Time dinosaur exhibition. Encounter dozens of prehistoric creatures in an unparalleled environment – a thriving tropical rain forest! Explore the world of dinosaurs and prehistoric plants; discover how scientists shed light on the past, present and future; and celebrate our planet’s rich biodiversity of today. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Climatron® dome, Shoenberg Temperate House and Brookings Interpretive Center. Garden admission plus $5 adults, $3 children (3-12), $3 Garden members, $2 members’ children. Learn more at www.mobot.org/dinoquest. Exhibit sponsorship of “DinoQuest: A Tropical Trek Through Time” is provided by Cardinals Care; Insituform Technologies, Inc.; Macy’s; Cheryl and Dave Morley; and an anonymous contributor.

Throughout September
The Missouri Botanical Garden offers a wide variety of weekday, evening and weekend programs for adults at its family of attractions. Both novices and enthusiasts can enjoy advice from the experts, with classes on Eco-Frugal Gardening, Growing Your Own Small Fruit, Watercolor: Painting with an Artist’s Eye, Ecuadorian Cuisine: Spices and Stories and more. Program themes include gardening and landscaping, arts and crafts, food and cooking, green living, nature study and health and wellness. View a print-at-home catalog of all fall and winter classes for adults and register online at www.mobot.org/classes. For more information, call (314) 577-5140.

Sept. 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30
Jurassic Dark. Bring your family to experience the wonder of the Missouri Botanical Garden and the DinoQuest dinosaur exhibition—after hours! Take an evening trek through the Climatron® tropical rain forest, where dramatic lighting and fog elements enhance the dinosaurs’ habitat. 6 to 10 p.m.; last entry at 9:30 p.m. Purchase tickets: $9 adults, $7 children (ages three to 12), $5 Garden members, $3 members’ children. Invite your friends on Facebook or learn more about this event.
Exhibit sponsorship of “DinoQuest: A Tropical Trek Through Time” is provided by Cardinals Care; Charles and June Gallagher; Insituform Technologies, Inc.; Macy’s; Cheryl and Dave Morley; and an anonymous contributor.

Sept. 4, 5 & 6
Annual Japanese Festival presents taiko drumming, sumo wrestling, traditional tea ceremonies, martial arts, candlelight walks in the Japanese Garden and more. Sept. 4 and 5, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sept. 6 (Labor Day), 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Doors open at 9 a.m. $15 adults (13-64), $10 seniors (65+), $5 children (3-12), $5 members. Does not include admission to DinoQuest exhibit. No trams. Learn more. Sponsorship for the 2010 Japanese Festival is provided by Central States Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Novus International, Inc. and Bodine Aluminum, Inc.

Beginning the week of Sept. 7
Strollerobics. Workout at the Missouri Botanical Garden with trained fitness instructors! The eight-week series is designed for all fitness levels. Participants push strollers along the Garden’s mostly flat paths, stopping to do cardio and toning exercises. Your children will enjoy the Garden’s sights and sounds, while you get a great workout and socialize with other moms! Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. or Tuesdays from 6 to 7 p.m. Meet at the ticket counter, Ridgway Visitor Center. $64. Advance registration required; www.mobot.org/classes or (314) 577-5140. For a complete list of youth and family programs at the Garden’s family of attractions, visit www.mobot.org/classes.

Sept. 9
Garden Buds: Last Stomp of the Dinosaurs. The fall and winter seasons can be magical, memorable times to discover nature’s most amazing wonders with your preschooler. You and your Garden Bud will explore together in ways that spark curiosity and inspire a lifelong love for nature. For ages 4 to 6. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Jordan Education Wing, Ridgway Visitor Center. $18 per child (includes one adult). Advance registration required; www.mobot.org/classes or (314) 577-5140. For a complete list of youth and family programs at the Garden’s family of attractions, visit www.mobot.org/classes.

Sept. 11
All-Girls Garden Party. Join us to celebrate the blooming beauties of the Garden! We will create floral centerpieces and party wear, prepare seasonal snacks and enjoy an eco-friendly celebration at the Kemper Center’s Summer Plant House. For girls ages 6 to 10. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jordan Education Wing, Ridgway Visitor Center. $36 per child (includes one adult). Advance registration required; www.mobot.org/classes or (314) 577-5140. For a complete list of youth and family programs at the Garden’s family of attractions, visit www.mobot.org/classes.

Sept. 11
Greater St. Louis Daylily Society sale. New cultivars and old favorites are sold by the area’s top growers, who are on hand to give plant care advice and share information about their organization. Orthwein Floral Display Hall, Ridgway Visitor Center. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entry included with Garden admission.

Sept. 11
Maxine Stone, past president of the Missouri Mycological Society, will sign copies of her new book, “Missouri’s Wild Mushrooms.” The lively and informative guide to the state’s common fungi features color photographs and detailed descriptions of the most common Missouri species. The book includes tips for finding, gathering, preparing and preserving wild mushrooms, along with a visual key to aid identification and clear guidelines to help distinguish edible mushrooms from poisonous ones. Noon to 2 p.m. Garden Gate Shop.

