BAY CITY, MI — With fall on its way and summer annuals on their last hurrah, mums, sedum, annuals and other fall plants are still offering up plenty of color in the garden.
Fall also is the time avid gardeners thoughts turn to spring with the big question, “What am I going to do next year?”
May the Bay City in Bloom committee offer a few suggestions. August award winners were chosen by Kathy Brannigan, who heads up the awards committee.
Throughout the growing season – June through September – various members of local service groups scour the Bay City area looking for gardens, then award one residence, one business and one institution an award for going above and beyond in the curb appeal department.
For a peak at past winners or to nominate someone for next year, log on to baycityinbloom.
Residence
Site: 5320 Brookway Drive
Owners: Chuck and Mickie Leibrand
Judges comments: “It’s attractive from the street,” said Brannigan. “Multiple beds enhance the property and there is so much variety and color. It’s eye catching.”
Of note: Outlining beds filled with ornamental grasses, evergreens, and other bushes and perennials with large begonias make this landscape pop. The eye is also drawn to the pots of petunias, geraniums and tapien on the porch, where a fountain gives the area a peaceful feeling.
Tip: The secret to that eye catching color is annuals, which bloom from early spring into fall says Mickie Leibrand. Water, fertilize and throw a few mothballs in the garden to keep the bunnies away.
Owner’s comments: As a member of the Northeastern Michigan Rosarians, the couple have helped picked Bay City in Bloom winners, and managed to pick up an award a few years ago themselves.
But, says Mickie Leibrand, when Brannigan knocked on her door, she was shocked.
“I’m truly surprised and elated,” she said. “I do believe there are other gardens out there as beautiful as mine.”
Business:
Site: Dr. Robert Malicki Dental Office, 512 S. Trumbull
Judge’s comments: Coming down Trumbull, I noticed how attractive it is,” said Brannigan. “I turned around and came back. It has a nice variety of plants, nice color and neatly manicured.”
Of note: The layout all began with a new sign for the office. That led to beds of Knock Out Roses, Black Eyed Susan, evergreens and Spiraea with eye catching purple and red petunias and geraniums in large urns on the porch. Malicki gives all the credit to employees Lauren Halstead and Mary Drzewicki offering up ideas of their own to the crew from Bay Landscaping, who did the work. He also credits son Andrew for his weeding skills.
Tip: “Listen to suggestions from others,” said Malicki. Have a watering system, fertilize and keep it weeded.
Owners comments: I feel good about winning,” said Malicki. “I never thought about winning an award. I was surprised.”
Institution:
Bush School, 800 Nebobish, Essexville
In charge: Kendra O’Leary, assistant director of Bush Child Care and Preschool
Judges comments: “They are beginning a new project with Bay Landscaping,” said Brannigan. “I was driving by and saw the sign that they were beginning a process. I wanted to give encouragement to where they are going.”
Of note: The idea for this mixture of flowers and vegetables was to give the children the connection between gardening and food since farming is so important to the area. It’s the kids who plant, weed, water and pick the vegetables.
“I wanted to promote healthy eating,” said O’Leary. “I told them for every serving of vegetables they eat, that’s the number of wet sponges they could throw at me.”
This is a new project for the school, and something they are hoping to build on, says principal Shannon Flippin.
Tips: Water, water, water, even when it’s hard. “We don’t have a water source outside,” said O’Leary. “The kids haul little buckets of water outside.”
Comments: When I told my ‘kids’ they were ecstatic,” said O’Leary. “They worked very hard all through the summer.”
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