Quail Valley Backyard Tour

2011 Tour Day

Thanks to our sponsors and volunteers. Tour Volunteer Captain Joann Mayhall (left) did a superb job of seeing that our volunteers and Garden Captains had everything they needed to ensure a smooth event for our garden owners and guests! Thanks to everyone!

And don't forget our sponsors! They invest in keeping our community great and support beauty and community appearance throughout Fort Bend!

 Selected views of our beautiful gardens . . .on tour day!

Renee Brown of 2603 East Pebble Beach simplified an English Country Garden to be more open, spacious and easier to maintain. Renee (below on left) entertains a visitor. Garden Captain Marilyn Ellis and volunteers Becky Faust, Kat Berry, Lane Pearson, Ruth Anderson and Joyce Smith.

Monica and Cory Johnson of 3066 La Quinta featured tropicals including blooming hibiscus and areas for adults and kids both . . .

Volunteers: Garden Captain Diane Peyton, Mary Chan, Nell Picone, Patsy Armbruster, Ernestine Barr, Mary Chan, and Sarita Parker.

Monica Johnson is shown (left) in the white tank beside the pool with a guest.

 

Netty Lopez of 2003 Wingedfoot created a riot of flowers and fun . . .

Volunteers: Garden Captain Donna Hogan, Arvada Simcoe, Linda Walker, Betty Verdino, Betty Vickroy and Joan Fox. Netty is shown in the blue tank top (right blue top) answering questions about her many flowers and plants.

Rose Ann and Jack Acosta of 2803 Glenn Lakes have a masterful example of how to landscape hard to landscape areas.

Working at this busy corner are Garden Captain Nancy Lindsay with Cindy Calender, Anne McBride, Linn Wells, Virginia Hodges, and Judy Belt.

Rose Ann (left) is shown with Nancy Lindsay.

 
Penny Rabbit had bunny babies in Barbara and Pete Thompson's 3107 Oak Leaf Court Garden

Visit our bunny cam to see the babies . . . of this wonderful garden that is so welcoming . . . Captured enjoying the garden in the foreground is Monica and Cory Johnson, the La Quinta garden owners, with Diane Peyton. 

Barbara and Pete on left in the picture below entertain visitors.


Garden Captain for Oak Leaf Penny Johnson, Don Johnson, Gretchen Cockerill, and Shirley Renfrow welcomed repeat visitors to see the bunnies again.

Beverly and Michael Wilson's garden at 3131 Villa is party ready and fun . . . catching a picture of Beverly was hard she is such a wonderful hostess.

 

This garden is not only ready for people and parties . . .

It's pet friendly as well!

Garden Captain Sharon Wright worked with Jo Altenbern, Karen Meier, Mary Frances Ashmore and Sally Richter. Helping Beverly host the hospitality that covered two days of refreshments were Jackie Walker and Melissa McRaven.

To see descriptions and more pictures of the 2011 gardens, press here. But we're already working on a new mix of gardens for our 2012 Backyard Tour  . . . Mark your calendar for April 21. Capturing how gardens enrich lives and neighborhoods is the purpose of this tour. Thank you for helping us raise money as well. We're donating a grove to the Edible Arbor Trail on Oyster Creek . . . and starting plans for more trees in MacNaughton Park when re-contouring is completed. Thanks for letting us take you on this photo journey. Janice Scanlan

 

2011 Gardens

Our April 30 tour promises to once again be outstanding. The gardens were selected for variety including location and type of lot, price range, garden variety and maintenance ease.

• 2603 East Pebble Beach       Simplifying the Garden     

• 3066 La Quinta                    Trees Taller than Our Home

• 2003 Wingedfoot                 The Subject was Roses

• 2803 Glenn Lakes                Taming Hard to Landscape Areas

• 3107 Oak Leaf Court            Green Grass of Home

• 3131 Villa                            Made for a Party!

Purchase tickets at any tour location or call Janice Scanlan at 281 261-2320 for advance tickets.

Your $10 donation benefit the many community service projects of Quail Valley Garden Club.

Map to Gardens        Buy Tickets

 

2603 East Pebble Beach

Simplifying the Garden

Most gardeners love to collect new plants and have the "I want one of those" gene. Renee Brown is a Master Designer, Master Gardener and nature lover who is guilty of over-collecting gardening "sins." Renee loved her English Country Garden, but due to two surgeries as well as life commitments, Renee could no longer adequately care for  that type of garden. To remedy this situation, she gave away beloved plants to pare back to basics with an easier-to-maintain garden. Fortunately, the garden has a great design with a dry creek bed, paths through out, and large Ash trees planted by former owners. It was getting the garden back to its essence and more simplicity. Blessed with a wonderful view of Stafford Run and the edge of the golf course, Renee has used Hostas, Coleus, Impatiens and other great touches to add color and personality. Her bottle tree, painted pots and other fun items add lightheartedness and whimsy.
Renee quips, "Sometimes you've got to say no to new projects and concentrate on maintenance. I'm always reminding my clients of maintenance issues, then look what I did to myself."

