Teresa Bachman
Butler County Garden Gate Garden Club

The Garden Gate Garden Club of Butler County is pleased to announce the El Dorado Yard of the Month for June at 823 Skyview Drive, El Dorado.

Virginia and Marcella Schmidt have created a charming oasis of tranquility. For fifteen years they have worked on their passion and dream.

Here are a few tips from these talented sisters on making your own yard a haven of beauty:

-Spend twenty minutes a day weeding, trimming, whatever needs to be done to keep the plants happy and the yard gorgeous.

-Every year plan a project to enhance the landscape.

-Trim barberry bushes every fall.

-Trim Wisteria after blooming and before it goes to seed.

-Use lots of mixed flowers in a pot for instant color in a random spot. They are recommend PW (Proven Winner) plants for health and hardiness.

-Birds are a joy to watch. Set several bird baths around the yard to draw them in. They are experimenting with hypertufa bowls this year.

-Rock enthusiasts can place those uniquely colored and shaped specimens here and there to enjoy all year.

-Use shredded California Redwood mulch. Make it deep and you won’t need to mulch again for two or three years.

The sisters have an eye for artistic expression in their landscapes including repurposed old things, random metal sculptures and lots of frogs.

Try something new in your garden like King Tut Egyptian Papyrus, or Super Bloom Petunias in Bubble Gum color (PW)

Virginia and Marcella both work outside the home, so don’t think they spend all day in their yard. M & K Lawn Service mows and trims for them. Friends and acquaintances help with the really big rocks and heavy jobs. The rest of the gardening pleasure (don’t call it work) is done by the two sisters. It is their hobby and their passion.

They have devised a plan to accomplish their dreams with old-fashioned perseverance and a sense of fun and adventure. Drive by the Yard of the month June 1- June 30 and be inspired.