Home Style - Fall 2011

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HOME style MAGAZINE

PUBLISHER Jim Shrader (618)463-2580 Jim_Shrader@thetelegraph.com

EDITOR IN CHIEF Dan Brannan (618)463-2560 Dan_Brannan@thetelegraph.com

EDITOR Kathie Bassett (618)463-2562 kathie_bassett@thetelegraph.com

summer Editor’s note

4

Garden fresh

Splashing good fun

5

Family’s pool fits into active lifestyle

His and hers

6

Newlyweds’ home melds styles

Gentle giants

9

Veterinarian has pair of Irish wolfhounds

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Georgia Mills (618)463-2554 Georgia_Mills@thetelegraph.com

GRAPHIC SUPERVISOR Joe Wilson (618)463-2599 Joe_Wilson@thetelegraph.com

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Fact and fiction In the landscape

SALES COORDINATOR

Shadowboxes and monogrammed frames

Danette Watt Laura Griffith Doug Conley

THE

TELEGRAPH

www.thetelegraph.com Summer 2011

15

Four women discuss books over dinner

Painter explores relationship with nature

CONTRIBUTORS

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Man, 80, has passion for gardening

Johnny Aguirre (618)463-2543 Johnny_Aguirre@thetelegraph.com

Sue Ellen Boschert (618)463-2532 Sue Ellen_Boschert@thetelegraph.com

2

Lifelong garden party

Make it personal Dream house

16 19 20

Sisters enjoy whimsical playhouse

A gardening culture

23

By Doug Conley ON THE COVER, Crystal Moore-Stevens of The Community Supported Garden at La Vista prepared a vegetarian summer picnic from produce grown at the garden. Inside cover, Cliff Davenport's award-winning garden combines areas planted with both sun and shade perennials.

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Home Style

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editor’s note

kathie BASSETT

Garden fresh

H

igh in nutrients, antioxidants and vitamins, fruits and vegetables long have been the undisputed center of a healthful diet. One fantastic option available to local consumers concerned with pesticide use is to buy a share in a community-supported garden, such as the one at La Vista Park, located at 4350 Levis Lane in Godfrey. “The nutritional value is beyond estimation, because our produce doesn’t travel thousands of miles to sit on a shelf for weeks,” said Crystal Moore-Stevens, wife of head farmer Eric Stevens. “Our produce is literally taken from farm to table within a few days, so it’s not only very fresh, but the taste is more intense.”

“

Shipping is a terrible thing to do to vegetables. They probably get jet-lagged, just like people.

”

ELIZABETH BERRY gardener

When deciding what to plant, the couple opts for what they call “crowd-pleasers” — vegetables that are unique, sometimes heirloom varieties, as well as pleasing to both the eye and palate. Crystal, an advocate for organic farming, primarily cooks vegetarian meals for her growing family. Parents of five-year old Cayan, the couple is expecting their second child this summer. Food and art are complementary passions for Crystal. “Plants and vegetables are an aesthetic expression of nature,” she said. “I like to utilize their beauty in preparing meals for loved ones.” When creating a menu, Crystal tries to

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Summer 2011

cook with the season, incorporating whatever vegetables are ready for picking into healthy and tantalizing menus. For a summer picnic, Crystal took advantage of lovely pale green leeks to make leek fritters, and deep red radishes to create a dip, which she paired with a fresh spinach and strawberry salad and refreshing herbal lemonade. Instead of sweetening the lemonade with sugar, Crystal added powdered stevia, an herb in the sunflower family widely used as a sweetener. “It’s light but also sweet,” she said. “The herbs and edible flowers infuse the lemonade with a really nice, mellow flavor.” Complementing the local produce, Crystal served the meal on plates and bowls made by

Mississippi Mud Pottery in Alton. The pottery underscores the rich abundance derived from earth, with vivid accents of blue that echo the important role that both sky and water play in agricultural endeavors. “The whole emphasis is organic, including the pottery,” she said. “Our biggest challenge is always the elements, which we can’t foresee or control.” To see a demonstration of how Crystal made her aromatic Herbal Lemonade, search Local Videos and Promotions at www.thetelegraph.com for Home Style: Herbal Lemonade. For more of Crystal’s recipes, check out the “What is Your Home Style?” blog. Bon appetit! Kathie

