HOME & GARDEN
JULY 2019 / SOUTHERNLIVING.COM
16
Create Viewpoints
Picture your garden as a blank canvas.
Look out each window of the house,
and think about what you want to see.
Find focal points in the yard, like a
splendid tree or structure, to anchor
each area. If they don’t exist yet, build
some. Repeat garden colors inside the
house to help seamlessly integrate the
interior with the exterior.
Incorporate Objects Too
Startzman uses vertical forms—like
the many birdhouses; the tree house;
and plantings on the pergolas, fences,
trellises, and arbors—to not only lend
height and places for eyes to rest but
also to provide year-round visual
interest, which is especially welcome
in the winter. She also mounts mirrors
and sets gazing balls on stone pillars
to make smaller areas appear larger.
Engage the Senses
Paths set the pace of a walk around
the garden. Materials also matter. She
uses rough gravel for the satisfying
crunch underfoot. Flat walkways
quicken one’s steps. Winding routes
encourage visitors to meander, discover
hidden areas around a bend, and take
in the surroundings—the sound of water
gurgling in a fountain, the fragrance of
blooms wafting in the air, and the sight
of tomatoes ready to be picked.
On Edge Use old bricks (set
vertically) to define flower beds.
Lucky Charms Koi fish,
an Asian symbol of good
fortune, fill the pond.
A PIE-SHAPED, 1-ACRE LOT in an
empty field. A steep slope. No close
neighbors. These factors would deter
many prospective homeowners, but
Mary Startzman was smitten. “I wasn’t
thinking about the house we had to
build. I saw a sun-drenched garden
with endless possibilities. Little did I
know there was so much shale; it took
years to amend the soil,” she recalls.
Her goal was to create a pesticide-
free, low-maintenance, organic garden
with as little grass as possible. She
began in her backyard with a bright
blue gate, made by a local artisan,
surrounded by a boxwood hedge. It’s
taken more than four decades, but a
dense, vibrant garden now fills that
area, even spilling into the front yard.
Any time the temperature is above
40 degrees, Startzman (now retired
from a career in banking) and her four
dogs are outside in the garden. It’s her
private arboretum, stress reliever, and
creative outlet. She thinks of her many
flower beds as “living art” where she
combines colors, textures, and shapes.
Her inspiration? Childhood visits to
her aunts’ gardens in South Texas.
Inside the house, her husband, Gene
(a retired professor), watches from
a window as she presides over all
her flowers.
Startzman says, “If I can do this,
anybody can. It doesn’t have to take
a lot of money. Start small, create it
piece by piece, and don’t be afraid to
change things. If plants aren’t thriving
or no longer work, try them in another
location and see what happens. That’s
part of the fun.” Here are her best ideas
to get your garden going.
