ASHLAND — Showy red and yellow window boxes captured the limelight at 445 Hillcrest Drive, home of September “Yard of the Month” winners, Valerie Snyder and Kelly Garver.
Art of Gardening members departed from their usual whole-yard appeal to recognize the couple for their ever-blooming red and yellow begonias and petunias in window boxes also
showcasing red geraniums.
Between the garage door and front porch door the same red and yellow colors are prevalent with more of the same begonias, petunias and geraniums.
Scouts Peggy Stover, Wendy Schmidt, Kathy Bargar and Pat Edwards picked a frontage that packed a huge punch of curb appeal with the window boxes. According to Edwards, Art of Gardening Club president, window boxes are the “perfect touch for this home.”
Snyder enjoys planting flowers and vegetables and has raised beds for tomatoes in the back. A variety of flowers are all over her fence, in pots and on the patio. She has a thing for “green viny things,” she said.
Once owner of Mitchell’s Orchard, Snyder went from a retirement that never happened to lending her daughter, Ashley, a hand at Ashley’s Candy and Nut Shoppe, downtown Ashland. Garver is a fix-it guy in Medina.
Mitchell’s Orchard was her dad’s dream, Snyder said. She is the youngest of five Goschinski kids, daughter of Yvonne and Mitchell.
The family-owned orchard where Snyder worked for 19 years had 38 varieties of apples, cherries, peaches, blue and red plums along with apple and pear cider. Mitchell’s closed in 2019.
The Goschinskis are also involved in Fin Feather Fur Outfitters and Mitchell’s Moving.
“I have the best family in the world!” Snyder said with pride. Besides Ashley, there is also daughter, Arlie, an attorney in town and son, Keegan, a jack-of-all-trades, who is employed at Lee Concrete, Ashland.
The 8 grandchildren (and one on the way) range in age from 0-22, two in the military, two in high school (Hillsdale and Ashland), and one employed at Heffelfinger’s Meats in Jeromesville in addition to bonus grandchildren.
“I love it!” Snyder said of the home where she has resided for four years. “Little by little we keep fixing it up to make it better and better!”
She and Garver are in the process of painting.
On the horizon in October, Snyder will run a one-half marathon in Columbus to benefit the children’s hospital.
Currently Snyder is vacationing at Norris Lake, Tennessee with nine of her best friends from Ashland High School. The classmates are celebrating turning 60 this year.
Upon returning home $25 each gift certificates from the Art of Gardening Club and Farm and Home Hardware will be awarded.