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

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

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

The Country Hills Garden Club is pleased to award the October-November Beauty Spot of the Month to the Lescure’s at 10012 Spring Lake Terrace.  Avid gardeners, Nasrin and Steve, have put a lot of effort into their well landscaped haven, bordered by the Commons on one side and Accotink creek on the backside.

As you approach the front of the house, a curved brick walkway takes you along a flower bed containing a variety of perennials offering seasonal interest.  A large potted agave cactus has sent up a soaring stalk, signaling it is about to bloom.  I learn from the Lescure’s that this is the first time this has happened.  There is great anticipation for what will be unveiled.  An assortment of playful pots line the front entry, with a Zen frog welcoming you home.  Cheerful yellow mums, complement the pops of purple and pink offered by petunias, variegated liriope, pink muhly grass, purple coneflower, and catmint.

Japanese maple provide a focal point in the yard, while providing privacy and shade for the front side of the house.  A tall holly tree anchors the front left corner of the house, with hydrangea, various evergreen shrubs and Nandia wrapping along the distressed tan brick walls.  The sunny, left-side of the house, contains a lush green lawn with a mature fig tree along the property line and a crepe myrtle, with ascot rainbow spurge and daylilies surrounding it’s base.

Along the right side of the property, abundant sunlight not only feeds, but illuminates the assortment of flowering perennials that line the fence.  Roses, coreopsis, coneflowers, and cannas lead you to the ultimate fall fireworks, Steve’s pride and joy, his dahlias.  While past their peak, they are still going strong during these cooler days.  Steve has been nurturing these colorful, single and double flowering, dahlias for many years.  Each fall he lifts and stores the tubers until the falling spring.  A lot of work, but well worth the effort.

As you follow the vibrant property line, it leads you to a shaded stone path that takes you to the backyard and a flagstone patio.  A favorite spot for the Lescure family!  While not visible from the street, the backyard offers a more natural landscape in contrast to the well-manicured front side.  A sloped embankment contains a host of shade loving ferns, hydrangeas, azaleas, and camellias.  An enormous banana plant stands at the top, sending tall green fronds towards the sun.  For those that have visited the Commons, the banana plant found there was a donation from the Lescure property.

The Lescure’s take great pride in their well-maintained landscape.  As the colder nights approach, take advantage of the fleeting daylight to admire their outstanding property, the final Beauty Spot award this fall.  We’ll be back this spring to feature another amazing CCH property.

Kirsten Youngren

Country Club Garden Club

The Country Hills Garden Club is pleased to award the September Beauty Spot of the Month to Allen Kohn at 10013 Cornwall Road. 

Allen has been a resident of CCH since the early 1980s and during this time has put a lot of effort into creating his own personal sanctuary.  His property is uniquely situated in that it borders a quiet side street and the wooded Blenheim site offering dense foliage and many woodland visitors.   

As you approach the front of the house blooming liriope line a front flower bed.  A vibrant blue birdbath, along with red and pink begonia and spider flowers provide pops of color against a lush green backdrop.  Bright yellow rudbeckia, continuing to hang on during these cooler days, wrap around a colorful mosaic urn containing ivy.

The right corner yard contains towering cedars that overshadow a dense carpet of English ivy which envelopes the ground.  Azaleas and hostas add to the scenery and draw you around towards to the side yard.  While not visible from the Cornwall side of the house, those that venture down the side street are treated to an oasis of nature.  

As you peer over the hydrangea and fern-lined wooden fence, a large koi pond draws your focus in.  Near the pond, a cozy chair waits for Allen to return to his favorite reading nook.  Various potted plants and figurines can be found throughout the area. Tucked away near the corner of the house a life-size angel, illuminated by the sun, appears to be reaching out to hold the large blossom of a panicle hydrangea.  The backyard continues to offer more visual delights with a brightly colored blue shed and uniquely shaped birdhouses that wrap along the back property line. 

As the cooler fall air makes those evening walks more enjoyable, we invite you to take a stroll on a less traveled path to appreciate the serenity found at 10013 Cornwall.   You won’t be disappointed.

Kirsten Youngren

Country Club Garden Club

The Country Hills Garden Club is pleased to award the August Beauty Spot of the Month to Yonathan Kelkele and Erin Barth at 3407 Spring Lake Terrace. 

Yonathan and Erin joined the CCH neighborhood in 2018.  When it comes to the landscape, it has been Yonathan’s labor of love.  He has spent the past four years incorporating a plethora of plants and shrubs to transform their front yard.  Yonathan’s focus has been on creating a natural, free flowing landscape that exudes the charm of an English cottage garden. 

Strategically placed boxwoods and pink crepe myrtles frame the house, drawing your eyes towards the front garden bed.  An assortment of plants and shrubs spill over each other lending to the cottage garden ambiance. Here one can find abelia, tiger lilies, butterfly bush and vibrant red hibiscus.  Rose of Sharon shrubs dot the landscape, Yonathan has been shaping them into trees.

