The judges from the Dallas County Master Gardeners have spent quite a few hours walking and driving though our neighborhood every month in search of the one residence that is truly outstanding.  After their tour, they independently come up with three top picks, put a Power Point presentation together with their recommendations, and have a meeting to discuss their selections.  Looking back over the presentations it has become apparent that a few residences have consistently made the top picks with each judge, even if one of these residences was not chosen as one of the monthly winners.   The judges feel that that this consistent excellence should be recognized for the diligent efforts the homeowners put in on a continuing basis.  Therefore, we are initiating a Yard of The Year award.  This annual award particularly recognizes the year-round effort and constant attention and pride of the winning homeowners.  Month after month their yard is a showplace for the district. We are pleased to present the first Yard of The Year award to 6005 Swiss Avenue, the home of Marianne and Tim Howells.  The Yard of The Year award also comes with a complimentary $100 gift certificate to Tallulah & HESS courtesy of Elizabeth Mast.

Marianne reports after she and Tim returned from a trip to England, they were excited about creating an English garden in their front yard.  They contacted Carl Neels from Country Life Landscaping to create their initial design for the front, and he later created the back garden.  Carl, along with Marianne’s regular gardener, Marco Ramirez, put in all the seasonal selections.  Tulip and daffodil bulbs are planted around Christmas time for a spring showing.  The delphiniums, foxglove, pansies, sweet alyssum and California poppies make their appearance as a cheery harbinger of warmer weather coming.  Summer finds caladiums, pentas and the other perennials that are already in the bed along with the roses bursting into a gorgeous display of color. On the right side of the house there is a perennial hibiscus which was trained into a tree and keeps company with a Japanese maple and oak leaf hydrangeas.  They all sit in front of a huge cedar that was probably in place when the house was built. There are numerous window boxes and patio planters full of color that stay in front till it gets too hot and then are moved to the back yard.