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Next Event June 28th, 10AM


312 Moss St., Robba Residence Garden

We were so impressed by our May Yard-of-the-Month we asked if we could tour in June and the owner agreed, but asked that the tour be a couple weeks later than our usual second Saturday so please make a note of the new date.

Landscape History: "I purchased my 1929 cottage in 1999, and it had two old Pecan trees that were in bad shape and provided no shade. There were only weeds in the front yard and some native purple ruellia and red cannas along the driveway. That was it as far as the landscape went. I installed a sun garden landscape and planted a 30-gallon water oak and 30-gallon Basham Pink crape myrtle in the front yard, along with three 1-gallon purple Catawba crape myrtles along the street that I purchased with a housewarming gift card to Buchanan's Native Nursery. I received Yard of the Month in the following spring for my initial transformation from the Proctor Plaza Association.

2000: Over the following 26 years since, my garden in the front yard has become a complete shade garden with my water oak is now a 30" caliper tree over two stories high and the crape myrtles and aak have all grown together to completely shade the front yard from the west facing sun. The grass completely receded over the years until there was little left, so I decided it was time to install a shade garden.

Landscape Redesign 2024: I removed all the grass and installed two winding Blackstar gravel paths on either side for ease of walking to the driveway and side gate, but also for a hardscape feature in the garden that provided a natural break from the front beds and the back beds. For the plant selection I wanted plants that gave the look of a shade cottage garden, but were also tough enough to handle mostly filtered shade all day and then get a little blast of early evening sun as the angle of the sun beams under the trees. I also wanted plants that would naturally stay within the 1'-3' height range. Plants like giant ligularia, evergreen bromeliads, variegated flax, spotted ligularia, foxtail ferns, wood ferns, East Indian ferns, yarrow, Alocasia (elephant ear), variegated hostas were selected. These plants were chosen to have variation in textures, shades of green, and leaf shapes. Then I added crossandra (orange bloom), white caladiums, variegated brake fern, bromeliads, and white upright pentas to add color. I used creeping jenny (lime green) and sandy leaf fig ivy as ground cover to fill between the plants bare areas. Along the house I created a formal boarder with Winter Gem boxwoods and the walking iris for a more natural flowing look behind them. I boarded the larger crape myrtle with Goldstrum rudbeckia. I also created two color beds with Wasabi coleus for the lime green contrast with a mini mondo border.

2025:It is amazing to see what a transformation that landscaping can do for the look of a home and its environment."

We want to thank Joshua's Native Plants and Garden Antiques for the gift card awarded to Richard Robba. Joshua's is located at 502 W. 18th St. here in the Heights. All our tours are FREE.

Upcoming Events


Cactus and Succulent expert Echo Pang, July 8th, 6:30pm at Boulevard Realty

Cacti and Succulents 101 from the world's habitat to growing them in our own Houston backyard. Echo hopes to make people feel confident to try out many of the species she will introduce, have success with them, and enjoy them for many years to come. Her interest in cacti and succulents led her to start a backyard nursery, Echo's Cacti and Succulents Nursery. She will bring some sample plants to sell based on the talk, and also info about For payment of any plants, she accepts cash, credit cards, vemno, zelle and PayPal.

Meet and greet starts at 6:30, speaker begins at 7pm. 2nd floor Boulevard Realty. Off street parking is limited so please consider carpooling.


Craft Event Painting Rocks, August 26th, 6:30pm at Heights Fire Station

Save the date! We will have more information about this event and how to reserve your spot closer to the date. There will be a small fee to cover the cost of supplies.


June Yard of the Month

1329 Waverly St.
Greg Chapman: "I love to garden. I find it to be both a grounding and a creative process. The creative process in its many shapes and forms invites my interest and my passion. Everything in my garden is something I planted or that grew wild after I created the gardens. Eight and half years ago, it was a grassy lot with no house, a dead tree, a dying one, and 3 boundary trees that I recently lost to a developer. The blank slate called for a lot of action, and I started work in 2017 even as my home at 1329 Waverly was being built. I strive for a butterfly and bee garden, and I see them flitting around most days of the year; I have several plants that host caterpillars. Other creatures like to hang out like lizards and spiders, and I encounter earth worms pretty much wherever I dig. I get surprisingly few ants but too many wasps (it's mother nature!), but I've never been stung. I have no grass in the front as I wanted to nurture a more complex and dynamic environment. I got turned off from mulch delivered from open piles, so I do it myself one bag at a time- this year, I bought 250-300 bags of mostly mulch and some soil. It's a lot! The project takes about 2 months, which I do in the winter, and it connects me to the garden, what's going on, and where I might want to nurture a change.

"The feature that tends to get noticed first are the cattails extending the length of the lot in the ditch. When the wind blows, and the sword-like leaves sway, it quiets the soul. Echinacea brightens the gardens in purple-reds and pinks around a tall white oak; the flowers have spread on their own to new habitats. I work my gardens, but I also like to let Mother Nature do her thing. Passionflower vines spread along the fence. Bee balm bursts into a showy display in May with exotic blooms. Black-eyes Susans, coreopsis, Engelmann daisies, and wedelia give happy-sunshine yellows to the color scheme. Yarrow adds a splash of white. Salvia, Gregg's mistflower and porterweed boost the purple pallet. I have a thyme and rose garden; to my delight, the thyme has weathered the heat and has spread to fill most of the space. All of the roses are aromatic though black spot is sometimes a problem. In March, my Mexican Plum is covered in white blooms before any leaves appear-I call it my angel tree. Soon after, a buckeye has a similar act in pink. On the south edge of the lot, I have 3 sweet olives that are quite fragrant in January-February. Behind the plum tree, I have 2 beauty berries that are blooming and will soon be dripping with their trademark beauties. Rosemary hugs part of the sidewalk so I can run by hands through it as I walk by. Two types of oregano squeeze in as well with one of them flowering in soft pink. I lost a Drummond maple to the hurricane last year and an oak leaf hydrangea to the freeze-the garden is ever changing."


The garden club would like to thank Wabash Feed and Garden for the gift certificate presented to our Yard of the Month recipient. Wabash is located at 4537 N. Shepherd Dr.

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Last Event 5/10

802 Ralfallen, Lienhard Residence Garden Tour

In the garden of Andrew and Stephanie Lienhard: "A bounty of plants and a clowder of cats converge in our corner garden where shrines, found objects and "catios" abound. You will find pollinator plants everywhere only to be outnumbered by succulents and cacti. After the recent loss of our beautiful Post Oak tree, the front yard is reinventing itself as a sunny spot! Our beloved community holds a huge place in our hearts, so all of the easements on our lot are devoted to community gardens where neighbors are welcome to snip herbs and harvest veggies.

Inside of our compound we have created a series of "catios" that serve as a safe place for our pets to enjoy the outdoors while butterflies and birds have sanctuary and plenty of provisions in our front yard. New additions to our front garden include a Japanese Blueberry Tree and a couple of small Japanese maples as well as a Gingko tree, all holding promise of growing into shining specimens in the coming years.

One of our favorite trees in the back courtyard garden is a Palo Verde (aka Retama) which grew almost 15 feet in one year! Our garden has been evolving for almost 20 years and we continually move toward native gardening that takes into account our changing climate."


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