A petite paradise - St. Clair Shores couple transforms small yard into a spectacle of blooms
Read about Iris Mortgage homeowners Bernadette and Lee featured in the Detroit News August 22, 2025 written by Khristi Zimmeth and photographed by Emily Crombez
Good things really do sometimes come in small packages. Bernadette and Lee St. Clair Shores garden is proof. On any given day in summer, a riot of color and blooms delight the eye in front of the modest 1940s bungalow they share. Bees buzz and butterflies flit happily from bloom to bloom. Birds sing.
The couple purchased the 1940s bungalow four years ago and has been busy transforming it ever since, both inside and out. When they bought it during the pandemic, the yard included a few Korean lilacs, yews and a privet on one side, Bernadette says, with grass in front. "It has definitely been an evolution," she says. "It really took off the second year when I expanded the beds. That's when I decided I was all in."
The transformation in such a short time has been remarkable. While the garden may be an average size, there is nothing else average about it. Tucked on a quiet street not far from Lake St. Clair, it's a surprisingly colorful oasis in a sea of suburban grass lawns.
Bernadette’s dream is to create an English cottage garden, something she calls "a more wild, lived-in aesthetic. I kept buying plants and the more I got into it the more I learned." The 30-something gardener says the garden and home fit her personal style, which she says is "definitely maximalist...bare spots just make me think they are good places to put a plant," she says. She is the hands-on green thumb and gardener; Lee helps with the raised vegetable beds, trims evergreens and shrubs and helps with the larger projects, such as planting evergreens and moving larger stones.
A natural education
Bernadette wasn't a gardener growing up but says she has always loved spending time outside. As a child, her favorite movie was "The Secret Garden," and even now she is enchanted by the idea of a private garden getaway – so much that she's even planning on adding one to the area behind the garage when time, energy and budget allow.
She may not have been a gardener growing up, but creativity definitely runs in the family. Bernadette is the daughter of well-known potter David and the two can often be found trolling estate sales for their favorite find – architectural salvage, much of which ends up in one of their gardens. Reclaimed concrete and architectural elements –some from notable Detroit buildings that have unfortunately met the wrecking ball – add a vintage touch throughout the garden and act as an interesting foil for flowers and shrubs. Bernadette is always on the hunt for new pieces along with new plants to add, she says.
Her mom had a similar English-style garden while her dad was all about the hardscapes, so her style is a combination of both. She says she falls in love with at least one or two plants every season and is always discovering new things to grow. "Hydrangea are definitely a favorite," she says. "A few years ago, I was really into hibiscus," she admits. "They're showstoppers and the flowers are so large and colorful." Other top picks also include Millenium allium – "bees love them, they're such a treat to see" – and roses such as Easy Elegance. "It blooms and blooms, and the foliage is gorgeous."
Salvaged style
An oversize concrete pediment from Grosse Pointe now anchors her front-yard bed. A friend who is a fellow antique and salvage fan saved it from a house that was being demolished in the 1990s and had it in his garden for many years. "The piece was once over an entryway on a house," Bernadette explains. "I always wanted a focal point and it's perfect, one of my favorite pieces that we have."
Her father helped her with the garden layout and the shape of the beds, which she explains are filled with "all perennials, mostly drought tolerant," she says, adding "I try to get stuff I know will be happy and not need a lot of attention." She says Facebook Marketplace is also good place to shop for architectural salvage.
She shops at and praises the deals to be had at Eastern Market and is also a fan of Detroit Garden Works but isn't above buying items for her garden at unusual places, including an oversized pot on her porch from Ollie's discount store. Her driveway is often filled with things waiting to be planted and architectural pieces yet to find their permanent placement. During a recent visit, large pieces of fencing salvaged from a teardown in Birmingham leaned against the garage, waiting for Bernadette to find a spot for them.
Welcoming wildlife
The backyard includes milkweed and other varieties catering to butterflies. This is their second year raising the colorful creatures. "This summer, we've released three monarchs and 36 swallowtails so far," she reports proudly.
Peak season in her garden is late July and into August. "It really comes to life this time of year," she says. She has been on the St. Clair Shores' Yardeners garden tour and people often stop to ask questions. "People usually comment on how there are so many plants," she says. "I've had some great conversations with friends and neighbors about how gardening in a small space doesn't have to limit your creativity."
She also maintains the subdivision plantings near her street, and welcomes the chance to chat with other green thumbs. She encourages others not to find a small space challenging. "The possibilities are endless," she says of the garden. "Just because you have a small garden doesn't mean you can't do something incredible."
Bernadette spends at least a little time in the garden every day and relishes the satisfaction and serenity it brings. "I've met so many neighbors... chatting about anything garden related is such a treat. I've really connected with people through gardening."
She says the work "is so worth it," and that she finds it both relaxing and meditative. "You can shut everything else off," she explains. "The garden really gives me a sense of fulfillment as well as a sense of hope and peace."
See a photo gallery at detroitnews.com/homestyle.
Original article can be found at https://www.detroitnews.com/story/life/home-garden/2025/08/21/petite-paradise-in-st-clair-shores/85707885007/
All journalistic credit to:
Khristi Zimmeth writes the Trash or Treasure column for Homestyle. Contact her at trashortreas@aol.com. Photos by Emily Crombez. See a photo gallery at detroitnews.com/homestyle.
