2014 Landscape Challenge winner chosen

By Ed Schmidt

This year’s Landscape Challenge was open to residents in Kirkwood, and fit right into the celebration honoring naturalist Edgar Denison. To encourage homeowners to apply, Alan Hoepfl and I each wrote and had published letters about the Challenge in the Webster-Kirkwood Times.

Wild Ones members Ann Early, Bob Siemer, Jeanne Cablish, and I, together with Carrie Coyne of Grow Native! processed the 10 applications and visited all the properties on an evening in late May. The winning property is in the 400 block of West Argonne, 4 blocks west of the train station. Evaluation team members were influenced by the nearly “blank slate” appearance of the yard. The homeowner even agreed to get rid of a Bradford pear!

The planting date is Saturday morning, September 27, so mark your calendar and plan to join the fun at the installation of this new front yard of native plants. There is always something to be learned at this annual event, too. You can sign up at the August or September meeting, or contact Marsha Gebhardt.