~by Jeanne Myers for the Jefferson Garden Club
A profusion of petunia blooms, bright pink and an apricot blend, greet visitors to the gracious front porch of Todd and Shannon Hansen’s home at 501 Hillcrest Place. Gigantic Kimberly Queen ferns in large urns flank the front door. As you move to the side yard, a lilac and row of Euonymus, or burning bushes, edge the walk. There is even a small area devoted to the Iowa Hawkeyes, with “almost black” and yellow petunias.
Hidden from the street view in the back of the house is a multi-level deck anchored by a huge scarlet mandevilla vine. More petunias, Shannon’s favorite, spill over their pots in a corner of the deck.
A second deck in the back yard holds a fire pit and the large tropical plants that the Hansens are experimenting with this year.
