Chuck Schagrin was genuinely shocked he won our annual Great Garden Contest. Schagrin, who gardens in his free time when he’s not working as president of Amherst Corp., says, “I guess I just assume everyone has a backyard like this.”
![Chuck Schagrin's garden wins Great Garden Contest in Clayton](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/51647d0c-b9ed-5f25-a9e1-0f7af8c2b1a7/64b04d62c9905.image.jpg?resize=150%2C103 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/51647d0c-b9ed-5f25-a9e1-0f7af8c2b1a7/64b04d62c9905.image.jpg?resize=200%2C137 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/51647d0c-b9ed-5f25-a9e1-0f7af8c2b1a7/64b04d62c9905.image.jpg?resize=225%2C154 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/51647d0c-b9ed-5f25-a9e1-0f7af8c2b1a7/64b04d62c9905.image.jpg?resize=300%2C205 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/51647d0c-b9ed-5f25-a9e1-0f7af8c2b1a7/64b04d62c9905.image.jpg?resize=400%2C274 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/51647d0c-b9ed-5f25-a9e1-0f7af8c2b1a7/64b04d62c9905.image.jpg?resize=540%2C370 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/51647d0c-b9ed-5f25-a9e1-0f7af8c2b1a7/64b04d62c9905.image.jpg?resize=640%2C438 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/51647d0c-b9ed-5f25-a9e1-0f7af8c2b1a7/64b04d62c9905.image.jpg?resize=750%2C514 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/51647d0c-b9ed-5f25-a9e1-0f7af8c2b1a7/64b04d62c9905.image.jpg?resize=990%2C678 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/51647d0c-b9ed-5f25-a9e1-0f7af8c2b1a7/64b04d62c9905.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C709 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/51647d0c-b9ed-5f25-a9e1-0f7af8c2b1a7/64b04d62c9905.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C822 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/51647d0c-b9ed-5f25-a9e1-0f7af8c2b1a7/64b04d62c9905.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C913 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/51647d0c-b9ed-5f25-a9e1-0f7af8c2b1a7/64b04d62c9905.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C1011 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/51647d0c-b9ed-5f25-a9e1-0f7af8c2b1a7/64b04d62c9905.image.jpg?resize=1739%2C1191 2008w)
A playhouse, modeled after a Greek temple, sits behind a bed of flowers in Chuck Schagrin's garden in Clayton. The array of flowers spreads out in both directions from the flat yard, which once housed tennis courts.
We assured him they don’t. Guests usually get their first glimpse of the spectacular flower displays from inside the kitchen, a room Schagrin expanded years ago to include a giant picture window that looks out on the tiered yard.
“When you see the garden, you will just collapse,” says Chuck’s proud wife, Shelby. She takes zero credit for the garden, though she loves the clippings the flowers afford and makes gorgeous arrangements for the home, including a series of vases filled with Chuck’s handiwork in front of the picture window.
“That’s my contribution,” she says with a laugh.
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A large window was added to the kitchen and offers sweeping views of the backyard. In the foreground, roses take center stage on a brick patio.
Step out to the brick patio with its red Adirondack chairs and containers of white impatiens and the gardens begin revealing themselves to you in layers. The most eye-catching being the huge flower garden that sits just below and to the right as you look out the kitchen window. There, red gladiolas, yellow black-eyed Susans, purple coneflowers and dahlias in nearly every shade of the rainbow mix with watermelons, pumpkins and ferns in an arrangement that looks like a perfect Monet painting.
But Schagrin insists there is really no rhyme or reason in his plantings. “I just stick things in the ground where I think they will look nice,” he says.
