Gina and Dennis Cates have lived in Sturgis for twenty five years and purchased the house at 501 E Chicago road fourteen years ago. They have six children and two dogs. Gina stated, “when we got the house there were no flowers. Each year we have added more flowers.” The house they purchased had been foreclosed for three years, this left them with many challenges, including the lack of landscaping, frozen pipes, and a surmountable amount of work that the house and yard required. It was obvious that they were up for this challenge and now they have a beautiful Victorian home enhanced by their many flowers, yard ornaments, and their spacious front and side porch with comfortable seating. What a great place to just relax and enjoy the beauty.
Breonna, her mother and father all enjoy working in the flower garden. Gina loves all kinds of flowers but one of her favorites is the “Mandavelias because it blooms in the spring and continues to bloom until the first frost.” She stated that one of her challenges in gardening is “finding which flowers grow and which ones do not grow well.” She definitely has found the ones that grow and look stunning. In her spare time she enjoys diamond dot, scrapbooking, scrabble, card making, and reading. Breonna, her daughter who is pictured with the flowers, loves creative writing, flower gardening, photography, and reading.