Easy Living, Texas Gulf Style
Donna Newding has spent countless hours creating a “cottage garden” in her backyard in Texas City. Photo by Stuart Villanueva
Donna Newding’s American elm tree spreads its limbs mightily over her Texas City backyard. Planted in 1952 by the previous homeowners, the tree has given her and her husband a lot of pleasure, but also some grief. [Read more…]
On a cold, wintry day, Joe Shulsky couldn’t help but worry about his yard. [Read more…]
Mark Fox swings in his San Leon backyard, which is a habitat for butterflies, birds and bees. Photo by Jennifer Reynolds
Forty years ago, Mark Fox had a one-man, lawn-mowing service in the Clear Lake area. His business consisted of a truck, a mower and a wheelbarrow. Because of his interest in botany and attraction to nature, Fox began to educate himself about anything and everything that had to do with native and habitat plants. [Read more…]
Kemah residents Leona and Neal Pleasant sit on the patio in their backyard, which features plants and trees with a variety of colors and textures. Photo by Stuart Villanueva
Three years ago, Leona Pleasant and husband, Neal, purchased a vacant lot next to their home in Kemah’s Waterford Harbor community with plans to expand their backyard. [Read more…]
Tanya and Jeff Nuss sit under the covered area in the backyard of their Dickinson home. Photo by Stuart Villanueva
Just off Interstate 45, as Dickinson Bayou winds its way under an overpass, is a house built in 1897 surrounded by 3.5 acres of wild brush, overgrown vines, a variety of tall trees and an abundance of ferns. [Read more…]
A covered patio area wraps around a part of Peggy and Randy Dietel’s swimming pool, which is surrounded by flower beds with sculptures and unique vases. Photo by Jennifer Reynolds
Peggy Dietel is happy to be living in the Texas City home she grew up in. [Read more…]
Eric Bowers stands behind the counter of the island-themed bar in the backyard oasis he created at his home in Bayou Vista. Photo by Stuart Villanueva
Eric Bowers never had any intention of moving to Bayou Vista. He just liked to drive in on weekends from his home in the Houston Heights and visit friends, enjoy parties on their decks and watch the sunset over the bay while sipping a margarita. [Read more…]
Ben and Judy Svoboda’s house on Dickinson Bayou is surrounded by live oaks and water oaks dripping with Spanish moss, and palm trees. Photo by Kim Christensen
Ben and Judy Svoboda aren’t just homeowners — they’re keepers of history who enjoy looking through an album of black and white photographs documenting the lives of the people who lived on the Dickinson property before them. [Read more…]
Diane Royal displays beets from her backyard garden. Royal ventures out into her backyard most evenings to pick everything needed for a salad. Photo by Stuart Villanueva
Ten years ago, Diane and Glenn Royal of Seabrook saw a house they wanted to buy, but some other buyers beat them to it. Fortunately, the Royals became friends with the owners through the Seabrook Rotary Club. And when those owners needed to move last year, the Royals quickly bought the house. [Read more…]
Aimee Jackson, her husband, Gilbert, and their children Alivea and Garrett, love working in the yard of their 1-acre League City home. The property, a mostly bare field when they bought it in 2003, is now lush and colorfully landscaped. Photo by Jennifer Reynolds
It’s clear Gilbert and Aimee Jackson and family are serious about yard work. [Read more…]