1964

In celebration of its centennial in 1959, the Missouri Botanical Garden (MBG) undertook an ambitious program of restoration and expansion. As part of this program, in 1964 a garden was installed on the south side of Henry Shaw’s country home, Tower Grove House, which is at the center of the MBG. This garden was designed by Edith Mason, who was a prominent landscape architect and a founding member of The St. Louis Herb Society.

The eastern half of the garden was an herb garden in the Edwardian style which was maintained by The St. Louis Herb Society. Miss Mason’s original plan is shown on the right. The western half of the garden has been described as “an ‘Old Fashioned Flower Garden’ reminiscent of a gentlemen’s garden in the days of Henry Shaw.” See, Missouri Botanical Garden Bulletin, 54(1) Jan-Feb 1966, page 3. It was sponsored by The Garden Club of St. Louis.

In 1976 both halves of the garden were united as an herb garden under the care of The St. Louis Herb Society.

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