Several trees and conifers provide structure throughout.  Cypress, magnolia and lilac chaste trees soak up the sun in the lawn area.  A large white panicle hydrangea and pink spirea shrub provide a focal point where the right side of the house meets a fence.  Honey suckle spills over the top of the fence and a small fig tree is located at the base.

The tiered steps leading to the front door are lined with liriope with an assortment of other perennials such as coneflower, coreopsis, hibiscus, and tiger lilies. A large rhododendron, service berry bush, and roses are intermixed in the landscape.

Erin and Yonathan have put a lot of work into transforming their 3407 Spring Lake Terrace yard into an English cottage garden paradise.  We hope everyone will take some time to appreciate this charming landscape.

Kirsten Youngren

Country Club Garden Club

The Country Hills Garden Club is pleased to award the July Beauty Spot of the Month to Tony and Patty Miller at 10113 Spring Lake Terrace. 

The Millers have been residents for over 35 years.  They recently have put a lot of effort into transforming their yard from mostly grass and azaleas to a plethora of pollinator friendly plants and natives.  The landscape transformation has been a joint effort, with Patty choosing plants and placement and Tony providing the labor.  They are proud to note that no pesticides have been used.

As you approach the house, symmetrical fenced areas flank the driveway.  Each are anchored by butterfly bushes and a host of brightly colored perennials.  The bed on the right contains daylilies, liatris, native wild iris, coneflower, aster, and coreopis.  A lone clematis clings to the fence and celosia dot the foreground.

Celosia and coreopsis are continued in the left side bed, however here is where the pollinator action is in full swing.  An assortment of brightly colored bluebeard, coneflowers, zinnias, and sedum cover the area.  Black lilies are in bloom and a grouping of common and swamp milkweed, along with butterfly weed, provides a sanctuary for young Monarch butterfly caterpillars.  This area is a magnet for busy bees and birds.  A multitude of nests are tucked away in the barberry bushes and bees bounce from flower to flower.  A solitary snowball bush along the back waits to bloom again in the spring.

The flower bed along the front of the house contains a lush green landscape with pops of color throughout.  Patty has included purple sedum and bearded iris collected from her Grandmother’s garden long ago. Porcupine grass and Autumn Joy sedum hug the brick façade with bright blooms from daylilies and astilbe woven throughout. A collection of Easter lilies grows larger each year from gift plants received.   

Ostrich fern predominantly line the property border helping to control run-off.  The Millers believe they have over ten different kinds of fern throughout their property, but they have lost count! Located along the side yard is a weeping redbud, an orange azalea and a hidden black raspberry patch. 

The Miller’s have put a lot of effort into their pollinator paradise, so as you get ready to watch some fireworks this coming 4^th,  we hope everyone will check out some of nature’s colorful fireworks as well.

Have a happy and safe July 4^th weekend!

Kirsten Youngren

Country Club Garden Club

The Country Hills Garden Club is pleased to award the June Beauty Spot of the Month to Steve and Pam Caruso for their meticulously well maintained landscape at 3420 Park Hill Place. 

The Caruso’s have been residents for over 30 years and are second-time winners of the “Spot.” Their vision over the years has helped to transform their entire front yard into a sweeping expanse of color and texture, with multi-season interest.  A good steward of the Chesapeake Watershed, Steve is proud of the fact that no chemicals or fertilizers have been used in maintaining the front and side landscapes for over five years.  This has involved a lot of sweat, a kneeling pad for weeding, and plenty of mulch!

From the sidewalk, you are invited along a flagstone path that diverges, taking you through two thoughtfully landscaped areas.  The lower left side yard path is lined with daylilies, red Asiatic lilies, a prominent Japanese acuba, liriope and yellow and Siberian irises.  As you meander along you will find pachysandra covering the sloped yard under a mature holly and azalea bushes close to the house.  Wooden steps, built by Steve, transition you to the backyard where a vegetable garden and Pam’s favorite zinnias await.

The alternate path bisects the front yard which includes various shrubs, perennials, evergreens and ground covers that help control erosion on this sloping landscape.  The top area is covered with irises, green and gold, black-eyed Susan, narrow leaf sunflower, and hostas.  Hostas are continued in the bottom area and interspersed with creeping blue spruce and gromwell, blue spiderwort, sedum, and a focal crepe myrtle.  Bright pink and purple phlox cascaded over the wooden retaining wall just last month.

The areas flanking the driveway include bright pink knock-out roses and a carpet of bugleweed, various hostas and a Little Henry sweetspire.  As you approach the front door you are greeted by lacecap hydrangea, ferns, a butterfly bush, and a flower bed that contains Eastern blooming cacti, creeping phlox and bulbs waiting for another spring.

The Caruso’s have put a lot of effort into their landscape evolution over the last several years, so we hope everyone will take time this month to check out their home. 

Also, please don’t forget to visit the CHGC annual plant sale this Saturday, June 4^th from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, taking place at the Skoglund home at 3415 Country Hill Lane.

Kirsten Youngren

Country Club Garden Club

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Happy Spring CCH!!

