All Entries Tagged With: "Gardens of NoCo"
The Gardens of NoCo: Barclay & Kelly Compton
Florissant resident Barclay Compton, owner of the landscape design firm Landworks, Inc., is an expert at designing & building unique water gardens.
The trees may be bare and the temperatures plummeting, but at the Florissant home of Barclay and Kelly Compton, water features create a delightful atmosphere even in the winter months. NOCO contributor Jo Batzer visited there in the fall and now takes us on a tour of this unique North County garden…
It’s a garden you hear before you see…the sound of water cascading over large rocks, water bubbling out of stones, water flowing and winding through boulders and under trees. Approaching the front of this home, you find yourself stepping over a flowing stream bridged by a large stone to reach the front door. Water is everywhere here, from the ponds and waterfalls all around the home to the Missouri River in the distance. This water garden paradise in northwest Florissant is home to Barclay and Kelly Compton, who run their landscape and water garden business, Landworks, Inc., from their home.
Growing up in NoCo, both Compton and Kelly wanted a large piece of property to run the business from. In 1997, they found 20 acres that overlooks the Missouri River and built the first water garden just outside the front door in 1999. The 3000 gallon front water feature uses an 8000 gallons per hour pump to keep things moving.
Around the side of the house and again crossing a stream, you reach a large patio with a seating area, bar and hot tub surrounding an impressive freestanding, stone fireplace. Cedar log piers support the hearth above the stream that flows underneath as it winds along the length of the patio, leading to the main water feature in back.
This amazing large 6000 gallon pond has two 10,000 gph pumps that allow water to cascade down the rocky bluff into a large pond full of koi and goldfish. Among the large boulders are spruce, and assorted native trees creating a perfect, natural backdrop. “Water art” here and there give an unique look. The Comptons like to add tropical plants including banana trees (Musa sp.) and elephant ears (Colocasia sp.) in the warm seasons. In the fall, the changing colors along the bluff highlight the bright colors of the koi and goldfish down below.
It would be hard for anyone’s inner child to miss the 60-foot slide coming down the side of the bluff and ending in the swimming pool. Another 100-foot slide takes you down from the pool area to the field below. The Compton kids, Kyle (10) and Courtney (8) are also lucky enough to have a creative playground built by dad just beyond the pool area. For the adults, a tiki bar and outdoor grilling and dining area offer all the comforts of inside, but with an unequaled view of the waterfalls and the river under the stars or sunny skies.
Despite having all the large water features, maintenance is only 15 minutes per pond per week according to Barclay. Water gardening like regular gardening, does have its own unique challenges and problems. Like many other metro area water gardeners are finding, minks are becoming a problem and can help themselves to fish as has happened with a few of the Compton’s unfortunate koi last year. Herons and egrets can also feast on fish if precautions aren’t taken.
Still, water gardening is a great way to enjoy nature and can be very low maintenance. For anyone considering a water feature, Barclay recommends visiting local pond stores for knowledgeable staff to answer questions (such as Chalily on Manchester, where Barclay installed the front landscape displays).
Another great resource in the area is the St. Louis Water Garden Society. The SLWGS host an amazing Pond-O-Rama pond tour every summer. The Comptons are regulars on the tour which can be very rewarding, but also stressful. According to Barclay, one year the front ponds were scheduled to be on the tour. A month before, they decided to add the backyard pond which wasn’t complete yet.
“Working day and night while still running the business during the day was a huge challenge for us. The last rock was placed at 10:00 pm the night before the tour and the pond finished filling up just hours before the tour started. Talk about cutting it too close!”
Running a business from home can be difficult at times, but it can also save time to have office and home all in one place according to the Comptons. (Even the entrance to the office has its own ‘Bubbler’ water feature just outside the door!) Living among all the creative inspiration at home has no doubt helped this family owned business create unique outdoor living spaces for clients for more than 20 years.
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Jo Batzer has lived in North County most of her life and is excited to be a part of the NOCO team. She has worked in the horticulture and florist industries for over 25 years and is the garden leader at Twillman House Community Garden. Jo lives and gardens in the Spanish Lake area with her husband, two sons and two dogs. She is also available for private garden consultations through her new company, JB Design.
At Hendel’s Cafe, the secret ingredient is FAMILY
Celebrating 17 years in business, Hendel's Market Cafe in Old Town Florissant is a labor of love for Nathan Bennett, whose father, Ed, founded the restaurant.
