Yard of the Month

Congratulations go to Jim and Mary Gorab at 2102 Millwood for receiving May Yard of the month.  Jim stated he spends many afternoons working on the yard to keep it beautiful for our main road through Lazybrook on Millwood.  I spent some time in his yard last evening and was amazed at the volume of blooming annuals.   Jim planted white petunias, red geraniums, pink and  white begonias. The front pole light is covered in blooming star jasmine which stands out with the gardenias across the yard at the front door.  His tropicals off to the right side of the yard in the shade are doing wonderfully as well.    Jim has finished off his bed edges with stone and added new mulched for that professional look.  Great Job Jim and Mary.  Your love of gardening shows well for our neighborhood!

May 2011 – by Shane Davis

For the month of April 2011 Lazybrook had many yards from which to select the yard of the month.     Many yards were filled with beautiful color.   We selected the home of Tom and Nancy Duncan at 2023 Willowmoss Court. This home was purchased by Tom and Nancy in April 2010 when they undertook an extensive remodeling and updating of the home.  Almost everything is new, roof, soffits, windows, floors, cabinets, counter tops, a new stamped concrete sidewalk and front porch and then finally the landscaping.

Nancy with the help of her yard man Pedro designed the new landscape with gracefully curved beds and Nancy bought the plants at local nurseries.  Tom completely updated the sprinkler system.

The result is a spectacular array of wonderful plants.   There are too many different kinds of plants to describe them all.   The only original plants are two large clumps of Formosa Azaleas on the side of the house and a row of trimmed boxwoods across the front porch and the four huge and beautiful Red Oak trees along the side of the house.

Near the front door are clumps of Flax Lily with miniature pink and purple Pentas in front of them.  To the left of the porch along the front of the house are several Loropetalum plants and a Varigated Ginger as well as a Virburnum  near the corner of the house.  White Encore Azaleas are planted in front of the other plants and pink Begonias are planted across the very front of the bed. On the other side of the front the Duncan’s have planted Indian Hawthorne with dwarf purple and white Lantana at the front.  Further down on the right we found some blue Plumbago, some walking Iris and some more white Encore Azaleas.  A very large rust colored Cache pot stands to the right of the sidewalk with an Asparagus Fern falling gracefully from the top.   There are many other beautiful plants and planters that are too numerous to list.

As we drove all around the Lazybrook subdivision on the last days of February looking for the “yard of the month” for March, we finally came back to our own street and selected our next door neighbors, Duane and Betty Davis’ yard.    Duane is meticulous in the way he takes care of their yard.   We have observed him on many days during February hand pulling weeds from his front lawn and distributing weed and feed fertilizer.  His efforts show in a very neat overall appearance even though the grass is not totally green – there are NO weeds!!

Duane and Betty have lived at 2430 Willowmoss Court since 1997.  Before that they lived on Sea King in Lazybrook for 10 years so that adds up to almost 25 years as Lazybrook residents.

Their driveway and front sidewalks are a dark gray pressed concrete and they are  very attractive.   Along the front of the house a short, curved  boxwood hedge provides continuity as its graceful lines move across the entire front of the house.   Large variegated Pittosporum plants frame the double front doors  and salmon Azaleas behind the boxwood are beginning to bloom.

A large Magnolia tree is near the house on the left and a large Water Oak is on the other side.  Across the driveway are two smaller Red Oaks.   A raised bed around the first Red Oak is bordered by three layers of stone.   Duane and Betty have selected some dark red (almost maroon) Verbena and some white Alyssum for color in the bed.   The same Verbena is planted in front of the boxwood and behind the sidewalk from the front door  to the driveway.   Again three layers of stone form a nice border to the bed.   Across the sidewalk a small area of red and white Dianthus provide a nice color accent.

