All of this led to my love of the outdoors and to finding my serenity in gardening and landscaping. I would have to say that my gardening style is not formal but better described as Bohemian, as anything goes and anything is possible! And that is the fun of it all! After almost two decades of creating this backyard sanctuary I was ready to pass the pruning shears to the next owner who might continue to give my plant friends all the tender loving care they deserve! Please note, it was my sincerest intent that all my plantings would continue to flourish under loving care and offer a lifetime of enjoyment to the new owners. To my disappointment almost all the vegetation on the property was stripped away. If you are a gardener at heart, or a nature lover, you will know the pain I feel.

Here are some archival photos of my plantings in the gardens at the Historic Iron Horse Inn. Enjoy!

The entire back yard had a perimeter of mature trees of great variety, and during the leafy season it was thrilling to see how their leafy fronds all reach out to touch each other, as if joining hands in a veil of protection. Walnut to mimosa, mimosa to mimosa, mimosa to magnolia, magnolia to hackberry, hackberry to walnut, walnut to catalpa, catalpa to mimosa, then full circle mimosa back to walnut. And in the middle of it all . . . a weeping willow getting its start! The birds & squirrels loved it!

It was not just a pageant of colorful blossoms, but a potpourri of sweet scents when you’ve created such a variety of blooming plants, beginning with the lilacs of spring. The perfume of the gardens help to soothe the soul. I gifted myself a cushioned swing long enough to stretch out and nap on, and with my pup sleeping alongside me, I was in my own little heaven!

This color-washed cedar wall, that Walt helped me build, was made from natural edged cedar planks locally bought. After sanding, staining with custom-tinted semi-transparent stains inspired by the colors of the sea, then sealing with polyurethane, we attached solar lights and a wrought iron ornament. It was a major statement piece to the backyard and also served the function of both lighting the back walkway and hiding the storage shed. My ‘Ocean Wall’ was left as a gift to the new owners, and then immediately thrown into a dumpster by them. : (

I should have listened to Walt when he said I should take it with me.

Did you know that the Rose of Sharon is also known as a ‘hardy hibiscus’?

The Tin Smith’s Workshop had been converted into a 364-sq ft Studio Apartment that featured high ceilings (11ft sloped to 9-1/2ft height), with two high-quality ceiling fan/light fixtures, six double-hung windows, wide-plank pine floors, a kitchenette, a full bath with a tub/shower combination, and a built-in open clothing armoire. It came furnished with an antique carved walnut bed with a high headboard & low footboard with a matching marble-top mirror dresser. This historic building had multiple potential, such as for a writer’s or artist’s studio, a musician’s studio, a meditation room, a home office, a caretaker’s cottage, a guest cottage or even a commercial purpose. With the property’s commercial zoning this building could have been used as a small retail shop or for added rental income. I chose to use it as my sanctuary and residence! I was conveniently nearby for my guests, but enough steps away to give them and myself plenty of privacy!

And now let’s venture to the front gardens, where there was, once upon a time, a seasonal parade of colorful blooms!

Over a span of almost twenty years, I had planted maybe a hundred varieties of plants, including garden phlox, forsythia, quince, dogwood, mulberry, colorado blue spruce, white pine, scotch pine, magnolia trees, wisteria, barberry, spirea, wiegelia, lilies of the valley, azalea, coral bells, columbine, iris, peonies, roses, and too many others to list! If you love gardens, you’d have loved this little oasis in the most beautiful town in Missouri!

To discover more about what you’ll enjoy about living in this charming tourist town, click on the link below titled “Small Town Living”.

To see the inn as it was in other seasons of the year just follow the link “A Glimpse of the Seasons”.