Garden-Lou Spotlights the Garden of Danielle Meert and James Thurow

Danielle Meert is changing the world, starting with her own yard.

Visitors who made the garden in St. Louis Hills a stop on the Sustainable Backyard Tour in June were greeted by a modest yet diverse rain garden in the front yard but were wowed once they walked through the side gate. Danielle and her husband, James, have converted most of the front yard and all of the backyard from turf and a few odd plants to a powerhouse of sustainable and eco-friendly gardening in one very tightly packed 1/10th of an acre garden.

After speaking with Danielle, you realize she, too, is a powerhouse, constantly thinking of ideas to make things more efficient or educational. Danielle, who studied coastal plant community ecology, has taught Missouri naturalist classes and spoken at the Jefferson County Agriculture Conference, and Earth Day events for the Rockwood School District AND she is a published author. She lived in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina, observing the dead zone in the delta getting worse, and relocated to St. Louis after Katrina hit with a promise to educate others about pollution and greener ways to live and garden.

And nothing can teach or inspire better than setting an example.

Layer upon layer of veggies, fruits, chickens, and ducks thrive in the back garden. Practically every square inch is now devoted to food production; the focal point is the “Zen Den,” created from cattle panels arching over raised beds made from repurposed pallets. The enclosed space surrounds you with fruit-bearing vines and provides shade on the blistering hot St. Louis summer days. Future plans include adding herbs to the pallet sides, and wine bottles stacked on rebar to create a glass block design.

Also shaded with their own archways are the resident chickens and ducks, who provide fresh eggs and plenty of entertainment, especially for the neighborhood kids.

Danielle is a master at repurposing materials. Empty beer and wine bottles edge her garden beds, empty burlap coffee bean sacks from Kaldi’s Coffee provide a colorful shade covering for the chicken area, and even old, worn t-shirts get a second life as stylish reusable shopping bags. Five-gallon pickle buckets from the local Dairy Queen and her sister’s bakery serve as containers for growing edibles.

Rainwater is harvested for use in the garden, and Danielle makes nutrient-rich vermicompost herself. (The product of earthworm digestion and aerobic decomposition that helps break down ingredients into nutrient-rich soil amendment for gardens.) She obtains more raw, compostable materials from clients in her composting service company, a win-win for all parties involved, especially the garden.

Although Danielle still has a home and garden in Ellisville, which she has maintained since before her marriage, most of her efforts go into the St. Louis Hills garden. “We want to retire here in 10 years,” she says. Her favorite area is the “Gangway” on the west side of the house, where scarlet runner beans from Chef Rob Connoley of the recently closed Bulrush Restaurant grow along lines attached to the fence. “We eventually hope to grow grapes along the drop line.”

Danielle would have laid out the bed differently for more sun and flow when asked if she would do anything different. Water drainage issues were also an issue she had to tackle. The time she spends daily in the garden tending plants or animals is never counted since it doubles as therapy. “My family isn’t really into gardening like I am, but on the Sustainability tour, my sister saw how happy I was telling visitors about the garden. Now she gets it.” And the ability to relieve stress and provide therapy might be the greatest lesson any garden teaches.

To learn more about Danielle’s Louisiana study, click here;

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/250083832_Response_of_a_Louisiana_Oligohaline_Marsh_Plant_Community_to_Nutrient_Availability_and_Disturbance)

QUICK FACTS:

Size of garden: 1/10th of an acre.

Year garden started: 2018

Favorite gardening tool: vermicompost

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

-Tuberoses. The scent reminds me of my grandfather’s patio in the evenings.

Any other passions besides gardening? -Deep freezing and dehydrating food.

Find Danielle on Instagram and Facebook;

https://www.instagram.com/moshrooms?igsh=NGxrNDd4ZnpyemJz&utm_source=qr

https://www.facebook.com/MOshroomsRegenerativeMicrofarm?mibextid=LQQJ4d