Sappington House Gardens

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

Over the years the gardens at Sappington House have changed. Currently, there are 2 gardens surrounding the house. The first is the formal gardens with a brick walkway that wraps around the side of the house and into the back. The second is an herb garden towards the front of the house. In addition to these gardens, the property has several established trees.

Images

Thomas Sappington Formal Garden

Back Side of Painting a Summertime Past brochure

Front Side of Painting a Summertime Past brochure

Iris is bloom

Herb garden

Tulips in bloom

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

The Herb garden is located on the front side of the Thomas Sappington House. Originally, these herbs would have been used by the Sappington family for medicinal purposes in addition to flavoring food. Herbs included in the garden currently are:

Basil (Ocimum basilicum)

French Tarragon (Artemisia ranunculus)

Sage (Salvia officinalis)

Plain Parsley (Petroselinum)

Lemon Verbena (Aloysia triphylla)

Lavender (Lavandula officinalis)

Hoarhound (Marrubium vulgare)

Spearmint (Mentha spicata)

Common Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

Apple Mint (Menthia rotundifolia)

Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)

Curly Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)

Germander (Teucrium)

Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Golden Lemon Thyme (Thymus serpyllum var.)

Lovage (Levisticum officinal)

Costmary (Chrysanthemum balsamita)

The Formal Garden is located behind the Thomas Sappington House Museum. The garden changed from a sun garden put in in 1966 by the Crestwood Area Federated Woman's Garden Club to a shade garden. For 55 years the club has maintained the garden. Flowers in the Formal Garden include:

Larkspur (Delphinium elatum of Perennial Var.)

Fernleaf Peony (Paeonia Tenuifolia)

Peony (Paeonia officinalis)

Daylily (Hemerocallis, Fulva)

Fringed Bleeding-heart (Dicentra eximia)

Crested Iris (Iris cristata)

Pink Grass (Dianthus plumaris)

Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum superbum)

Iris (Iris florentina)

Thermopsis (Thermopsis mollis)- This is not in the gardens currently, but Sappington House Foundation is on the lookout for it.

Aanchusa, Dropmore (Anchusa italica)

Gayfeather (Liatris spicata)

Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana)

Balloonflower (Platycodon grandiflora)

Creeping liriope (Liriope spicata)

Spike Speedwell (Veronica spicata)

American Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

Canterbury Bells (Campanula medium)

Roses (Rosa gallica, Rosa damascene 'Celsiana', and Rosa Madame Louis leveque)

Autumn Crocus (Colchicum speciosum)

Canada Lily (Lilium canadensis)

Snapdragons (antirrhinum)

Flowering Tobacco (Nicotiana, mixed)- This is not in the gardens currently, but Sappington House Foundation is on the lookout for it.

French Merigold (Tagetes patula)

Cockscomb (Celosia, argenta)

Coneflower (echinacea)

Bee Balm (monarda didyma)

Prairie Blazing Star (liatris pycnostachya)

Astilbe

Tickseed (coreopsis)

Yarrow (achillea)

Wild Sweet William (Phlox / phlox divaricata)

Carpathian Bellflower (campanula carpatica)

Evening Primrose (oenothera lamarckiana)

Lily of the Valley (convallaria majalis)

Columbine (aquilegia Winky Pink)

Japanese Painted Fern (athyrium nipponicum 'Pictum')

Plantain Lily (hosta ‘Patriot’)

Coral Bells (heuchera)

Black-eyed Susan (rudbeckia)

In addition to the gardens, there are several tree markers throughout the property. The trees on the property include:

American Holly

American Beech

Flowering Dogwood

Pin Oak

Black Oak

Spicebush

White Pine

Witch Hazel

Euonymus

Hosta grand flora

American Hornbeam

Hop Hornbeam

Black Hawthorne

Deciduous Holly

Multiflora Rosa

Sources

Historic Sappington House built in 1808: Restoration Garden Plan as Designed by Edith Mason in 1966, June 16th 2018. Accessed April 9th 2021.

Painting a Summertime Past, June 16th 2018. Accessed April 9th 2021.

ONeal, T. (2021, April). Sappington Family [Photograph]. St. Louis

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Postcard

Painting a Summertime Past brochure