After an extended hiatus, the County Hills Garden Club monthly Beauty Spot is back.  Early spring weather conditions impacted the opening of buds and blooms, but gave residents ample time to work on their yards.    Driving around the neighborhood, it is clear that spring has finally sprung. Azaleas are ablaze with color, dogwoods are dotted with white or pink flowers, and there are many spring bulbs bursting with blooms all around.

There are so many wonderfully landscaped CCH homes to highlight, choosing one is always so difficult.  We are thrilled to award the May 2022 Beauty Spot of the Month to Jill and Drew Toth of 9934 Pinehurst.  We have been watching their progress over the last couple years and their yard now offers many seasonal delights.

The Toth’s have been residents since 2001 and are first-time winners of the “Spot,” congratulations!  After moving in, they learned from a neighbor that the former owner maintained an “immaculate yard.”  After many years of raising a family, the Toth’s were finally able to devote some time, love, and sweat to expand their landscape vision.

Jill initially spearheaded this effort with many well-priced online plant purchases that caught her eye.  More recently, she has been focused on including natives in her landscape design.   Jill has given considerable thought to include various types of plants and shrubs to enhance the overall visual appeal and provide multi-season interest.

As you approach the house, what once was a chain-link fence separating the neighbor to the left, is now an oasis of color and texture.  In this landscaped median a Hinoke cyprus provides a central focal point with bright pink azaleas and flowering hollies that lead your eyes up the property line.  Various types of sedum dot the landscape, some spilling over rustic clay pots.  Spring ephemerals such as daffodils, tulips, and bloodroot are still going strong.

In the coming months, the drift roses that anchor both ends of the bed and the interspersed catmint, yarrow, and daisies will have their moment in the sun.  Tucked away behind the drift roses is a lone red stick dogwood waiting to provide a pop of color during those cold winter months.

Anchored by a mature abelia shrub, the mulched area leading up to the front door welcomes you with squill, dwarf and Siberian iris, sedum, and a prominent collection of peonies.  Rectangular stones create a pathway that wraps around the front of the house, inviting you to take a stroll around back.  The front of the house includes evening primrose, bloodroot, bearded iris, rhododendron, creeping phlox and thyme, allium yet to come, and a star magnolia.  A “Rustic Love Vienna” sign shows their support for a local non-profit helping to feed food-insecure families.

While not easily seen from the road, along the right side of the house, smaller beds line the stone path that leads to the fenced-in backyard.  Here you will find a shade garden with lily of valley hellebore, astilbe, and toad lily and a stone garden with sedum and creeping Jenny.  Along the fence bordering the right side of the property is another bed with St. John’s wort, peony, azalea, spirea, obedient and rudbeckia plants.  The fenced in backyard continues to wow with a cherry tree in full bloom and additional shaded beds with many types of hosta, ferns, huechera, azaleas and euphorbia.

The Toth’s have put a lot of effort into their landscape design over the last couple years, which has earned them their inaugural “Beauty Spot.”  We hope everyone will take time this spring to check out their home, as well as the many other beautifully landscaped homes in our CCH neighborhood.  We look forward to featuring others, veteran winners and newcomers, in the coming months.

Kim Leone and Kirsten Youngren

Country Club Garden Club

When Tim Jacobs landed in CCH in 2008, he describes the yard of his home at 3406 Brookwood as having a “good footprint”, but well, in need of a makeover. However, the former professional landscaper saw lots of potential and has brought that potential to life, earning him the CCH Beauty Spot for November 2021.

Tim mixes hardscape and eclectic plantings to create layers of stone and shades of green, framed with a brilliant canopy of fall-colored leaves. He has given considerable thought to how the rolling yard can best enhance the overall visual appeal. From a line of maple trees on the yard border, an ivy-covered stone walkway separating a lush stand of rhododendrons from a mature cluster of azaleas, the sand-colored pebbles of happy accident that dog legs the walkway – the rolling yard transitions gently from one planting area to another.

Plant selection comes down to what catches Tim’s eye and fits the budget. He also prefers landscaping that will stand the test of time even if it takes a bit longer for the initial installation. His work gives CCH a yard that greets you with the fiery red leaves of a dogwood contrasted against the still green leaves of the maples. A ring of Windsor stone encircles the trunk of a large maple and overflows with silvery-green mounds of artemisia offset by the bright yellow of hostas as they fade in the fall chill. Gold mop cypress, pieris shrubs, ornamentals hostas, and a lone pair of elephant ears that haven’t gotten the memo winter is coming, fill the beds framing the house.

The zebra grass, one of Tim’s favorites, in the side lawn catches the light of the sun as it sets seemingly ever-earlier these days, cueing the solar lights it’s their time to shine and light the bed borders and walkways. He’s pretty happy with the durability of his stonework, noting the previous stonework couldn’t hold up to the network of tree roots, but “so far, so good” he says of the stones he’s laid over the past years. Now if he could just get the dogs to contribute more positively to the backyard! 

As the cold winter nights approach, take advantage of the fleeting daylight to admire the Jacobs’ outstanding landscape.

Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving.  We’ll be back this spring to feature another amazing CCH property.

Kim Leone and Kirsten Youngren

Country Hills Garden Club

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