Jim Jecman's spacious yard that circles his English Tudor-style home in Jefferson City is a true park-like garden.
Complete with a spring, big creek and smaller creek, Jecman added a teardrop waterfall feature with a large koi pond, custom-made wooden arches and pathways that allow guests to wander by flowering pants, handmade, whimsical sculptures and a hand-cut stone structure.
His woodland paradise has earned him two inclusions on the Bittersweet Garden Club annual garden tour and the club's June Garden of the Month accolade last year. However, his labor of love is not one that came immediately, but rather developed over time through trial and error, training and lots of hard work.
"Somehow you get a passion for the garden. People have told me that before, and I didn't get it until I started doing it. It is a lot of work, but I love it," he previously told the News Tribune.
Whether it is an expansive wooded oasis like Jecman's or a colorful, flower-filled backyards, several Jefferson City area homeowners have created unique, personalized green spaces that deserve to be shared with the community. Bittersweet Garden Club is eager to find these "hidden gems" as they get ready to begin its 2019 Garden of the Month awards each month from May through October.
"If a homeowner is going to put that much time and effort into making their yard and their property so beautiful, they deserve recognition," said Linda Block, 2019 Garden of the Month committee chairperson. "We also ask them to share their pride and their hard work by letting the community know that beautiful yard is there."
That recognition first started many years ago with the Hawthorn Garden Club, which has since ceased existence, Block said. The area Master Gardeners then led the program until the Bittersweet Garden Club, which was founded in 1973 and is currently 75 members strong, took the helm a few years ago.
Block and her fellow Garden of the Month committee members will often see yards that meet the criteria of being located in or within 8 miles of Jefferson City. However, they also encourage the community to contact her with homeowners who may have a garden they would like to nominate.
"They are going to know their neighbor's yard better than we do, with us only driving by. Most of the time, the real beauty of people's yard is in the back and not in the front. Those neighbors, friends and relatives know more than we can see," she said.
Block added many people think they have to be a Master Gardener or a member of the Bittersweet Garden Club to earn the Garden of the Month recognition, thinking their garden may not "be as good as they think it should be."
"That is not the case at all. They don't have to be a member of either organization to have a beautiful yard," she added. "There are so many that we have approached to be on on our annual Garden Tour for instance, and they say, 'Oh gosh, I'm not a member of the garden club and I don't know that much. My yard is not that great.' But it is. A lot of it is what they learned growing up, learned from their grandma, mom or dad. They don't have to be professional to have a beautiful yard."
In addition, Block said they don't have to live in a certain area, street or subdivision, which is also a common misconception.
"We have had some that are a very small yard that are just drop dead gorgeous," she added.
After a homeowner's garden is nominated or seen during a committee search, the committee will ask the homeowner for their permission to be a Garden of the Month honoree if selected.
"We ask if they mind us looking at their yard and if it is OK with receiving that award," she said, noting they typically select from at least two to three potential yards each month during the program but would enjoy receiving more leads.
Block added the homeowners have been welcoming about letting people come, walk and look at their yards with permission. For example, Paul and Sharon Heiberger have enjoyed allowing interested visitors to look at their beautiful garden, flowers and green spaces that make up their 2018 July Garden of the Month award-winning yard. They also enjoy showcasing the expansive miniature railroad scene, which was also featured on a past garden club annual tour.
"You can't see that from the street, much like Alice (and Floyd) Hansen's yard, with her beautiful backyard and gorgeous view," Block said. The Hansens earned the 2018 August Garden of the Month honor. Their garden includes a water feature, which is typically a selection criteria for August each year. "They really are hidden gems."
Many Garden of the Month recipients gain the passion to be included on the club's annual garden tour, which will be held this year from noon-4 p.m. Sunday, June 30. The 2018 May Garden of the Month honoree, Mary Callahan, did so with her woodland oasis, and now 2018 September Garden of the Month recipient Heather Brown will be featured on this year's Bittersweet Garden Club Garden Tour.
"Getting Garden of the Month, that encouraged (Heather) and gave her something to work toward. She is making all these improvements. She is adding more flowers and shrubs and all of it," Block said. "That isn't what we expect of our Garden of the Month winners, but that is definitely the excitement it can spur in these homeowners."
Block and the club are excited they want to share their hard work, knowledge and passion for gardening.
"If we don't find it and let you - the public - know about, it is just sitting with no one to 'ooh' and 'aah' over it. It is great inspiration to other people to see these gardens, and most of the these yards have things they can do, too. They can start with a small section and work on it to make it more enjoyable to them," she said. "If you look at it as artwork, that is their masterpiece on their property."
To nominate a homeowner's property for a 2019 Garden of the Month or for more information, contact Block at 573-694-3735 or email [email protected]. For more information about the 2019 Bittersweet Garden Club annual Garden Tour, visit www.bittersweetgardenclub.com.