![Chuck Schagrin's garden in Clayton wins Great Garden Contest](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/59/659fd668-ebfc-592e-b6bd-fa97242ff050/64b04e80b9ce9.image.jpg?resize=150%2C101 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/59/659fd668-ebfc-592e-b6bd-fa97242ff050/64b04e80b9ce9.image.jpg?resize=200%2C134 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/59/659fd668-ebfc-592e-b6bd-fa97242ff050/64b04e80b9ce9.image.jpg?resize=225%2C151 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/59/659fd668-ebfc-592e-b6bd-fa97242ff050/64b04e80b9ce9.image.jpg?resize=300%2C201 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/59/659fd668-ebfc-592e-b6bd-fa97242ff050/64b04e80b9ce9.image.jpg?resize=400%2C268 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/59/659fd668-ebfc-592e-b6bd-fa97242ff050/64b04e80b9ce9.image.jpg?resize=540%2C362 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/59/659fd668-ebfc-592e-b6bd-fa97242ff050/64b04e80b9ce9.image.jpg?resize=640%2C429 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/59/659fd668-ebfc-592e-b6bd-fa97242ff050/64b04e80b9ce9.image.jpg?resize=750%2C503 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/59/659fd668-ebfc-592e-b6bd-fa97242ff050/64b04e80b9ce9.image.jpg?resize=990%2C664 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/59/659fd668-ebfc-592e-b6bd-fa97242ff050/64b04e80b9ce9.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C695 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/59/659fd668-ebfc-592e-b6bd-fa97242ff050/64b04e80b9ce9.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C805 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/59/659fd668-ebfc-592e-b6bd-fa97242ff050/64b04e80b9ce9.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C894 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/59/659fd668-ebfc-592e-b6bd-fa97242ff050/64b04e80b9ce9.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C990 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/59/659fd668-ebfc-592e-b6bd-fa97242ff050/64b04e80b9ce9.image.jpg?resize=1757%2C1179 2008w)
A wooden structure that Schagrin calls his pagoda sits in the corner of the garden.
A team of experts from the Missouri Botanical Garden chose this year’s Great Garden Contest winners, who also receive a family membership to the garden. They loved Schagrin’s mix of both informal and formal garden design.
“There was a lot of color in the garden, showing that they used a variety of plant species. ... The pictures gave the sense that the garden was made up of individual “rooms” and that each area had its own unique feel,” said Daria McKelvey, supervisor for home gardening and outreach at MoBot.
Schagrin spends several hours during the week and at least an entire day on the weekend working to maintain his garden. “Right now, it’s mostly watering and weeding,” but he works many more hours each week in the spring.
Schagrin doesn’t mind the hard work. He loves everything about gardening: the design elements, the color and textures involved, sharing his flowers with his wife and simply being outside.
“I enjoy the ability to integrate both architecture and built elements with plantings.”
He buys many of his flowers from Garden Heights Nursery or he grows them from seeds, and some just come back every year. In the spring, bulbs start the display of color. “I like to mix things in to see what happens.”
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A hummingbird visits a Monarda, or bee balm flower, at Chuck Schagrin’s garden in 2023. His garden won our contest last year.
His Clayton home was built in 1925 on ¾ of an acre, and at the time it had tennis courts. They are long gone but the flat yard, a tier below the massive display of flowers remains. On one side, a primitive structure sits over bricks and more Adirondack chairs; on the other a primitive fence surrounds a prim and proper English garden with crushed rock walkways, standard form hydrangeas and boxwood. To the side of that, a surprise shade garden with ivy and hostas creates a perfect space for Bernese Mountain dog Arlo to take a rest. A bent-over tree with tangled limbs provides a spot for grandson Noah to climb.
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Chuck Schagrin, right, poses in his garden with his dog, Arlo and grandson Noah Bennett, 10, on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, in Clayton. Photo by Christine Tannous, ctannous@post-dispatch.com
Schagrin’s favorite flowers are zinnias and petunias, which he used to plant with his mother while growing up in Binghampton, New York. He got his love of gardening from her. “I guess I’m kind of a nostalgic gardener.” In fact, many of the ferns on the property were brought from Binghampton 35 years ago.
He moved to St. Louis when he attended graduate school for architecture at Washington University. He and Shelby bought their home in 1977. “I guess it helps that I’ve been in this house for so long,” Schagrin says. “But the yard has morphed. Trees have come and gone (some in the recent storms, in fact). My interests have changed.”
