Garden-Lou Spotlights the Garden of Mary Howard and Tom Sauls

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. We’ve all heard that phrase before. Add to that list ‘Reimagine’ and ‘Redefine,’ which is exactly what the dynamic duo of Mary Howard and Tom Sauls do in their Dittmer garden. Notice the word ‘do,’ not ‘did’. The garden is constantly changing and evolving as the couple finds unique pieces and incorporates them into their garden, Bob Cassilly-style. The first impression of the garden reminds one of the St. Louis City Museum with its creative, repurposed uses of common and not-so-common objects that surprise and delight around every turn.

Multiple seating areas, decks, and covered structures are connected with artistic multi-level stone and gravel pathways. Large metal wheels do double duty as room definers and trellises for climbing vines. Repurposed utility poles make a unique fence and separate the garden area from the wilder, wooded areas that surround the garden on three sides.

And then there is the pond. Tom constructed a paddlewheel fed by a whimsically decorated Shell oil can, which spills into a repurposed boat. The boat is retrofitted with a weir that spills into a pond full of lotus, water lilies, and koi. Quite possibly the most unique water feature in St. Louis.

The couple bought the home in 2013, bringing plants from the previous house. The garden grew quickly, with Mary working at a local nursery and bringing home plant goodies regularly. Tom, who works for the City of Chesterfield’s Parks Department, made all the garden structures, working on the big projects after work and on weekends.

They originally came to the Dittmer area looking for a fixer-upper with private acreage, so the creativity doesn’t stop at the garden’s edge; it flows inside the front door and spills into every nook and cranny of the house.

The couple is constantly looking for unusual finds to work into the garden’s ever-changing dynamic with just a little welding or retrofitting, but not everything in the garden is salvaged or a haphazard find. “I have an Autumn moon Japanese maple planted for my mom, and most of the statuary and other items through the garden came from past family members,” says Mary. A garden gate made from a repurposed aging red door is another love. Anything with a rich patina or character is right at home here.

Dusk is Mary’s favorite time in the garden. “It’s nice and cool, and we see all the critters come out.” As cute as they are, moles, voles, groundhogs, and even armadillos keep the couple busy with the ongoing damage. “Tom waters about 1 hour every day after he gets off work. It’s usually not hard to maintain until about the last week in July. After that, the weeds go crazy, and it’s hard to keep up.”

The hard work is worth it for that end-of-the-day satisfaction or when they entertain with friends and family who keep coming back to see what’s new. Although they are currently working on a large, natural pond in the woods, complete with a covered bridge and decks for gathering, when it comes to planning, Mary says, “It just keeps going! We never know what’s next until we do it.”

Quick Facts:

-Size of Garden-1+ acres

–Favorite gardening tool? For Mary, it’s the soil knife; for Tom, it’s a wheelbarrow.

-If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only have ONE plant to keep you company, what would it be? It doesn’t have to be a food-bearing plant since this island has a free buffet!

Tom-butterfly bush, Mary-sassafras tree.

-What is your favorite part of the garden?

Tom’s favorite is the water wheel he built. Mary’s favorite spot is the Koi pond.

-Is there any other garden or gardener that inspires you? All gardens inspire us! We get a lot of ideas by looking at other gardens.