The Most Beautiful Yard Around

South Orange has stunning homes, and the most beautiful suit their landscaped settings. The Upper Wyoming Neighborhood Association, which embraces Harding Drive, Mayhew Drive, Overhill, Twin Oaks, and Tillou Roads, held a "Most Beautiful Yard Contest" this summer to recognize the best of the beautiful.

The group's reasoning was this: a well-maintained yard adds value to the neighborhood, not just in beauty points but in real estate points.  It is a real estate rule of thumb that prospective home sellers start improvements with the yard.

The Upper Wyoming Neighborhood Association saw the contest as a way to show appreciation for those neighbors who add not only beauty, but value to the neighborhood. 

More than 200 eligible homes and gardens were considered, as neighbors vied for the 2010 title. They voted through the association's online message board, competing for the award. The prize kept it all in the neighborhood, as the gift package included Senor Sangria, a bottled sangria developed by Maplewood's own Rick Martinez, and a $75 gift certificate to the Italian restaurant Giorgio's located on Vose Avenue in downtown South Orange.  

At last, the winners, Elaine and Gerry Murphy, were announced.  Delighted to have won, the Murphys have lived in their South Orange home for 27 years. Elaine Murphy said, "We were just so thrilled.  I know that we love our yard but to have others think it looks nice was very flattering."