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The yard of Albert and Sylvia Ramirez at 501 South Ave. has been selected for the Elgin Garden Club Yard of the Month award.
A pair of retired army veterans enjoying their free time, the winners for the month of June took advantage of some necessary tree branch removals and worked with the new space.
“We had trees until the freeze, and when limbs had to be removed after the storm, it opened formerly shaded areas to the sunshine,” said Mrs. Ramirez.
A second-generation gardener, Ramirez inherited a green thumb from her parents, Alberto and Janie Juanita Reyna, who have won yard of the month several times over at their home on 200 North Ave. This is the first time in 28 years the Ramirez family has won.
When they began expanding their gardens, Albert and Sylvia struck a deal – she would handle the front beds while he would attend to the back.
They have created a varied palette with yellow kalanchoe sprinkled in with red salvia, rose bush plantings and black-eyed Susans framing the perimeter of the corner property. There is a significant drop off to the street which has been tastefully filled with fist sized white rocks in between the plantings. The immaculately maintained beds were recently augmented with two pallets of mulch to prepare for the summer heat. A bird bath adds structure and attracts birds, which Ramirez enjoys feeding.
Some tropical plants have proven to be hardy perennials, amaryllis, elephant ears, bougainvillea, bright yellow Esperanzas and pride of Barbados. The striking red stone borders complete the picture.
The Elgin Garden Club meets the first Tuesday of every month at Grace Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall, 11th St. and Hwy. 290. Visitors and new members are welcome starting at 9:30 a.m. with a meet and greet, plant exchange and refreshments.
