Michelle Genteman winner of Highland Garden Club August 2020 Yard of the Month award
The Highland Garden Club Yard of the Month award for August goes to Michelle Genteman at 1713 Pine St. Michelle said she has been living in her home for over 20 years and enjoys gardening and landscaping. It is a labor of love she said, and her love of gardening shows in her in landscape design, choice of shrubs and flowers, and the well-manicured and maintained home and yard.
The front yard of this vintage home, dating from the mid 1930’s, displays a formal, symmetrical look. Beautiful green ceramic pots filled with yellow begonias welcome people at the sidewalk leading to the front door. Evergreens flank the corners of the home and the door. An American flag waves above peoples’ heads.
Windows are highlighted by window boxes planted with pink geraniums, petunias, and trailing vines. Colorful containers of lantana and white and purple petunias are near the home’s entrance. A tree stump in the yard serves as a plant stand for an urn filled with sunflowers, petunias, and vines trailing over the side of the pot.
Around the back of Michelle’s home, the landscaping is less formal with curved beds filled with evergreens and flowers, but the back yard is just as charming and inviting as the front landscape. Brightly colored blooms of patio tree roses, rudbekia, coneflowers, and sedum frame her patio. A patio table, chairs and umbrella and a couple of rocking chairs invite people to sit and enjoy the peacefulness of her garden oasis.
Further back in Michelle’s yard, a large tree provides shade for a red-leafed Japanese maple and a bed of hosta plants. A bench sits along the side of her yard in front of more flowering plants and from the bench people can view the beauty and gracefulness of a mature weeping Norway spruce in a garden bed with a birdbath and colorful perennials.
Michelle’s home is one of many nominations the Garden Club received this month for the Yard of the Month program. For peoples’ yards not chosen as a winner this month, keep in mind the Highland Garden Club will keep those nominations on record for the rest of their 2020 season, along with any new nominations they may receive. They have September and October left in the contest this year.
Information about the Yard of the Month award
People can nominate their own yard, or someone else’s yard for this honor. Submit nominations by Saturday, Aug. 15, by contacting Nancie Zobrist at the Highland Chamber of Commerce office at 618-654-3721, emailing nancie@highlandillinois.com or by contacting any Highland Garden Club member with name, address and phone number of the nominee.
Yard of the Month nominees’ landscapes must be visible from a public street, alley, path, or sidewalk and display general curb appeal. Due to the coronavirus pandemic this year, all rules in effect during the current COVID-19 situation will be followed and in the event of unforeseen circumstances surrounding COVID-19, the contest for 2020 may be postponed or canceled at the committee’s discretion.