As the grounds committee drove through the neighborhood, for two and a half hours the first night, then 45-60 minutes another couple of nights, to pick the Holiday House Festive and Classic awards for 2020, we were amazed at the number of homes decorated! This was the most difficult year ever to choose just ONE house for each award. We thought it would be nice to list Honorable Mentions, but we have a full page of Honorable Mentions for each award! It doesn't matter whether you have a BIG house or a SMALL house, the decorations were outstanding. Some we were sure are visible from space! Frontyards, backyards, side yards, all decked out. Storm troopers, baby yodas, Elfs, Santas, Bears, white lights, multi lights, spot lights, you name it. Moving parts, musical parts, videos, light shows! We had to see some houses during the day and night just to make decisions. Please keep doing what you are doing Collington, FANTASTIC JOB! The winners are not eligible for the next two years so we have kept our lists to check them twice - NEXT YEAR - and year after year! ​

For the Month of September 2020, the Grounds Committee has chosen 8961 Lavenham Loop as the “Yard of the Month”.

Owners Kate and David Beizer have lived in Collington for 2 years and do all their own planting and yard maintenance . The colors are bright and eye catching and very fresh even for the end of September! Kates tip is ‘Miracle Grow’!

The flowers includes dark and light pink vinca, purple asters and golden mums, and red knockout roses with a backdrop of  lush green boxwoods.  On the porch in beautiful red pots (that David picked out) are lime green and burgundy coleus. There is even a bit of welcoming whimsy added with a metal sculpture of a kitty near the front steps, so cute! 

Congratulations to Kate and David. They will have the “Yard of the Month” sign in their yard through this month and have received a $25 gift card from the Grounds Committee.

The next Yard of the Month to be awarded will be in December for Christmas décorations. There will be two awards: Festive and Classic, more info regarding criteria for these awards to come.

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The Collington Grounds Committee ‘Yard of the Month´ award, for the month of June, has been presented to Kathy and Mike Hurtz of 10800 Tealby Court.
 
This yard is like an oasis in the front. There is a multitude of color everywhere and fun places to sit to enjoy the view.
 
Kathy and Mike have lived in Collington for 16 years, being one of the first on their street. Kathy’s tips for a flower garden include 1.) know what type of garden you want, 2.) if you have no time to maintain it, definitely research to find plants that do not need a lot of care, perhaps perennial shrubs with different color foliage and bright annuals, 3.) Pay attention to the tree growth in your yard as every couple of years the amount of shade they give will change and so might the plants you normally would be planting under or near them. 4.) Take your time and be patient as some perennials take a few years to get established and will give you more blooms each year.
 
Kathy has plants that bloom at different times of the season so there is color from spring to fall.  Colorful pots on her porch add visual attention as well and the flowers in them. And don’t forget the pop of color in your porch rug to welcome visitors. Quaint paths and bird houses give the back yard a ‘park like’ atmosphere just begging for garden parties with friends.
 
The Grounds Committee really enjoys the opportunity to honor our residents who find the time to beautify our community with such incredible yard work. The drive through to pick “The Yard of the Month” is usually during the last full week of the month. The criteria for picking a yard is based on the front yard only. We look for 1.)  Overall turf health/nice balance of green, and well manicured grass, 2.) Shrub maintance and grooming, 3.) Color/flowers being used to enhance the overall curb appeal.
 
After the committee selected the Hurtz yard, Kathy invited us into their backyard. It was so impressive we thought we would include a couple of photos. Kathy and Mike will have a “Yard of the Month” sign in their front yard and will also receive a $25. Lowes gift card.
 
We know gardening is not everyone’s forte and also that some residents are not able to do the work themselves or do not have the time. We also realize that some sections of the community do not have front yards conducive to a lot of landscaping or planting, in particular those who might have very small front yards.

We do absolutely drive down every street in every section. It takes several hours driving, taking notes, and going back to houses on our ‘stand out list’ to pick a house. 

We would love to have recommendations if you see a house worthy in the neighborhood that you feel meets the criteria, even your own yard!!! Please send your recommendations to kayschiltz3@gmail.com.

