Ramblewood Garden Club announces August Yard of the month

Ramblewood Garden Club has awarded the August Yard of the Month to Paul and Bonnie Kipper who live and garden at 1251 Normal in the Historic District of Cape Girardeau. The Kipper's colorful garden produces bright blooms and interesting textures in every season.

In their front yard are two fruitless sweetgum trees (Liquidambar styraciflua 'Rotundiloba'), a plus for having the yard remain free of those spiny sweetgum balls. A corner planting displays a bed with a red crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia) surrounded by Sedum and summer blooming Zinnias. Hanging potted ferns grace both sides of the front door, with adjacent plantings that include a variety of red and green leafed Coleus, 'Coral Bells' azaleas (Rhododendron), hostas, ferns, Caladiums, Astilbe, black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta), and lily of the valley. Boxwood (Buxus) and arborvitae (Thuja) provide structure and shape variations.

On the other side of the porch, purple Liatris and dark pink impatiens (Hydrocera) grow as the bed's border. It has been said that every gardener needs a little Liatris in their garden. Blue blooming 'Endless Summer' Hydrangea grows tall in the back area. Those perfect, deep blue Hydrangea flowers brought gasps of delight from garden club members when cuttings that Bonnie had shared were brought into a symposium on Hydrangeas.

The side perennial bed contains purple blooming lavender (Lavandula 'Goodwin Creek') and butterfly bush (Buddleja), along with pink coneflowers (Echinacea), white changing to lime green flowered Hydrangea (Panicle Hydrangea 'Limelight'), a red flowering Hibiscus, and Miscanthus grass. A feathery fescue (Festuca) grass edges the driveway, and along with the Miscanthus, provides wonderful winter interest. Both are cut to the ground in the spring to encourage regrowth.

Trees around the yard are Nuttall's oak (Quercus texana), and spring blooming purple Eastern redbud (Cercis Canadensis) and dogwood (Cornus florida), which Bonnie purchased at the Charleston Dogwood and Azalea Festival. She keeps a record of her plantings in a garden book, noting what was planted and when and where it was planted, and we applaud this great idea of using a plantings book. In the backyard area, several potted plants include basil, green bell pepper, and tomatoes, a bay leaf tree (Laurus noblis), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare); which smells like licorice and attracts butterflys, Missouri evening primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa), and Plumaria. These plants growing, along with African daisy (Osteospermum), Gerbera daisy, dark pink blooming hollyhocks (Alcea), orange lilies (Lilium bulbiferum), Easter lilies (Lilium longiflorum), purple Angelonia, and an arbor grown Clematis create a refreshing display of color and interest at the back step.

The Kippers intend to replant grass in their front yard as a pesky, invasive weed (They think it may be spurge.) has taken over the area. This will be a fall or spring project with grass selection to be decided. Thank you to the Kipper family for growing a beautiful garden in Cape Girardeau which we all can enjoy, and thereby making our town a more beautiful place to live.