The club normally tries not to award the same home so that all homes have a chance to shine, but the Shipley's home outshone even its previous self. Steve's eye for harmony in tropical and color groupings draws your eyes from a Pigmy Palm, its ground cover and small boulders to the creek bed sweeping around to the left of the garden, demarcating his neighbor's border. The perimeter of the lawn is separated from the planting area by a cement faux rock border.
Nikki planted zinnias in front of the sago palm for color since last year's frost almost wiped out all colorful tropical plants - especially all of Steve's double yellow and red hibiscus. The hibiscus were slow in returning, so Nikki surrounded the base of the queen palm with a riotous planting of brilliant fuschia-colored petunias.
The queen palm is centralized in the lawn and surrounded by small boulders. On the porch is a potted red-veined banana palm protected from next year's frost. Also in the porch area, Steve has hung two potted fuschias and has piped (inconspicuously) a drip system to keep them happy during our hot weather. Steve tries not to use chemicals; instead, he tries to control the garden pests with soapy solutions and ladybugs.
The Discovery Bay Garden Club salutes the couple for contributing to community beautification by awarding them a Certificate of Appreciation. A sign was placed in their front yard, proclaiming their "Home of the Month" status, and Village Nurseries in Brentwood also contributed a certificate worth $25 toward gardening supplies.
A Home of the Month Award will be given each month from September through June to a homeowner within the 10 geographic areas in Discovery Bay. In late September, the front yards of the homes in Lake Shore area will be considered for the October award.
Those interested in learning more about the Discovery Bay Garden Club should contact Linda Mayer at 240-7012.
- Contributed by Rosemary Killion
Post a Comment