A Creston couple cherishes the history of their property and has become stewards of its future.
Karl Knock was born in Creston and worked away from Iowa during most of the 1970s and ’80s. When he and his wife, Jan, decided to move back in 1989 to work with his father in the Iowa State Savings Bank, they couldn’t find the “just right” house to purchase.
But in 1994, that house came on the market. The Agnew-Liken house on Montgomery Avenue, built in 1925–1926 as an Adams-style Colonial Revival, became available. “We love old houses, and we both came home and excitedly told the other one that it had a For Sale sign in front of it,” Karl recalls. What was extra special was that S. Ray Emerson, Karl’s grandfather, had been a builder and constructed the home for the Agnew family. Mrs. Agnew had been the kindergarten teacher for Karl’s mother, Karl, and his brother and sister.
“First I had to talk to my father. He was my dad, my boss, and my banker,” Karl explains. “I’m not sure he was really keen on our buying the home, but my mother, who rarely spoke on such issues, spoke up and said that her father always said that was the nicest house he ever built. That clinched the decision.”
Later the Liken family—Dr. Liken was a surgeon—owned the home for 54 years. Karl and Jan became only the third owners. A large home renovation included updating and expanding the kitchen while keeping it sensitive to the age and style of the home.
Outside, the property has grown and evolved over time. “We met Shane Miller of Iowa Outdoor Products at the Des Moines Home & Garden Show. He had done a project for another Creston couple, so we were able to see his work. After all these years of working with him, we are still impressed by his work ethic and his artistry.”
Back courtyard
The smaller, casual back courtyard garden has some original stonework from the 1940s, and Miller has duplicated it in several spots. The first order was to create a circular brick patio near the house. Karl built a pergola to duplicate the look of a grape arbor, which he saw in an early photo of the house. A gnarly, old, and beautiful redbud tree is the centerpiece of the upper yard, and Karl planted a shade garden of hostas around it.
Miller created interest with a dry-bed stream with large chips of shale for texture and added a smaller, circular brick patio on the upper garden for a seating area. He even brought in a column from the Iowa State Capitol for a bench. Two blue spruces in the corner, two redbuds, and gray stone walls give a weathered and historic look.
“We have traveled in the Far East and came back with a lovely respect for Asian gardens,” Jan says. “Shane was able to incorporate subtle touches to give us that feel.” There are small, vertical columns placed on the property and various artful touches with an Asian influence for little garden surprises.
As a nod to the home’s style, Karl designed the picket fence that lines the corner lot. Built buy a local contractor, it sets off the historic-style home. Outside the fence on the side street, Karl shows off his wildflower bed and also the groundcover of euonymus, which fills the area between the fence and an original concrete retaining wall that sits at the curb. “Historically this area represents the outside world; inside the fence indicates the family’s personal space.”
The more formal front yard features a mountain ash tree, rose bushes, and boxwood in urns and along the sidewalk to the front door. Coral bells and a scented garden of lavender and honeysuckle carry out the neat and tidy look. Jan says the couple visited spots such as Colonial Williamsburg to get the “right” look for their historic home.
Miller says he “absolutely adores” working on formal spaces. “Formal design is simple but makes a strong statement.”
Expanded space
The Knocks’ property used to be fairly narrow, with a single driveway next to the east side of the house. When the home next door went on the market, the couple purchased it, razed the house, and expanded their yard into a broader, formal area. “Let’s just say that Shane moved a lot of dirt with this expansion,” Karl says.
At that time, the home’s sun porch was removed, and a family room, an area called “Jan’s garage,” and hot tub room were created. A pass-through walkway leads from the front to back gardens.
The Iowa Outdoor Products crews developed some fun details in the extra space. While visiting Jan’s family in Iowa Falls, the couple went to dinner at Camp David, a restaurant overlooking the Iowa River. Karl saw a huge copper pot outside and inquired. Yes, it was for sale. He brought it home and asked Miller to create a fountain of some sort. He built a stone base for it and turned it into a water feature. “We think it was either used in making candy or for laundry,” Karl says. Another simple-style bubbler water feature showcases a smooth basalt column.
Plantings in the new space include flowering crabs and fruitless pear trees. A huge old maple tree acts as an umbrella in the new side yard. Farther back, Miller developed a welcoming patio area with a boulder surround—some boulders in the wall act as seating spots—and a fire pit. Colorful red salvia plants give a pop of color.
Karl, executive vice president and chairman of the Iowa State Savings Bank, and Jan, vice president in charge of marketing, absolutely love the garden oasis. “It, of course, starts with the house,” Karl says. “We respect and want it to survive.”
Jan concurs. “It may sound cliché, but this property connects us to the past and to the future. It’s a pleasure to be the caretakers for it. And, with Shane’s artistry, the gardens are as pretty from the inside as they are from the outside.”
Miller, too, has loved working on this property. “It’s not too often that you get such an ongoing and wonderful relationship with people.”
And what’s next for the Knocks’ garden? “Hmmm, perhaps an outdoor kitchen area,” Miller says with a smile.
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