The Phillips residence at 602 Kershaw St. was chosen as August's Yard of the Month.

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Mollie and Rick Phillips at 602 Kershaw St. have used several design principles enhance their front entryway and their lot.

They have a curving entryway to their front door. The front steps are accented with three large geraniums on the steps with lantana at the base of the steps. The front porch is graced with beautiful ferns. The curved walkway going up to the front door is accented with a row of rich light green dwarf Japanese Cedar or crytomeria and they are accented with two deep burgundy Chinese Witchhazels or loropetalums. The foliage richness of the crytomeria is very eye-catching, and of course the deep burgundy foliage beside it helps show it off.

Rick said when they moved into the house, that section had some sickly boxwoods. He said he is happy to report that neither insects nor disease ever affects the dwarf crytomeria. They do get afternoon shade which they seem to love and Rick said he was careful to keep them well-watered when we had our numerous dry spells in years past. The curved bed is balanced with a vertical yew against the house. This yew is unique, it has vertical height to it as most yews do, but this one has been regularly pruned so that it has good lush width to it as well.

The shrubbery beds around the front of the house and off to the left side of the house, all have gracious sweeping curves to them and are all accented with the dark green Liriope grass that is in perfect blue bloom for this season. They have used a variety of shrubs in which the heights all work well together: rhododendron; Indian Hawthorn or rhaphiolepis; variegated pittosporum and gardenias. The far left corner is accented with a tall Palmetto tree near the sidewalk. It gives stability to the design. Another area is accented with a mature and graceful Japanese maple. The look is carefully planned and yet gives a natural and comfortable feel to the environment.

The lot has four extremely tall and massive virgin Longleaf Pines. The Phillips live next door to the old Matheson house and the land for their lot was part of the original Matheson property. The Phillips said they believe all the towering pines were part of the original Matheson setting. There may have been a carriage house somewhere around where their house is sitting. When Sherman came through Cheraw, they headquartered in the Matheson house and the troops slept on the Phillips’ grounds.

The Phillips moved into the house in 1988. Their children are grown and away from home, but as you can see in the photo, they have a cat named CJ that keeps a careful eye on their property. He was a stray that was very sick when they adopted him, and now he is very proud to ‘own’ this property.