2024 Wayne Homes Landscape Contest Winners
Every year, the Wayne Homes team looks forward to the Landscape Contest. It’s a great way for us to connect with Wayne homeowners and see how they’re living in their homes. We know that landscaping is a beautiful extension of your home, and it’s something to be proud of!
From hardscapes to pops of color, this year’s crop of contest winners are great examples of how different landscaping approaches suit different homes and styles. We know landscaping takes time, planning, and patience. We thank all of our entrants for submitting photos of the landscaping around their gorgeous homes. It is truly a labor of love to go through each of the entries and make the difficult decision of who will place in the Top 3 spots.
Here are the 2024 Wayne Homes Landscape Contest Winners!
- 1st Place – The Crosson Family
- 2nd Place – The Brown Family
- 3rd Place – The Truman Family
- People’s Choice – The Rapone Family
Top Honors: The Crosson Family’s Cedar Hill Homestead
Stacey and John built a Cedar Hill Homestead and worked with our Newark and Belmont teams.
We loved how their home and landscaping blends perfectly with the slope of their property, creating a seamless look. The window boxes and decor on their front porch complement the charm of the gables and open arched gable bracket on the front of their home. The Crossons even have an adorable playhouse in the backyard that mimics the look of their home! Finally, the hardscape patio in the backyard with the fire pit, comfy patio furniture, flowers, pergola, swings, and string lights just beckons you outside to hang out. Talk about the most idyllic place to spend a relaxing evening overlooking their scenic property!
The Crossons’ best landscaping tip: “Landscaping can be overwhelming but we have done it in baby steps. One year we did the sidewalk, the next we did the stone, then later the trees. Last year we did the swings. It takes time and just focus on one part at a time. Always use a good weed mat and don’t be afraid to go big on your landscaping. Go bigger! It’s scary at first, but it will be amazing.”
A Craftsman Home and Yard with Charm to Spare: The Brown Family
The Brown family built a Fairfax Craftsman and worked with our Newark team.
We love the curved stone outlining the front flowerbed of the home. The mixture of shrubs and bright flowering plants looks beautiful against the neutral colors of their home. The varying height and color of their landscaping provides visual interest and blends together perfectly. In the back, the stone steps and stone outline of their flowerbed incorporate naturally into their yard. The patio furniture, firepit, and string lights create a cozy atmosphere nestled among their beautiful landscaping. Bonus–the Brown family’s yard is full of pollinator-friendly plants like echinacea, daisies, and salvia!
Andy Brown’s best advice for landscaping planning: “When building our house nearly 11 years ago I knew that outside of designing our dream home, I wanted to have a landscape that felt like it was meant to be there–fluid with the environment and complementing our craftsman style. Don’t wait to plant things after you’re done building. You’ll thank yourself later the next spring when things start to fill in and makes your house feel like a home.”
A Welcoming Space with Pops of Color: The Truman Family
Glenna and her late husband Donald built their Richmond II Classic and worked with our Bowling Green team.
We love how much variety there is in the landscaping, from evergreens to leafy trees to lilies to hardy geraniums. The variety of textures and colors are just perfect! The landscaping pops against the neutral color of the house, with a great mix of perennials and pollinator-friendly plants. A pergola with curtains offers a relaxing space, and the bird bath and feeders, chimes, and garden figures create a welcoming space for all who are lucky enough to enjoy it.
Glenna’s best gardening tip: “Do your homework and don’t rush, know the sun/shade patterns and soil type. I love perennials because they can be split over time, multiplying your investment. Planting varieties with different bloom times helps to extend bloom and color.”
The People’s Choice Is the Rapone Family’s Garden of Eden
Richard and Lynda built a Litchfield Tradition and worked with our Portage team.
The Rapone family received the most votes on their photo in our Facebook album of this year’s contest submissions. The Rapones say the best part about building with Wayne was the blessing of giving birth to the home of your dreams. They call their beautiful haven their “Garden of Eden”.
The Rapone’s pro tip: Don’t be a pro! “We are not professional landscapers/gardeners. We’re a husband-and-wife team that enjoys gardening together. Your gardens have to be personal. For us, most importantly, they should tell your story. With that being said, it always amazes us what our guests focus upon when walking through our gardens. That gives us the opportunity to tell the story behind it.”
Congratulations to our landscape contest winners, and to all of our homeowners who took the time to submit your beautiful gardens. We appreciate each and every one of you!
Look out for professional photos of the winning landscapes on our Flickr tomorrow, where we will share them for Flickr Friday! As always, stay tuned to our social channels and blog for updates on new contests and ways to connect!
Do you have a question about building or landscaping? Contact us, and we can answer them!
About Wayne Homes
Wayne Homes is a custom homebuilder in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and West Virginia (see all Model Home Centers). We offer more than 50 fully customizable floorplans and a team dedicated to providing the best experience in the home building industry. For more information, Ask Julie by Live Chat or call us at (866) 253-6807.
Disclaimer: The details of this blog are accurate as of the publish date, but are subject to change.
