Yard of the Month winner adds charm to old house – Sioux City Journal

By Jean HansenAdvertorial Writer

With Covid-19 preventing a lot of travel around the country, some homeowners took advantage of the time at home to beautify their yards.

October Yard of the Month winners Sophia Clark and her husband Brian have spent the time improving their property at 2910 Jackson St., by putting in attractive retaining wall planters and in-ground sprinklers, adding plants and working on the flower beds.

The retaining wall planters in front of the property (on both sides) feature different varieties of roses, silver mound (artemisia), marigolds, blanket flowers and balloon flowers.

"Before the retaining walls there was just grass there," she said. "It was so hard to grow grass," said Sophia,who is working remotely for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

The Clarks, who have lived in their Queen Anne Victorian since September 2015, have made other changes including having fir and arborvitae trees removed, and planting lots of flowers in their place. She still has a couple of arborvitae in the beds around the front porch.

"I have moved the flowers around to all different places. Gardening allows me to get out of the house," said Sophia, who traveled a lot with her job before Covid-19.

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She usually tries to give her property a balanced look. As you walk up the steps to the wrap-around porch, there are tall pots with purple fountain grass flanking the sidewalk. Lining the sidewalk on both sides are bee balm plants and rock.

In the right flowerbed in front of the wraparound porch, she planted hydrangeas, hollyhocks (new this year), sedum and ornamental grass. The plant varieties are similar in the left side flowerbed, she said.

The front yard showcases a standalone flowerbed with a cherry blossom tree and daylilies surrounding it.

Sophia then pointed to a flowering pear tree on the parking that they planted for the birth of their four-month-old daughter.

"In the springtime it will have white flowers, so hopefully it will grow. We plan to take a picture of her in front of it every year," she said.

In the side yard, Sophia planted hostas, and the flowers continue on the other side of the white gate. In the backyard, around the foundation, she grows roses and chrysanthemums. Bugleweed provides color all along the side of the fence, and Maiden grass, phlox and coneflower provide interest along the back wall.

The garage is decorated with yard art and provides the perfect backdrop for what she calls her "Everything Flowerbed" because she likes to put "everything" there. She has spirea, blue fuschia, honeysuckle vine, annuals, climbing rose, lilies, columbine, purple leaf Sandcherry, geraniums, dianthus, phlox, Goldenrod and ornamental grass. She trains the climbers by using stakes and trellises.

"This garden is red for Nebraska," referencing her husband Brian's love for the Nebraska Huskers. The geraniums are bright red and the Goldenrod is a state flower.

At the back of their house is a deck, where the Clarks like to entertain. A black pergola overhead minimizes the hot morning sun. Around the deck she has pleasantly scented lavender along with Wisteria, bugleweed, lupine, dahlias featuring big, colorful pink and yellow blooms, marigolds, vinca, and now thriving sweet potato vines that she transplanted from pots.

Other plants you will find in the Clarks' backyard are azaleas and rhododendrons, pussy willow, and more. She strives to have color in her flowerbeds to cover the different seasons so she has pretty plants to look at year-round, and she wants to look for more winter season offerings.

"I try to have as many different plants as I can," she said. "I love having lots of flowers in many shapes, colors and sizes. I was focusing on the 'Wow' factor."

Sophia said she started gardening more when they bought their house and ramped it up during Covid-19 and her maternity leave as a way to get exercise and take a break from being inside the house. She spends about an hour each day and up to four hours during peak seasons. Brian focuses on the grass, doing the mowing and re-seeding, etc., and she does the flowers.

They enjoy their yard by using the hammock on the porch, playing frisbee golf, and spending time working on their old house.

"I love this place," said Sophia, who gets gardening inspiration from her grandmother, who is really into gardening, has big gardens herself, and lives nearby on Nebraska Street. "When we were walking through it, I said 'I'm going to get this house.' I love old houses on Jackson and Nebraska. I love it and I'm definitely going to make the yard my own."

If you would like to nominate yourself or a neighbor for the Yard of the Month, fill out an application and return it to the city manager's office.

Address it to Office of the City Manager, 405 6th Street, 2nd Floor, Sioux City, IA 51101. Or emailjessicajohnson@sioux-city.org.

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Yard of the Month winner adds charm to old house - Sioux City Journal