Par for the course

The beautifully landscaped backyard of Charryl and Dr. Brian Wong’s League City home features a pool complete with fountains and a waterslide as well as ample seating space for numerous guests. Photo by Stuart Villanueva

Golfers stop to admire this League City backyard

It isn’t unusual for golfers to stop near the eighth hole on the Magnolia Creek Golf course in League City to admire the view.

The beautifully landscaped backyard of Charryl and Dr. Brian Wong is lush with flowerbeds. And it’s also home to a family of mermaids and enough outdoor furniture to seat 20 people.

The yard wasn’t much to look at when the Wongs bought the property 12 years ago, so Charryl Wong got busy landscaping and putting in a pool, she said.

“My grandmother was a big gardener who loved flowers, so I learned a lot from her,” said Wong, who grew up in Galveston.

Succulents overflow from a large planter in a seating area. Photo by Stuart Villanueva

With red as her inspiration, Wong used that as her primary color when designing the layout of the patio and her backyard.

“I love the color red,” she said. “I not only used it as my focal point outside, but inside my house as well.”

The patio chair and lounge cushions, as well as the ottomans, pop with red in Harwood crimson by Sunbrella. The petite brown- and gold-striped pattern adds a sporty vibe.

Along with all that red, the mermaids are eye-catching, too. Some are quite evident, like those sitting on rocks above the pool, with smaller ones obscurely tucked away and harder to spot. A few are art decorations hanging on walls. Some are lamps and one is a glass plate.

“My husband’s a mermaid guy,” Wong said. “He had an even bigger collection when I married him, but we’ve pared down since then.”

Tall art posts also stand out. It’s hard to resist stopping to gaze at their vibrant colors and some of their inspirational quotes — “Do all things with love,” “Grace plus gratitude,” “Live Love Garden” and “Together we have it all.”

“I’ve gotten a few at Tom’s Thumb Nursery in Galveston and some online,” Wong said. “They add a nice touch.”

Glass and metal art of butterflies, flowers and dragonflies; animal, angel and Asian statuary; birdbaths, birdhouses and wind chimes all reflect Wong’s creative touch.

Stone angels surround a water feature. Photo by Stuart Villanueva

A pathway of flagstone and pea gravel make for easy strolling to admire the beds that contain a variety of species — vincas, purple vitex, bottlebrush, plumerias, pentas and Asian jasmine. A mix of Pride of Barbados, coleus, canna lilies, a colorful crossandra plant, ixora, knockout and drift roses blend in harmony with begonias, caladiums and azaleas. Pots of hibiscus with blooms of yellow and coral surround the pool. Asters in pink, purple and white, miniature petunias and pansies are new additions, as well as hanging baskets of red and pink miniature roses and blue lobelia.

“I add new plants depending on the season,” Wong said.

Two Canary Island date palms Wong planted shortly after moving in are now as tall as the roofline. Herbs and succulents in pots sit atop a potting table on the side of the house.

“Although we don’t play golf, we enjoy being on the golf course,” Wong said. “When I’m out here working, golfers will pull up to the fence on their golf carts and make compliments. ‘You have the prettiest yard on the course,’ they say.”

A seating area creates an inviting atmosphere for guests. Photo by Stuart Villanueva

The front yard has a more manicured and formal appearance with its tall Italian cypresses, magnolia trees, spiral trimmed ligustrums and tiered hedges.

It’s apparent the lessons Wong learned from her grandmother have paid off.

Wong’s husband doesn’t share her passion for gardening, but that’s OK by her, she said.

“Men have their man caves, I have my cave,” she said. “This is my therapy.”