![Chuck Schagrin's garden wins Great Garden Contest in Clayton](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/fc/1fcf38f1-df72-5293-9cb1-9d6c8fa7d3d2/64b04e743f129.image.jpg?resize=150%2C104 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/fc/1fcf38f1-df72-5293-9cb1-9d6c8fa7d3d2/64b04e743f129.image.jpg?resize=200%2C138 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/fc/1fcf38f1-df72-5293-9cb1-9d6c8fa7d3d2/64b04e743f129.image.jpg?resize=225%2C155 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/fc/1fcf38f1-df72-5293-9cb1-9d6c8fa7d3d2/64b04e743f129.image.jpg?resize=300%2C207 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/fc/1fcf38f1-df72-5293-9cb1-9d6c8fa7d3d2/64b04e743f129.image.jpg?resize=400%2C276 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/fc/1fcf38f1-df72-5293-9cb1-9d6c8fa7d3d2/64b04e743f129.image.jpg?resize=540%2C373 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/fc/1fcf38f1-df72-5293-9cb1-9d6c8fa7d3d2/64b04e743f129.image.jpg?resize=640%2C442 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/fc/1fcf38f1-df72-5293-9cb1-9d6c8fa7d3d2/64b04e743f129.image.jpg?resize=750%2C518 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/fc/1fcf38f1-df72-5293-9cb1-9d6c8fa7d3d2/64b04e743f129.image.jpg?resize=990%2C684 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/fc/1fcf38f1-df72-5293-9cb1-9d6c8fa7d3d2/64b04e743f129.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C715 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/fc/1fcf38f1-df72-5293-9cb1-9d6c8fa7d3d2/64b04e743f129.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C829 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/fc/1fcf38f1-df72-5293-9cb1-9d6c8fa7d3d2/64b04e743f129.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C921 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/fc/1fcf38f1-df72-5293-9cb1-9d6c8fa7d3d2/64b04e743f129.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C1020 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/fc/1fcf38f1-df72-5293-9cb1-9d6c8fa7d3d2/64b04e743f129.image.jpg?resize=1732%2C1197 2008w)
A playhouse, which was salvaged from a house in the Central West End, sits in Schagrin's garden. He has since refinished it with hardwood floors and furniture. "We have little parties in here," Schagrin said to his grandson, Noah, with a knowing nod.
He likes to introduces architectural elements to his gardens. His work as a contractor and builder helps with that, like the four round stone sculptures that sit in front of a flower garden in the front yard. “I build houses and sometimes I salvage things from homes, like those.”
The property also holds two playhouses. One, he got 40 years ago for his two daughters. Over the years he added columns and a cupid cornice. Today, it holds some of his collection of pinball machines. The other — with its light fixtures, new hardwood floors and furniture designed by Austrian Josef Hoffmann — holds drawings from his daughters and some of his four grandchildren. It was salvaged from a property he worked on in the Central West End.
As if all this weren’t enough work, Schagrin also maintains a large vegetable garden at Starrs grocery on Big Bend Boulevard.
“Maybe next year, I’ll enter that garden.”
![Chuck Schagrin's garden in Clayton wins Great Garden Contest](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/83/583e6e68-d3fb-5d40-b0d6-43cd0eb7399d/64b04e78a102d.image.jpg?resize=150%2C100 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/83/583e6e68-d3fb-5d40-b0d6-43cd0eb7399d/64b04e78a102d.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/83/583e6e68-d3fb-5d40-b0d6-43cd0eb7399d/64b04e78a102d.image.jpg?resize=225%2C150 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/83/583e6e68-d3fb-5d40-b0d6-43cd0eb7399d/64b04e78a102d.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/83/583e6e68-d3fb-5d40-b0d6-43cd0eb7399d/64b04e78a102d.image.jpg?resize=400%2C267 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/83/583e6e68-d3fb-5d40-b0d6-43cd0eb7399d/64b04e78a102d.image.jpg?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/83/583e6e68-d3fb-5d40-b0d6-43cd0eb7399d/64b04e78a102d.image.jpg?resize=640%2C427 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/83/583e6e68-d3fb-5d40-b0d6-43cd0eb7399d/64b04e78a102d.image.jpg?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/83/583e6e68-d3fb-5d40-b0d6-43cd0eb7399d/64b04e78a102d.image.jpg?resize=990%2C660 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/83/583e6e68-d3fb-5d40-b0d6-43cd0eb7399d/64b04e78a102d.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C690 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/83/583e6e68-d3fb-5d40-b0d6-43cd0eb7399d/64b04e78a102d.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C800 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/83/583e6e68-d3fb-5d40-b0d6-43cd0eb7399d/64b04e78a102d.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C888 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/83/583e6e68-d3fb-5d40-b0d6-43cd0eb7399d/64b04e78a102d.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C984 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/83/583e6e68-d3fb-5d40-b0d6-43cd0eb7399d/64b04e78a102d.image.jpg?resize=1763%2C1175 2008w)
To the left in the photo you can catch a glimpse of the more formal garden area with boxwoods and hydrangea.
