Saint Louis Garden

January 2024 began with a truly clean slate — nothing but turf surrounding my new little fixer home. It's exciting and daunting to be faced with a blank canvas, and the challenging prospect of removing the lawn. My vision for this property is modeled on the beautiful native prairies of Missouri, graced with golden rod, echinacea, aster, yarrow, chicory, and river oats, to name just a few. I fast-tracked my progress by taking a wonderful part-time job at a local nursery where I quickly learned what does (and does not) do well in this region. The dramatic and unpredictable swings in weather make gardening a true challenge in the Midwest, and the clay soil doesn't help. Despite the difficulties, I've put in raised beds, and nurtured many new plants from seeds and starts. Seeing them flourish through four seasons is a satisfying first step. I'm excitedly combing through all of my seed catalogs this winter in preparation for round two.