Congratulations to the 2023 "Yard of the Year" Winner, Melba Bjornson!
The Villa Hills Garden sponsors the Yard of the Year contest each summer. Gardens are nominated by family, neighbors and friends. Club members have the privilege to tour all of these amazing yards. These gardens represent endless hours of hard work and diligent maintenance.
We would like to acknowledge all the nominees. t 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 for this year were:
Our winner this year is Melba Bjornson. She and her husband Glenn moved into their home 24 years ago. Their landscaping consisted of wild Honeysuckle and Poison Ivy. After clearing the invasive plants, Glenn began building walls to separate different locations for their future gardens. They worked diligently and planted their first annuals, that were completely devoured by deer the first night. They had a vision and were determined to create their backyard oasis. And so, it began.
As you enter the backyard, you are greeted with an array of colors, variety and textures in all directions. There is a stone pathway that slowly guides you through the ever-evolving garden settings. You will find lush shade gardens, with benches, and ceramic art nestled among Hosta, Japanese painted ferns, delicate Astilbe and a variety of Coral Bells. Bright pink & red Impatiens bring a burst of color throughout.
A beautiful cedar fence creates a natural backdrop for stately American Piller Arborvitae. These were brought from their hometown in Huntington, W.V. to begin the expansion. A shady area with Redbud & Dogwood trees is accented with richly colored Coral Bells, Impatiens and a very special Hosta that was from Melba’s grandmother. This transitions into a “sun drenched” area. Mass plantings of white Daisies, Black-Eyed Susans, along with purple, pink and peach coneflowers are complimented by brightly colored ceramic pots holding luscious red Cannas.
Melba says her favorite color in the garden is peach. Though she does change the color pallet each year, there are always hints of peach with the Coral bells, Daylilies and Coneflowers scattered about. The more you wander the garden the more surprises you will see.
The gardens are a work in progress and certainly a labor of love. Melba enjoys finding design ideas in her garden magazines, which inevitably leads to more projects. She likes to refer to “weeding” as “tweaking” her garden. I dare you to find a weed as she is relentless. Melba waters and feeds her plants regularly, and Glenn does the digging & moving of plants. Together they make a great team. The reward is enjoying the wonderful retreat they have created and the frequent visits from squirrels and hummingbirds.
We would like to acknowledge all the nominees. t 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 for this year were:
- Kevin & Maggie Kremer, 587 Rogers Road
- Carol Fenbers, 826 Niewahner Drive
- Togger Molina, 827 Niewahner Drive
- Melba Bjornson, 947 North Oak Court
Our winner this year is Melba Bjornson. She and her husband Glenn moved into their home 24 years ago. Their landscaping consisted of wild Honeysuckle and Poison Ivy. After clearing the invasive plants, Glenn began building walls to separate different locations for their future gardens. They worked diligently and planted their first annuals, that were completely devoured by deer the first night. They had a vision and were determined to create their backyard oasis. And so, it began.
As you enter the backyard, you are greeted with an array of colors, variety and textures in all directions. There is a stone pathway that slowly guides you through the ever-evolving garden settings. You will find lush shade gardens, with benches, and ceramic art nestled among Hosta, Japanese painted ferns, delicate Astilbe and a variety of Coral Bells. Bright pink & red Impatiens bring a burst of color throughout.
A beautiful cedar fence creates a natural backdrop for stately American Piller Arborvitae. These were brought from their hometown in Huntington, W.V. to begin the expansion. A shady area with Redbud & Dogwood trees is accented with richly colored Coral Bells, Impatiens and a very special Hosta that was from Melba’s grandmother. This transitions into a “sun drenched” area. Mass plantings of white Daisies, Black-Eyed Susans, along with purple, pink and peach coneflowers are complimented by brightly colored ceramic pots holding luscious red Cannas.
Melba says her favorite color in the garden is peach. Though she does change the color pallet each year, there are always hints of peach with the Coral bells, Daylilies and Coneflowers scattered about. The more you wander the garden the more surprises you will see.
The gardens are a work in progress and certainly a labor of love. Melba enjoys finding design ideas in her garden magazines, which inevitably leads to more projects. She likes to refer to “weeding” as “tweaking” her garden. I dare you to find a weed as she is relentless. Melba waters and feeds her plants regularly, and Glenn does the digging & moving of plants. Together they make a great team. The reward is enjoying the wonderful retreat they have created and the frequent visits from squirrels and hummingbirds.
