With no knowledge of horticulture or landscape design and no professional help of any kind, Ruth West, with a part-time gardener and the support of her husband John, developed “West of the Lake” into what was deemed in 1960 as “the largest and most elaborate privately owned garden in Wisconsin.” The colorful and spacious gardens, well-manicured lawns, shrubs and trees set around greenhouses and the Wests’ modern, one-story, flat-roofed, stuccoed, box-like home became a mecca for garden lovers throughout the Midwest. From 1938 to 1966, spring “tulip teas” and garden tours were held to raise funds for the Wests’ church, as well as Manitowoc garden club projects, a number of the clubs for which Ruth was either directly responsible, or assisted in, their founding. In 1967, Ruth’s contributions to the beautification of the city resulted in the tulip being named as the official flower of Manitowoc.

Ruth’s interest and enthusiasm for gardening at West of the Lake led to a lifetime of active involvement and achievement not only locally, but also at the district, state and national levels. For more than four decades (1940s-1970s), Ruth was a widely known garden expert and she traveled across Wisconsin and the Midwest giving hundreds of illustrated lectures and demonstrations to various organizations on topics including gardening, horticulture, flower arranging, table setting and the home.

The Wests remained in the home--which they conceived of and designed together--until their deaths in 1989 (John) and 1990 (Ruth). Today, West of the Lake Gardens is owned and operated by the Ruth St. John and John Dunham West Foundation, Inc. which continues the spirit, enthusiasm and flair for horticulture shown by Ruth for more than fifty years. Although privately owned, the gardens are open to the public free of charge and they live on as a legacy to Ruth West’s love of beauty and her commitment to share them with the community.