Through Sept. 12
Japanese calligraphy exhibit. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ridgway Visitor Center, upper level.

Sept. 12
Members' Event: Grandparents' Day. Share a fun-filled afternoon with your grandchild in the Cohen Amphitheater and Doris I. Schnuck Children’s Garden. Enjoy a snack and create a botanical craft. 1 to 3 p.m. Free for Garden members and their guests. Advance reservations required; RSVP online today or call (314) 577-9570. For more information, call (314) 577-5154.

Beginning the week of Sept. 13
Little Sprouts – Fall. Learn about plants and nature with your toddler during this seven-week series. Each session includes indoor, hands-on activities, songs, stories, snacks and a walk in the Garden. This fall, we will search for the Garden’s full-time residents – insects, frogs and furry friends. For ages 2 to 3. Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Jordan Education Wing, Ridgway Visitor Center. $126 per child (includes one adult). Advance registration required; www.mobot.org/classes or (314) 577-5140. For a complete list of youth and family programs at the Garden’s family of attractions, visit www.mobot.org/classes.

Sept. 17 through Nov. 21
“Flowering Frost,” an exhibit of photographic works by David Boesch. Boesch depicts the visual phenomenon of “frost flowers” or “ribbon ice,” the frosty, spiraling formations that occur when freezing air, warm soil and plant life combine. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monsanto Hall, upper level of the Ridgway Visitor Center. Part of the American Arts Experience - St. Louis!

Sept. 18
Great Green Adventures: Garden Apartments. Search the Garden for clues about the animals, insects and spiders that make their home here. Ages six to 12 with an adult. Great Green Adventures are held the third Saturday of every month at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Meet outside the Children’s Garden entrance. $3 per child.

Sept. 18 & 19
Greater St. Louis Dahlia Society show. New cultivars and old favorites are shown by the area’s top growers, who are on hand to give plant care advice and share information about their organization. Orthwein Floral Display Hall, Ridgway Visitor Center. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entry included with Garden admission. http://stldahliasociety.com

Sept. 23
Garden Buds: Under the Garden. The fall and winter seasons can be magical, memorable times to discover nature’s most amazing wonders with your preschooler. You and your Garden Bud will explore together in ways that spark curiosity and inspire a lifelong love for nature. For ages 4 to 6. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Jordan Education Wing, Ridgway Visitor Center. $18 per child (includes one adult). Advance registration required; www.mobot.org/classes or (314) 577-5140. For a complete list of youth and family programs at the Garden’s family of attractions, visit www.mobot.org/classes.

Sept. 24 through 26
Spring bulb sale. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Garden Gate Shop.

Sept. 25 & 26
Gateway West Gesneriad Society show and sale. New cultivars and old favorites are shown and sold by the area’s top growers, who are on hand to give plant care advice and share information about their organization. Beaumont Room, Ridgway Visitor Center. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entry included with Garden admission. www.gesneriadsociety.org

Sept. 25 & 26
Greater St. Louis Daffodil Society sale. New cultivars and old favorites are sold by the area’s top growers, who are on hand to give plant care advice and share information about their organization. Orthwein Floral Display Hall, Ridgway Visitor Center. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entry included with Garden admission. http://stldaffodilclub.org

Sept. 25
Coffee with the Presidents. The community is invited to meet and mingle with Dr. Peter Wyse Jackson, incoming Missouri Botanical Garden president, and Dr. Peter H. Raven, Garden president emeritus. Enjoy light refreshments and remarks by Dr. Wyse Jackson, Dr. Raven and Arnold Donald, president of the Board of Trustees. 9 to 10:30 a.m.; remarks at 9:30 and 10:15 a.m. Spoehrer Plaza.

Sept. 25
EarthWays Green Homes Festival in Grand Center
Over 90 exhibits and demonstrations from the region’s experts on all things “green” will fill an entire city block in midtown St. Louis. Enjoy demos, displays, workshops, green craft show, and a food court featuring local vendors. Learning and fun for all ages. Free. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Website: GreenHomesSTL.org.
Maps and directions to Grand Center: EarthWays Center.

Through Sept. 30
Plastic Pot Recycling. Close the gardening loop! Recycle plastic garden pots, cell packs and trays. Plastic should be separated and empty of soil with no metal hangers or rings; no clay pots or food plastic accepted. Please separate #6 plastic cell packs and trays from #2 and #5 plastic pots into the recycling trailers. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. West parking lot of the Garden’s Monsanto Center, 4500 Shaw Blvd. at Vandeventer. (314) 577-9441. For a complete list of satellite collection centers throughout the metro area, visit www.plasticpotrecycling.org. Support for Plastic Pot Recycling is provided by Monrovia.

Click here for hours, admission, directions, and parking information.

Please note: The Linnean House conservatory will be closed through December for renovations and repairs. Built in 1882, this structure is the oldest continuously operating greenhouse west of the Mississippi River. Thanks to a gift from the Mabel Dorn Reeder Foundation, the Garden will make improvements such as a new all-glass roof, new windows and more. The Linnean House is scheduled to reopen in Spring 2011.

Email Web Comments: Rob Thurman