Splashing good fun By KATHIE BASSETT himmering in the sun, a pool is a veritable oasis on a hot summer day. And this is especially true for Steve and Jane Saale’s backyard pool — their entire home is geared toward spending quality time with their family, and the pool fits into their active lifestyle. “We like the fact that we’re out near woods,” Jane said. “The rocks and the waterfall pool add to our home’s rustic appeal.” Nestled on 20 acres, the home has the feel of a sophisticated yet comfortable lodge. The couple originally had thought the pool would be part of a later project but opted to put it in early to avoid disrupting their landscaping. The Saales’ three children — Haley, Logan and Taylor Jansen — are particularly happy that they made that decision. “The kids enjoy it, and I love seeing them use it when their friends come over,” Jane said. “It seems like every time I turn around, I’ll find 10 kids in the pool.” There are ample seating areas to accommodate guests of all ages, whether they want to lounge on chairs or sit around tables. A large multi-level deck ties the great room upstairs with the pool-level family room, creating a large space for entertaining in either the sun or shade. The rocks near the waterfall are wired for sound, so that music easily can be heard on the decks and in the pool. Each level has its own grill, with the larger one upstairs for easy access for family dinners. “We grill a lot of fish, chicken and steaks,” Jane said. “It’s just a wonderful way to spend an evening.” To relax after a busy day, Jane and Steve enjoy listening to the rhythmic sound of the waterfall and looking out over the pool into the woods. “It’s so calming and soothing,” she explained. “The sound transports me to somewhere else.” When designing the pool, Jane said she hadn’t thought about adding a waterfall until she saw one a friend had installed, and then she instantly knew that this would be an essential feature for their pool. So taken with water, the couple are adding a fountain to their front yard that will become a new focal point in their landscape design. While their entertaining tends towards casual, the couple likes holding events at their house, too. In conjunction with the Mardi Gras Ball, a wine-tasting evening around their pool was auctioned to benefit the American Cancer Society.

S

The waterfall cascading into the pool adds rustic charm to Steve and Jane Saale's backyard nestled on 20-wooded acres. The couple enjoys a quiet moment together.

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Home Style

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HIS AND HERS BECOMES

theirs By DANETTE M. WATT

t isn’t easy for two adults to meld their different styles when they marry, but newlyweds Erin and Dane Beiser have successfully designed their home so it has become a reflection of who they are as a couple, including blending some family pieces with new furniture. The Beisers, both 26, grew up in Alton. Erin is in sales with Cintas; Dane is the facilities manager for the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center. The two dated for eight years before marrying last August, giving them ample opportunity to “learn a lot about each other’s styles, through all of our living environments, from the college dorms, to apartments and the condominium Dane previously owned,” Erin said. They didn’t know where they would be living after they married, so they used their wedding registry to combine their styles, listing a wide assortment of items that they both liked.

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continued on next page

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Summer 2011

Newly married Dane and Erin Beiser ha ve a collection of the letter "B" displayed in their living room. There's also a small "B" on their front door that welcomes guests to their Godfrey home.

The couple like a classic decor accented with more trendy pieces, mixing a v ariety of old and new pieces to achieve a sophisticated, contemporary style that reflects both their tastes.

FROM PREVIOUS PAGE Two months before they married, the couple purchased a home that Erin’s cousins previously owned. “I’ve always loved this house. My cousins raised six kids here, and we are excited to someday have children of our own and raise them here,” Erin said. Built around 1948, the Cape Cod-style house was typical for the era and neighborhood. Sometime in the early 1980s, a great room was added to the back, extending the home’s living space to 2,300 square feet. The home has three bedrooms and twoand-a-half baths, a den and a partially finished basement, which has become Dane’s mancave. Dane believes the den once was a dining or living room, which now serves as the couple’s study. Erin said her style is “classic with some trendy accents.” She also loves organic elements and earth tones with black accents, which is apparent throughout the home. An

