Welcome back : ) I hope you are enjoying summer more than we are. July is my least favorite month in Houston. The last two weeks were hot, temps in the 100’s, and dry. Autumn is so far away. We continue working all summer on design and landscape installs but in my free time I read. Back to Brenda and Ed’s garden. Today we will go into the back garden. This is a view of the side before you get to the end of the drive and into the garden.

The back garden is private and has a wonderful forest of trees. The home is on an acre to give you an idea of scale. Paths of flagstone lead you through the garden and create beds that are vignettes with pollinator friendly plants and art. The back garden has a stunning  15,000-gallon Koi pond. It is often featured on the Houston Pond Tour. Brenda and Ed have created several gathering areas through out the garden where people can sit and enjoy the space. This one is on your right as you enter the garden.On the left we noticed this detail on another pergola that Ed built.The Koi pond was installed in early 2006. They used the displaced soil to create a large berm behind the pond. The pond can be viewed from the 1st pergola. You see our tour visitors were social distancing and wearing masks. I hope I have captured the beauty and expanse of this pond in this slide show. To say it is stunning is an understatement.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

After seeing Pt. 1 of this garden, Kiki Newman,  a fabulous Houston artist and FB friend, told me the license plate signs are her art and that she good friends with Brenda and Ed. That is so Houston. Strong sense of community and small villages in a big city. She asked if I noticed the wine sign that she installed for a wine and garden tour. I did and it is so cool! Can you imagine how lovely it would be to sit and sip wine or stroll through this amazing space. Back to our wander. As you walk over the bridge you notice little details. The fish and the garden view to the north east. In 2007 additional flagstone pathways were built to connect the pond to the pathway system built in 2004.

In the distance you see what looks like an old cabin. I did not ask but perhaps it is. And wonderful whimsical garden art that complements the plants.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The east side of the garden is more open and full of wonderful nature attracting plants.

And here is the plant list provide by Brenda. The plant are designed to have year round color going on somewhere in the garden.

There was so much to take in. And yes they do get help with clean-up and weeding now and again. I saw many plants that we like to use in our landscape designs, like this Lime Sizzler Hamelia or Firebush. Brenda and I talked about how part of it was reverting to one of the parent plants. We had ours do this too! I suggested cutting off that part. Thankfully there was a gentle breeze and the tree canopy kept us shaded. Here is more fun art!

The paths offer you the opportunity to see the garden beds from many sides. Brenda says, “the plantings in the garden have changed considerably through the years as hard winter freezes have eliminated less hardy plantings and new plants are discovered.”The giant bug is super cool! I loved the watering cans! I use mine with our rain-barrel.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We are now coming around to the east side of the house where you find a nice big patio and fun containers full of plants. The garden is complete with a Green Man. I think a garden tells you a lot about the owners. This one is full of such good energy. Everyone that toured it left very uplifted. Thank you Brenda and Ed for opening your garden during this trying time.

We are all effected by this pandemic and the only way out of it, in my opinion, is if we work together!

Happy Gardening All Y’all!

Laurin and Shawn