![Chuck Schragin's garden wins Great Garden Contest in Clayton](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/9e/f9e65f24-a9a8-50b4-a9c9-937f8bbeb008/64b04e853248b.image.jpg?resize=150%2C100 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/9e/f9e65f24-a9a8-50b4-a9c9-937f8bbeb008/64b04e853248b.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/9e/f9e65f24-a9a8-50b4-a9c9-937f8bbeb008/64b04e853248b.image.jpg?resize=225%2C150 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/9e/f9e65f24-a9a8-50b4-a9c9-937f8bbeb008/64b04e853248b.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/9e/f9e65f24-a9a8-50b4-a9c9-937f8bbeb008/64b04e853248b.image.jpg?resize=400%2C267 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/9e/f9e65f24-a9a8-50b4-a9c9-937f8bbeb008/64b04e853248b.image.jpg?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/9e/f9e65f24-a9a8-50b4-a9c9-937f8bbeb008/64b04e853248b.image.jpg?resize=640%2C427 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/9e/f9e65f24-a9a8-50b4-a9c9-937f8bbeb008/64b04e853248b.image.jpg?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/9e/f9e65f24-a9a8-50b4-a9c9-937f8bbeb008/64b04e853248b.image.jpg?resize=990%2C660 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/9e/f9e65f24-a9a8-50b4-a9c9-937f8bbeb008/64b04e853248b.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C690 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/9e/f9e65f24-a9a8-50b4-a9c9-937f8bbeb008/64b04e853248b.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C800 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/9e/f9e65f24-a9a8-50b4-a9c9-937f8bbeb008/64b04e853248b.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C888 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/9e/f9e65f24-a9a8-50b4-a9c9-937f8bbeb008/64b04e853248b.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C984 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/9e/f9e65f24-a9a8-50b4-a9c9-937f8bbeb008/64b04e853248b.image.jpg?resize=1763%2C1175 2008w)
A stone sits in Chuck Schagrin's garden Wednesday, July 12, 2023, in Clayton. Photo by Christine Tannous, ctannous@post-dispatch.com
Second place
Our second-place winner this year was a garden we’ve seen before. In fact, Karen and Bob Utt’s sloping shade garden won second place last year.
“We gave them props for creating a beautiful garden in shade and on a slope, which is very challenging to do,” judge McKelvey says. “We could tell they used a good mixture of colors and textures, especially considering they were growing in shade, which doesn’t allow for the usual palette of plants.”
![Arrival](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/45/04564f8a-1b43-11ee-b456-8756e873f573/64a582d73cdd7.image.jpg?resize=150%2C150 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/45/04564f8a-1b43-11ee-b456-8756e873f573/64a582d73cdd7.image.jpg?resize=200%2C200 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/45/04564f8a-1b43-11ee-b456-8756e873f573/64a582d73cdd7.image.jpg?resize=225%2C225 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/45/04564f8a-1b43-11ee-b456-8756e873f573/64a582d73cdd7.image.jpg?resize=300%2C300 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/45/04564f8a-1b43-11ee-b456-8756e873f573/64a582d73cdd7.image.jpg?resize=400%2C400 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/45/04564f8a-1b43-11ee-b456-8756e873f573/64a582d73cdd7.image.jpg?resize=540%2C540 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/45/04564f8a-1b43-11ee-b456-8756e873f573/64a582d73cdd7.image.jpg?resize=600%2C600 640w)
When we finally got over trying to grow grass under 30 large trees, the yard finally began to tell us where it wanted to go. The few hostas we got from friends got bigger and were subsequently divided exponentially. The green carpet came not solely from grass, but also from moss and violets, finally allowed their turn. New plantings of other shade lovers offered vertical perspectives. By reclaiming stone and wood, hardscaping developed. Not adhering to a narrow theme allowed formality with randomness, Asian with English, peacticality with whimsy. By following organic principles, we look for harmony instead of intrusiveness. Having 5 grandboys, we included the construction of a two-story treehouse and many woodsy paths. Arrival comes everyday.
The Utts’ St. Charles garden has faced a few setbacks this year. Two of their trees had to be removed, and then a neighbor’s tree that fell into the yard. Ameren not only had to reset lines, but also put in a new pole. Its heavy equipment tore up part of the plantings there.
“On a more positive note, we have taken these setbacks as an opportunity to try some new ideas,” says Bob. “In the spirit of repurposing, which has always been a guiding principle through the years, we had the trunk of the second tree sawn into one-foot sections, from which we made another trail for the grandkids in the lower yard. The addition of sunlight allowed us to try some new plantings like foxglove and herbs, each in their own newly designated plots.
“We are often asked how much work we have to put into this. My response usually is, “It’s not that we have to do it; it’s that we get to do it.”
