Gardens
Environmentally Friendly
A Weatherby Lake couple turns their attention to ‘green’ design, creating a natural refuge for connecting with the outdoors.
BY
Andrea Darr
PHOTOGRAPHY
Paul Bonnichsen

People today talk about their insulation’s R-value and appliances’ Energy Star ratings, their triple-paned windows and high-SEER HVAC units, but when Kim and Scott Wedman talk about their contributions to the environment, they mean the natural one outside their doors. The couple lives in an older ranch home at Weatherby Lake among towering trees and families happy to spend their weekends and vacations at home, puttering around on the water or picnicking in the backyard.

“We’re content right here,” Kim says. “When we think about all the wonderful places to explore in Missouri, we find ourselves, more often than not, opting to stay right here. This is our sanctuary.”
It truly is a living, flowing place of positive energy. More than 11 years ago, the Wedmans embarked on an overhaul of their sloping lakefront property for a couple of reasons. They needed safe access to their dock, then a friend asked if she could get married there, propelling them to act.

Having grown up working outside with her father, Kim had some experience with landscaping, but she needed a professional for this job. She remembered the work of Robert Bledsoe, owner of Cripple Creek Rock Co., who had built planters for the Wedmans’ first home, so she asked him to come up with a plan for their new home. “He had a vision immediately of what he could do with our space, and he really inspired us with it,” Kim says. “I had some idea of what I wanted, but Robert had the excitement to get my husband on board.”

The plan included multiple spaces with individual purposes. “It’s about surprise,” Kim notes.

From front to back, the property offers mini-environments that are unique yet cohesive. Out the front window, it’s the butterfly garden, complete with plants like fennel and butterfly bush that caterpillars need to make their winged transformation. To the north, it’s a moss garden leading to a side yard with an in-ground trampoline; artist Dave Matthews forged the enclosing iron fence that looks twined together by twigs and leaves. To the south, it’s the fragrant lilac grove watched over by a guardian statue. Larry Limberg of Clearfield Farms was and is the collaborative plant expert for this magical spot. Further back, the hill crests with a wading pool filled with gold fish that cascades down a 30-foot rock waterfall built so Kim and Scott can climb it. At the bottom, it meets up with an outdoor patio, complete with gas fire pit, outdoor kitchen and dining area. Right on the water, a diving board hovers over deep, cool blueness.

“We’ve enjoyed the house tremendously as it is, but now we have so many extra ‘rooms’ that are an extension of the house,” Kim says.

Even though they manicured much of the land, they left plenty wild, mostly along the shaded dirt path that winds along the waterfront to the dock.

All of this feels supremely secluded yet it’s openly shared with others. “When you live at the lake, people love to visit,” Kim says. They often pack a crowd onto their aging pontoon boat that was grandfathered in or invite the neighborhood kids over to jump off the board. Sailing is one of their favorite pastimes; in the summer, they can be found “ghosting” around the lake just before dawn on their Sonar Excalibur. Other times, they prefer to sit quietly on their expansive deck or in the hot tub and simply enjoy the non-conversational birds, butterflies and many other species of wildlife. Kim befriends them, as well, by filling feeders and even leaving something out for a mother raccoon and her babies.

Surrounded by such a soothing oasis, the Wedmans want nothing more. “We feel like it’s a privilege to live here,” Kim says.