entry painted white and decorated with lime green accents welcomes family and friends. Across from the kitchen is a seating area with a black counter and two black barstools. And everywhere there are flowers: fresh flowers in vases, dried ones tucked here and there on shelves, and flowers as prints on walls and on pillows. As for Dane, he comes by a love of water naturally, having spent many summers at his family’s condominium in the Lake of the Ozarks. Dane calls the basement his “Boat Room,” in which he has displayed a plate commemorating the dedication of the field station, along with photos of the Alton Marina and other nautical memorabilia. One of their favorite design notes is their collection of “B”s on a living room wall. “We started collecting a variety of ‘B’ plaques when we got engaged, because we were so excited to depict our married name in a unique design,” Erin said. The couple feels it is important to support

local businesses, and they combed area stores for just the right accent pieces for each room. “Everything we’ve added started with an idea or a look we wanted to accomplish, and then we searched high and low to find the right one,” she said. The couple’s large furniture pieces are a mixture of new and old. The couple has incorporated a few family pieces, including two dressers from Dane’s childhood from Jacoby’s Furniture, which he took to college with him. “These dressers have made some long trips,” he said. “It’s unbelievable the quality of older furniture.” “Our family has played an integral role in our house,” she said. “This has led to a more personal connection to all of the components, including my cousins who originally lived in the house, my parents who’ve helped us stain furniture and make small renovations, and our grandparents and friends who were gracious to gift us furniture they were no longer using.” Home Style

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Summer 2011

Gentle giants By KATHIE BASSETT Even as puppies, Irish wolfhounds are a good size. “They don’t look like little mice when they’re born,” laughed Dr. Steve Pope, who takes his beloved Irish wolfhounds, Elmer and Edith, with him to work every day at Pope Animal Clinic. “They’re big dogs that have a very sweet temperament.” The pair is quite alert to Steve’s movements, especially in the morning, when they are watching for signs that he’s ready to leave for the office, jumping up to go to the door the moment he puts down his cup of coffee. “They run to my SUV, and then they put their front paws up in the back and wait for me to lift them up,” he said. “They usually turn around to look at me as if to say, ‘Please, help me up.’” continued on page 10

Edith and Elmer, veterinarian Steve Pope's Irish W olfhounds, sit with him on the benc h outside his home. The large dogs accompany him to work every day.

Home Style

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FROM PAGE 9 Weighing 180 and 140 pounds, respectively, Elmer and Edith have hips so heavy that the dogs can’t jump up into the truck by themselves. “They love going to work,” he said. “They like to stay around the receptionist so they can be petted. We have people who come in just to visit them.” Edith tends to stay closest to the clinic’s front desk, so pet owners visiting the clinic for the first time tend to be surprised by her size. “The receptionist usually tells them to wait a minute,” he laughed. “That’s when Elmer comes sauntering out, and they’re stunned by how large he is — towering over Edith.” Both dogs are close to 7 feet tall when standing on their hind legs. Pope has practiced in the area since 1989 and said that he and his wife, Kim, chose the breed primarily for their easygoing nature. As a side benefit, Irish wolfhounds shed very little hair. When they adopted Elmer, Steve Pope thought he should be named “Wadlow” in honor of Alton’s native son, but Kim persuaded him to name the dog after her grandfather, who was a dog breeder, instead. Elmer and Edith are inseparable, often touching one another even when sleeping. “They play differently than other dogs,” Steve Pope explained. “They’re like walruses, because they push one another with their

necks. We call it the ‘nar-nar’ game after the sounds they make.” Pope began taking Elmer, now 2.5 years old, to work with him when he was a puppy as a way of preventing him from chewing on their

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kitchen cabinets. At that time, they had another Irish wolfhound named Fallon that already made the daily trek. He feared that Elmer would be too lonely at home by himself, so the dogs became deeply attached to one another — as well as to Steve. “The hardest thing to do as a vet is to put your own dog asleep, which I eventually had to do,” he said. “Elmer wouldn’t leave Fallon’s side, resting his chin on her back. It was heartbreaking.” Once Fallon succumbed to cancer, the Popes knew that Elmer needed to have another playmate, so they soon welcomed 18-month-old Edith into their Alton home. Known affectionately as “The Goat,” Edith requires a certain amount of supervision to keep out of trouble. The pair has entertained themselves this spring by partaking in “unlimited cicada crunchies.” Known for their loyalty and sociability, Pope said he greatly enjoys their companionship and strongly believes that all dog owners have a responsibility to care for their pets. “They’re part of our family,” he said. “We would do whatever it takes to do what’s best for them.” While the breed’s average life span is only eight years, Pope hopes that he can prolong their lives through proactive care. “Teeth cleaning is key to a dog’s longevity,” he explained. “I started scraping theirs when they were just puppies, so they don’t mind having it done while they’re just lying on the floor.” And just how much dog food do Elmer and Edith consume? In an average week, Pope said they eat a 40-pound bag of dry dog food. “This is where it comes in handy being a vet,” he said. “I can get their food at cost.”

