Ramblewood Garden Club awards May Yard of the Month

Pictured are garden club members Elaine Lannom, Julie McDonald, Anne Foust, Nadine Davis, homeowners Chris and Laurel Adkisson and Gabriele Eckart.

Nancy Bahn

Ramblewood Garden Club has awarded the May Yard of the Month to Chris and Laurel Adkisson who live at 2129 Yorktown. In a neighborhood with well-landscaped yards, this yard stood out for the lush carpeted front and back lawns and the variety of colorful perennials for a neat and thoughtful landscape.

Chris stated that the lawn was Dr. Paul Schnare’s Special mix of lawn seed, which includes the wide-bladed St. Augustine variety. When the Adkissons moved to the house there was no grass and it took a year and a half for the grass to grow into this dark green lawn. Tru-Green Lawn Care helps with that job now.

The front foundation plantings are edged with stone-like pavers and the beds are filled with dark pink blooming Spiraea, purple blooming Dutch Iris, dark purple Salvia, with several boxwood (Simpervirens) interspersed to provide an evergreen foundation base. A large ‘Karl Rosenfield’ peony (Paeonia) blooming in dark burgundy provides a pop of color on one end of the house with red shrub roses (Rosa) blooming at the other end of the driveway. Two summer blooming white flowered ‘Pee Gee’ hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata) grow on either side of the front entrance, along with white oleander (Nerium oleander). Pink blooming hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) in decorative pots provide late spring color. Purple flowered Mexican petunias (Ruella) have a special place at the edge of the driveway bed. A large Callery pear tree (Pyrus calleryana) provides summer shade in the front yard, and the look is complete with the American flag proudly displayed.

The back yard is landscaped with a long curving bed along the back fence which is edged with stone-like pavers that have been set in concrete. This is where a large Hackberry tree provides semi-shade for plants like variegated green and white Hosta, purple flowered spiderwort (Thadescantia) can thrive, along with potted ferns. Evergreen Red tipped photinia (Photinia fraseri) shrubs and a white flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) create an interesting view, along with a variegated dappled willow (Salix integra ‘Hakuro Nishiki’). Other plantings include three pink butterfly bushes (Buddleia), a pink blossomed crabapple tree (Malus sylvestris), and perennial blue violet vinca minor, also known as periwinkle, grows as ground cover. A small corner bed of ‘Big Blue’ Lirope is mixed with orange Siberian wallflowers (Erysimum) which were planted from seeds by Laurel.

One corner area is dedicated to Laurel’s love of birds and butterflies where birdfeeders and a birdbath are placed. We all thought the small solar powered fountain which sits in the birdbath keeping the water moving was ingenious. Laurel bought the fountain on Amazon and related that it keeps the robins entertained. The terraced corner bed is planted with miniature pink Dianthus, evergreen laurel shrubs (Prunus laurocerasus), Mexican heather, and a purple Japanese maple tree (Acer palmatum). The pink hydrangea growing there was from Laurel’s mother and grandmother. An open pergola offers a nice place to relax under the fan on nice summer evenings. We congratulate the Adkissons for creating an inviting yard and making our town a more beautiful place to live. Laurel is also a member of our Ramblewood Garden Club.