Garden-Lou Visits Ginny Mueller
Ginny Mueller loves mornings in her garden to tweak and maintain things, but it’s the evenings spent enjoying the sounds of the waterfall and other fountains throughout her garden tucked into the woods that make all the hard work worth it. “Talisman has 50 acres of common ground with woods and all the fauna and flora that reside there. Ray grew up on a farm, and he loved the open areas.”
Ginny, a former teacher at Sacred Heart School in Florissant, and her late husband, Ray, who had worked for Wetterau Inc., moved into their north county home 47 years ago and started making it their own. At just under an acre, one of the first projects was removing the old railroad ties that held up the backyard’s steep slope. The project led to gardening and a small pond. They later enlarged the pond, adding a waterfall, then completely redesigned it into the feature you see today. Ginny says if she could do anything differently, it would be just to have done it all the first time.
Most of Ginny Mueller’s property is wooded. What isn’t wooded is a riot of color and sound centered around her spectacular water feature. A lily-filled bog pond is the starting place of the water feature. From here, her waterfall cascades under a stone bridge and through naturally placed rocks into a 20’ x 25’ koi pool. Multiple pathways through lush, colorful plantings take you to the flagstone viewing patio. Several secluded seating areas intermingle throughout the garden, including an inviting bench under a weeping cherry tree, a gazebo, and a petite table for two on her quaint potting shed patio. The view from the expansive deck overflowing with bright annual plantings and comfy seating areas is where Ginny can relax and take it all in.
The garden keeps Ginny busy with weeding and planting, but she still finds time for other things. ” I belong to a few volunteer organizations (St. Louis Water Garden Society, Soroptimist, and Pallottine Renewal and Conference Center). I love decorating and changing things around my home. I really love TRAVEL. Travel has been minimal since Covid, but I am anxious and ready to go. I have been on 40+ cruises and traveled to Europe, China, Greece, Turkey, Sicily, Morocco, and many other countries. My favorite is always Italy!”
No matter where she travels, returning home to her garden is always refreshing.
Ginny’s garden was a Post-Dispatch Great Garden Contest winner, and she’s a regular on the St. Louis Water Garden Society’s, Pond-o-Rama. Last year, she also played host to the St. Louis Home and Garden Lifestyles Outdoor Living Tour in September, along with five other hosts around the metro area. SLHG magazine featured Ginny in its April 2019 issue, but it’s hard to capture the sights and sounds of Ginny’s Garden in mere photos. See it in person on this year’s Pond-O-Rama, June 25th, and 26th, along with 29 other gardens all around the St. Louis metro area. Tickets are on sale at most garden centers. For more information on Pond-o-Rama, see; SLWGS.ORG
Words and photos by Jo Batzer
© Jo Batzer, garden-lou.com, All rights reserved.
