To walk through an amazing garden is like stepping into another world with all your senses on alert. Colors, textures, shapes envelop you. A bee buzzes around you. The smell of roses fills the air.

We asked St. Louisans if their garden had what it takes to be crowned the best in the area. More than 200 gardeners responded in our Post-Dispatch Annual Great Garden Contest.

Picking just six winners (first, second and third place in the amateur division and the amateur with professional help division) was a challenge for our four judges. But design, color and elegance stole the show.

And the winners received some great prizes:

• First place in both categories: $1,000 gift card from the Home Depot; $100 to For the Garden; $100 to Sugar Creek Gardens

• Second place in both categories: $150 to the Bug Store; $100 to Sherwood’s Forest; $50 to Sugar Creek Gardens; $50 to Bowood Farms; $25 to For the Garden; $25 to Hillermann Nursery and Florist.

• Third place in both categories: $50 to the Bug Store; $50 to Sugar Creek Gardens; $50 to Sherwood’s Forest; $25 to Bowood Farms; $25 to For the Garden; $25 to Hillermann Nursery and Florist.

• Every winner receives a $25 gift card from Eckert’s Garden Center and a family membership to the Missouri Botanical Garden, valued at $150.

AMATEUR WITH

PROFESSIONAL HELP

First place • Debbie Hadley

Home • Webster Groves

Family • Husband Bob; three grown children

Occupation • Debbie is the owner of Gardening Angel Landscaping in Webster Groves, and Bob is a machinist at Bodine Aluminum.

 

The success of the Hadleys’ garden lies in their two ponds, a wooden swing, a hammock, tables, benches, a bottle tree, a fountain, an arbor, a pergola, statues, bird baths, and, of course, the plants. They have a variety of plants, including 42 trees, hundreds of shrubs and thousands of perennials.

The couple started renovating their primitive backyard and badminton court into a lush garden in 1995, when Debbie was just getting interested in gardening. In 2003, she opened a landscaping business, and her staff helped construct the second pond and made a handmade swinging bench. A fire pit was also installed.

The couple moved into their home 33 years ago and raised three kids. Originally, the home was purchased by Debbie’s great-grandparents when they came from England in 1909. Five generations of Debbie’s family have lived there.

The half-acre garden’s design includes levels. Each level is bordered with walls built by Debbie’s dad and grandfather 60 years ago and constructed of broken concrete from the streets of St. Louis.

“My yard has been my test and trial garden,” Debbie says. Twelve years ago, they built an 8,000-gallon pond, home to 26 large koi. It has a stream, waterfall and a bridge. The smaller pond, built three years ago, showcases a tall, double waterfall and three fish. Hardy and tropical plants surround both ponds.

The paths are all made of natural stone, and among the varieties are granite boulders.

All four of our judges chose this winning garden. “This has all the elements of a great and soothing getaway garden, not only to stroll through but to stop and relax and enjoy the sounds of nature,” says Fred Ortlip, master gardener and Post-Dispatch copy editor.

Chip Tynan and June Hutson at the Missouri Botanical Garden agree. “Water feature is excellent. Wonderful paths to view close-up many beautiful specimens of plants. Split level pools in foreground plus waterfall in background. Many beautiful conifers dot the landscape, giving a sense of structure.”

Debbie says, “Our garden will never be finished. We love to add things and change it up.”

Second place • Dee Jay Hubbard

Home • Ballwin

Family • Wife, Audrey; two grown sons, Brock and Colin

Occupation • He’s a retired speech pathologist with the Veterans Administration, and she’s a retired teacher.

 

After a trip to England, Dee Jay and Audrey Hubbard wanted to bring back more than a spot of tea. With the help of gardening professionals, they built a luscious garden spot inspired by the gardens they saw on their trip.

“We were tired of looking at an asphalt driveway and large parking pad,” Dee Jay says. In 2000, Chesterfield Valley Nursery tore up the asphalt, graded the area and built a mound for the waterfall. They dug the pond, put all the stone in and began planting most of the major trees and shrubs such as boxwood, holly, lilac, bright yellow shrubs, a Weeping Atlas cedar tree and an oak. The nursery also constructed a flagstone garden path, and the couple placed wood chips around the stone. Christine O’Brien, production manager at Bowood Farms’ growing facility in Clarksville, Mo., helped with the selection of the perennial plantings. The stone pillars were built by Jim Fobian, a private stone mason.

“It’s still a work in progress,” Audrey says. “Every year we’re planting new plants, cutting back bushes and replacing hostas that have been eaten by the deer and rabbits.”