​The Grounds Committee has selected 11006 Collington Drive as the Yard of the Month for May 2020. Valerie and Steve Hegeland have been residents in the Tealby section of Collington for 7 years.  Even though their yard was used as cement run off site during construction in the section before building on their lot, you would never know it from the lush beautiful landscape and color in their front and back yards. The flowering spiria, lilies, and crepe myrtle trees are trimmed and manicured beautifully as well and pops of color of annuals along their walkway. Additional flower beds in the front yard have beautifully placed shrubs and trees and are outlined by stone. The front porch even has a ‘magazine photo’ vignette with potted annuals and a lantern.  All walks and the drive way are trimmed while the grass is lush and green.
 
Steve says his wife chooses the plants and is the landscape designer in the family. Valerie says it has been a ‘hit and miss’ process over the years to figure out what works the best in this soil. Definitely worth the drive by to check out ideas of plants that thrive in our area. The Hegelands were given the pleasure of having the "Yard of the Month" sign in their front yard and a Lowe's $25.00 gift card so they can make even more additions to their yard.

October’s Yard of the Month is located at 9842 Brafferton Rd.

This beautiful property has been owned by Barbara and Fred Grey, since 2015.  They hail originally from Long Island. Since leaving New York, they have lived in Pennsylvania, Florida, and another area of Midlothian, Va.
Fred does his own aerating,reseeding, and fertilizing. Generous watering has kept the dry conditions from burning their lawn.  The front walk is lush with Begonias, Marigolds, and Geraniums. Barbara fertilizes this area every week.  The Greys have planted 120 Daffodil and Narcissus bulbs, and invite Collington neighbors to come back in the Spring to check them out!

Congratulations to Barbara and Fred for a colorful and well groomed lawn, during some very challenging months!!

The Yard of the Month for August is: 9539 Ashleyville Turn.  Proud owners are JoEllen and Dennis Kerns,who bought in 2010, and moved here permanently in 2014.
Jo Ellen was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma,and moved away as an adult.Dennis is a homegrown Virginian, moving to different states, but always finding his way back to Virginia.
They use a lawn service for weed control, but Dennis does all the maintenance! Their son owns an alpaca, and is more than happy to contribute “ fertilizer”.
The lovely yard color is provided by “Black-eyed Susan’s” and “ Creeping Jenny”. These plants spread rapidly and need thinning out, routinely.
Jo Ellen and Dennis are retired and get to spend lots of time with their seven grandchildren.

The July Yard of the Month is located at 11406 Longtown Rd, in the Longtown section of Collington.

​Paula and Jerry Jarvis have lived in their home for the past six years. They are originally from Michigan, but moved to Hanover Va in 2002. By 2013, they built their home in Collington. Jerry is recently retired, and Paula is counting the days until her August retirement!

Their yard is abundant with flowers and bushes around the entire house! They use a professional fertilization service for the lawn, but plant and maintain all the ornamental growth.

Paula says her secret for lush annuals, is to invest in larger plants, so they have a heartier starting point. Her selection of Dragon Wing Begonias,allows for excellent plants in sun or shade.

The Jarvis’ love to decorate for the holidays, as evidenced by the array of patriotic items added to their yard.

​Congratulations to the Jarvis family!

We would like to recognize Larry and Karen Jones at 9800 Brafferton Rd. for their beautiful yard.  The Collington Grounds committee are awarding them the "Yard of the Month" for the month of June 2019.  The Jones' were the very first house in the second section of Brading Park.  That was 10 years ago.  They said the area at that time was heavily wooded with plenty of wildlife, such as deer, turkeys, raccoons, and even a bobcat.  Larry and Karen have a lawn service to do their  lawn fertilization, but they do all their own mowing , trimming, and mulching.  Larry recommends using mulching blades when mowing your lawn.  The nutrients from the clippings help the soil and grass root system. 

​We thank them for helping to make Collington a beautiful place to live. For their hard work they will receive a $25.00 Lowe’s gift card.