May 2021 - 5238 Miller Ave

The pretty, light blue craftsman-style home with white trim at 5238 Miller Ave. belongs to our very nice neighbors, Sarah and Patrick Kinman. Sarah and Patrick were attracted to our neighborhood and purchased their home with the welcoming front porch and beautiful landscaping in 2017, knowing that it had been a former Yard of The Month winner. Because it was already so pretty, Sarah and Patrick kept the maple trees, flower beds, and much of the existing landscaping in place. It was already a winning look that they easily welcomed as their own.

What caught the committee’s eye for this house’s second YOTM win was the bursts of seasonal color in the beds and large containers, welcoming guests to their front door. Roses, Lantana, Hibiscus, Begonias, Zinnias, and more all bring bright color and texture around the established Japanese Maple and Noble Fir trees flanking the porch.

Sarah says they are hands-on and enjoy doing the planting and gardening themselves. She gives credit to her father in law for much of what they ultimately decide to plant. When he visits Vickery Place from Indiana, he has already researched what to plant and he spends time talking to experts at local nurseries (Rubials is a favorite of his) getting professional input on his ideas. We love that the whole family is involved in this home’s (now twice) winning look!

Some tips we learned from Sarah include:

• Don’t be discouraged by the damage from the February freeze. Use it as an opportunity to replant some favorites and even find new options to bring home to your yard.

• Clever use of drip irrigation and spot misters efficiently water plants in beds and containers only as needed.

• If you have large dogs or your yard generally sees a lot of activity, consider laying turf grass in the backyard for a nice look that stands up to greater wear and tear.

We want to congratulate the Kinman family on their Vickery Place Yard of The Month win for May 2021. We also want to thank Northaven Gardens for their sponsorship and the $50 gift card award that will be awarded to Sarah and Patrick. The YOTM Committee wishes Sarah the best of luck as she opens Clean Juice, an organic juice bar franchise to be located at The Hill (Walnut Hill & Central Expressway) this summer. The committee looks forward to visiting Sarah at Clean Juice and we hope to see other Vickery Place neighbors there as well!