This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, June 3, 2013 - The most spectacular part of this year's Hermann garden tour was not the flowers but the flooding.
On the way to look at some pocket gardens along Schiller Street, we stopped and found ourselves gaping at the irony of the waters encroaching on the property of the Anchors Away guest house -- and with a boat submerged in the background.
On the city tour, the gardens ranged from small pocket gardens, to demonstration gardens at state historical sites, to jaw-dropping landscapes professionally done.
The pocket gardens on Schiller Street were little oases of tight spaces and lush planting -- perfect for a lazy afternoon of sitting outside. The densely planted windowboxes at the back of the Bank Bar brought back memories of small-town Germany. And in nod to the garden theme, Connie LaBoube was eager to show us the tulip paintings -- and tulip furniture -- by artist Hans Droog in the venue's special event space.
The demonstration gardens at the Deutschheim state historic site featured a mix of vegetable and perennial gardens like those worked by 19th-century German settlers. While the peonies were on the decline, the vegetables were thriving. At the back of the house, a volunteer in 19th-century attire offered visitors pink lemonade and luscious lavendar-flavored Springerle cookies. Inside the historic home, another volunteer sold authentic German glass ornaments, all with a garden theme -- white asparagus or Spargel, corn cob, lady bug and even a spider.
Just up the street, the Strehly House and Winery, which is also part of the Deutschheim complex, was also on the tour.
The house had a small kitchen garden, again typical for what a German settler might have had. But the real highlight was a grape arbor that was, according to the garden guide, planted around 1854. The volunteer welcoming guests at that site said Carl Strehly planted the Norton grape. And as fans of Missouri wines know, the Norton produces one of Missouri's best red wines. (As a sidelight, she noted, you could see the printing press, which printed the German language newspaper at the time, if you peeked into the window of the house.)
A short walk in the woods took us from Weinwood Farm up to the Hermann Hill Vineyard and Inn.
Thanks to its location atop a hill, the inn has a dramatic view of Hermann -- not to mention the sweeping view of its own vineyards dotting the hillside. Not surprisingly, chairs and tables are strategically placed to take advantage of the view. In the back of the inn, by the parking lot, a waterfall tumbles down a limestone cliff, providing a soothing soundtrack. And for those wanting to make their own music? They can take a stroll through the "forest of gongs."