Perennial Stunner

Famed architects Maritz & Young left an indelible mark on St. Louis by designing a series of prestigious residences and commercial buildings throughout the area during the early 20th century.

When Trish and Tom purchased their circa 1927 Cotswold Tudor residence, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, three years ago, the Clayton couple were intent on preserving the architectural integrity of their Maritz & Young home both inside and out.

“We wanted to complement the traditional contours of the house while selecting trees and flowers that would result in something blooming most of the year,” explains Trish.

Working with Baxter Gardens West, landscapers began by “pulling out tons of honeysuckle” to allow the architecture of the home to stand out. In addition, the couple and the landscape designers were intent on using a series of stone terraces in back of the brick, stucco and half-timbered residence to link the home to the land surrounding it. If that weren’t enough, the surrounding garden had to be user-friendly for the two busy professional homeowners and their teenage children.

“The house itself is such a pristine home in the heart of Clayton, so we wanted to do something that would complement the house with plant material that would have been installed at the time it was built,” says Zach Horton, co-owner of Baxter Gardens West. New hollies, hydrangeas, boxwood, dogwoods, lilacs and roses joined the ‘Nearly Wild’ roses, peonies and lilacs already on the property. Hollies and evergreens, including graceful Leyland Cypress, created privacy in front. A series of classically elegant containers provides vertical accents and pots of color on the terraces and stairways. “I love to work on the outdoor containers and generally do something different every year,” Trish says. “I’m constantly cutting flowers and bringing them in the house; in the early spring the lilacs, then iris and peonies; after that the hydrangeas and Shasta daisies. Then there’s the holly for winter. It’s wonderful to bring the outdoors in and the indoors out,” she says.

For Trish, the key is maintaining the “classic elegance” of the home and surrounding garden, while hosting pool parties, cookouts around the fire pit, and having space for games of badminton and croquet. “We have the pool open from March until November,” she says.

While much of the family’s entertaining involves their teenage children, the home’s historic elegance also demands a more formal outdoor area. Trish created a stylish outdoor “living room,” highlighted with comfortable furniture, bright pillows and decorative accents, on a stone terrace just outside a series of arched windows in back of the residence. The terrace provides the perfect architectural link between the house and garden.

A series of impressive windows and an inviting doorway create a quintessential portal between the history- and art-rich interior and the pristine, picture-perfect gathering and garden spaces.

Earthy accessories and floral designs by Judy Teel of A Floral Gallery enhanced the outdoor spaces. Judy, who likes to keep things natural, used the home’s terraces as a backdrop. She pulled together arrangements for the homeowners by using airy, white saponaria and unexpected touches of white kale from the farmer’s market. “Everyone always thinks of purple kale in the fall,” says Judy, “but white kale is lovely in the summer.” She adds, “There is no need to wait for fall to use grasses in flower arrangements. People tend to use seed heads in arrangements, but using green grasses in the summer gives them a natural, wispy look.” And flourishing within these outdoor spaces are the breathtaking details that capture the essence of “living” in a year-round garden setting.

This article originally appeared in the August 2010 issue of St. Louis Homes & Lifestyles.

RESOURCES
Landscaping and garden beds: Zach Horton and Don Mollison, Baxter Gardens West, www.baxtergardenswest.net; Floral arrangements and outdoor table accessories: A Floral Gallery, www.afloralgallery.com.