This April, the Lake Forest Garden Club "Yard of the Month" award was given to the neatly landscaped home and gardens of Bill and Dottie Franco, at 110 Broadmoor Drive. The Franco's have lived at their Lake Forest address for the last 18 years, moving the short distance here from Mobile in 1991. Bill and Dottie chose their home many years ago when downsizing from a two-story home, to the attractive one-story where they currently reside. Lake Forest was the perfect Eastern Shore location that enabled the couple to live close to their daughter.

As you approach Bill and Dottie's wonderful comer lot, you will see a nicely manicured lawn and several landscaped flowerbeds. Each of these handsome flowerbeds is surrounded by a border of mondo grass. The focal point of their yard is a circular shaped flowerbed in the center of the front lawn, welcoming guests as they walk up the Franco's sidewalk. In this flowerbed, you can find both dogwood trees and beautifully flowering camellia bushes. The pink blooms that are sure to be noticed, belong to the "pink perfection" camellia, Dottie's favorite. Non-flowering bushes run along the front of their home. It is here, on their peaceful front porch, that Bill and Dottie have their coffee together each morning, while listening to the singing of several different songbirds.

On the right side of their lawn, you will see an impressive flowering bed full of different trees, bushes, and plants. Among these, you can find a flowering dogwood tree, camellia bushes, azaleas bushes, bridal wreath, mahonia, rosemary, day lilies, and perfectly painted pansies. Also in this bed you can find flowering clover, brought to Dottie, all the way from Ireland.

Round pavers lead the way to the Franco's quiet retreat. Bill and Dottie's fenced in backyard is just as exciting as the gardens in the front of their home. Their backyard is full of a number of ornamental trees and confederate jasmine can be found almost completely covering their wooden fence. While many flowerbeds can also be seen in their backyard, Dottie also enjoys container gardening along their brick patio. As you wander through their beautiful gardens you will notice well placed birdhouses and garden art, giving their yard an inviting appearance. Dottie loves to garden as her hobby, stating that "home is where you make it."