Judge Ken Miller of Miller Horticultural and owner of the Bug Store says, “It’s a garden where wild and elegance interact. Tastefully appointed and elegant garden in an elegant setting.”

Third place • Kathy Gugger

Home • Edwardsville

Family • Husband, Joe; children, two grown daughters

Occupation • Kathy is a retired dentist, and Joe is self-employed.

 

Not all backyards are perfectly flat. When the Guggers moved into their home in 1987, they decided to utilize their terraced (upper and lower) 2 1/2-acre backyard design. In 2005, with the assistance of Burns Landscaping in Edwardsville (closed in 2007), they inserted large rocks into the yard slopes and built a gravel pit. A waterfall was constructed next to a garden path. Tile setters from Premier Hardwoods in Pontoon Beach built a blue-stone terrace for seating. The couple purchased two stone benches from the Market Basket in Edwardsville to create a relaxing area around the fire pit on the terrace. They planted prairie-type flowers such as black-eyed Susans, different types of grasses and tiger lilies. “I have three helpers to keep my garden looking great,” Kathy says. “Me, myself and I.”

Miller says, “It’s a great execution of waterfall and great natural design. Dramatic use of the hillside with many beautiful specimen plants.”

AMATEUR DIVISION

First place • Terry Metzler

Home • South St. Louis County

Family • Husband, Steve; grown son, Matt

Occupation • Dental hygienist

 

When the Metzlers bought their South County house in 1990, the backyard was “a dust bowl on a hill.” They started by planting trees and grass. “One year later, my husband convinced me we needed a fish pond,” Terry says. That began their journey to their award-winning garden.

It’s now mostly Terry’s baby. “When we got married, I told my husband I love to cut the grass,” she says. “However, working full time and being a mom, I could not do it all. We made a deal. I do the lawn and gardening, and he does the laundry. It makes for a great marriage.”

The garden consists of more than 350 hostas with 250 different varieties. There are coral bells, hellebores, azaleas, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, ferns, evergreens and 17 different types of Japanese maples.

For color, Terry has peonies and daylilies, several kinds of iris, roses and other perennials. “When I started gardening I thought the flowers were IT. I have come to appreciate all the textures and shades of greens and purples present just in the leaves of my plants.”

Our judges (three of whom chose Terry as their first-place winner) loved the layers, too. Tynan, of the Missouri Botanical Garden, says: “The contrasting texture and color of foliage lend interest in the absence of flowers. The clock and plantings between the streams lend a new meaning to the term ‘island bed.’”

Ortlip agreed: “A backyard with a long slope toward a house can be a nightmare or a perfect landscaping opportunity, and Terry took a lemon of a layout and created a great glass of lemonade. The hardscapes and water combine with an appealing variety of color in the deciduous and evergreen plantings to make this a remarkable getaway, just outside the back door.”

Terry says she spends about 20 hours a week on her garden, “but I love it. I just love it.”

Second place • Karen Frimel

Home • Ladue

Family • Husband, Greg; three grown daughters

Occupation • Karen works part time for her dad’s company; Greg is a dentist

 

Except for the front of the house and some edges of the garden, the Frimels’ house is in total shade. After removing river rock and Japanese honeysuckle, Karen started dividing the common hosta that were already there. “Thanks to the St. Louis Hosta Society, (I learned) that there were really so many more choices,” she says.

Greg found ornamental trees to create an interesting understory to the large ones already in the yard. Favorites include several varieties of Japanese maples, tricolor beech, peeling bark maples and many varieties of dogwoods. Over the years, Karen added hydrangea, ferns, lenten roses, bulbs and azaleas. “Gardening ‘in the woods’ has been a challenge. I like neat and tidy, but I cannot have it too formal or use tropicals and keep the woodland feel.”

Hutson, of the Missouri Botanical Garden, says she liked the well-placed steppingstones that “provide a meandering path through hosta specimens of many colors.” Miller, from the Bug Store, says he loved the exciting and bold contrast of leave and their colors. “Truly an alluring shade garden.”

Third place • Phyllis Weidman

Home • Kirkwood

Family • Husband, Jim; two grown children

Occupation • Homemaker; Jim is a consultant to nonprofits

 

The Weidmans’ garden is divided by a long, meandering dry creek that helps drain the three terraces that go up the hill in the back of the house to the edge of a woods. It contains about 350 varieties of hostas, Japanese maples, conifers and shade companion plants.

“As the years have passed, the garden beds continue to grow with the grass area becoming smaller and smaller,” Phyllis says.

Judge Miller appreciated the “powerful combination of texture, form and leaf color to create a striking composition.”

