Edwardsville lakefront property gets Green Thumb Award

Gene and Joni Peters love to travel, but every time they pull out of their driveway, they ask, “Now, why are we leaving again?”

That’s because their property on Dunlap Lake in Edwardsville is a private paradise that gives them just as much pleasure as scenic vacation spots around the world.

The Peters are getting a pat on the back this month in the form of a Green Thumb Award from Edwardsville Beautification and Tree Commission.

The custom home, which Gene designed in the 1990s, is decorated inside in a Southwest theme and filled with massive furniture, interesting artifacts, striking photos and eclectic artwork.

Outside, the sloped yard is landscaped with colorful flowers, hostas and other plants, a vegetable and herb garden and an elaborate stone waterfall that flows along one of several patios.

“The reason our yard looks like this is that Gene has amazing energy,” said Joni, 63. “He’s like the Energizer Bunny. He goes non-stop all day, and he never complains.”

The annual Green Thumb program honors residents who go that extra mile to beautify public or private spaces with flowers and other plants, regardless of size, cost or location. There are 13 winners this year.

Green Thumb nominations are submitted by neighbors, friends, family members or passersby who appreciate hard work and creativity. Bill and Connie Funkhouser nominated the Peters.

“We live two doors down, and we see all the work that they put into it,” said Bill, 79. “In the evening, when you’re out on the water, and he turns on all the lights and the waterfall is going, it’s just beautiful.”

Bill is a retired teacher and coach who used to raise and show dahlias. He and Connie received a Green Thumb Award a few years ago.

Bill noted that the Peters recently hosted a wedding, complete with a boat parade. Bride and groom exchanged vows under a giant hickory tree nicknamed “General Jackson.”

Gene, 75, is a Montana native and retired chemical engineer who worked 35 years for Shell Oil Co. He has two daughters, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Gene and Joni got married on Valentine’s Day, 2009. She’s a former Indiana resident with one son. She has worked as a graphic artist, elementary school teacher and legal secretary.

“I’ve always sewn on the side,” said Joni, who now operates a dress-making business, Joni Peters Couture, out of her home studio.

Gene bought the Dunlap Lake property in 1994. He cleared thick underbrush, but saved towering trees, including a white oak known as “Atlas,” as well as a cherry, river birch and several maples.

He created a detailed model of the home before he had it built. The design had plenty of windows, including those in a hexagon-shaped sunroom that overlooks the lake.

Landscaping came later. Gene filled beds with hostas, mums, roses, irises, day lilies, crepe myrtles, hydrangeas, peonies and other perennials. He accents with pots of impatiens.

“Gardening was never a hobby for me,” he said. “It was just something that needed to be done. If I have a hobby, it’s woodworking.”

Gene’s biggest back-yard project was constructing the tiered, four-pool waterfall with all shapes and sizes of stones. It flows under the watchful eye of a big metal turtle perched in the middle.

The Peters didn’t actually own the point on their property until two years ago, when they bought it from a neighbor. It came with an octagon-shaped patio with colored-concrete wedges.

The same year, Gene switched to raised beds for his garden, where he grows spinach, carrots, beans, snow peas, radishes, onions, cucumbers, peppers and other veggies.

“That was the best thing I ever did for the garden,” he said. “It makes a huge difference. That is definitely the way to go.”

This year’s big improvement at Peters Point is a new deck lined with stainless-steel cables instead of wood posts, providing an unobstructed view of wildlife and scenery.

The couple aren’t wild about yard art, but they’ve scattered a few metal sculptures, including a large pink flamingo, as well as bird feeders, wind chimes and an antique buoy collection.

They often eat meals and sip wine on the deck, reminiscing about their travels. Each trip is documented by a homemade wooden directional sign nailed to a tree.

“I always tell Gene that we have the best lot on the lake,” Joni said. “The sun sets right over there. It’s just beautiful.”

This story was originally published July 14, 2016 at 10:33 AM with the headline "Edwardsville lakefront property gets Green Thumb Award."