But there are also some new plants . . . such as the Salsa Asiatic Jasmine. Renee  combines plants your might not have considered together, such as a large Century Plant with roses or different kinds of grasses intermingled in beds.

Renee's knowledge and enthusiasm is indeed infectious. Her painted pots and furniture makes the green pop and come alive! Come enjoy her garden, which is off Cartwright Road between Bermuda Dunes and La Quinta.    

 

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3066 La Quinta

Trees Taller than Our Home

As Monica and Cory Johnson were beginning their family, their cottage in Quail Valley was not big enough to accommodate their growing family. But they wanted to stay in Quail Valley with its mature trees and vistas. Little did they know what Hurricane Ike had in store for them. Three weeks after their move in they had one of their tall trees in their swimming pool courtesy of Ike.

They took the opportunity to create an easy-to-maintain tropical look with palm trees, hibiscus, other palms, potted ferns and a vine covered arbor.

The kids have a play area with a water fall and hibiscus that serve as a "buffer zone", but also has areas to watch kiddos play or enjoy sunning by the salt water pool.

Despite the wide expanse of golf course and open space, the Johnsons have created an intimate and inviting setting, but Monica laughs and says, "they may have to fence it off from the kids."

 Monica grew up in Quail Valley and her cousin, Jeffery Blume, was designer of the highly rated, updated El Dorado course at Quail Valley Golf Club. Come see how this young family has found a place to raise kids and enjoy the outdoors and nature without a lot of hassle.

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2003 Wingedfoot

The Subject was Roses

And more . . . When Netty Lopez first purchased this corner lot, it was bare of plants. Now it's a neighborhood mainstay and has won both Christmas and Yard of the Month awards. Using antique and mostly low maintenance roses . . . in a riot of colors, textures and perfumes . . . against pure white lattice, arbors and fencing . . . this garden has both formal and informal elements nicely combined.

Netty loves color and splashes it everywhere with roses, tropicals, perennials and annuals. You'll enter through a latticed area that has 8 kinds (and colors) of climbing roses. The fragrance is enchanting.

The garden is also made for family fun with all the grand kids having fun like dolphins. Using pots and all kinds of interesting architectural elements and statuary, the garden has a cover patio, and nooks throughout.

The contrasts in this garden are soothing and stimulating all at once! Netty quips that she "learned my lesson the hard way" on fussy roses. Now she has only the easy ones that are blooming for a large portion of the year, and don't require spraying and petting.

Here's your chance to see behind the lattice entry of this garden at Wingedfoot and Point Clear!

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2803 Glenn Lakes

Taming hard-to-landscape areas

Rose Ann and Jack Acosta love their garden and put lots of thought and care into it. With one set of grandkids in Quail Valley and their son's family in Houston, the Acosta's wanted to make the garden fun and entertaining for all so they installed a salt water pool . . . but they've managed to keep an extremely interesting garden.

Rose Ann is a master at ensuring a variety of plants and you'll discover ways to putter in your garden without killing yourself to include citrus, vegetables, perennials and annuals.

  

You'll find yourself not only asking, what's that plant? but also gaining tons of ideas to create areas with personality, pizzazz and flair.

Pots, collectibles and a terrific soft drink collection of Coke, Dr. Pepper and 7-Up memorabilia . . . that will take you back to a time of family restaurants and service stations with iced coolers!

This garden was used as an example of a well-designed garden for hard-to-landscape areas in a popular presentation by a Master Gardener, so don't miss getting inspiration and learning clever ideas. It’s also been a Quail Valley Yard of the Month recipient more than once and on another area garden tour.

 

Don't miss this garden at Crow Valley and Glenn Lakes!

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3131 Villa

Made for a Party!

As you enter Beverly and Michael Wilson's garden, you'll experience why they enjoy entertaining in their garden and why it's so easy and fun to do. For you to experience the Wilson's hospitality, there's a party for you to have refreshments while you look at the giraffes, birds, decking and other areas of interest!

Beverly loves flowers and texture and uses the deep green of Aspidistra to provide a backdrop for the vivid colors and textures. Much of the back garden is covered so if it rains, who cares . . . it won't spoil the party. With flagstone paving, mud mess is not an issue . . .

