GARDEN CENTER OPENS JUNE9

ST. LOUIS The Missouri Botanical Garden will become the focal point for Midwest gardeners when the Kemper Center for Home Gardening opens to the public June 9.

The center, located near the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, will be the largest non-profit home gardening information center of it's kind in the nation.

Opening day activities include a lecture and demonstration by Jim Wilson, co-host of the PBS series "Victory Garden," Dave Murray, KTVI-TV chief meteorologist staffing the weather station; cooking demonstrations by KTVI-TV's Janis Murray; and hourly drawings for garden tools and equipment.

The Kemper Center, names after the William T. Kemper Foundation, was designed to resemble a large but typical family split-level house. It encompasses 10,000 square feet of exhibits and displays.

Among the buildings features are a "plant doctor" area, a demonstration kitchen, living room area with a fireplace, a weather station, window garden displays and a huge calendar display.