--> Heights Garden Club


Next Event Saturday, November 8th from 10-11AM


Re-visiting the Residence Garden at 702 East 13th

We toured the Stuarts' garden last in 2021, but we thought with the latest updates to the backyard, it was worth a revisit.

Christine and Larry Stuart have lived in the Heights for more than twenty years, previously in houses with shady and small yards. When they built their current house in 2016, they worked with Heights architects McIntyre and Robinowitz to design a home that integrates indoor and outdoor spaces, along with Danny McNair and Amy Winstead of Glauser McNair to design a yard with flowering trees and perennials native to Texas with space for expansion and later development of the couple's garden areas.

Texas trees such as Retama, Texas Mountain Laurel, and Possum Haw Holly, as well as perennials like Salvia, Rudbeckia, Purple Cone Flower, Strawberry Bush, and Gaura, among others, plus colorful and sometimes eclectic annuals. Boulders in the front yard provide spots for the family and its cat to sit and watch the butterflies and bees and listen to the birds. Native grasses and zoysia lawn created a green space in front with the feeling of movement. Trees and vines in the courtyard bring nature into view from the core of the house.

Over the years, the family has transformed space behind the house and easement space along the side of the house with trees and raised beds in which they grow a variety of beans, vegetables, herbs, and fruit. The layout allows the couple to experiment with different crops and techniques each year and produce lots of food for consumption, canning, and donation to others.

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

Heights Boulevard Workday

Sunday, Nov. 9th, 2-4pm at the Rose Garden located at 20th and Heights Blvd. In late spring, volunteers brought plants from their gardens to add to the rose garden and it looked amazing this summer, but now the garden could use some sprucing up, clearing spent annuals and weeds. We will also be offering FREE POPPY SEEDS, a lovely, easy, bee-attracting annual for your own spring garden. Bring gloves and your favorite weeding tool.


November Yard of the Month

347 West 27th
This charming traditional Heights Bungalow sits gracefully on a rare triple lot, offering an expansive canvas of green space that immediately captured the hearts of Ellen and Paula Parker-Krantz. From the moment they laid eyes on this home, they saw beyond its classic façade to the incredible potential it held - not just as a living space, but as a personal sanctuary where gardening and outdoor enjoyment could flourish.


When they purchased the home in 2022, it was adorned with a few gorgeous, mature trees, three one hundred-year-old pecans, a dogwood, a maple and magnolia. A minimal sprinkling of azaleas, provided a natural frame for the home without overwhelming it. This subtle landscaping was perfect, leaving the structure and space open to Ellen and Paula's vision. They dreamed of crafting inviting garden areas and intimate outdoor retreats, both front and back, that would complement the bungalow's traditional charm while reflecting their personal style.

The yard has come to life over time and they have made some changes along the way. In front of the iron fence, they have planted mostly Texas Natives including salvias in pinks and blues, various lilies in yellows and reds, agapanthus, lantana, pentas, copper canyon daisies, spotted iron plants and phlox. In the front beds, they added azaleas, variegated ginger, ligularia, pink, lavender and white pentas, agapanthus, pink and white caladiums, night blooming jasmine, hostas, and loropetalum.

In May of 2024, sadly, the derecho took down the largest of the three pecan trees. The east side of the front is now a blank canvas. Paula and Ellen are envisioning a new tree and more space for planting, relaxing and creating. Stay tuned!


The garden club would like to thank New Roots Landscaping Nursery and Antiques for the gift certificate presented to our Yard of the Month recipient. New Roots is located at 5117 N. Main St.


Last Event 10/11

Tom Martin Residence Garden at 6410 Wister Lane

Tom and his family moved to their Timbergrove home 60 years ago to a typical suburban lot with trees, grass, and shrubs. The landscape changed dramatically after Hurricane Alicia hit Houston in 1983 - the storm took out two large pine trees and a water oak along with the shade the trees provided. Tom had always liked cactus and the "desert look" so he got to work building out a new garden. Over the course of many years grass was removed, new beds were laid out, and flagstones positioned for garden paths. All the work was done by Tom. On many of his vacations he would bring back rocks to add to the garden. The plants mostly came from local Houston and West Texas nurseries, Alpine and Marathon, and the Hill Country.

Multiple beds in the front and back yards are brimming with a variety of cactus and succulents in pots or planted in the ground. Everywhere you look there is something to see; interesting pieces of driftwood, metal objects collected over the years, statuary, and all sorts of rocks. Some of the other plants scattered throughout include: Esperanza Yellow Bells, Nandina, Texas Sage, Firebush, and Feather Grass.

At the age of 92 the garden continues to be Tom's hobby and sanctuary.


Our Local Business Supporters


<
<
<
<
<
<
<
<
<