The two-acre garden designed by Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects was an integral part of the restoration of Des Moines, Iowa’s century-old public library into a home for the Word Food Prize Foundation – Dr. Norman E. Bourlaug Hall of Laureates. The Formal garden functions as a ceremonial space for the World Food Prize Foundation, which bestows the foremost international award recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity, or availability of food in the world. Entrance paths into the garden from the corners of the site lead visitors past commissioned statues of Dr. Norman Borlaug and John Ruan, the founder and sponsor of the World Food Prize, and then to a 1,100 square-foot, granite-inlaid map of the world, which symbolically marks the gathering space located at the entrance to the Hall of Laureates.

The home itself was built next to a former carriage house on the orchard grounds once owned by the Polk family – early philanthropists who settled in the heartland of Iowa. A brick front wall eliminates any view of the street and encloses a warm, entry garden, which features sculptures by the artist and owner as well as cherry and crabapple trees. An entry arch and antique walnut bed’s headboard gate serve as an entrance into an “All Things Sculptural” garden path.

Woodside is a beautiful private wooded acreage in West Des Moines. In Spring, the extensive meadows surrounding the house burst with color from the hundreds of daffodils planted by the Bones over the years. The gardens around the house include boxwood, hostas, climbing and shrub hydrangeas, roses, perennials, painted ferns, peonies and annuals. A garden across the back of the home includes oak leaf hydrangea, other hydrangeas, roses, perennials, host and some annuals, providing fragrance and color throughout the seasons. A curved brick walkway from the drive to the front entrance and a two level brick patio with an old mill wheel water feature complete the relaxing landscaping.

Shetland Run started as a bare clay suburban canvas, and has developed into a beautiful “secret garden” surrounded by wrought iron fencing and brick columns. Deciduous and evergreens trees were planted and limestone borders and granite boulders were installed to define the garden’s borders. An open air pavilion and decks provide seating for the Shaws to look out over the plantings of ornamental grasses, perennials and annuals. A water feature with seven waterfalls creates a relaxing environment and a combination of path, ground and underwater lighting provide for nighttime enjoyment.

This cottage home in the city is half woodland, half lawn and gardens. The design of the main garden is based on a 5-pointed star and rhythms of the Fibonacci sequence. The signature garden represents birth, life, death, and regeneration. An eight-foot black iron fence protects the garden from the white-tailed deer that thrive in the neighborhood. Ornamental grasses, peonies, bridal wreath, and cork bark euonymous around the outer perimeter of the fence connect the opulent growth within to the park-like setting without.

Villa dei Fiori is nestled on nearly two acres of red and white oak trees surrounding a stately brick English tudor home, garage/carriage house and brick potting shed. The outdoor living area at the rear of the home is screened for privacy by special gardens, fences and gates. This area includes a pool with a pergola and pool house. Roses flank the walkway. Cottage, perennial, cutting, and herb gardens complete the plantings. The garden has special meaning to Elizabeth Hoak as her grandfather Sesto Fiori worked in the gardens for the home’s original owners.

Sand Hill is a private garden lovingly developed by the Anderson’s when they built this home on the south side of the city. This peaceful retreat from the urban environment combines a natural landscape with the formal landscaping elements near the home. The Anderson’s enthusiasm for the architecture of gardens is evident in the extensive boxwood and topiary gardens that also feature various sculptures. Large potted grapefruit trees flank the front entrance and a stunning espalier of pear lines the side of the home.

Collecting old marked paving bricks from early streets and sidewalks has long been a hobby to the Tillotson’s, hence the name of their property. The antique brick collection has been used to create the walkways that surround the suburban home as well as the square flower and herb gardens. A highlight of the informal garden is a display of 650 marked bricks mortared into the rear wall of the home. From May to October, annuals and perennials provide old-fashioned color in the beds. The plantings provide blooms for cutting and sharing throughout the seasons.

Roses are the main feature of Rosegate. A plain, sloping half-acre lot in the city that has been transformed into a world of four-season beauty around this cottage. Conifers and cedar fences provide year-round privacy. In Spring, delicate wildflowers bloom in a secret garden. From May to November, hundreds of roses in the collection bloom behind the garden gate. There are pocket gardens of perennials under old oaks and favorite annuals bloom each year in terra-cotta planters and window boxes.

Casa Cadença was modeled after a small villa in Italy and was featured in House and Garden magazine 1925. The owners have maintained an Italianate feeling on the multi-terraced hillside. Vine-covered brick and stone walls, brick walkways and steps lead to different levels which include: formal beds and lawns partially shaded by old trees and a variety of ground covers. The sweep of lawn is enclosed by hedges. Perennials and a kitchen garden can be viewed from the kitchen.

Great thought and care were given in the design of this calm, relaxing garden to provide enjoyment throughout the seasons. Flowering crabs, ornamental, fruit, and coniferous trees and shrubs were planted, A profusion of bulbs bloom in early, mid, and late spring. Three ponds are connected by cascading waterfalls. Fragrant Plantaganea Grandiflora hosts, divisions from those planted by Lynda’s great-grandmother at the family’s summer home, flourish.