A bouquet of fresh cut flowers is a mainstay inside Gail Cummins' St. Martins home.
When she and her husband, Bob, moved in 10 years ago, her landscaping agenda began with that.
"My goal was to walk around the house and cut a bouquet, not just of blooms but grasses or herbs, too," Cummins said.
"I always plant something to cut and enjoy indoors, like zinnias. It's really important to always have cut flowers in the home."
Their 121 Summerhill Drive lot has been named the September Yard of the Month by the Bittersweet Garden Club and Central Missouri Master Gardeners.
"They have several garden beds that are laid out in a wonderful flow that guides you all around the yard," a judge said. "There is a generous and wide variety of plants from evergreens, succulents, perennials, annuals grown from seed that Gail had collected from last year's plants."
In winter, she brings in holly or buys fresh cut flowers.
Right now, the best cut-flower options are sedums and grasses, she said.
Through the summer, she enjoys artemisia, cockscomb, tansy and rudbeckia.
Some homes have a particular season when their yards look best. Cummins said she tries to have something for every season across their one acre.
"I like it all," she said.
The Marie's viburnum is a spring beauty. And the Amur Maple and pampas grass give height to her front yard.
To the side of the home, she has planted bloomers that also produce berries for winter birds, like winterberry.
A secluded patio is surrounded by a modest water feature and a bed accented with a hyacinth bean-covered arbor.
Many of her perennial beds benefit from self-seeding volunteers, like petunias and alyssum.
"You can see the years of work that the Cumminses have placed into their home's outdoor design and maintenance," another judge said. "It was interesting to see how Gail let some of the annuals reseed in their beds from the previous year, and the color blends and types of flowers worked very nicely for an informal feel."
The focal point of the back yard is a white-fenced enclosed vegetable garden that is as pleasing to the eyes as it is to the palate.
She's still harvesting okra, butternut squash, bell peppers, tomatoes and eggplant. She returns the kitchen scraps as compost to the space, which has resulted in volunteer pumpkins, she said.
For vertical flair, Cummins built 6-feet tall obelisks for vining plants, like tomatoes.
"A lot of care and thought has been taken in choosing the right plants for shade and sun, and just the right amount of garden art for that eye-catching highlight," a third judge said.
Every year presents a new challenge.
"You learn when there's a problem to be solved," Cummins said. "That's a plus; and then you can pass it on to someone else."
That's part of the reason why Cummins enjoys being part of the Central Missouri Master Gardeners, she said.
Cummins will try new things, too. This year, she planted a variety of succulents and cactus at the curve of her driveway.
She's surprisingly fond of them, however, she must dig them up for winter. Next year, she said she will bury them in their pots.
"Cactus is no fun to repot," she said.
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[]She's most at home when she's outside. That's why she keeps a little of the outside inside, she said.
The winter months are the toughest, until February when she uses a basement garage to start flats of seeds.
"I love to grow seeds inside; it's so satisfying," she said.
The result of her efforts is 360 degrees of beauty.
"My appreciation for this yard increased from the first impression at the curb as I made my way to the far back of the property," a final judge said. "I can see her love for gardening and that her work never ends.
"I appreciate that she keeps it changing all the time, and so she can look forward to many years of enjoying her garden in every way."