To everyone lucky enough to have known him, Ed Bennett was a whirlwind of creative energy and a truly visionary entrepreneur. The founder and owner of Hendel’s Market Café in Old Town Florissant, he died suddenly in 2009 at the age of 58. But not before building an impressive legacy – a love letter to North County, really – that two years later continues to be nurtured and built upon by his family.
Ed opened Hendel’s in 1994, working with his sons Nathan and Josh to renovate the former rue St. Denis grocery store into a warm and welcoming restaurant. Built in 1873, the old brick building had housed a corner market for 120 years, 78 of those under the Hendel family. And when Ed heard that Henry and Marge Hendel were closing up shop, selling their prime location next to Sacred Heart Catholic Church, he immediately started dreaming of a café.
Of course, Hendel’s Market Café is now regarded as one of the finest restaurants in NoCo, winning frequent accolades for its delicious steak and crab cakes. It also has a cozy piano bar, an intriguing gourmet menu, and one of the most charming outdoor dining rooms in all of St. Louis.
Ed Bennett in 2009
Ed started that. He was the creative dynamo always pushing his vision forward, always aiming for a more vibrant, energized Old Town.
He inspired countless people during his life, mentoring hundreds of new entrepreneurs through the Small Business and Management Program at St. Louis Community College. He even founded (and eventually sold) another classic North County restaurant – the Barn Deli at the Myers House on Dunn Road, his first “historic café.”
No doubt about it, Ed was an amazing guy. I can vouch for that personally. But here’s a secret I know he would want me to share: he didn’t do it alone.
In fact, Hendel’s is thriving today because of the dedication of many people, led by the dynamic team of Ed’s son Nathan and Nathan’s wife, Christina, who managed to realize Ed’s dream of running a successful café with loads of personality, all before they were even 30 years old.
Nathan & Christina Bennett (2nd & 3rd from left) own and manage Hendel's Market Cafe, with plenty of help from their family members.
Childhood sweethearts who grew up in North County and now have two children of their own, Nathan, 31, and Christina, 29, both started working at Hendel’s in their teens, gradually moving up from bussers and kitchen help to servers and now owners. Today, Nathan is the head chef and kitchen manager while Christina oversees the front-of-house and handles everything from décor to marketing.
Like a lot of successful restaurant couples, he’s the quiet, focused one, passionate about the food. She’s the natural promoter with a glowing personality and a great sense of style. It’s a magical combo.
And then of course there’s family…
Besides Nathan’s siblings, Josh and Julie, who are behind-the-scenes partners, Hendel’s is enriched by the talents of several of Christina’s family members, who are also committed to Ed Bennett’s vision.
“This was Ed’s dream….he was the one who saw all of this,” says Christina’s mom, Linda Byrns, a gifted gardener who spends nearly every morning tending to the restaurant’s flower beds. “He started it and we just feel like we’re carrying it on.”
A longtime Bellefontaine Neighbors resident, Linda grew up in another family of local entrepreneurs – her parents founded Gamma Tree Company in 1954 – so she has a special appreciation for what Ed was trying to accomplish and what her daughter and son-in-law are working to preserve.
“Ed saw something that nobody else thought was possible, especially for North County,” she says. “An upscale restaurant that wasn’t a chain….no way. But he did it.”
“He had all of these grand ideas, and we all thought he was crazy at some point,” adds Christina. “But when he completed every single project, it was just magnificent! Like the piano bar…
“Ed hand-built that room with a contractor. He used salvaged bricks and old floors from St. Stanislaus Church downtown, and went over every inch of that space until it was exactly right.”
Melding seamlessly with the original 1873 building, the piano bar opened in 2009 and now features live music every Thursday through Saturday. It’s a cheerful, inviting room with a huge fireplace, and Linda keeps it fun and fresh with an ever-changing mix of themed accents and floral arrangements. This month’s theme is sunflowers.
“It’s also her job to paint the bike,” Christina jokes. But it’s true. Linda has adorned two of the restaurant’s gardens with neat old bicycles, and she frequently paints one of them to match her theme.
Linda Byrns and her sunflower bike
“We’re just having a good time,” she says, noting that her “workspace” is across the street – in one of the adorable sheds behind the historic Archambault house. Built around 1850, this National Register home located maybe 25 feet from Hendel’s is a gorgeous example of early federal-style architecture in St. Louis.
Ed had always hoped to convert it into a B&B, along with the six bedrooms above the restaurant. Instead, Christina’s grandma Norma recently purchased the property from her home in California and is now renting it to Christina’s sister Theresa and her new husband, Lucian Matoushek.
