Front of Monarch Manor

Enjoying the beautiful scenery of the gentle Ozark foothills is easy to do in and around this manor that was built to enjoy both indoors and al fresco spaces.

The front of the home boasts a love circular porch. The porch is stained concrete tinted to match the cedar on the home. This is a charming place to greet guests and a delightful area to set and enjoy the front gardens and the serene woods beyond the drive. The loggia is graced on both sides by enchanting flower beds, also done in a circular pattern.

A path is in front of the porch that leads to the west toward the driveway and to the east to a parking area for guests. Not just any path. This one is laid out in flagstone with thyme growing between the rocks. As you walk this path the gentle fragrance of the thyme will give off a pleasant scent,

Across the path that leads to the front porch is another delightful garden area in a sphere shape. Boasting annual colorful flowers and resolute scrubs, this area is a gentle welcome to the home. The path winds around to a drive on the east side of the sphere garden. East of the path is another garden area where several miniature Ickica Boni trees have been planted. This was designed by the landscape designer to form another, smaller, set of woods that lead to the home. Thus, guests will be lead up a path that goes between the graceful miniature Ickica Boni trees and the circular garden area, to the manor.

A stone weeping wall surrounds the south side of the circular garden. A watering system is put throughout the front gardens to make it easier to keep them beautiful.

The following two pictures show the East & West Gardens that flank the front porch.

East Garden

West Garden

Rob Smith, of RB Designs, a landscape designer and Master Gardener, originated a unique landscape design for the estate.

When you drive up, the first garden you see is a circular pattern, directly in front of the home. An arched trellis beckons you to enter.

Fragrant Jasmine entwines the trellis. A lovely flagstone path leads to where a large Oak once stood. Now the double trunk makes a perfect plant stand. At the back of the garden is a circular rock wall. The wall softly encircles and encloses this part of the front lawn. Inside the wall and surrounding the tree trunk are Azaleas, creeping thyme, Mums, Primrose, Scotch Moss.

Plants have been situated here, and throughout the property, that draws butterflies and hummingbirds. You can see bluebird and bat houses at various sites around the estate. The lovely little bluebird that almost became extinct has found a safe haven here. The bat, a creature so misunderstood, is much better at insect control than any harmful chemical and thus, was also given dwelling places to encourage their stay.

Over to your right, on the west side of the front lawn, is the driveway to the double garage. On the west side of the driveway stands a retaining wall. The lower part is the same rock that surrounds the bottom of the home's exterior walls. The top of this wall has been made from tented concrete and is the same color as the porch of the home.

However, the top of this wall has been formed to curve with the drive and on each side of the top stones there are impressions of different plants that grow here. The designer walked the woods and chose different flora to make an impression into the wet cement that would forever hold the shape of the specific vegetation chosen. You may recognize some of it, such as the heart shaped leaves of the redbud tree.

On the west side of the wall a new garden has been added. It is the beginning of a lovely flower bed, bringing color, fragrance, humming birds, and of course, butterflies. to the west side of the home.


Following this flower bed on around to the west side of the home you come to the pool wall. A new flower bed has been put below the wall, and the wall has been decorated. See pictures below.

From the driveway, leading to the front doors, is a rock path. As you step on the path, you may notice a lovely fragrance. Thyme has been planted between the rocks so as you walk up the path, a wonderful fragrance walks with you. The thyme caresses the foot that treads upon it, giving off a wonderful aroma as you near the manor.

Standing at the front, near the great fallen Oak, as you look to your right (west) you see the west garden.

From the same vantage point, if you look to your left (east) you see the east garden.

Beyond the garden is a small parking area that has been situated on this side of the home. Most guests will enter from this direction.

Walking from the small parking area, you have a choice of two paths. One leads to a deck that travels all the way across the east side, around the entire back, and to the west side, the pool area. The other leads to the front door. Going toward the front door, on your left you pass a small grove of the unusual 0miniature Ickica Boni trees. We call this the Clock Garden because of the tall clock that is in the center of the trees.

Trees are in abundance behind you, across the road. However, these miniature trees seem to belong here. They help make the transaction from the large wood across the road and on up the path to the double front doors, which also have trees on them. As they grow they will become another lovely addition to the home.

As you leave the miniature forest, you would enter the opposite end of the lovely fragrant path. However, from this side you would have the rock wall that protects the Front Garden on your right. You might notice the lovely fairie that sets on the wall, holding her foot out for a butterfly to land on. She seems so real you wonder if she’ll fly away as you turn to go or will she remain here to hold the lovely butterfly for all time? Did her wings flutter, just a tiny bit?

Crosses

Then you come to the front porch which has lovely steps encircling and inviting you into the home. The overall effect is more of a veranda than a 'typical' porch. Flower beds flank each side of this lovely porch area. On the left is a tall two story wall that does not contain a window. On this wall there are three crosses. The center one is adorned by a crown of thorns. Butterflies dance around the crosses. The designer plans to take these with her unless the new owners wish them to remain.

The porch is made of tented concrete. The tent was chosen from the colors of the rocks and the cedar on the home, so the porch color blends with the rest of the scene. On either side of the porch are gas lights which can softly welcome you home or welcome guests to the manor.

Now take a look at the double doors that entice you to enter. They were designed specifically for this home. The front panels are lined with copper and an artist has put a scene on them of Oaks and water, designed from the land you now stand on. You may notice a large bay window to your right that has been topped with copper to go with the door.

As yet, you have not even begin to explore the surprises that await in this extraordinary dwelling.