CHRIS MOWER IS a kokedama evangelist. Kokedama means “moss ball” in Japanese. It describes a method of wrapping plant roots in a ball of sphagnum moss instead of potting them. Nearly any houseplant—bromeliads, succulents, orchids, even small trees—can be turned into a kokedama. And Chris will tell you all about it. That’s why he founded White Stable Farms in July 2019: to introduce the concept to the St. Louis area.
“It’s a different presentation style and a different look, whether it’s on a tabletop or whether it’s hanging,” says Chris, who learned about the style while visiting Milan, Italy. At the time, he was planning to retire from a career in the insurance industry and looking for a new challenge. He studied horticulture in college and loves to garden, so he was excited to finally pursue that passion.
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Cut from the Same Cloth
“Turkey Tracks” is a 19th-century quiltmaking pattern that has the appearance of little wandering feet. Patterns like the tracks, and their traditions and myths, have been passed down through the generations, from their frontier beginnings to today, where a generation of makers has embraced the material as a means of creating something new. Olivia Jondle is one such designer. Here, she’s taken an early turkey track-pattern quilt, cut it into various shapes, and stitched the pieces together, adding calico and other fabric remnants as needed. The result is a trench coat she calls the Pale Calico Coat. Her designs are for sale at The Rusty Bolt, Jondle’s small-batch fashion company based in St. Louis. —SAMANTHA STEVENSON
Color Block
A background in sculpture trained artist Aly Ytterberg to see objects more fully.
A Modern Story
How a little log cabin went from being a home to a guest house
IN GOOD TIME
With the help of interior designer Robert Idol, a Kirkwood couple creates a home that pays homage to the past, yet feels just right for their modern young family.
Let's Dish
"Food Raconteur” Ashok Nageshwaran wants to tell you a story.
The Right Move
New shops and showrooms bring exciting opportunities for local designers, makers, and arts organizations to sell their wares to home enthusiasts here and everywhere.
Green Dreams
Painter and gardener Lauren Knight branches out.
Cultivating Kokedama
Chris Mower of White Stable Farms discovered the Japanese style of gardening in Italy. Now, he’s bringing it to St. Louis.
Graphic Mood
Letters, icons, and illustrations that speak in a hand-drawn language
AUDRA's New Digs
Audra Noyes, of the Saint Louis Fashion Fund Incubator’s first class, opens an atelier in Ladue.
