2024 Yard of the Year Winner
The Villa Hills Garden Club hosts the Yard of the Year contest every summer. Gardens can be nominated by family, neighbors, and friends. Club members have the privilege of touring all these amazing yards. These gardens represent endless hours of hard work and diligent maintenance.
We would like to acknowledge all the nominees for this year. It was truly difficult choosing just one winner. Each is a unique expression of the resident’s personal choice of plant material and design.
The nominees were:
Linda Isenhour 2681 Willow Oak Dr.
Marc & Alice Menne 1032 Cedar Brook Dr.
Debbie Hegyi 2519 Buttermilk Pike
Tim & Peggy Sogar 2579 Sierra Dr.
Congratulations to Debbie Hegyi, the proud winner of the 2024 Yard of the Year! Debbie and her husband Jeff moved to Villa Hills from the San Diego area two years ago in March. They have worked hard to restore their 87-year-old house to a thing of beauty. At the same time, they faced the challenge of what to do with the yard and landscaping. So, the journey began to remove overgrown plants, trees, and unearth rocks and roots to give Debbie a “blank slate”. With a passion for gardening inherited from her mother, Debbie set out to design her dream garden, pouring her heart and creativity into every detail.
In keeping with the history of this lovely, old home, Debbie's thoughts were to create a cozy, cottage feel. This meant incorporating a variety of natural materials in the gardens and walkways. The color palette of purples, yellows, and pinks would blend into a charming, symmetry to be carried throughout her design. There was also a “learning curve” of what plants grow in Kentucky’s climate versus California's, but Debbie was up for the challenge!
As you enter the long driveway, your eyes are drawn to a meandering walkway of large, irregular paving stones set in crushed rock and bordered by weathered bricks, guiding you to a delightful garden sanctuary. A charming picket fence beckons you into the patio garden, where soft grasses, spirea, cheerful black-eyed Susans, and vibrant coneflowers create a lush, inviting border. This enchanting area bursts with soft hues of purple catmint and Russian sage, beautifully contrasted by the deep pink blooms of butterfly bushes. An intimate seating area, complete with a welcoming umbrella, offers the perfect spot to savor a morning coffee while watching the birds visit the nearby feeder.
Window boxes, brimming with vibrant colors, draw your gaze to the lovely gardens below. Lush hydrangea bushes, laden with creamy white blooms, are beautifully complemented by the rich purple coral bells adorned with delicate pink flowers and the striking variegated liriope. This picturesque garden scene mirrors itself on the opposite side of the front entrance, where stately ninebark shrubs stand guard.
The side porch opens to a stunning view of an elevated garden, boasting a Japanese maple as its centerpiece. Strategically placed railroad ties carve out a charming space for vibrant dwarf yellow yarrow, delicate pink dianthus, and resilient ice plants, all harmonizing with the rich textures of sedums and ornamental grasses. A graceful fountain urn brings gentle motion and the soothing sounds of water. Just a step down, the next tier is framed by river rock and pavers, creating a natural canvas for an array of textures and color.
Gardens are a continuous work in progress and undeniably a labor of love. Finding the "perfect spot" for each plant often means relocating them, but that’s the essence of gardening. It's about learning and adapting along the way. As Debbie believes, the true joy of gardening lies in leaving something better than when you found it—and she has certainly done just that!
We would like to acknowledge all the nominees for this year. It was truly difficult choosing just one winner. Each is a unique expression of the resident’s personal choice of plant material and design.
The nominees were:
Linda Isenhour 2681 Willow Oak Dr.
Marc & Alice Menne 1032 Cedar Brook Dr.
Debbie Hegyi 2519 Buttermilk Pike
Tim & Peggy Sogar 2579 Sierra Dr.
Congratulations to Debbie Hegyi, the proud winner of the 2024 Yard of the Year! Debbie and her husband Jeff moved to Villa Hills from the San Diego area two years ago in March. They have worked hard to restore their 87-year-old house to a thing of beauty. At the same time, they faced the challenge of what to do with the yard and landscaping. So, the journey began to remove overgrown plants, trees, and unearth rocks and roots to give Debbie a “blank slate”. With a passion for gardening inherited from her mother, Debbie set out to design her dream garden, pouring her heart and creativity into every detail.
In keeping with the history of this lovely, old home, Debbie's thoughts were to create a cozy, cottage feel. This meant incorporating a variety of natural materials in the gardens and walkways. The color palette of purples, yellows, and pinks would blend into a charming, symmetry to be carried throughout her design. There was also a “learning curve” of what plants grow in Kentucky’s climate versus California's, but Debbie was up for the challenge!
As you enter the long driveway, your eyes are drawn to a meandering walkway of large, irregular paving stones set in crushed rock and bordered by weathered bricks, guiding you to a delightful garden sanctuary. A charming picket fence beckons you into the patio garden, where soft grasses, spirea, cheerful black-eyed Susans, and vibrant coneflowers create a lush, inviting border. This enchanting area bursts with soft hues of purple catmint and Russian sage, beautifully contrasted by the deep pink blooms of butterfly bushes. An intimate seating area, complete with a welcoming umbrella, offers the perfect spot to savor a morning coffee while watching the birds visit the nearby feeder.
Window boxes, brimming with vibrant colors, draw your gaze to the lovely gardens below. Lush hydrangea bushes, laden with creamy white blooms, are beautifully complemented by the rich purple coral bells adorned with delicate pink flowers and the striking variegated liriope. This picturesque garden scene mirrors itself on the opposite side of the front entrance, where stately ninebark shrubs stand guard.
The side porch opens to a stunning view of an elevated garden, boasting a Japanese maple as its centerpiece. Strategically placed railroad ties carve out a charming space for vibrant dwarf yellow yarrow, delicate pink dianthus, and resilient ice plants, all harmonizing with the rich textures of sedums and ornamental grasses. A graceful fountain urn brings gentle motion and the soothing sounds of water. Just a step down, the next tier is framed by river rock and pavers, creating a natural canvas for an array of textures and color.
Gardens are a continuous work in progress and undeniably a labor of love. Finding the "perfect spot" for each plant often means relocating them, but that’s the essence of gardening. It's about learning and adapting along the way. As Debbie believes, the true joy of gardening lies in leaving something better than when you found it—and she has certainly done just that!
