YOTM
It seems that the WHCA Yard-of-the-Month signs has gone missing. It's last known perch was 528 Bayland. We need it back! If someone grabbed it, perhaps to prank a neighbor, we'd be happy just to see it returned to where they found it. No questions asked. Michael Graves VP Communications, WHCA
Have you seen this sign? We need it returned.
My friend and I have loved this sweet, expansive yard for a while! Watching it transform through seasons only seems to bring out the beauty in its evolution.
Looking over the fence you see nicely manicured space, but what is really cool is all along the sidewalk: an antique water fountain with a little bowl for neighborhood critters to have a drink on hot days, benches for big and little kids to have a rest and meet neighbors, and a thoughtfully designed sidewalk that lofts over giant oak root mounds and also easy for those of us on wheels. It's a lovely merger of urban and wild - how fitting for our Woodland Heights, so close to downtown.
- Stephanie Riceman, VP-Beautification
This month's Yard of the Month fittingly celebrates the harvest! It may not be the most beautiful (because that might be the yard three doors to the west, at 946 Euclid), but it is the most BOUNTIFUL.
According to the current resident, Jeff Shell lovingly cultivated the yard in the early 2000s, so now the massive persimmon tree dominates and fruits generously, along with pomelo and pomegranate. These juicy trees provide a buffer to the equally abundant butterfly gardens closer to the house. It's all looking a little wild and fun, yet somewhat low maintenance, and absolutely delicious.
418 Byrne is the vibrant, yet subtle and pretty yard of Megan Mastal, who has nurtured her greens and flowers here since 2001, and in the neighborhood for 25 years. The white, lime, and yellow hues come through in potato vines and fig ivy, hugging the brick, tracing up little statuettes, and bringing the century home to life.
While I think her delicate yard shows the cool and calm charm we love in our historic neighborhood, Megan says she and her neighbors have big decorating plans for Lights in the Heights! I’m so happy to have Byrne on the LITH route this year!
- Stephanie Riceman, VP-Beautification
The first thing you'll notice is the lovingly restored Craftsman home of Karen Merriam and Thomas Bevilacqua, who has lived here for about 30 years. But take a closer look at the thoughtful landscaping and you'll see what makes it extra special. The yard has weathered flooding from storms so they've taken a survivalist approach, now thriving with variety: flowering with gardenias, drift roses, loropetalum, dianthus, vincas, day lilies, and liriope; oregano, thyme, basil, rosemary, and satsuma tree for flavor; crepe myrtles for shade; and Asian jasmine for ground cover. This tidy no-grass and low-fuss yard was arranged by local design architect Pam August, and installed a few years ago by Bella Terra's Humberto Bolanos.
Honorable mentions received from neighbors this month go to 601 Woodland and 528 Bayland. Thanks for sending nominations! If you see a lovely yard you would like to nominate, please email the address to beautification@woodland-heights.org. Thank you!
802 Woodland Street, home of Janet and Harry Tallichet, is absolutely popping in our spring sunshine and showers! Janet is a "semi-retired" landscaper. Harry is a home builder and did the add-on to the original home in 2009. Moving from Memorial, Janet welcomed the chance to just play with a smaller garden in a neighborhood that didn't dictate plant material and minimum sod areas or maximum cutting heights. Her garden is for the birds and the bees and one dog, one cat. Always with natural habitat in mind, the garden has evolved through the years and Janet enjoys (in a mad scientist sort of way) experiments with wild flowers from Wildseed Farms in Fredericksburg, TX. She hopes to encourage the love of nature and beauty to all residents.
Nods to two also very lovely and playful yards nominated by neighbors: 711 Euclid and 506 Euclid. If you see a yard that you would like to nominate, please email me at beautification@woodland-heights.org. Hope to meet more neighbors out for walks enjoying our community - there is so much to enjoy here, especially this time of year.
- Stephanie Riceman, Beautification
Yard of the Month goes to 1026 Omar St. This is a new house, with new neighbors, and a new kind of lawn that is gaining popularity in the Woodland Heights, artificial grass. The Woodland Heights has always been a diverse neighborhood where we celebrate and embrace different ideas. On my street alone, Omar, there are now 3 houses with front lawns made up of artificial turf. While most yards are looking pretty sad in our neighborhood after 2 hard freezes this month, 1026 Omar looks vibrant.
