Garden-Lou Spotlight on Patricia and Charlie Hoffman
Lafayette Square, St. Louis, Mo
It’s a dilemma that many people face as kids grow up and move out, leaving empty-nesters with a house that suddenly is too big. For avid gardeners, the thought of leaving trees and plants you’ve nurtured and watched grow for years is heartbreaking. So, when Pat and Charlie Hoffman found themselves in that situation and needed to downsize, they came up with a brilliant, unique plan. They moved out of the house and into the garden.
“I fell in love with Lafayette Square when I was very young,” says Pat. “I never mentioned it to my husband. One day he came home from work and said he found the neighborhood we should live in. That did it. 40 years ago, we moved into our beautiful Victorian home that included the vacant lot next door. The home on that lot had been torn down several years before because it was leaning so badly that it was unsafe. I had gardens at other places we lived and couldn’t wait to get started.”
And who of all people helped them get started, but Ruth Kamphoefner, a renowned preservationist and gardener in the neighborhood who rescued and rehabbed six homes on the Square, along with writing the book, Lafayette Square Comes Back. “Ruth came over immediately and offered plants from her garden. She was always busy keeping plants beautiful in the park,” according to Pat.
The Hoffmans eventually put in a fishpond and a swimming pool on the side lot. “All of the stonework in our yard was from the original leaner,” says Pat. “The foundation and other stones were all buried in the lot. Every time we planted something new, we’d find another stone.”
Other than hiring a landscaper to do the brick and stonework, the Hoffmans maintain the garden themselves. “I’m not sure what we would have done differently,” says Pat. “Maybe have some area with more sun. But I do love the shade. It would have been great to have another waterfall and fishpond, but we didn’t recreate that because of the raccoons. They ate too many of our beautiful fish.”
When the time came, the Hoffmans worked with the city historic preservation committee and gained approval to build a replica carriage house on the side lot, moving in after their three-story Victorian home sold in 2014. “We saved as many plants as we could during the build. Our yard had changed from very sunny to more shade because of the Gingko, Locust, and Maple trees we planted.”
Pat explains some plants are sentimental. “We have beautiful Japanese maple trees that came from a friend’s garden when he died. Our rhododendrons have been here for 40 years and have been the background for many family pictures. Our granddaughter had her engagement pictures taken here. We have had many family celebrations here.”
Sharing the garden with family and friends is one thing, but how about with hundreds of complete strangers? The Hoffman Garden has been featured on the annual Lafayette Square Tour three times. Preparation for the tour is hard work, but according to Pat, “the best part is meeting so many wonderful guests to our neighborhood.” Her favorite part of living in Lafayette Square is the sense of community. “Concerts in the summer, a bike race Labor Day weekend, and our wonderful neighbors. Many of the neighbors who lived on our block for years moved when they downsized. The young families who moved in have kept the tradition of many social activities.”
The Lafayette Square tour committee is always looking for volunteers. For more information about Lafayette Square and the annual tours, see:
View the highlights from this year’s Lafayette Square Home and Garden tour here;
Highlights from the Lafayette Square Home and Garden Tour-2026 –
Quick Facts:
When was the garden started? 1986
Size of garden; Approximately 40’ x 150’
Favorite gardening tool: (Patricia) My favorite tool is a curved, pointed hand spade I bought at the Botanical Garden years ago.
-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!)
(Patricia) If I had one plant on an island, it would be lilacs. If it was tropical, it would be plumeria. I’ve tried to keep them alive here with limited success.
-Comments or questions? Email Garden-Lou at gardenloustl@gmail.com
Words and photos by Jo Batzer
© Jo Batzer, garden-lou.com-2026, All rights reserved.
