See below the minutes from the February 2024 Board meeting.
2024_February_Board_MeetingAll posts by steve lescure
2023 HOLIDAY DECORATIONS WINNERS
CCH is ablaze for the Holidays, a sparkling splendor of seasonal spirit. The CCH Garden Club judging committee traveled the streets Monday evening, December 18th, viewing the many contenders. This year, the competition was fierce with an abundance of creative contributions in the four categories, making the judging committee’s decisions no easy task. Picking just four is always difficult, so we will look to enhance the categories next year to be more inclusive of the variety of creative contributions. As always, we greatly appreciate all the effort our homeowners put into decorating the neighborhood to illuminate our community. Without further ado, here are the 2023 winners!
TRADITIONAL: The Rosenberger family at 9915 Pinehurst Avenue is our pick this year for the traditional category. Their display centered around a radiant representation of the manger, with warmly illuminated pine boughs embracing the baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The windows outlined with seasonal greenery and adorned with wreaths, and the undulating warm white lights on the roof create an inviting ambiance, encouraging onlookers to pause and reflect on the true reason for the season.
INFLATABLES: The Toskovich residence at 3512 Spring Lake Terrace stole the show in the inflatables category. A whimsical menagerie of illuminated inflatable characters, including Santa, reindeer, polar bear, penguin, Yoda, and Mickey Mouse, took center stage against their thoughtfully lit house. The roofline, embellished with warm white icicle lights, and the colorful lights on the bushes complemented each other, while red and green laser lights danced around the brick facade, adding an extra touch of holiday magic.
BEST LIGHTING: The Koerner family home at 3404 Brookwood Drive illuminated the night and claimed the prize for the best lighting. Vibrant multi-colored lights decked the roofline, chimney, and front bushes, showcasing meticulous attention to detail. A stand-alone candy cane completes the scene. We really appreciated the effort taken to include coordinated tones of colored lights and the extra work involved in lining the roofline, transforming their home into a radiant beacon of holiday cheer.
JUDGES CHOICE: The McKenzie family at 3408 Brookwood Drive captured the judges’ hearts with a striking display, there is so much to enjoy here! Warm white and red lights blanketed bushes and trees, leading to a welcoming front door decorated with seasonal decorations. The focal wreath, red stars, candy canes, and winter characters showcased a level of detail and coordination that left a lasting impression on the judges.
HONORABLE MENTION: A nod of appreciation went to the Crawford family at 3415 Andover Drive for their wonderful incorporation of elements from each category. Warm white lights line the roof, with sparking lights that highlight a festive Merry Christmas sign and a charming train in the front yard. Traditional themes were beautifully captured through candle-lit windows with red-bow-adorned wreaths, and a cute snowman hugged the lamppost, spreading joy to all that pass by.
The CCH Garden Club expresses their heartfelt appreciation for all the decorations that made this year’s holiday season unforgettable. We look forward to what next year will bring.
Happy Holidays!
Joyce Skoglund, Susan Pepin, and Kirsten Youngren
Country Hills Garden Club
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Beauty Spot – October 2023
The Country Hills Garden Club is pleased to award the October/November Beauty Spot of the Month to Jane and Keith Kadish at 10008 Morningside Court. Having recently joined the CCH neighborhood in 2021, we are excited to announce this inaugural accolade for the Kadish family.
What truly distinguishes this property is its ability to maintain a vivid display of colors even as autumn settles in. The flower beds lining the sidewalk and front yard, still going strong, boast a diverse array of annuals and perennials that promise interest across multiple seasons.
An imaginative project initiated by their children’s playful experimentation with random seed planting, has resulted in a lively tapestry of zinnias, cosmos, marigolds, and an array of aromatic herbs and textured plants offering a multi-sensory delight for all who pass by. Another bed features a charming birdhouse engulfed by a sea of purple asters and hydrangeas. Pops of red zinnias accentuate the painted red cardinal and intricate markings on the birdhouse, adding a touch of whimsy to the scene.
Approaching the front of the house, an enormous, multi-colored mum stands as an unmistakable sign that fall has arrived. The mulched beds tracing the front and side of the house host a harmonious blend of evergreen shrubs, zinnias, mums, and aromatic herbs. A hydrangea, adorned with dusty-rose blossoms, complements the rich burgundy tones of the focal mum. A white, gargoyle-like statue, discreetly nestled amidst the foliage, seems to pensively watch over the property.
