Joomla Login LightBox powered by WowJoomla.com

Northlander Marla Galetti turns yard into award-winning property

A Northland property was recently chosen as the most beautiful property in all of Kansas City from a large pool of nominees.

The owner and caretaker of the property, Marla Galetti, did not realize she had been chosen as having the most beautiful property in the city until she arrived at an awards ceremony put on by the Kessler Society in September.

“I was really surprised,” she said. “I was just so glad to be nominated.”

Galetti’s property was one of many nominees for the Kansas City Beautiful “George” Awards given by the Kessler Society, a Kansas City Parks and Boulevards citizen support organization that was named after landscape architect George E. Kessler, the creator of the city’s boulevard and parkway system.

Four properties from each of the six council districts are recognized each year and one Commissioner’s Choice award is given, this year to Galetti. The awards’ purpose is to encourage property owners to aesthetically enhance and landscape their properties to better the community, according to the Kessler society Web site.

Galetti’s Platte County home sits on nearly two acres of land and is surrounded by many gardens. Galetti and her husband have lived on the property for 30 years and she has been developing her award winning gardens for 17 years.

The 1920s-built home had a few plants around it in the early years the couple lived there but Galetti was inspired to create cottage-style gardens and “garden rooms” around the home after a tour of London.

“It’s just become my passion,” she said about gardening.

She said she grows over 200 varieties of flowers, plants and trees. She has created tranquil spaces surrounded with plants including stone paths, seating areas and a pond.

To get her many gardens to the condition she wants them to be in, Galetti spends approximately 40 hours per week gardening outdoors around her home in the spring. The hours become less as summer sets in and even fewer when fall arrives. She spends winter months in a greenhouse that is built off the side of her home, but looks forward to spring when she can start preparing the gardens.

Over the years she has added gardens each spring, but has recently been working to make existing gardens even more exceptional.

“Now I’m editing and redoing my garden so I can have more stuff,” she said.

Some of the features of Galetti’s property include gardens lined with bottoms-up empty wine bottles to distinguish different areas, a planter that is the bottom half of a head affectionately named “Lips” and a swimming pool outlined by a garden with tropical plants.

Kessler Society board member Teresa Quintero said the board chooses the winners from each council district and the commissioner chooses the overall winner. Top district winners are only pitted against nominees from their district because of the differences in each council district, she said.

“We had a lot of great gardens here north of the river,” Quintero said. “I was really impressed.”

She said Galetti’s property displayed a proper balance of all plants and garden features.

“It’s just such a peaceful, quiet area … that you could just go out and relax in,” she said.

Quintero won the commissioner’s choice award in 2008 and was so impressed with the Kessler Society that she became a board member soon after.

OTHER NORTHLAND AWARD RECIPIENTS

- Donna and Gary Smith, Crestview, 1st District

- Laura D. Vescovi, Crestview, 1st District

- Mary Jo and John McNerney, Briarcliff, 2nd District

- Ruby and Darrel Sell, Briarcliff, 2nd District

- Karen and Robert C. Hill, 2nd District

MORE INFORMATION

To learn more about the Kessler Society and to see a full list of the 2009 award recipients, visit www.kcsociety.georgekessler.org.

Staff writer Meagan O’Donnell can be reached at 389-6606 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed