9429 Lightwood Loop

Spring has definitely sprung here in Cherry Creek on Brodie Lane! In fact, we should change the name of our neighborhood to Cherry BLOSSOM Creek because of all the lovely, colorful blooming trees, shrubs and plants in the yards of our neighbors. Spring seemed to have taken a flying leap right into the yard of our first Yard of the Month winner for 2012! Congratulations to Mike and Lynn Kelley of 9429 Lightwood Loop for winning our April 2012 Yard of the Month Award! Their yard is beautifully maintained, and splashes of blossoming spring color abound in a rainbow of hues. Mike and Lynn moved into their house in 1996 and are the original owners. Mike is the one with the green thumb and can usually be found working in the yard. Although they were worried about the grass not coming back this year after last year’s drought, the mild winter and abundance of rain have created a lush green yard.

The house has a very inviting front entrance that is flanked by pretty, well-maintained shrubs with a large sago palm as the focal point. They planted the sago palm years ago and have enjoyed watched it grow from a very small plant. It is one of Lynn’s favorite things about the yard. Her other favorite is the Chinaberry tree in the side yard. It was a mature tree when they moved in, and provided the only shade in the yard. The builder shaped the driveway around the tree, and they are very thankful that it was saved. The tree produces berries that draw in all kinds of wildlife, though they are tough on the cars & driveway. The other large tree in the front yard is a beautiful red oak that was planted about 13 years ago and is just now leafing out. The tree was planted to provide shade in the summer to the front of the house which faces

south. It has been very beneficial and keeps the house much cooler. In addition to the well-kept appearance of the yard and house, the landscaping element that drew us to this yard was the colorful, bountiful, spring blooms. Mike is a big fan of Scott’s Planting Soil with Plant Food Mix. Mike an Lynn don’t use fertilizers and pesticides on their lawn because their pets spend so much time in the yard. Therefore, their lawn could be considered more of a “green” yard. This time of year, when most folks are just starting to garden, the Kelley’s flowers were flourishing. Large, robust crimson and salmon-colored snapdragons seem to burst from the earth and surround a well-pruned crape myrtle. Another brilliant spring floral display is in the whiskey barrel planted with periwinkles, begonias, pansies, and marigolds which is surrounded by another band of deep violet-colored flowers. Their trick is to exchange annuals periodically to take advantage of each seasons’ conditions. For example pansies add great color in the winter and thrive in the colder wetter conditions, but will burn up in summer and are replaced by heat tolerant species.

As April 2012 Yard of the Month winners, Lynn and Mike are recipients of a special perk (or maybe we should call it a “perc”) to winning the YOM award, a $20.00 gift card, generously donated by Steve Baer of the Texenza Coffee shop nearby. A special thanks goes to Texenza, a locally owned cafe near the Randalls that is only a 6 minute walk on the trail at the end of Tea Rose Trail– check it out!