Town and Country Garden Club tours Van Hull’s home and garden
The Starkville Town and Country Garden Club recently toured the renovated home and formal gardens of Van Hull in Louisville, MS.
“What a pleasure it was to welcome the Starkville Town and Country Garden Club to my home and gardens. It's always fun to have new groups in to talk about my garden and especially about my Choctaw Lake cabin that was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA),” said Van Hull.
Van Hull, a native of Louisville, MS, traveled the world as a director of merchandising for retail giants like Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, I. Magnin and Gump's. Through his many trips, he collected antiques and artwork, now proudly displayed throughout his home and gardens.
“As a young boy from Mississippi, I was very fortunate to work for such great companies,” said Hull. “These companies allowed me to travel the world buying, exploring new cultures and meeting many interesting and exciting people.”
“Several of our members grew up in Louisville and are friends of Van. They had been raving about his beautiful home and gardens; so, we were thrilled to be able to arrange a tour,” said Lynne Strickland, vice president of the garden club. “We were thankful the rain held off, which allowed us to have a delightful morning exploring the formal gardens featuring raised beds, wrought iron benches, a water fountain, lights, and urns. Everything was just beautiful, including his home.”
“This [landscaping] is a work in progress. It is my trial and error and is constantly changing,” said Hull. “A lot of the early gardens and landscaping were done by John and Dawn Herring, who owned Boardtown Garden Center, which I'm really proud of.”
The tour began in the formal vegetable garden and proceeded to the landscaping around the home. Club members were then invited inside to tour the home.
“My brother-in-law is a great brother-in-law because he built my formal vegetable garden and did some of the cabin renovations for me,” said Hull. “The raised beds have their own watering system so you can turn them on and off individually. I start my spring garden in February, so you will see broccoli, arugula, lettuce, collard greens, english peas, asparagus, and onions in the beds. I add flowers for color, including zinnias, blanket flowers, and hollyhocks. Beds around the garden also
feature little gem magnolias, lamb's ear, various bulbs, gerber daisies, rosemary, azaleas, and sedum golden moss.”
When asked about the bamboo low fencing around some garden beds, Van said he built them to keep the armadillos out using bamboo from his property.
“The big project I'm working on now is a greenhouse. I purchased 440 windows that I am recaulking along with two arched windows from the Bultman Funeral Home in New Orleans, which was torn down after Katrina. The windows are from the early 1900's, and I purchased them from a rehab center in New Orleans.”
After club members finished touring the gardens, they were invited inside Van's Choctaw Lake cabin that had been renovated and expanded. He vaulted the ceiling, added a den and kitchen area, and packed it full of treasures from his world travels.
Members loved how he hid the TVS behind a portrait that would swing out to reveal the TV, and the large windows in the kitchen and den area that made you feel you were in the garden.
“I grew up in Louisville and graduated from Mississippi State University in 1974 in horticulture management studying under Ralph Null, but I do not know anything about plants. When people ask me about
plants, my recommendation is one gallon of water and six ounces of Roundup to put it out of its misery. I do not know anything about plants,” said Hull.
After viewing his lovely home and gardens, garden
club members would have to disagree. Van Hull knows a lot about plants and has created a fabulous home and garden for himself, his family, and friends fortunate to be invited to visit.