The Bittersweet Garden Club presented this year's season awards to owners Robert and Patti Wankum on Tuesday.
"I've been doing this for a long time and I've always loved it, and the neighbors always comment, and this was my reward, you know, comments and my joy," said Robert Wankum. "But for such a professional organization to say, 'Well done, we want to give you this award,' it's very exciting and an honor."
Mixing brightly colored summer flowers with pumpkins and mums, the Wankum garden was the perfect transition from summer to fall.
"It's a learning process over time," she said of the ever-growing garden. "You learn that it looks good when you do it, but that doesn't look good."
This year, Wancom says his zinnias and plants are doing better, offering large, dense plants with bright flowers.
Wankum said he didn't do much gardening before moving into his current home. Before his death, his first wife started more formal arrangements in front of the house and then started gardening.
"When it's better and you see the color, because the flowers I get are always so colorful, you appreciate it," Wankum said.
Gardening Awards are presented by the Bitter Garden Club and Master Gardeners. Before making a decision on the season of the garden, it is evaluated by two groups of committees that visit different gardens in the community.
If you or someone you know would like to learn more, visit the Bittersweet Garden Club website at bittersweetgardenclub.com.
