Featured Garden
A Peaceful Place
Marti Sivi wanted – and got – a sanctuary outside her door.
by Carol McGarvey, Photography by Mary Howell Williams

A garden represents many things to many people: contemplation, solitude, peace, refuge, whimsy, happiness, beauty. (Plus it’s a place to play with the dog.) Marti Sivi of Des Moines has them all.

She downsized about five years ago from a large home on Waterbury Road to a smaller home a few blocks away. But in the exchange, she gained space for a garden. “In the larger home, which has a huge canopy of woodland shade, hostas and impatiens did beautifully, but there was little sun for anything else.”

Marti worked with Linda Grieve of Perennial Gardens in Ankeny to develop her space. “It’s always fun designing for an artist, and Marti certainly is one,” Grieve says. “She wanted something serene, an area that could become her sanctuary. Plus she wanted to attract butterflies and hummingbirds.”

Inviting Space
Grieve found that one goal was to develop a more welcoming space. “There was a concrete patio that gave off ‘hot’ vibes and just wasn’t pleasing. There were old plantings, such as lilacs, crabapple, viburnum, and wild grape vines, to work around.” Her designers and crews used brick pavers to create an inviting multilevel patio and a “stream” of black pebbles to create the illusion of soothing water. Limestone blocks form a low retaining wall to give definition to levels of the garden.

Marti and Grieve discussed adding a streambed and a water feature, but the pebbles are interesting and offer much easier maintenance. Perennials, such as delicate astilbe and “touch-me” lamb’s-ears add color and texture near the wall.

At the time the garden was being planned, Marti, a veteran actress in numerous Des Moines productions, was director of theatrical productions at the women’s correctional institution in Mitchellville. In all, she directed 10 shows involving 250 women. “It was just the most wonderful experience, but it was stressful. Because the women had jobs to perform, rehearsals had to be at night or on weekends. When I got home, I needed to decompress. That’s where the focus on serenity in the garden came into play.”

With her artistic flair, Marti wanted to add visual surprises throughout her garden. “The first pieces I bought were two colorful Adirondack chairs from Sticks for the patio. I knew I would enjoy sitting and staring at the garden.” The weathered orange chairs feature sun, moon, tree, and vine designs on the arms.

Grieve created natural curves in the garden, and Marti reinforced that movement with her artistic additions. “I knew there had to be some whimsical focus in the garden,” Marti explains. “I bought a colorful moving sculpture from Andrew Carson of Seattle, Washington, at the Des Moines Arts Festival. It’s a focal point when it moves and sways in the breeze.”

A visitor’s eye moves from plant to plant and from sculpture to sculpture. In a nod to being earth-friendly, there’s a “globe” by artist Deb Anderson resting on the ground. A tall metal bird, purchased at
the downtown farmer’s market, moves in the wind and stands guard over the other side of the garden.

Marti loves frogs and displays some favorites. After her mother died last year in California, Marti found that she, too, had a frog collection, so some of them now reside here and give
comfort in the Iowa landscape.

Mix of delicate & bold
She told Grieve she loves purple, pink, and red, so those
colors predominate in the garden’s flowers in bright pink carpet roses, roses that climb the back fence, and deep purple violas for impact near the garden’s entrance. ‘Striatum’ hardy (perennial) geraniums, ‘Moonshine’ yarrow, butterfly bush, and coral bells add a wispy touch and a contrast to a curved bed of variegated hostas.

On the patio, Marti enjoys container gardening as well. Big pots of stand-tall, vibrant fuchsia hibiscus and colorful pansies add bright color near a patio table with large market umbrella.

And on a brick wall, there’s a bouquet of metal flowers that doesn’t need water or sun to thrive. A potting stand also shows off some flowers, a gardening straw hat, and garden clogs.



The garden was to be a play spot for Raven, a Chesapeake Bay retriever, but he has died. On the wooden gate that opens onto the backyard, Marti’s older daughter, Ellie, of New York City, painted some flowers and “Raven’s Garden” as a tribute to the family pet. Marti’s younger daughter, Rachel, has moved back to Des Moines after living in Seattle.

Now Daisy, a retired greyhound, keeps the garden active, honoring Raven but creating her own turf as well. It’s a peaceful spot indeed.

 

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