Photographs by Tracy Walsh
A lyrical balance: Plantings bright, tall, low, and subtle provide interesting contrasts as they hug the hardscape walkways and meander around the spread of grass leading to the playhouse.
Before the storybook St. Anthony Park cottage was hers, Susan Warde used to pass by the sunny front yard and imagine a border of marigolds marching up to the front door. Then, in 1981, Susan and her husband bought the house, and she did indeed plant those marigolds (and some irises) in that narrow bed. She’s been very busy since then.
Over the years, planting beds have multiplied and expanded to generous proportions. Stone paths have been laid. Low walls built, widened, torn down, and rebuilt. Trees grown, and trees removed. The pattern of light has changed as the garden has evolved in step with Susan’s life. Her children’s children now play in the garden.
What used to be clearly labeled as the sunny and shady parts of the garden have become less defined, and dappled sunlight claims the space more and more. She doesn’t mind at all. In fact, she believes it’s easier to garden with shade-tolerant perennials. Hostas, lilies, astilbes, azaleas, rhododendrons, irises, hydrangeas, and more than two dozen species of fern make for an ever-changing roster of color, form, and texture. A graceful sweep of lawn is just enough.
The range of color is restrained—oranges and reds are no longer allowed. “Don’t get me wrong: I like orange and red,” she says, “but they can be such uncompromising colors.” Now her color palette is peaceful and subdued, with varying shades of pink and yellow, although blues make for a show in spring.
Susan’s gardening expertise broadened through the years. She maintains a long and literal list of her garden inventory, Latin names included. However, she divides and uses many of the same plants over and over. The repetition is far from boring; it creates rhythm and calm as you amble along the paths. Spotted here and there, a total of 12 birdbaths offer a shimmer of light and attract wildlife.
Aside from hardscape and tree removal, Susan does all of her own work, or play, depending how you look at it. Asked how much time she spends in her garden, she replies without missing a beat, “As much as I can.” When she’s not in the garden, Susan is an award-winning poet. Her verses often tell of the push and pull between winter and the growing season. If she’s not in the garden, it’s still on her mind.
Early drafts still trace the plot. The curve beneath the oak reads as clear as when it first was dug. A birdbath crowns a stubborn stump and stones, now sunk and mossy, mark amidst the ferns an older path that leads to compost and the potting shed. Revised, the garden’s grown in beauty.
—Excerpted from “Palimpsest” by Susan Warde
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House
The bounty of botanicals and blooms provides the deep natural buffer at the front of Susan Warde’s St. Paul house.
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Art, sculpture and seating draw visitors along the way, creating mini destinations in which to sit, relax, and ponder.
Art, sculpture and seating draw visitors along the way, creating mini destinations in which to sit, relax, and ponder.
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The orchestrated mix keeps the eye moving through the landscape.
The orchestrated mix keeps the eye moving through the landscape.
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Korean-Japanese hybrid maples Northwind and Ice Dragon, hardier than some varieties, are effective as understory trees. The lacy foliage filters light in a pretty way all summer, with outstanding color in fall.
Secret Garden: Korean-Japanese hybrid maples Northwind and Ice Dragon, hardier than some varieties, are effective as understory trees. The lacy foliage filters light in a pretty way all summer, with outstanding color in fall.
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Mirrors nestled among climbing vines surprise the visitor with their own reflection.
Mirrors nestled among climbing vines surprise the visitor with their own reflection.
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A mound of Japanese forest grass brightens an area near a birdbath.
A mound of Japanese forest grass brightens an area near a birdbath.
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In other areas, sculptures provide interest.
In other areas, sculptures provide interest.
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More than two dozen species of ferns, including Japanese painted fern, fill beds with their feathery fronds.
More than two dozen species of ferns, including Japanese painted fern, fill beds with their feathery fronds.
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Gardener Susan Warde sits on the limestone wall at the front of her house in St. Anthony Park.
Gardener Susan Warde sits on the limestone wall at the front of her house in St. Anthony Park.
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A sundial emerges in a bed of midsize iris and heuchera.
A sundial emerges in a bed of midsize iris and heuchera.
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An iron arch, which mimics one at the front of the house, beckons visitors to follow farther into the side and back garden.
An iron arch, which mimics one at the front of the house, beckons visitors to follow farther into the side and back garden.