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Home Style

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A lifelong

GARDEN PARTY Cliff Davenport enjoys working in his awardwinning garden at least a few hours every day. His Godfrey home is a converted stable, producing exceptionally fertile soil. Cliff added a potting shed behind the house to accommodate his many projects. Cliff built the gazebo over a well that had been formerly used for the horses.

“

I like to say I play in the yard. The hotter it gets, the earlier I get up. Spring and fall are like getting ready for a party, and then cleaning up after it.

”

CLIFF DAVENPORT gardener

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Summer 2011

By LAURA GRIFFITH t the age of 59, Cliff Davenport found his creative outlet in gardening, and at 80, he’s still going strong. “I love the creativity. I’ve never been able to paint a picture, I’ve never successfully written a poem, but I have created some nice gardens,” the retired teacher said. “Plus, it’s wonderful exercise.” His passion for gardening apparently is in his genes.

A

“(My mother) and my father were avid gardeners. When (my mother) got older, she started gardening in various pots, and she was quite good at it. That was before the trend became popular,” he said. A pale blue pot that once belonged to his mother now sits in one of his garden beds in her memory. Cliff moved into the house, originally built as a stable for the house next door, in the late 1960s, and named the property “Birchcliff,” after the three white Birch trees in the yard,

along with his first name. Since then, the trees have died and been replaced with river birches, which do better in this climate, he said. After he moved in, he started a little gardening but didn’t yet have the ability to put his heart into it. At the time, he was teaching theater and speech at Alton High School. During the spring, which is peak gardening season, he would direct the high school’s annual musical. It wasn’t until after retirement that he got serious about gardening and realized how much he

loved it. He built a veranda on the back of his house, where he used to host Fourth of July parties every year, and slowly added garden beds. In the middle of the yard, where a spigot was once used to water horses, Cliff added a gazebo, and now uses the spigot to water his plants. Birdbaths here and there add a splash of color amid the ever-changing greenery; however, the garden’s main design is built around his continued on page 14 Home Style

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FROM PAGE 13 point of view. “I always keep in mind where I am — the view from the veranda,� Cliff said. “But it’s nice to have something you can’t see from here, a destination.� For Cliff, that destination is a bench in the front yard, sitting under a sweet gum tree just overlooking a bed of tropical plants. Out of sight, he added a potting shed to the back of his garage and does his own composting in the back yard. Every day, he spends several hours working in the garden, depending on the season. “I like to say I play in the yard. The hotter it gets, the earlier I get up,� he said. “Spring and fall are like getting ready for a party, and then cleaning up after it.� Even though he’s putting in fewer beds these days, he still has a lot of maintenance to do, which keeps him busy. But he’s never too busy to step back and enjoy his work. “At five o’clock every day, (my neighbors, the Alfelds, and I) come into the garden — theirs or ours — with our cocktails. They bring their dogs,� Cliff said. “It’s just the greatest moment of the day. I’m a very lucky guy.� Over the years, Cliff’s garden has been featured in the St. Louis Post Dispatch, winning an award in 2000. His garden also has appeared in numerous magazines, including the November 2010 issue of Birds & Blooms, along with an interview on gardening tips. This year, Cliff once again took part in Pride Inc.’s annual Garden Tour. “One of the most important things that I’ve learned about gardening is you have to have patience,� he said, pointing to a hydrangea that just hasn’t blossomed in the pa s t f e w y e a r s l i k e h e h a d h o p e d . “Someday, it’s going to reward me.�

Fact and fiction By LAURA GRIFFITH n the last Wednesday of every month, four friends meet at Gentelin’s on Broadway in Downtown Alton to enjoy dinner together and discuss their latest book selection. The book club hasn’t been going for very long, but Barbara Norman, Pat Kimbro, Bobbi Bechtold and Jane Lewis have been close friends for years. All are members of Phi Tau Omega, a national philanthropic sorority, and share other interests such as reading, but it’s the mutual respect and support they have for one another that has kept them together all these years. This month, they’re meeting a week late — their last dinner postponed by the threat of storms in the area. The women sit around the table, sipping wine and laughing, happy because they look forward to getting together. The book club started with Pat and Bobbi, then Jane joined in, and then Barb. Each of the four members takes a turn choosing a book, and at the end of the month, they meet to discuss it. Mostly, they enjoy talking with one another. For all the women, the meetings are an escape — but for Barb and Jane, both widowed within the last two years, they are especially therapeutic. “It took the sadness away. It’s therapy; it’s just not the book. We talk about everything, and it’s a comfort to have that connection,” Barb explained. “(After my husband died), the minute I opened my door, who was there? My friends.” Jane wholeheartedly agreed. “I wouldn’t have made it without you guys,” she said. No genre is out of bounds, except maybe gory horror stories, the women agree. They prefer romance novels, mysteries and even biographies. “People that overcome struggles, I like sto-

O

Friends Barbara Norman, P at Kimbro, Bobbi Bec htold and Jane Le wis meet monthly at Gentelin's in Alton to discuss a book and catch up. ries like that,” Pat said. The club is fairly new, but so far, they’ve covered “The Goodbye Quilt” by Susan Wiggs, “Hannah’s List” by Debbie Macomber, “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen and “Heart of the Matter” by Emily Giffin. At the mention of “Water for Elephants,” Pat speaks up about having disliked it. “It was hard to get into. I didn’t finish,” she confesses. Coincidentally, she also was the only one from the group who didn’t also see the movie. Most of the group agrees that they actually liked the movie better. Bobbi, in particular, enjoyed the story — in both book and movie version, she says. Working at Provision Living in Godfrey, she has met a lot of storytellers, and she can relate to many different kinds of people. The women laugh. Bobbi relates to a lot of the people they read about. “I’m always the main character,” she says. Over the last few months, their meetings follow a routine of sorts but never are boring.

The same waitress takes their orders, and Bechtold always orders her dessert before the main course. This week, it’s ice cream over a yellow cake with berries, and she eats most of it, except for a small portion she leaves for after her meal. “Life’s too short to not have dessert,” Bobbi said. Sometimes the women stay at the restaurant for several hours, enjoying each other ’s company. Though they start on books, the discussion always segues into a different conversation among the best friends. “We would get together anyway; the book just brings another dimension in,” Jane said. All four agree that the relationships they have with one another are special. A woman can be friends with a man, but their friendship is never the same as a friendship between girls, they say. “You’re a mom, a grandma, a worker… But here, it’s just us,” Barb said. “We’re not characters, we’re just ourselves.” Home Style

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Artist Duncan Martin aims to paint 58 National Parks in 58 months. Works completed include: "Late Summer Evening 1" (top) and "Late Summer Evening 2" on this page and "Blue Peak" on p. 18.

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Summer 2011

APY*

PAINTER EXPLORES RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE By DANETTE M. WATT or Duncan Martin, painting landscapes has less to do with the physicality of the land and so much more to do with the spiritual connection he has with it. “ I a m m o v e d t o pa i n t l a n d s c a p e s , places and spaces by the rhythm, movement and spirit in the relationships of forms, colors and light. These are present and unfold themselves as I paint and work on location, out in the land,� Duncan said. “They resonate within my being and represent a oneness rather than a separation or distance.� A quote by Alexander Pope sums it up for him: “All are but parts of one stupendous whole, Whose body Nature is and God the soul.� Last year, Duncan began the 58 in 58 National Parks project as a way to celebrate those places where “soul shines through our beautiful body. The land I care about has

