AJ News

Mauri Rapp Abington Journal Correspondent

Northeast Pennsylvania has four distinct seasons and many gardeners are increasingly taking advantage of each . At the house of Mitch and Sondra Morgan on Crossgate Drive in Clarks Summit, the garden is chock full of color all year round.

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Garden No. 11 Mitch and Sondra Morgan Clarks Summit

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One challenge the Morgans faced was the steep pitch of their yard. Hardscaping with river stone, pavers, stone planters and more helped solve that problem.

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Mitch Morgan learned to garden from his grandparents, whom he said had great love for the hobby. His abilities were put to the test when the Morgans bought their house six years ago; their new property had previously been a cow pasture and had never been planted , so the Morgans added topsoil to promote plant and grass growth. They also chose mature plants and trees to insure the yard wouldn’t look sparse. An additional challenge, Mitch said, was to landscape a property that would be seen from several different sides. To add to the challenge, the Morgans had to figure how to plant along a steep pitch in the front yard. River stones, sturdy planters and stone walkways helped solve the problem. “Hardscaping is a key part of our gardening,” Mitch said. Lighting also adds to the effect; spotlights along the front yard highlight the landscaping during evening hours.

Making sure the garden was loaded with color through all three growing seasons entailed more than just planting season-specific flowers and plants. Mitch has also planted trees and shrubs which contribute different colors and textures throughout the year. A juniper tree along the back patio stays evergreen but forms berries which transform the shape and color of the tree; similarly, a green winterberry bush adds a splash of red berries in fall. Ornamental grasses add height and greenery to the mix. And in the fall when most plants go to seed and the garden runs out of color, he suggested incorporating fall colors with pumpkins and mums. Strategically placed evergreens keep color all four seasons.

In the spring, Mitch prepares the garden over a course of three weeks. Fall means clipping perennials and cutting ornamental grasses to make sure they come back lush the following year. Now that the Morgan children are old enough to help, they contribute to the care and maintenance as well. Daughter Paige planted sunflowers at the base of the front yard and helps water the garden in the summertime, and both Paige and son Luke helped prepare the pumpkins for the fall garden. And irises from Mitch’s late grandmother’s garden, as well as peonies from his late mother’s garden, have been planted in the Morgan backyard, adding to the family experience. “I feel like I still have a piece of them,” said Mitch.

The Morgans aren’t the only ones who enjoy their garden. Passersby on Fairview Road can enjoy the annual sea of daylilies blooming from the edge of the yard. Morgan said one day an elderly couple pulled into the driveway and complimented him on the daylilies; the husband said it was their anniversary and asked if he could pick a bouquet for his wife. The couple told Mitch that they drive by every day just to see the daylilies. “It’s nice to see that the garden is being enjoyed, not just by us but by other people,” said Mitch.

And when it comes right down to it, he said he enjoys the process of gardening just as much as when the garden is in bloom. “I have a 9-to-5 desk job,” he said. “It’s nice to come home and relax by getting my hands dirty.”

Want to nominate?

The Abington Journal and theabingtonjournal .com are running a 14-week story series written by Mauri Rapp and a contest on home gardens in the greater Abington coverage area. We will accept nominations for 14, which will be featured in print and online through Oct. 28. Our readers will vote at the Abington Journal office and on our Web site. To nominate a garden, call Editor Kristie Grier Ceruti at 570.585.1604 or email kgrier@theabington journal.com. Weekly winners will receive a $10 gift card from Corky’s Garden Path. One grand prize winner will receive a $200 gift card.