Barbara and Gary Hankins enjoy their backyard paradise they have cultivated over the years. Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr.
With the front of their property facing wetlands and their backyard surrounded by Galveston Bay, Barbara and Gary Hankins know just how lucky they are to be so close to nature. But it didn’t happen overnight. [Read more…]
Gary Foy, George Parsons III and their dog, Mikey, have restored the 1892 William and Lena Juneman Smith Cottage in the 1700 block of Ball Street in Galveston. The Queen Anne cottage is one of three sister cottages built by architect William Pautsch. Photo by Jennifer Reynolds
Long before builders developed colorful beach house communities on the Texas Gulf Coast, architects such as Nicholas Clayton and Alfred Muller stitched their signatures across the city blocks of Galveston Island. [Read more…]
Thomas and Metta Hemmer’s San Leon backyard is a tropical paradise on Galveston Bay. Photo by Jennifer Reynolds
When not out kayaking or riding their Harleys, Mette and Thomas Hemmer spend a lot of time in their tropical San Leon garden, which is overflowing with a variety of exquisite plants and trees, especially hybrid hibiscus.
Islander Maureen McCutchen bought a 70-by-120 foot lot on Lake Madeline two years ago and built her dream home, which was completed in March. Photo by Kara Mullins
Maureen McCutchen lived on the West End of Galveston for 14 years, but wanted to get closer to her downtown office at Mills Shirley, where she’s a law partner.
So, McCutchen bought a 70-by-120-foot lot on Lake Madeline on the island two years ago and finally built her dream home in March. [Read more…]
One of two deep swings provides poolside seating at Susan and Andy Smith’s West End home. Photo by Jennifer Reynolds
You have to drive a bit down FM 3005 to get to Sunset Cove, an enclave of waterfront homes in Galveston Island’s West End. But with seascapes rolling past on both sides, the trek hardly matters.
Laurie Skov raises orchids and other tropical plants in his Santa Fe backyard. Photo by Jennifer Reynolds
Laurie Skov grew up on the outskirts of Chicago and rural Indiana. He obtained a master of science degree in chemistry, but always had a keen interest in the natural world. So much so, that in the early 1970s he spent two years teaching science in the Peace Corps in Western Samoa, where he lived in the jungle and became familiar with different kinds of plant life, especially orchids. They became a passionate hobby. [Read more…]