To walk through an amazing garden is like stepping into another world with all your senses on alert. Colors, textures, shapes envelop you. A bee buzzes around you. The smell of roses fills the air.

We asked St. Louisans if their garden had what it takes to be crowned the best in the area. More than 200 gardeners responded in our Post-Dispatch Annual Great Garden Contest.

Picking just six winners (first, second and third place in the amateur division and the amateur with professional help division) was a challenge for our four judges. But design, color and elegance stole the show.

And the winners received some great prizes:

• First place in both categories: $1,000 gift card from the Home Depot; $100 to For the Garden; $100 to Sugar Creek Gardens

• Second place in both categories: $150 to the Bug Store; $100 to Sherwood’s Forest; $50 to Sugar Creek Gardens; $50 to Bowood Farms; $25 to For the Garden; $25 to Hillermann Nursery and Florist.

• Third place in both categories: $50 to the Bug Store; $50 to Sugar Creek Gardens; $50 to Sherwood’s Forest; $25 to Bowood Farms; $25 to For the Garden; $25 to Hillermann Nursery and Florist.

• Every winner receives a $25 gift card from Eckert’s Garden Center and a family membership to the Missouri Botanical Garden, valued at $150.

AMATEUR WITH

PROFESSIONAL HELP

First place • Debbie Hadley

Home • Webster Groves

Family • Husband Bob; three grown children

Occupation • Debbie is the owner of Gardening Angel Landscaping in Webster Groves, and Bob is a machinist at Bodine Aluminum.

 

The success of the Hadleys’ garden lies in their two ponds, a wooden swing, a hammock, tables, benches, a bottle tree, a fountain, an arbor, a pergola, statues, bird baths, and, of course, the plants. They have a variety of plants, including 42 trees, hundreds of shrubs and thousands of perennials.

The couple started renovating their primitive backyard and badminton court into a lush garden in 1995, when Debbie was just getting interested in gardening. In 2003, she opened a landscaping business, and her staff helped construct the second pond and made a handmade swinging bench. A fire pit was also installed.

The couple moved into their home 33 years ago and raised three kids. Originally, the home was purchased by Debbie’s great-grandparents when they came from England in 1909. Five generations of Debbie’s family have lived there.

The half-acre garden’s design includes levels. Each level is bordered with walls built by Debbie’s dad and grandfather 60 years ago and constructed of broken concrete from the streets of St. Louis.

“My yard has been my test and trial garden,” Debbie says. Twelve years ago, they built an 8,000-gallon pond, home to 26 large koi. It has a stream, waterfall and a bridge. The smaller pond, built three years ago, showcases a tall, double waterfall and three fish. Hardy and tropical plants surround both ponds.

The paths are all made of natural stone, and among the varieties are granite boulders.

All four of our judges chose this winning garden. “This has all the elements of a great and soothing getaway garden, not only to stroll through but to stop and relax and enjoy the sounds of nature,” says Fred Ortlip, master gardener and Post-Dispatch copy editor.

Chip Tynan and June Hutson at the Missouri Botanical Garden agree. “Water feature is excellent. Wonderful paths to view close-up many beautiful specimens of plants. Split level pools in foreground plus waterfall in background. Many beautiful conifers dot the landscape, giving a sense of structure.”

Debbie says, “Our garden will never be finished. We love to add things and change it up.”

Second place • Dee Jay Hubbard

Home • Ballwin

Family • Wife, Audrey; two grown sons, Brock and Colin

Occupation • He’s a retired speech pathologist with the Veterans Administration, and she’s a retired teacher.

 

After a trip to England, Dee Jay and Audrey Hubbard wanted to bring back more than a spot of tea. With the help of gardening professionals, they built a luscious garden spot inspired by the gardens they saw on their trip.

“We were tired of looking at an asphalt driveway and large parking pad,” Dee Jay says. In 2000, Chesterfield Valley Nursery tore up the asphalt, graded the area and built a mound for the waterfall. They dug the pond, put all the stone in and began planting most of the major trees and shrubs such as boxwood, holly, lilac, bright yellow shrubs, a Weeping Atlas cedar tree and an oak. The nursery also constructed a flagstone garden path, and the couple placed wood chips around the stone. Christine O’Brien, production manager at Bowood Farms’ growing facility in Clarksville, Mo., helped with the selection of the perennial plantings. The stone pillars were built by Jim Fobian, a private stone mason.

“It’s still a work in progress,” Audrey says. “Every year we’re planting new plants, cutting back bushes and replacing hostas that have been eaten by the deer and rabbits.”

