A cute frog fountain has found a Jefferson City home at 3831 Foxboro Drive after traveling in a box for more than a decade from Los Angeles to northern Florida and back to Missouri.
The water feature was a retirement gift for Merrilee Holzhauser who was a teacher and administrator in Los Angeles. Now, it is the focal point of their patio shade garden.
The newly planted astilbe, caladium, celandine poppy, Jacob's ladder, Lenten rose and a green Japanese maple that surround the mini-pond are part of a two-year property makeover.
Before Holzhauser and her husband, Don, bought the corner-lot home, it sat empty for four years. And without drain pipes, ruts and erosion took their toll on the rocky, double lot.
Loads of top soil, rolls of new turf, tons of flagstone, new decking and hundreds of trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals have remade the lot.
Neighbors cheered the improvement. And the Bittersweet Garden Club has named it the July Yard of the Month.
"What they have accomplished in the short time living in the house is truly amazing," one judge said.
Judges praised the variety of plants the Holzhausers had, the well-tended borders, attractive design, well-placed garden art and nice turf. Judges also noted the blue vase water feature in the front yard, and the use of boulders and flagstone to tie together the front and back yards.
"From the first sight of the home, they have great curb appeal with the berms, the side beds and great sight lines through to the back yard," another judge said.
After 10 years of dividing time between her family in Florida and his in Tebbetts, they downsized to one home and one garden.
Don attributed their quick sales to curb appeal of Merrilee's yardwork.
To address the disaster they inherited, they hired Richard Holzhauser Landscaping and Hayes Rock Works for the intensive ground work.
Merrilee completed the Master Gardener training. And then over the first winter, she thought about what she wanted to do with the remainder.
Her approach to landscaping is "hit and miss," she said. She reads and researches, explores gardens and nurseries, and then gives ideas a try.
If something doesn't work, she moves it.
Many of her pots and plants bring a tropical flare, like the staghorn fern where a wren has hatched her eggs. Other plants she will winter indoors include elephant ears, tender hibiscus and crotons - some of which came from her late father's collection of more than 40 different varieties.
"I like the unusual plants," Holzhauser said. "It's not just all flowers, I like textures and colors and shapes."
Living in the consistent climates of California and Florida, Holzhauser was used to watching plants grow continuously without seasons.
That is what she has enjoyed most about gardening in Missouri - watching the changes.
"I don't enjoy the planting as much as I enjoy seeing them grow," she said. "I've enjoyed seeing the perennials pop up."
This winter, the couple realized their yard lacked winter interest. They have included several evergreens, such as a Bosnian pine, arborvitae and a Taylor sunburst.
"Now we have a balance of evergreen, perennial and annual," she said.
The couple was surprised at receiving the Yard of the Month award, since all of their plantings are young and small.
"Everything is small right now," Holzhauser said.