The Lake Forester - Golf Fusion

Page 14 • Lake Forester •November • 2011
LIVING IN LAKE FOREST
A Restful Corner
Retreat
By Janet Pruitt
Andy and Pam Oberkirch
with Rascal
As we turn over a new leaf and move into the month of November
the next “Yard of the Month” award goes to a well
deserving couple: Andy and Pam Oberkirch. Their love for
gardening is obvious as they have created pristine, well-manicured
and inviting woodlands gardens surrounding a charming
cottage-style home. It is truly a serene and beautiful landscape.
This home is located at 244 Rolling Hill Drive (on the southeast
corner of Rolling Hill and Hope Drive). You can’t miss it, just
look for a “Stop” sign at the corner with two beautiful baskets
hanging on the sign… containing lantana full of rich autumn
shades of color.
Andy and Pam moved here10 years ago, and soon after Andy
built a closed-in porch on the back of the house, giving family
and friends a great place to congregate and enjoy the outdoors.
Recently they established a sitting area atop a hill in their
back yard for their lawn chairs and a chiminea. Soon they will
be landscaping this area to provide another place to relax and
enjoy. Andy explained, “When we moved here the yard and the house was just bare bones with no character.
We’ve made a lot of improvements.” They had to deal with a serious problem of water run-off but were able
to fix much of the problem by installing double French drains on the right side of their home. Andy and Pam
have worked long and hard planting the shrubs and flowers that they enjoy to make it the lovely landscape
it is today. Andy recently had back surgery that put him out of commission for a while, so his son Jay, who
owns Gulf South Landscape Co., pitched in to help. Jay has done an excellent job for his parents and has
generated many requests from neighbors nearby to do work for them.
As you approach the Oberkirch home you begin to feel a sense of calm and peace as the tall oaks and
pines offer cool shade from the sun’s golden rays. Off to the right you find a stately crape myrtle standing
in the midst of a massive planting of azaleas and big leaf (blue) hydrangeas, lorapedliums and manicured
jasmine. The azaleas, hydrangeas, and lorepedlum combination is repeated in shaded beds throughout
this beautiful and attractive landscape. Pam loves exchanging flowers as the seasons roll through and has
brought her personal touch by strategically placing pink and yellow chrysanthemums and Kimberly ferns
nestled in here and there - splashing color, texture and drama along the borders of the gardens. Nearby you
also spot lantana in a variety of colors, giving life and excitement to the landscape. Agapanthus outlines the
border of one bed which will turn gorgeous indigo blue by spring. Poised between two beds there’s a wooden
garden bench where Andy, Pam, and their Yorker, Rascal love sitting and watching grandkids play. Bryar
(age 5) and Sophia (age 2) love to swing on a rope swing hanging from a large oak nearby. Close by is a
birdhouse that Andy built, where they all enjoy watching and listening to the birds as they sing!
Andy and Pam agree that besides watching the grandkids, their next best past-time is sipping coffee in
their rockers on the front porch early in the morning. Here they can enjoy the Boston ferns perched above,
the beautiful rounded boxwoods and yellow mums nestled in below that defines and outlines their porch,
adding joy to a fresh new day! Thank You Andy and Pam for sharing your awesome yard and talents with
us!