The Gettysburg Garden Club, through its Garden of the Month Committee, presents the September Award to Hatty and Paul Ketterman, of 130 Rodes Avenue.
Paul and Hattie Ketterman have lived in the house at the corner of Rodes Avenue and Hoke Drive since 1976. The large pines lining the back of the property were planted at that time, as were the beautiful dogwoods growing near the front of the house. In the spring, the dogwood bears small clusters of flowers with four pink petal-like bracts in the middle. Soon there will be small red fruits, or “drops,” so called because the peel of the fruit is hard, not smooth, unlike raspberries. Birds and squirrels will enjoy these kernels or berries.
Other trees have spread in the lawn around the house, but these have now been mainly replaced by small covered garden beds. Some have a triangular shape that reflects the corner meeting between Rodes and Hoke. The round bed has a tall flagpole with “stars and stripes” flying at the top and seasonal flowers planted at the bottom. Paul said there had been a large, beautiful pine tree for many years, and the Ketterman family would decorate it annually with hundreds of lights to brighten the neighborhood in December/winter.
What now catches the eye is the colorful flower bed surrounding the beautiful lamppost at the entrance to the house. Here a wave of orange, red and yellow emerges from spots of blue. Roosters and marigolds are considered “hot” colors, contrasted with purple/blue sage. The color invites one to admire the calm and sublime appearance of the well-tended lawn and the careful planting in the mulched beds around the house. Irises, ornamental grasses, roses, spireas and other well-manicured shrubs flourish here. A beautiful, mature Holly hugs one end of the enclosed porch that the couple added as their family grew. The Hoke Drive side of the house has a collection of evergreen rhododendrons that will be gorgeous when they bloom in the spring. Soon pots of chrysanthemums will add to the color of the season.
It was a pleasure to find this park and meet Paul Ketterman. Paul mentions that “the real gardener, Hattie” was away visiting his family at the beach. Kudos to both Paul and Hattie and happy September everyone.
To nominate your property or someone else’s property within the 17325 area for a Garden of the Month award, call Cornelia Saltzman at 717-677-7940 or visit the Garden Club’s Facebook page or website for additional information.