“Norma just thought it was important to keep things original….that it made sense for the restaurant,” Linda says. And it does. Conveniently, the property also offers ample storage space for Lucian, who just happens to be the butcher/manager/sausage maker for The Farmers’ Larder, a sustainable family farm and Washington, Missouri-based meat producer that’s all the rage at area farmers markets.
Lucian Matoushek of The Farmers' Larder
I love their kielbasa and English bacon, which I’ve purchased from Lucian himself at the Ferguson Farmers Market. You won’t find it on the Hendel’s menu (yet) but what you can enjoy is a culinary creation from another of Christina’s family members – absolutely divine lemon meringue cupcakes from her youngest sister, Lia Weber.
Pastry chef Lia Weber
Still in college, Lia works as the restaurant’s pastry intern as well as a cake decorator at Wedding Wonderland in Florissant. Her dream is to one day open a bakery, but in the mean time she loves creating decadent new sweets for Hendel’s dessert menu. My husband is still talking about that lemon meringue cupcake, one of her signature recipes.
“We’re very lucky to have her,” Christina says of her sister. “Actually, I feel lucky to have all of my family around me…and that includes our employees. A lot of them have been here 8 to 10 years. They’ve grown up with us…
“You know, it was incredibly tragic when Ed died and we’re still sad about it, but at the same time it was a whole new direction. We kept focusing on what could we do to move forward, to continue his legacy, and that’s what we did….and what we’re still trying to do.”
A few months back, Christina and Nathan decided to change up the menu a bit, tweaking the one detail at Hendel’s that Ed never had a hand in: the food. A small number of regulars complained, so a few classic dishes were revived, but Nathan continues to blossom as a chef and is eager to put his own spin on things. He likes to cook simple, modern fare using local and seasonal ingredients whenever possible, but Christina insists he will always prepare a classic item if requested.
“We listen to our customers and we want to make them happy,” she says. “On the other hand, we’d love for St. Louis to know that this ‘historic’ restaurant is actually run by young people….that we’re a place with fresh ideas and a unique viewpoint.”
“I think most customers assumed that Ed was the chef at Hendel’s but the truth is he rarely stepped foot in the kitchen,” Linda adds, ever the proud mother-in-law. “Nathan has been in there since he was 16, and it’s about time he get some recognition for his food. It’s wonderful.”
As for Nathan, he’s just fine being the man behind the curtain, spending his time perfecting dishes like pomegranate chicken and dill-encrusted tilapia. Outside of work, he also claims to have the “most awesome dog in the world” – a little white fluff ball named Ruby.
I didn’t get to meet Ruby during my recent visit to Hendel’s, but I did enjoy a nice visit with most of Nathan’s immediate and extended family, including his wife, daughter, niece, mother-in-law, brother-in-law and two sisters-in-law, and I can tell you one thing: Ed Bennett would be very, very proud.
In the wake of tragedy, his loved ones have banded together and risen to the challenge, running a vibrant, successful restaurant that repeatedly brings positive attention to North County. And they’ve done it as a family, in their own innovative style.
“We miss Ed every day,” Christina says, “but the biggest blessing of his death has been coming together as a family. That was his gift to us….one of his many gifts to us….and we are so grateful.”
Hendel’s Market Cafe is located at 599 St. Denis, 63031. Hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 11-9 and Sunday 9-2.
The Gardens of NoCo: Braxton DeGarmo
In 1904, this charming Ferguson home was built by a German immigrant named Joseph Christen. Today, it provides the perfect backdrop for Braxton DeGarmo's kaleidoscopic collection of daylilies.
Twenty years ago, when Braxton DeGarmo and his wife, Paula, first bought their Old Ferguson West home, their front yard was basically a gully full of tree stumps. Their 1904 house, built in the classic Four-Square style, was just a tired old place begging for restoration, but not for long….
Soon after moving in, the DeGarmos launched an ambitious makeover, devoting countless hours and dollars to turning their fixer-upper into a dazzling showplace. Today, their hard word is evident, especially in the garden.
As it turns out, Braxton has a green thumb (first developed in his college years), and his favorite way to unwind from a stressful workday is to plunge his fingers in some beautiful soil. He started clearing trees on his property and doing some general landscaping more than a decade ago, even salvaging his own walnut timber to make a custom fireplace mantel. But it wasn’t until four years ago that he fell in love with daylilies.
His garden now boasts nearly 350 daylily varieties (out of the 68,000 registered since 1950), and he’s currently an active member of two daylily organizations – the Greater St. Louis Daylily Society and the West County Daylily Club. Soon, his lovely property may even become a display garden for the American Hemerocallis Society, which is quite an honor.