The Kadish’s cheery landscape continues to brighten the neighborhood and we encourage everyone to take a detour during their evening strolls to admire this Morningside Court property, the final Beauty Spot award this fall. Rest assured, we’ll return next spring to highlight another remarkable CCH property.
Kirsten Youngren
Country Hills Garden Club
Beauty Spot – September 2023
The Country Hills Garden Club is delighted to bestow the September Beauty Spot of the Month upon Jason and Jennifer Harvey, at 10104 Cornwall Road. Since their previous win in 2015, the Harveys have made additions, including new trees, raised garden beds in the backyard, and the incorporation of native plants in the front beds.
Approaching the home, the commanding presence of a mature magnolia tree towers over the property, while a young weeping willow flutters in the gentle breeze. A prominent camellia shrub, laurels and neatly trimmed boxwoods line the front of the house, their glossy evergreen leaves a striking contrast against the warm, red brick facade. A variety of coleus plants punctuate the scene with bursts of vibrant hues.
Stone pavers and a colorful flowerbed guide visitors towards the front door, where a climbing mandevilla vine, adorned with delicate white blossoms, extends a warm welcome. Profussion zinnias, with cheerful, daisy-shaped blooms in vivid pink, steal the show. Nestled beside them, bright yellow rudbeckia and an array of flowering perennials and annuals create a harmonious symphony of color. Delicate skippers flutter about, sipping nectar from each bloom. Those that look close enough will find brightly painted stones tucked throughout the landscape, offering uplifting messages of inspiration.
While hidden from view, the backyard contains a garden of raised beds, brimming with an assortment of vegetables and fragrant herbs. A solitary butterfly bush takes center stage, hosting a congregation of skippers joyfully darting to and fro.
With fall soon approaching, the colorful blooms of summer are fading fast. We hope you take some time to admire the Harvey’s yard, which is still going strong in the month of September.
Kirsten Youngren
Country Hills Garden Club
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BEAUTY SPOT – AUGUST 2023
The Country Hills Garden Club is pleased to award the August Beauty Spot of the Month to Hector and Karen Ponciano at 3512 Pinehurst, a first-time honor for them. The Ponciano’s have been residents for over 15 years and have been working together to transform their landscape into a pollinator friendly haven. They are proud that no pesticides or chemical fertilizers have been used and have thoughtfully included native plants to reduce the need for watering.
From the moment you approach the house, an inviting island bed captures your attention. Anchored by a majestic butterfly bush, the bed is adorned with a captivating array of brightly colored perennials that promise multi-seasonal delight. Phlox, Shasta daisies, yarrow, coreopsis, mums, gazania, and coleus unite to create a visual delight for the eyes and a sweet banquet for the numerous pollinators that grace the yard. Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterflies, adorned in bright yellow, contrast beautifully against the deep purple flowers, while a variety of busy bees visit the vibrant coral-pink tubular flowers of an assortment of agastache.
As you wander along the front of the house, meticulously curated flower beds offer a tapestry of continuous interest throughout the growing season. Stokes aster, coneflowers, butterfly weed, and indigo plant add pops of color, while the velvety silver-gray leaves of the lamb’s ear provide a touch of delightful texture. A non-traditional cardinal flower is covered in magenta colored flowers. Autumn Joy sedum and Blackberry lily seed pods, await the arrival of late summer to reveal their colorful bounty. As you approach the front door, an assortment of container plants greets you, with a love-lies-bleeding amaranthus providing an unusual focal point with its eye-catching deep purple panicles.
Beyond the view from the street, the backyard contains multiple beds with an assortment of perennials and well-placed shrubs. The theme of blackberry lilies continues along the back fence, harmonizing with black-eyed Susans, obedient plants, and cranesbill geraniums. Adding to the backyard’s charm is a special lineage of peonies, a beloved heirloom from Karen’s Great Grandmother, which has traversed through generations, from Massachusetts to New Hampshire, before finding its home in our CCH neighborhood.
A statue of St. Francis, still recovering from a recent party, is engulfed in a sea of rudbeckia flanked by calla lilies and ironweed. An aromatic herb garden teeming with an assortment of chives, basil, rosemary, and lemon grass and a small patch of milkweed, donated by their neighbor Scott, flourishes in the sun. Scott fosters Monarch butterfly caterpillars and hopes that these milkweeds will one day support the lifecycle of these beautiful insects.
