For many years, Pat Sauer, a member of the now‑disbanded Garden Club of Kewanee, helped select the club’s “Yard of the Month.” This May, the tables turned when fellow members chose Sauer’s own yard and garden as the clear winner.
“At first I said no,” Sauer said. But member Joline Oswald convinced her to accept the honor.
“It’s in honor of Carol Appell,” Oswald said. Appell, who recently died, and Oswald first started the monthly prize years ago. The members decided Sauer should receive the award in Appell’s memory.
The Yard of the Month award has long recognized property owners in Kewanee who maintain and beautify their yards with trees, plants and flowers. When the Garden Club disbanded last year, The Kewanee Voice continued the tradition with help from former members.
Sauer has lived in her home in the 200 block of South Maple Avenue for 50 years. The landscape has changed over time — once featuring a fishpond and a large tree in the backyard. Her husband removed both when the pond became too much to maintain.
In their place now stands a flower bed and a storage shed that Sauer said she hopes to turn into a “she‑shed” someday.
As the May winner, Sauer received a yard sign designating her award‑winning property, a certificate suitable for framing and a $50 gift certificate courtesy of Dew Fresh Market in Kewanee.
Sauer also agreed to answer five questions about her yard for The Kewanee Voice.
What part of your yard/garden are you most proud of?
Sauer said it depends on the time of year as different flowers bloom at different times throughout the year, but she is particularly proud of the patch of daisies currently blooming toward the back of her property.
How much time do you spend caring for your yard each week?
Again, Sauer said it all depends on the time of year, but last week she spent all day for three days getting her yard into shape.
What gardening task do you enjoy the most?
“Planting and watering are my favorite things to do,” she said.
Do you have a garden task you don’t like?
Trimming and edging, she said, are tasks she would prefer not to do.
How does it feel, after all these years, to have your yard acknowledged by your fellow committee members as Yard of the Month?
Sauer said after the initial surprise, she was honored to receive the title.