Honorable mentions
2023 garden contest finalists
Along the Path of Dreams
![Along the Path of Dreams](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/b4/2b46ef3c-1b43-11ee-a3cb-6f6230b3e650/64a58322273e7.image.jpg?resize=150%2C102 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/b4/2b46ef3c-1b43-11ee-a3cb-6f6230b3e650/64a58322273e7.image.jpg?resize=200%2C136 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/b4/2b46ef3c-1b43-11ee-a3cb-6f6230b3e650/64a58322273e7.image.jpg?resize=225%2C153 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/b4/2b46ef3c-1b43-11ee-a3cb-6f6230b3e650/64a58322273e7.image.jpg?resize=300%2C204 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/b4/2b46ef3c-1b43-11ee-a3cb-6f6230b3e650/64a58322273e7.image.jpg?resize=400%2C271 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/b4/2b46ef3c-1b43-11ee-a3cb-6f6230b3e650/64a58322273e7.image.jpg?resize=540%2C366 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/b4/2b46ef3c-1b43-11ee-a3cb-6f6230b3e650/64a58322273e7.image.jpg?resize=600%2C407 640w)
CD's Oasis
![CD's Oasis](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/37/d374077c-1b42-11ee-aeee-674eaa87c2ce/64a5828a27cf3.image.jpg?resize=150%2C200 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/37/d374077c-1b42-11ee-aeee-674eaa87c2ce/64a5828a27cf3.image.jpg?resize=200%2C267 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/37/d374077c-1b42-11ee-aeee-674eaa87c2ce/64a5828a27cf3.image.jpg?resize=225%2C300 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/37/d374077c-1b42-11ee-aeee-674eaa87c2ce/64a5828a27cf3.image.jpg?resize=300%2C400 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/37/d374077c-1b42-11ee-aeee-674eaa87c2ce/64a5828a27cf3.image.jpg?resize=400%2C533 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/37/d374077c-1b42-11ee-aeee-674eaa87c2ce/64a5828a27cf3.image.jpg?resize=450%2C600 540w)
Clean lines and a good use of a big tree highlight the backyard garden of Chris Doyle in Tower Grove East.
Raised Garden
![Raised Garden](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/d0/0d0d3228-1b44-11ee-8d50-9be4e216ecb8/64a5848d19eac.image.jpg?resize=150%2C113 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/d0/0d0d3228-1b44-11ee-8d50-9be4e216ecb8/64a5848d19eac.image.jpg?resize=200%2C150 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/d0/0d0d3228-1b44-11ee-8d50-9be4e216ecb8/64a5848d19eac.image.jpg?resize=225%2C169 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/d0/0d0d3228-1b44-11ee-8d50-9be4e216ecb8/64a5848d19eac.image.jpg?resize=300%2C225 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/d0/0d0d3228-1b44-11ee-8d50-9be4e216ecb8/64a5848d19eac.image.jpg?resize=400%2C300 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/d0/0d0d3228-1b44-11ee-8d50-9be4e216ecb8/64a5848d19eac.image.jpg?resize=540%2C405 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/d0/0d0d3228-1b44-11ee-8d50-9be4e216ecb8/64a5848d19eac.image.jpg?resize=600%2C450 640w)
Raised beds mixed with planters make for a beautiful and valuable vegetable garden at the Columbia, Illinois, home of Donald and Lisa Harrison.
Our own botanical garden heaven
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A variety of hostas and banana trees can be found in this garden of Gary and Gail Griffin of Defiance.
Waterfall Garden
![Waterfall Garden](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/30/430c325e-1b4c-11ee-b4a4-8fb38b556260/64a592696cf79.image.jpg?resize=150%2C150 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/30/430c325e-1b4c-11ee-b4a4-8fb38b556260/64a592696cf79.image.jpg?resize=200%2C200 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/30/430c325e-1b4c-11ee-b4a4-8fb38b556260/64a592696cf79.image.jpg?resize=225%2C225 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/30/430c325e-1b4c-11ee-b4a4-8fb38b556260/64a592696cf79.image.jpg?resize=300%2C300 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/30/430c325e-1b4c-11ee-b4a4-8fb38b556260/64a592696cf79.image.jpg?resize=400%2C400 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/30/430c325e-1b4c-11ee-b4a4-8fb38b556260/64a592696cf79.image.jpg?resize=540%2C540 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/30/430c325e-1b4c-11ee-b4a4-8fb38b556260/64a592696cf79.image.jpg?resize=600%2C600 640w)