There are only three AHS display gardens in the St. Louis area. One of those, not counting Braxton’s, is in North County.
To be considered, a garden must feature a wide mix of daylilies, with numerous varieties, colors, petal styles and hybridization dates represented. Braxton certainly has that. His oldest daylily, a tall, yellow variety that came from a neighbor’s yard, dates from 1924. He also boasts every imaginable shape, age and color of daylily you’ll probably ever see – and they’re all meticulously labeled.
Lucky for me as his neighbor, I get to enjoy this amazing eye candy every time I walk my dogs. Lucky for you as NOCO readers, you get a private tour of the DeGarmo garden right here! You also get the inside scoop that Braxton is having a plant sale!
That’s right. Stop by his house during the next week and you can purchase all kinds of great plants, both sun and shade. Some really pretty daylilies are in the mix, as well as other flowering perennials, and most of the plants are just five bucks.
For the full details, check out the final image in this gorgeous slideshow….
The Gardens of NoCo: John & Dora Gianoulakis
If you're looking for eye candy, you'll appreciate the stunning view of Columbia Bottom from this charming country property in Spanish Lake.
Did you hear? The Spanish Lake Garden Tour was a great success last weekend! Despite negative perceptions of the area, I know quite a few people were surprised at all the beautiful gardens they were able to visit, including this lush river bluff estate owned by John and Dora Gianoulakis. In case you missed it, NOCO contributor Jo Ann Batzer takes us on a private tour of this lovely property…
John and Dora Gianoulakis like to talk about the impressive view from their back deck. When you step around the back side of the house you realize ‘impressive’ is an understatement. The Missouri River flows past just below the bluff, and to the south, the Columbia Bottom confluence area sprawls out as far as the eye can see. In winter, views of the Lewis and Clark bridge adds to the list of features seen from the deck.
The diversity of wildlife, especially for bird lovers, is equally impressive. Dora has recorded sighting over 100 different species of birds – everything from indigo buntings to bald eagles. Being situated on the bluffs overlooking the river and the flatlands allows for an overlap of ecosystems and a broad range of diverse wildlife.
In the early 1980′s, John and Dora discovered that their home in University City had become too large after their children moved out. Dora searched for 3 years for a home with good bones, but not already ‘messed up’ with poorly done renovations. She and John bypassed other homes in University City, Ladue and Olivette, but Dora finally found her perfect home: the blue French cottage (ca. 1928) in Spanish Lake. “It had everything we wanted, good bones, quick commute to downtown for John and most of all quiet,” she says.
But the perfect find came with a lot of work. A swimming pool was filled in by previous owners and had to be removed. A bulldozer spent a full week removing the pool and recontouring the grounds. The house was also going through major renovations inside as well, and the cedar deck was finally added to take advantage of the view.
But it’s not all about the view here. The 1.5-acre property has a variety of garden areas, from very natural shade areas with mature oak and hackberry trees to more formal raised vegetable beds and an 80-foot shrub border. John and Dora have put their unique touch on everything about the property, making it their own. The shrub border is packed full of specimen trees and shrubs. Hornbeams, (Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata) Black gum, (Nyssa sylvatica) and smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’) mix well with kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa), beech (Fagus sylvatica) and shrub roses.
The east side of the home has a newly renovated perennial border that is highlighted by a mature wisteria vine that climbs the chimney and flowers profusely every spring.
Also along the east side are four raised beds with a creative mix of vegetables, self-seeding annuals and perennial plants. New columnar apple trees also share this space and a large arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) highlights winterberry (Ilex verticillata) bushes on one side of the garden area. Hollyhocks bloom in multiple areas throughout summer, they are descendents from seed in the Lewis Carroll Garden in Oxford, England.
A greenhouse was recently renovated that allows Dora to overwinter tender plants and start seeds. It overlooks a kitchen garden with culinary herbs and vegetables. Dora is well known for her cooking and uses many plants from the gardens in her dishes. Leeks, basil, Swiss chard and dill are among her favorites.
Dora and John are both very active in the local community. Dora is the president of the Spanish Lake Community Association and John serves as secretary. Both are incredibly passionate about the area they are proud to call home.
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Jo Batzer has lived in North County most of her life and is excited to be a part of the NOCO team. She has worked in the horticulture and florist industries for over 25 years and is the garden leader at Twillman House Community Garden. Jo lives and gardens in the Spanish Lake area with her husband, two sons and two dogs. She is also available for private garden consultations.
