ASHLAND — Not just a garden, the brick ranch at 839 Country Club Lane, Ashland, with its July 4 decor is much more.
Rick and Deb Cooke who have resided at Country Club Lane since 2010 were selected July’s “Yard of the Month” winners by the Art of Gardening Club.
Lots of beautifully colored impatiens, lights, hanging baskets, Pachysandra (groundcover) fronting the front porch and a built-out raised flower bed level with the rest of the front garden inspired Art of Gardening scouts Pat Edwards and Kathy Bargar to consider the Cookes for top contention.
Behind the raised bed is a Dogwood tree.
Following a picnic at Freer Field July 2 members Claudia Dunn, Edwards and Bargar awarded the frontrunners gift certificates from the club as well as from Farm and Home Hardware along with an Art of Gardening “Yard of the Month” sign to post in their winning yard.
The right side of the house features a multicolored hibiscus next to a stone frog sitting on a stone bench. Next to the garage is a potted begonia. The open patio in the back with spacious seating overlooks a golf course.
Cooke claims his wife does all the gardening. She enjoys the outdoors spending time in her garden. From planting to watering to praying, she just does it. He mows and edges.
“When it comes to mowing, I see enough to get in trouble,” Cooke said.
Never sure he gets it all he might be at it a day or two later. He still golfs.
“Not a pretty sight,” he added.
The couple have a guard dog, 7-month-old Thor, A Shih/Poo. Cooke dubs his seeing eye dog a teacup St. Bernard.
The Cookes also have six children together, Casey, Carey, Brittany, Ryan, Natalie and Krystle and 14 grandchildren.
They are the owners of Luray Lanes along with Cooke’s brother, Bob, and a sister, Renee.
Mrs. Cooke recently retired (25 years) from Charles River Laboratories where she was employed as a Test Material Handler which meant she did “1,000 different things.”
Cooke has been involved with bowling since he was 5 years old. Bowling competitively since 1978, he bowls three times a week.
His youngest son, Casey, along with Art of Gardening Bargar’s youngest son, Adam, were standouts in soccer and basketball when they were younger, Cooke pointed out.
Bargar said that meant the parents were spectators at many events.