The yard of the month for February 2011 is at 1823 Mill Creek and is home for the past eight years to Bobby Orsak and Kristen Ruth.   The landscaping was installed in 2010 by Lawn Masters of Houston, a local landscaping firm.   Stones which are roughly 15” X 4” X 4” form a neat border around all the beds.   There are two circular beds in the front yard.  One bed forms a circle around a large Magnolia tree and the second bed forms a circle around a Live Oak tree.  Curved beds with the same stones are along the front of the house and down the side of the house.

In the circular beds Bobby and Kristen have planted Dianthus.   The Dianthus had a lot of blooms before the freeze and new blooms are coming out again.   The blooms are mostly white with some pink blooms.  The bright blossoms of Dianthus will bloom from early spring through late fall in Houston gardens.   They do best in full sun, preferably in well-drained soil.    Hummingbirds and butterflies love their bright flowers.  Most Dianthus are heat tolerant and bloom through the summer.

Along the front of the house and all down the North side are rows of Indian Hawthorne.  In front of the Hawthorne the owners have planted some small Azaleas which are not blooming right now.  In front of the Azaleas and along the stone border a Variegated Aztec grass looks fresh and bright.

On each side of the sidewalk each bed begins with a large Sago Palm and at one end of the house in the bed the owners have planted a Japanese Blueberry which is still a small tree.   At the other front corner of the house they have planted a Little Gem Magnolia tree.

We selected the home of Kenny and Sheryl Michalak at 1823 Crystal Court for yard of the month for January 2011.   They have lived in this house for 30 years and Kenny lived next door with his parents 19 years before that for a total of 49 years in Lazybrook.

The yard was landscaped last February by a company called Landstar which Kenny also uses for landscaping at his business.   The landscape design includes curved raised beds on each side of the sidewalk.    The beds are bordered with three layers of moss rock.    They have planted Nandina, Indian Hawthorne and a bold display of colorful Petunias, Snapdragons and Alyssum.   This same combination of colorful Petunias, Snapdragons and Alyssum is repeated in the planter box across the right hand side of the house.

Two large Sago palms are featured in the center of the bed on each side of the yard.   To the far right a large Post Oak tree at the corner of the house is surrounded by the same moss rock border and the same colorful combination of Pansies, Snapdragons and Alyssum.

Along the house and also in front of the planter box, the landscaper has created an area covered with River rock which protects the foundation and provides good drainage.

The home of Jaime and Nina Cotero at 2342 Brookmere is the December yard of the month in Lazybrook.  This yard is next door to last month’s “Yard of the Month” and this month we have another new house which was built and first occupied in 2002.  Jaime and Nina spent several months away from home this year but arrived back in August.

On arrival back in their home, Nina made a “honey do” list for Jaime.   The yard was in bad shape and Nina’s list included a lot of projects in the yard.  Nina wanted the flower beds rejuvenated.    Jaime went out 290 to a stone yard and bought some stones for a border.   The stones are sandstone and as soon as Jaime finished the first bed, Nina said “good job” and asked Jaime to build another stone border.

Across the front of the house Autumn Encore Azaleas are blooming profusely.   The blooms are a coral color.    In front of the azaleas near the sandstone border the Cotero’s have planted some very hearty looking begonias and some white and pink cyclamen.

On the other side of the front door, dwarf Yaupons are planted along the side of the sidewalk nearest the house.   Two new Autumn Encore Azaleas have been recently added behind the Yaupons.  The decorative metal fence behind these plants has been taken down and is being sandblasted and powder coated and should be back in place within a week or two.  Across the sidewalk toward the street, a large bed with the sandstone border is filled with colorful Pansies and Kale as well as a few Snapdragons.   One large Sago palm is the large plant in the bed.

This yard features two of the biggest Pine trees in Lazybrook as well as a Persimmon tree which has no leaves right now but it does have ripe Persimmons, some of which have already fallen to the ground.   Nina was very pleased about being selected “Yard of the Month” and Jaime said she had already put the news  on her Facebook page.