The Country Hills Garden Club is delighted to honor Kim and Tom Horn’s eye-appealing corner lot at 9920 Farr Drive as May’s Beauty Spot of the Month.  Over several years the Horns have expanded their outdoor living space and garden areas. They have added flowering perennials and shrubs to their shaded yardscape which beautifully complements their home’s style and color. Pointed yellow hosta leaves and varieties of heuchera, often called coral bells, with lemon-lime and lipstick-pink frilled foliage brighten the flower beds under two sturdy sycamore trees. Glossy green skip laurel, burgundy barberry, and a crepe myrtle bring natural tones and shapes to the long vertical plane formed by the house façade and side yard fence.  The stamped concrete walk leading to the front door and adjoining patio is bordered by low-growing rounded boxwoods and mounds of star-shaped spring flowers carefully positioned not to obstruct the garden view for a family gathering al fresco. A red mandevilla plant, multi-colored annuals, and ferns in containers coordinate with comfortable outdoor furniture to create a feeling of warm, relaxed hospitality. During the first week of May, frequent showers have kept many of us indoors planning to resume activities when Virginia’s usual sunny spring weather returns. Come rain or shine, this unique landscape design with special attractions promises not to disappoint visitors!

Happy gardening, everyone!

Anita Johnson and Nancy LeBow

(View in full-screen mode for best effect!)

 …For oft when on my couch I lie
 In vacant or in pensive mood,
 They [Daffodils] flash upon that inward eye
 Which is the bliss of solitude,
 And then my heart with pleasure fills, 
 And dances with the Daffodils. 

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud –William Wordsworth 

For the April 2020 Beauty Spot of the Month, the Country Hills Garden Club is highlighting the many springtime treasures throughout the CCH neighborhood instead of describing a specific garden address.  While you follow our governor’s stay-at-home orders this month, we hope the discoveries you make from your patio chair or along your exercise route will brighten your day. The annual CCH spring flower show in front yards and in the Commons dazzles the senses! Early in April, jewel-toned blossoms crown tulip, daffodil, and bluebell bulbs; andromeda, camellia, and forsythia bushes; and magnolia, cherry, plum, and pear trees. Plush carpets of pastel vinca and creeping phlox spread under green and red-tipped hardwoods. Floating in breezes are the merry melody of songbirds and the sweet, heady fragrance of hyacinth and narcissus. By mid-April, longer days and warmer temperatures cue brilliant redbuds, dogwoods, and azaleas to stage their dramatic performance as the month’s fantastic finale. The seasonal beauty of CCH contributes to the strong sense of place shared by families here. They know that within six feet of separation there are natural wonders to behold!

Anita Johnson and Nancy LeBow  

Country Hills Garden Club