A Train Stop Is A Surprise On This Year’s Garden Tour

Mary Ann Shaw describes her garden as a free-form, easy, English Cottage garden. Fortunately for the curious, it is a stop on the U City In Bloom 2011 Garden Tour this Sunday.

“I prefer the Gertrude Jekyll style that came in at the early turn of the last century,” Shaw said. “I think of my garden as a painting and I love to think that a garden could look like a huge bouquet.”

She and her husband Dick work on their garden throughout the entire year, including during the winter when they clean the plant beds and put down mulch. But every year Mary Ann, who has lived in U City since 1970, does something different when planning what to plant.

“This year’s selections were determined by my son’s wedding since we had the reception here. The bride’s colors were yellow, orange and bright pink.”

Mary Ann is partial to colorful annuals and since she’s the director of U City In Bloom and exposed to a large selection of plants, she likes to try new things.  Some of her favorite plants include Lantana, Angelonia, zinnias, petunias and coleus.

One feature that makes the Shaws’ garden unique, and what made their home a stop on this year’s garden tour, is a train.

“My husband has always been a train enthusiast. We were inspired by the outdoor train garden exhibit at the Chicago botanical garden.”

Mary Ann said the train and its permanent tracks serve the same purpose as other focal points like patios or water features, both of which her garden also contains.

She believes her interest in gardening comes from her family tree.

“It's genetic--I’m Welsh and English. I started gardening at my grandparents’ home when I was a little girl.  I had my own garden when I was 12 or 13,” Mary Ann said.

She touts many benefits of this pastime including exercise, friendships and peacefulness.

“All of your senses are involved in gardening and it makes you feel close to the earth. At the end of a day, after spending time tending to a garden, it’s the most wonderful feeling,” Mary Ann said. “You know you’ve spent your time doing something you feel good about.”

She hopes that this year’s garden tour inspires people and gives them ideas for their own gardens.

“We want people on the tour to learn some things. We want to encourage them to do home gardening and to show them safe and good gardening practices,” Mary Ann said.

This year’s garden tour is 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 day of event and can be purchased by calling 314-973-3541 or going to the University City Public Library. This year will also feature an art show and sale on the lawn of city hall.

For more details about the tour visit the U City in Bloom website.