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FROM PAGE 16 become more and more important as development has encroached upon it and parks have lost funding. “I’m not alone in painting in the parks. It’s not necessarily a unique idea. But it’s the work itself and not the structure of the project that will make it different,” Duncan said. “I’m interested in the painting, the art itself, not necessarily a quintessential view of the park.” Duncan traces his beginnings as a landscape painter to the three years he spent painting in Calhoun County. The body of work he created resulted in his first major showing outside of school. More importantly, it was his experiences with the land and spending time in it during his formative years that has informed his art. “My work germinates from my experience in the landscape, being in it as it changes. I may stand (in one spot) and paint for three hours, but the landscape changes while I’m there. It’s multi-faceted and vibrates with life,” Duncan said. Born in upstate New York in 1954, Duncan majored in art at Principia College in 1976. He studied painting with Neil Welliver at the University of Pennsylvania and received an MFA in 1986. He taught at Principia for about 10 years, then “got the itch to move on.” He married and moved to Santa Fe, N.M. That, he says, was the start of his “Western sojourn” when he lived in, traveled around and painted the Southwest. Other locations that have been significant to his work are Glen Arbor, Mich., and Deer Isle, Maine. Duncan began his “58 in 58” project in February 2010 with Arizona’s Saguaro National Park. Since then, he has been to the Arches and Canyonlands in Utah earlier this year and expects to paint in 10 more parks over the summer. Several works will be created on location at each park. In addition, he’ll make sketches and take videos and photographs to help him recreate the scene when he returns home. But he noted, “There is a certain amount of absorption while you are out there on site.” Back in the studio, Duncan will paint larger works. Duncan plans to blog about his project on his website, http://duncanmartin.squarespace.com.

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Summer 2011

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MAKE IT PERSONAL with shadowboxes and monogrammed frames

S

By DANETTE M. WATT

crapbooks are one way of preserving souvenirs and keepsakes, but for something more distinctive, look beyond the ordinary when it comes to displaying memories of special people and events. Shadowboxes and monogrammed picture frames are two interesting ways of exhibiting mementos of weddings and vacations and other treasures. Shadowboxes are deep frames, usually square or rectangular, with a glass front that is used to preserve and display items as varied as dried flowers, christening dresses, old family photographs, even sports jerseys. Ken Link, owner of Picture This and More in Alton, said memorabilia needs to tell a story. One story frequently told is that of a military career. Tradition has it that when service members retire, they are given a shadowbox holding insignia, medals and other items that highlight and trace their military career. Link says he likes to get a history of the items people bring in to get framed. "We try to get some background on the item. That helps me to understand its significance. Then we can design (the shadowbox) around it," he said. "I want to create a design to tell the story, one that can be understood four generations from now." Popular among their clients is the preservation of military memorabilia. Family members frequently like to display medals awarded to loved ones alongside a ceremonial flag, such as the one shown. A personalized inscription of name and dates is included to share a fuller portrait. A shadowbox can take a collection of objects and pull them together to make a statement that is a reflection of their owner. One such collection is a set of six teacups owned by Mary Anderson of Alton. Unlike Link's unadorned shadowboxes, Anderson uses ornate gold leaf deep frames typical of the Victorian era to display her cherished items. "The trend today is anything that is monogrammed and personalized," said Joyce King, who along with her husband Alex owns Alexander's in Alton. For a one-of-a-kind memento, take a cue from Erin Beiser. She approached the Kings with an idea for an unusual wedding keepsake. Choosing a font that coordinated with her wedding invitations, Beiser asked the Kings to put her and her husband Dane's initials in the middle of a large picture frame. Then she had family and friends use a permanent marker to sign the glass around the large vinyl letters, creating a unique reminder of that special day. Framing potentially fragile textiles such as

the pictured commemorative handkerchief not only protects the fabric but allows people to view the entire piece, said Amy Alfeld, an avid collector of items from World War I. "It's a work of art as well as a piece of history," Amy said. "It's an early piece dating from before the U.S. entered the war, and the lyrics are from Belgium, Russia, France and the U.K. - it's too beautiful to not to be properly displayed." Home Style

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Midsummer’s playful

DREAM HOUSE

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By KATHIE BASSETT

ith fond memories of playing with her two sisters growing up, Lorrie Isringhausen dreamed of her daughters, Maddie, 8, and Emerson, 1, having a playhouse to call their own. To make this dream truly special, Lorrie’s husband, Jason, a relief pitcher for the New York Mets, and his father, Charles, built the playhouse from a kit in 2009. “They surprised Maddie in the barn on Christmas morning,” Lorrie said. “She loved it!” Although the house is diminutive, it required a tractor to move it from the barn to its current location just a short distance from the family home in rural Madison County. “I want to play in it myself!” Lorrie exclaimed. “It’s great to watch them play in it. It just takes me back to being a kid and something we really wanted to give to the girls.” continued on pages 21 and 22

“

They surprised Maddie in the barn on Christmas morning. She loved it!