Judge Ken Miller of Miller Horticultural and owner of the Bug Store says, “It’s a garden where wild and elegance interact. Tastefully appointed and elegant garden in an elegant setting.”

Third place • Kathy Gugger

Home • Edwardsville

Family • Husband, Joe; children, two grown daughters

Occupation • Kathy is a retired dentist, and Joe is self-employed.

 

Not all backyards are perfectly flat. When the Guggers moved into their home in 1987, they decided to utilize their terraced (upper and lower) 2 1/2-acre backyard design. In 2005, with the assistance of Burns Landscaping in Edwardsville (closed in 2007), they inserted large rocks into the yard slopes and built a gravel pit. A waterfall was constructed next to a garden path. Tile setters from Premier Hardwoods in Pontoon Beach built a blue-stone terrace for seating. The couple purchased two stone benches from the Market Basket in Edwardsville to create a relaxing area around the fire pit on the terrace. They planted prairie-type flowers such as black-eyed Susans, different types of grasses and tiger lilies. “I have three helpers to keep my garden looking great,” Kathy says. “Me, myself and I.”

Miller says, “It’s a great execution of waterfall and great natural design. Dramatic use of the hillside with many beautiful specimen plants.”

AMATEUR DIVISION

First place • Terry Metzler

Home • South St. Louis County

Family • Husband, Steve; grown son, Matt

Occupation • Dental hygienist

 

When the Metzlers bought their South County house in 1990, the backyard was “a dust bowl on a hill.” They started by planting trees and grass. “One year later, my husband convinced me we needed a fish pond,” Terry says. That began their journey to their award-winning garden.

It’s now mostly Terry’s baby. “When we got married, I told my husband I love to cut the grass,” she says. “However, working full time and being a mom, I could not do it all. We made a deal. I do the lawn and gardening, and he does the laundry. It makes for a great marriage.”

The garden consists of more than 350 hostas with 250 different varieties. There are coral bells, hellebores, azaleas, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, ferns, evergreens and 17 different types of Japanese maples.

For color, Terry has peonies and daylilies, several kinds of iris, roses and other perennials. “When I started gardening I thought the flowers were IT. I have come to appreciate all the textures and shades of greens and purples present just in the leaves of my plants.”

Our judges (three of whom chose Terry as their first-place winner) loved the layers, too. Tynan, of the Missouri Botanical Garden, says: “The contrasting texture and color of foliage lend interest in the absence of flowers. The clock and plantings between the streams lend a new meaning to the term ‘island bed.’”

Ortlip agreed: “A backyard with a long slope toward a house can be a nightmare or a perfect landscaping opportunity, and Terry took a lemon of a layout and created a great glass of lemonade. The hardscapes and water combine with an appealing variety of color in the deciduous and evergreen plantings to make this a remarkable getaway, just outside the back door.”

Terry says she spends about 20 hours a week on her garden, “but I love it. I just love it.”

Second place • Karen Frimel

Home • Ladue

Family • Husband, Greg; three grown daughters

Occupation • Karen works part time for her dad’s company; Greg is a dentist

 

Except for the front of the house and some edges of the garden, the Frimels’ house is in total shade. After removing river rock and Japanese honeysuckle, Karen started dividing the common hosta that were already there. “Thanks to the St. Louis Hosta Society, (I learned) that there were really so many more choices,” she says.

Greg found ornamental trees to create an interesting understory to the large ones already in the yard. Favorites include several varieties of Japanese maples, tricolor beech, peeling bark maples and many varieties of dogwoods. Over the years, Karen added hydrangea, ferns, lenten roses, bulbs and azaleas. “Gardening ‘in the woods’ has been a challenge. I like neat and tidy, but I cannot have it too formal or use tropicals and keep the woodland feel.”

Hutson, of the Missouri Botanical Garden, says she liked the well-placed steppingstones that “provide a meandering path through hosta specimens of many colors.” Miller, from the Bug Store, says he loved the exciting and bold contrast of leave and their colors. “Truly an alluring shade garden.”

Third place • Phyllis Weidman

Home • Kirkwood

Family • Husband, Jim; two grown children

Occupation • Homemaker; Jim is a consultant to nonprofits

 

The Weidmans’ garden is divided by a long, meandering dry creek that helps drain the three terraces that go up the hill in the back of the house to the edge of a woods. It contains about 350 varieties of hostas, Japanese maples, conifers and shade companion plants.

“As the years have passed, the garden beds continue to grow with the grass area becoming smaller and smaller,” Phyllis says.

Judge Miller appreciated the “powerful combination of texture, form and leaf color to create a striking composition.”