As visitors explore the Ponciano pollinator paradise, it becomes apparent that their efforts have cultivated a beautiful landscape and sanctuary and therefore deserving of this recognition from the Country Hills Garden Club.
Kirsten Youngren
Country Hills Garden Club
Minutes – 2023 CCHCA Annual Meeting
The CCHCA Annual Meeting was held at Blenheim on May 18th. Below is a link to the meeting minutes, as compiled by CCHCA Secretary, Elva Card.
(Click the arrows at the bottom to page forward/backward.)
ANNUAL-MEETING-5.18.23-1
BEAUTY SPOT – JUNE 2023
The Country Hills Garden Club is thrilled to present the Benjamin family at 3507 Spring Lake Terrace with the June Beauty Spot. Longtime residents of CCH, this recognition is a first-time achievement for Anand and Jamuna.
Upon approaching the Benjamin’s home, one cannot help but be captivated by the transformation that has taken place. Gone are the original shrubs that once lined the front, replaced now by a stunning array of perennials and shrubs that offer both texture and year-round visual interest. The front slope of the yard showcases a lush green lawn, inviting visitors to explore the meticulously manicured landscape that gracefully wraps around the sides of the house.
As one draws nearer to the front door, an appealing arrangement of Japanese aucuba, hostas, hellebores, and pink astilbe illuminate the shady bed. The variegated green foliage of these plants beautifully complements one another while providing a striking contrast against the backdrop of the red brick house.
In the left front corner of the landscape, a trio of hostas takes center stage, their light purple flowers just beginning to bloom. To further enhance the beauty of the front, a delightful dwarf blue spruce stands proudly alongside multiple Japanese andromeda bushes, ensuring a touch of evergreen interest throughout the seasons. To add a splash of vibrant color, rose bushes are interspersed throughout the landscape, their bold red blossoms punctuating the scene along with coreopsis and dark purple coral bells. The front bed culminates with a solitary Wolf Eyes Kousa dogwood tree, its eye-catching wavy gray-green leaves accented with ivory margins adding a touch of elegance to the overall composition.
Wrapping around the right side of the house, the landscape bed showcases a continuation of the red rose theme sprinkled with bright green sedum and white boulders that seamlessly merge with a still blooming rhododendron and hydrangeas patiently biding their time, promising a display in the months ahead.
Through thoughtful plant selection and planning, the Benjamin’s have created a landscape that harmoniously blends colors, textures, and seasonal interest. The Country Hills Garden Club proudly recognizes the Benjamin family for their outstanding efforts in transforming their home into a breathtaking beauty spot, deserving of this month’s recognition.
Kirsten Youngren
Country Club Garden Club
Spring 2023 Newsletter
The latest issue of the eCCHo is available.
Follow the link below to read the newsletter in PDF format.
Beauty Spot – May 2023
MAY BEAUTY SPOT 2023
Spring has sprung in the CCH, and with it, the return of blooming landscapes and the County Hills Garden Club Beauty Spot. The vivacious colors of our neighborhood yards stand out against the rich green backdrop enhanced by recent rains, creating a feast for the eyes. With so many colorful homes to choose from, it is always difficult to feature just one.
We are delighted to award the May 2023 Beauty Spot of the Month to the Osborne family home at 3423 Andover Drive. This first-time honor is well-deserved, as their home showcases the stunning vibrancy of azaleas that are so prominently displayed in our community at this time of year.
As you approach the home, you are greeted with symmetrically placed crimson barberry, crape myrtles, and azaleas in shades of pink and red. These shrubs and trees are accented by an assortment of hostas, variegated and green, Autumn Joy sedum, coral bells, and ornamental grasses, creating a lush landscape flanking the driveway to welcome you home.
The front of the house is adorned with a row of dense azaleas, bordered on both sides by panicle hydrangeas. A mature Japanese Aucuba anchors the front left corner of the house, while a just-starting-to-bloom rhododendron greets you at the front door. The colors of the flowers are perfectly coordinated, creating a symphony of similar shades that delight the senses.
The beauty of the Osborne family’s home is further highlighted by the attention to detail that has been paid in its design. The symmetric placement of shrubs and careful selection of flowers and plants have created a landscape that is not only beautiful, but also welcoming. Before the azaleas fade for the season, we hope everyone will take some time to appreciate the colorful landscape that is found at 3423 Andover Drive.
Kirsten Youngren
Country Club Garden Club
