Emporia Gardeners of America Beautification Awards
Special to The Gazette
Thursday, July 24, 2008
When summer arrives, gardens really strut their stuff, and the Emporia Gardeners of America members work hard to recognize that. The Emporia GOA likes to recognize families who take pride and a desire to bring beauty to others in their neighborhood and town through their yards.
During the summer months, the group chooses yards for beautification awards. Here are the yards chosen for June and July.
June
At their home at 1415 Washington St., Maxine Gasso and Curt Kinzie have worked for nearly 30 years to transform their yard. The garden was featured on the Master Gardener’s garden tour and that gardening group wrote about the yard:
“The couple purchased their home in 1980 and their yard and gardens reflect the attitude of their home — ‘comfortable.’ When they purchased their home, it had some shrubs that still remain, like spireas and forsythia. They removed a large evergreen that was overgrown in the front of their house and replaced it with a hydrangea garden, which features several different varieties, including the lace cap and blue hydrangea.
“When their brick street was redone, instead of re-sodding all of the front strip that had been uprooted, they planted a little garden which includes a small dogwood tree, holly, Siberian iris and daisies.
“Their backyard is a surprise to everyone due to the fact there is no grass at all. Decks at different levels are their ‘outside living areas’ and the gardens surround the decks.
“The south side of their back garden is what they call their ‘little French garden’ and contains woodland poppies and hostas. There is a trellis that leads to a space their granddaughter, Alyssa, calls her “secret garden.”
“When the garden was on the tour in 2006, they had started a project of establishing a “little retreat” off of the sunroom. Doors were installed that led nowhere in 2006, but since then they have built a deck that incorporates the honey locust tree, making it a wonderful, cool private retreat. This garden area consists mainly of shade plants and has a little waterfall area that gives added peace.
“The gardens that surround the decks feature bears britches, mock orange, firebush (for their beloved hummingbirds), daisies, cone flowers in purple and yellow, Siberian iris and a treasured iris that was Curt’s mother’s contribution to their garden. Many plants are selected to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Their feeders attract so many birds that they feel comfortably safe in their garden. They have a small water feature with water iris and is a welcoming water home for robins.”
July
The “side-by-side” yards of Chuck and Jean Hollern at 702 Weaver St. and Lon and Anita Tidwell of 630 Weaver St. share EGOA honors in July.
The neighbors have worked diligently for several years, working in their yards, planting various flowers, shrubbery, fruit trees, cacti and even a very large vegetable garden can be seen in the Hollern back yard. Both families have enjoyed working in their yards and as a result, both show tender loving care of the horticulture they have chosen.
The property at 702 Weaver St. was quite rundown when the Hollerns moved there in 2002, but they saw great possibilities in their one acre. The house was very small and so their son said, “Sure, we can build on,” so they proceeded with their dream.
After living and raising their children in their previous home of 44 years, it was quite a challenge with only one small peony plant and a predominance of crabgrass at their new location. It has been an inspiration for them to see the progress of their own project and a joy to their neighbors to see such a transformation over the last six years. They are in hopes of inspiring others to share the joy they have received from improving and working in their yards. The Tidwells have lived in their home for eight years and said that they, too, had to completely start over with their landscaping improvements. Consequently, the neighbors have become acquainted, worked together, shared gardening tips and knowledge of plants with one another and enjoyed their friendship.
Edging all the flower beds with limestone rocks from the Flint Hills and several restful limestone benches, made by their son-in-law, can be seen throughout the yard. On the way to the Hollerns’ attractive front porch are small euonymus plantings and comfortable looking chairs to enjoy the summer evenings.
Jean Hollern said that squirrels destroyed three wooden front porch chairs, now replaced with plastic chairs that have not tempted the squirrels.
In the front of the Tidwells’ house are several containers of flowers and a large tree off to the edge of the driveway shading the plantings of hostas. To the left of the tree is bloodgrass, a very vibrant showy grass.
Two years ago, a small bed of daylilies and iris were established by the Hollerns with a purple plum tree in the corner on the south side of the porch. North are hostas, columbine, daylilies, hen and chicks displayed in limestone rock, Oriental lilies, blue balloon flower with a large burning bush in the background. At the east corner of the backyard, beautiful daylilies — all named, chrysanthemums, again, hen and chicks-trailing out of Chuck Hollern’s boot, a pitcher pump with a bird bath and small yard art items are seen. From there, a large patio opens up into the backyard. On the approach to the backyard are a large wooden trellis, with white and purple clematis, two hummingbird vines, hostas, weigela, coral bells and two red and white climbing roses.
The Tidwell backyard shows a simpler design very attractively done — a very inviting swimming pool with a wooden surrounding fence and a display of cacti in containers and vigorous tomato plants around the edge of the pool.
In the center of the Tidwell’s back yard we find a raised circular mound of prairie plants, desert cactus, pear cactus and a bright red monarda. Relatives from the country bring and share their plantings with the Tidwells. The couple says they have much space to enlarge their plantings in the coming seasons.
A very large and well-kept vegetable garden of the Hollerns will be enjoyed after 16 loads of dirt for their yard and six years of persistence. It is now producing corn, grapes, cucumbers, strawberries, zucchini, potatoes, blackberries, raspberries, gooseberries, cantaloupe and watermelon.
Lining the northern perimeter fence of the Hollerns are several rose of Sharon, white and pink, Lythrum and three deer statues in front of large clumps of pampas grass. Along the back east fence are iris, daylilies and 25 arborvitae trees. When fully grown, they will fill the spaces leftover now for daylilies and various perennials. Seven pin oaks and one bur oak are spread nicely throughout the yard along with a dwarf peach, pear and cherry tree.
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