ASHLAND — July standouts for “Yard of the Month” are Everett and Judith DeVaul of 895 Sandusky St. selected by Art of Gardening Club members.
Scouts Sally Ahlers, the club’s inspiration behind the “Yard of the Month” program June through September, and Claudia Dunn decided the winning yard. Referring to the DeVaul’s yard, Ahlers said, “You couldn’t do any better!”
Members Wendy Schmidt and Dunn awarded them with $50 gift certificates from the club and Farm and Home Hardware. The couple were also presented a “Yard of the Month” sign to display in their front yard.
The picturesque property sits on four lots which extend all the way to a creek. The nearly 100-year-old spacious brick home once had two kitchens, one a butler’s kitchen which has since been converted into one kitchen.
A boxwood garden, a pine tree garden in back and what seems like to Mrs. DeVaul, hundreds of ferns, are prominently featured.
Dr. Courtland and Naomi Meuser with their children, Jane and John, first lived in the home. Dr. Meuser was Ashland’s first health commissioner. Jane, clerk treasurer for the board of education, was the last one living in the home.
“She had the most beautiful garden!” according to Mrs. DeVaul. The DeVauls bought the home from the estate in 2003.
The Courtland Manor sign is in front by the drive entrance in honor of the Meuser family.
Besides Mrs. DeVaul’s love for peonies, hydrangeas, magnolias, hostas and daffodils in the spring, her favorite tree is the tricolor beech in front.
“A lot of things I grow from seeds and cuttings.”
When she worked at Willo’dell Nursery, she met the grower Dale Daniels. Her fascination with boxwood led her to purchase more than 100 boxwood plants Daniels started from cuttings.
She designed the garden and all the boxwood around the house. Daniels suggested a focal point at one end of the garden so an 11′ obelisk was made; a wisteria grows up the obelisk and is a “beautiful bloomer in the spring!”
In addition to Willo’dell, Mrs. DeVaul was employed by Ashland City Schools as a paraprofessional. From 1977 she was on the board at the historical society then president of the board of trustees from 1987 for four years. In addition to Salvation Army Kroc Center, she was also involved in lots of volunteer work.
A Medina County kid, DeVaul grew up in Leroy, Ohio, now Westfield Center between Akron and Medina. He was a teacher/athletic director/assistant principal at Ashland High School, employed at a uniform company owned by the Archer family and United Way director.
Currently he is “Vice President of Fun” at the Ashland Golf Club where every Friday there are parties, music and food trucks open to the public.
Besides crediting her husband with working too hard, DeVaul credits his wife with being more knowledgeable on where everything should go. Both are in agreement that they live in their back yard.
They also purchase flowers from Farm and Home Hardware and enjoy visiting Amish and Mennonite farms.
“The biggest thing I love is my herb garden! I love to cook with my herbs!” Mrs. DeVaul has also lectured at Willo’dell. Her advice to tasting food when it comes to herbs, “To know them is to love them!”
In addition to her herb garden, in back is a patio. A porch swing sits in the yard.
“We found a couple new basils this year,” she added.
She makes lots of herb treats such as cookies with herbs along with mustard, dips, sandwiches, etc. In addition to infusing sugar with lots of herbs and using the sugar in cookies, cakes and drinks, she infuses jellies and fruits with herb-infused syrups.
She uses herbs in all the cooking. “It’s fun to try new recipes!”
One of her favorite herbs is lemon or rose-scented geranium leaves or flowers. “I use this to make flavored oils, along with rosemary and basil,” she added.
Drying and pressing flowers and making cards and frame pictures for gifts are some other hands-on projects. Next door neighbors to the left are daughter Kerre Paramore and husband Steve, who is Ashland’s superintendent, while Kerre teaches at Reagan Elementary School. Paramore visits all the schools.
Younger daughter Kirstin Fuller and husband Marty reside in Mt. Vernon where both are
employed at Kenyon College. She is assistant director of human resources and he is director of athletics communications.
The DeVauls have four granddaughters, two in Ashland, Klaira taking graduate classes at Ashland University and Mazie who will start as a paraprofessional at Reagan Elementary in the fall. She will be working with special needs children.
Camille resides in Columbus and is employed at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Gabrielle is a student at Mt. Vernon Nazarene College.
Mrs. DeVaul related she had been very active in Flower Gardeners and has been a guest speaker at the Art of Gardening Club. A Cloverleaf class reunion (DeVaul’s alma mater, Cloverleaf High School in Medina County) took place at the home where tablecloths were draped over the boxwoods surrounding the back patio for extra entertaining space.