KENOVA -- Clinton Burley is a man who appreciates his wife.
Their 15-year-old home readily reflects her gardening and landscaping talents.
"I enjoy the fruits of her labor," he said, laughing.
The lovely gardens and pots of flowers that surround their home are to her credit.
Mr. Burley is aware that the reason the yard and flower beds come together so well is Melissa Burley's hard work. She obviously doesn't mind.
"I find it very satisfying to look around and see the grass all mowed, the driveway trimmed and flower beds blooming," she said. "I like doing it, and then when Clinton gets home, we can enjoy family time together."
Melissa Burley has worked at having a well-planned backyard, and her husband has noticed.
"She has created some great outdoor living areas around the house," he said.
For example, the backyard pool is nestled near the wooded landscape. Melissa has enhanced it with potted plants and grasses. To one side, a hammock invites one to come take a snooze.
Tables and fun in the sun loungers are scattered here and there around the patio area surrounding the pool. A gazebo to the side offers shade to the weary sun worshiper. Around the gazebo are more plants and grasses that add interest to the landscape. Melissa has used lots of perennials in her flower beds as evidenced by the day lilies, hydrangeas and hostas.
Melissa refuses to take full the credit for her outdoor decor.
"My mother, Margaret Kennard, and I do all the gardening together," she said. "We have always enjoyed working with flowers."
Several years ago, the Burleys added a two-bedroom apartment on to their home so Melissa's parents could live close by.
"They have their privacy with their own entrance and screened-in porch," Melissa said.
The Burleys and Kennards spend a lot of time in their backyard. Melissa added that she and their daughters, Lauren and Lindsey, are in the pool most days. The Burleys both work at Cabell Huntington Hospital, Melissa as a registered nurse and Clinton as the pre-hospital manager. After long hours at their jobs. they enjoy the relaxing atmosphere their backyard oasis offers.
The yard is lovely, and the landscaping frames out the living spaces in a spectacular manner. Still, the traditional front porch overlooking the wide expanse of lawn offers a quiet sitting area.
"It's a place we can enjoy sitting the evening away under the ceiling fans," Clinton said.
Melissa isn't one to be satisfied with what is - she already has a vision of where she wants the yard to be in the future.
"Next year, I would like an arbor and to do more landscaping around the pool," she said. "I think the area is right for an outdoor kitchen near the gazebo."
Both Clinton and Melissa laugh about what they refer to as her "May Madness." Spring planting has Melissa and her Mom hunting the greenhouses and bringing home lots and lots of flowers.
"My obsession hits in May," she said.
Even though Clinton only offers moral support to Melissa's hobby, he says that there are plants that bring back strong memories. He points to an oak-leafed hydrangea.
"She saw the plant and loved it when we were in North Carolina, and before you know it, we were toting one like it back home," he said.
Though he teases her about the flowers, he is obviously quite proud of her achievements.
"A professional landscaper was here last week and asked who did the overall design and work," he said. "I was proud to say that it was my wife."
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