The St. Louis Planter Comes to Kirkwood

Kirkwood, Missouri – July 11, 2007 – Earlier this summer, a pair of St. Louis Planters were installed and planted outside the east entrance to Kirkwood City Hall. Kirkwood is the first community outside of downtown St. Louis to procure and display this unique landscape planter at a distinguished location on public community property. Recently, the city had the opportunity to thank the two donors of the planters, the Kirkwood Rotary Club and William and Joan Ruppert of Kirkwood in memory of William and Francelia Ruppert.

Inspired by St. Louis’ early French heritage, the fleur-de-lis forms the primary decorative feature for creating a landscape planter unique for the St. Louis gateway region. The idea of creating this special landscape planter was conceived in 2004 by Bill Ruppert (current chair of Kirkwood’s Urban Forestry Commission, recently a co-chair of Kirkwood’s successful entry into the America In Bloom Competition, and a Gateway Greening board member). The design effort was led in 2005 by Ted Spaid of SWT Design, a St. Louis-based professional landscape architecture firm with the ultimate crafting of the planters performed by Cassilly and Cassilly studios with generous support by the Gateway Foundation. Gateway Greening continues to support and manage the St. Louis Planter as an Urban Roots project.

The creation of the St. Louis Planter is intended to enhance and complement metropolitan St. Louis public landscapes. Design criteria for creating a planter unique to St. Louis include establishing a size appropriate for landscape settings of urban scale and durability to succeed in dynamic public spaces. The planters are conducive to healthy growth for large-scale seasonal plantings. The appearance of the planters is both clean and contemporary but sensitive to the rich history and heritage of St. Louis. Each planter measures 4' diameter and 3' tall and weighs approximately 2,000 pounds.

PHOTO CAPTION:

Mayor Mike Swoboda (center) along with the donors of the two St. Louis planters, Bill Ruppert (left) and Kirkwood Rotary Club President Art McDonnell (right). The donors are holding the cast plaques that will be attached to the planters recognizing their generosity to the city.

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