”

LORRIE ISRINGHAUSEN gardener

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Summer 2011

Emerson and Maddie Isringhausen play together in the bilevel house built for them by their father, relief pitcher Jason and their grandfather Charles. Their mother Lorrie decorated the house for them with items she has found in flea markets on her travels.

Edwardsville artist Joanie Santoro painted murals for the girls, including a faux bookcase rug along with an assortment of their favorite animals. Fitted with working chandeliers, the lofted playhouse gives the girls ample room to have a dress-up area and a small daybed upstairs.

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Vintage pieces fill the playhouse with delectable marshmallow treats set on the table for a special afternoon treat. Maddie takes time to organize the dressing area. Positioned behind her are two large tissue paper roses she made to decorate the loft area. FROM PAGE 20 Trimmed with ballet slipper pink woodwork, the playhouse includes a loft with a bedroom for Maddie’s stuffed animals and Emerson’s dolls. The whimsical interior is filled with vintage treasures that Lorrie has found in flea markets all over the world and accented with murals done by Edwardsville artist Joanie Santoro (Home Style – Winter 2011, Vol. 4 - Issue 3). Maddie’s favorite elements, characteristically, are the painted animals. She has named the mouse Chocolate, the dog Snowflake and the parrot Ernie. The girls have set up an elaborate tea party, for which they have placed luscious marshmallow confections that could easily be served to visiting princesses, fairies or friends. Flowers abound, with large paper stems Maddie made towering in the loft, with their vibrant peony-colored blossoms complementing the soft garlands that grace the walls. Dress-up clothes are piled in a corner, and elements such as lace pillow, wire tables, crystal chandeliers and assorted knickknacks add to the playhouse’s cozy appeal. Photos of the girls are scattered about, reflecting their close relationship. Out of admiration, Emerson calls Maddie not by her name but “Sissie.” A home away from home, the family’s barn kitty, Salem, frequently can be found napping on the small bed upstairs. For when the girls’ moods turn more spirited, Jason added an age-appropriate climbing wall, ladder and swings, complete with a wicker settee nestled under the platform for mom and dad to enjoy.

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Summer 2011

Doug

CONLEY

A gardening culture

“T

he love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies.”

Gertrude Jekyll, an influential garden designer, wrote this quote, which appears on banners surrounding The Gardens at SIUE. It is an accurate statement for this gardener and our public garden. When I began as director in 2005, the property was overrun with bush honeysuckle, had few garden features and supported by a small but dedicated cadre of followers. When you visit it today, you find our native sassafras has replaced the honeysuckle, and a beautiful series of garden experiences are tended by hundreds of enthusiastic volunteers supported by the generosity of local philanthropists. The Gardens are a success thanks to an existing gardening culture in the region. Dozens of active garden clubs serve the region, and several communities have beautification committees, which offer annual awards to residents who have dedicated themselves to beautifying their neighborhood. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many of you and applaud your commitment to sow the seeds of gardening. My love for gardening and nature was cultivated across my home state of Michigan. Family, friends and neighbors nurtured my growth, both as a person and a gardener. As you may have heard, I accepted a new position “back home.” This was a bittersweet decision for my wife and me, because so many of you have welcomed us into your garden and supported our efforts to grow beauty in our community. The new position will allow me to bring your commitment to a gardening culture to an area in need of more beauty and contact with nature. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is committed to The Gardens, and a search for the next director has begun. I encourage you to welcome the next director to the community. Feel free to share your ideas and invite him/her to present to your clubs. In short, introduce this person to your wonderful gardening culture. It has been a pleasure to serve this community. We gardeners know that tending the earth is about hope and promise. The poet Thomas Cooper said it well: “A garden is never so good as it will be next year.”

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Summer 2011

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