Artificial grass has been growing in popularity because it doesn’t have to be mowed, and has the eco-friendly quality of not needing fertilizer or water. Lawns use 1/3 of all residential water consumption. Some of the new artificial grasses are even partially manufactured out of recycled materials.
Beautifully done garden at Kurt and Jackie’s bungalow at 707 Wendel. The purple plumes if the salvia leucantha with it’s silver foliage is beautifully offset by several different native grasses and fox tail ferns. Lantana and moss rose add more color. All of their plantings have low water needs which is perfect for our Texas heat.
The very attentive among you may have noticed that the most recent Yard-of-the-Month story differs from past YOTM stories. It's the first showing of a new Yard-of-the-Month sign.
The WHCA wanted to let the neighborhood know that our old Yard of the Month sign for the neighborhood, which served us so well for many years, has finally given up the ghost. The new design is based upon an arts and crafts drawing featuring the Dard Hunter rose that was so popular at the turn of the century when our neighborhood was built.
If you have any ideas about homes to be considered for Yard-of-the-Month please send your suggestions to beautification@woodland-heights.org.
Yard of the month goes to Eric and Bianca at 931 Bayland for their sculpted shade garden. It is filled with English ivy ground cover, mature well trimmed live oaks, and artfully arranged river stones, sand stone pavers, and gravel. The curved front sidewalk and cleverly constructed raised beds only add to it's Zen simplicity.
Yard of the month goes to Mary and Peter at 402 Euclid at the corner of Florence. Their yard is a beautiful blend of old and new with a mature Yaupon Holly with old fashioned Aspidistra underneath, several blooming crepe myrtle trees, holly ferns, and some great climbing fig ivy. The wisteria on the front fence is in vibrant bloom which stands out beautifully next to the foliage of their cypress tree. Looking forward to going back in the fall when the maple tree turns colors along with the red fruit of the nandina.
211 E Woodland Street located in historic Germantown is the yard of the month. The emerald green zoysia grass looks fantastic along with the thriving bur oak, liriope, ferns, Japanese maple, and boxwood hedges.
This months yard of the month goes to 501 Highland St for their fantastic bird and butterfly garden. Denise and Todd Liebl spent 2 years painstakingly renovating one of the few original stucco homes in our neighborhood and their garden is a pleasure that the whole neighborhood gets to enjoy. Hats off to them for bringing this old house and garden back to life. Welcome to the neighborhood!
The yard of the month goes to Donald Clay and his long time partner at 626 Omar St. These guys have been making this bungalows' garden beautiful for the last 22 years. Their emerald green lawn and perfectly manicured plantings are truly magnificent.
Yard of the month goes to Jennifer Beard at 522 Merrill who has been tending her azaleas there for over 29 years. Jennifer had the best looking azaleas in the entire neighborhood this month so hopefully she'll share her secret with the rest of us!
It was a tough month for anyone in our neighborhood to have a good looking yard after the hard freeze a couple of weeks back. However, Randy McBrides' yard at 935 Ridge looks fantastic!
Randy has been in the Woodland Heights for over 19 years and tells us that the reason his yard looks so good is that he has endeavored to make it low maintenance. The two deciduous bur oaks out front with their unusual bark and huge acorns are a knock out along with ground trailing juniper, azaleas, and African iris. It really looks good!
Yard of the month goes to Arnold van Ek who for over a decade has been creating a sculpture garden in the lot he owns across the street from his home at 619 Euclid.
When Arnold retired after a long career in the oil and gas business in 2005 he decided to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming an artist. He enrolled at the Glassell School of Art and for the first time learned to weld and cut metal.
The first sculpture he created was a cardinal totem pole after a trip to Toronto where he was inspired by the totem poles of the American Indian Inuit tribe. Next he produced 3 large spheres; a giant marble, Pluto, and Earth.
Arnold invites you to walk the lot and check out the copperhead Medusa, casino wind chime, lazy Atlas, and the resident alien. At the back of the lot is a shed that features a short movie every night at 7:30 featuring many of his neighbors.