 
Beverly also uses vines and texture to create interest and color.

And don't forget man's best friend . . .

Besides refreshments, all hobbyists will enjoy the hobby area and Michael's passion of building biplanes!

All tucked away neatly and surrounded by flowers and interests! Come enjoy the party!

Come enjoy our hospitality area for a cool drink . . . and refreshments at Villa and East Creek Club. It's near a public restroom at Hampton and East Creek Club for your comfort and convenience!

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3107 Oak Leaf Court

The Green Grass of Home

As the song says, lie down in the green grass of home . . . and with the shade, rich turf and spots of color and whimsey scattered through out the garden . . . you'll just relax. It's what Barbara and Pete Thompson enjoy.

Barbara was first hooked on gardening when she was 7 and her mother gave her a seed packet of Zinnias. And one of Barbara's gifts is keeping the garden inviting, neat looking, and using areas of color and interest to keep the garden interesting . . .she even uses broken pottery to her advantage.

She has also taken advantage of being on the "back side" of the fence and uses lattice for various climbing vines. Pete keeps the turf . . . and ensures the right ingredients for a healthy lawn. With a small windmill and colorful pinwheels as well as other colorful objects, there's never a dull moment in this garden.

 
Come enjoy this cul-de-sac of many lovely gardens off East Creek Club near Glenn Lakes. You'll want to kick off your shoes and walk in the grass!

Map to Gardens        Buy Tickets

2010 Gardens

 

The gardens were selected for variety including location and type of lot, price range and garden variety.

• 3623 La Costa                Terraced for the Views

• 3518 Covey Trail            Mesmerized by Nature

• 3110 La Quinta              The Four Seasons

• 3318 Boca Raton            Harmonized

• 2323 Glenn Lakes          Nature Preserved

• 2922 Carnoustie            Old World Meets American Craftsman

• 3307 Rolling Green        Courtyard for Health & Hospitality

• 3306 Hampton               Simple Pleasures

Purchase tickets at any tour location or the All Potted Up Garden Sale at Hampton and East Creek Club the day of the event or call Janice Scanlan at 281 261-2320 for advance tickets.

Your $10 donation benefit the many community service projects of Quail Valley Garden Club.

Return to Home Page.     Map to Gardens.

The gardens were selected for variety including location and type of lot, price range and garden variety.

• 3623 La Costa                Terraced for the Views

• 3518 Covey Trail            Mesmerized by Nature

• 3110 La Quinta              The Four Seasons

• 3318 Boca Raton            Harmonized

• 2323 Glenn Lakes          Nature Preserved

• 2922 Carnoustie            Old World Meets American Craftsman

• 3307 Rolling Green        Courtyard for Health & Hospitality

• 3306 Hampton               Simple Pleasures

Purchase tickets at any tour location or the All Potted Up Garden Sale at Hampton and East Creek Club the day of the event or call Janice Scanlan at 281 261-2320 for advance tickets.

Your $10 donation benefit the many community service projects of Quail Valley Garden Club.

Return to Home Page.     Map to Gardens.

3110 La Quinta

The Four Seasons . . .

Neighbors call Mary and Larry Chan's backyard, "the garden" for a reason. It is a work 33 years in the making that takes full advantage of the view of the Number 2 La Quinta Golf Course. Using free-form flower beds to create some separation from the course, this garden is an artist's canvass of flowers, plants and statuary.

The beauty of this garden is it has achieved four seasons of color, which is not easy to do on the Texas Gulf Coast. Using fruit trees including Texas Persimmon, Satsuma Orange, Meyer Lemon, Pink Grapefruit, Mexican Lime, Kumquat, Pear, and others, there is constantly something flowering or bearing fruit in addition to many kinds of flowers and exotic plants.

Mary strives for a European look in the garden that has combined plants from throughout the world and captured texture and drama in making each area special and well suited to the plantings. She not only has created an overall design, but also pays prodigious attention to every detail and selection for each bed.

Mary's sense of texture is reflected in the care and variety she uses throughout the garden. An accomplished arranger, she may surprise with fruit or other unexpected materials in her arrangements. She can take an unwieldy container and make it fluid and pleasing. She weaves the same creativity into her selections for the garden.

Resourceful in using recycled materials, Mary's garden is one that delights the senses, stimulates the imagination, and provides inspiration for creating artistry in the garden. You'll want to see the latest addition to the garden that will provide more seating area and a water feature.

To buy advance tickets, contact Janice Scanlan at 281 261-2320 or at any tour location or garden sale on April 24. Tour Hours 10 AM to 3 PM.

Garden sponsored by All Things Outdoors 

Return to Home Page.     Map to Gardens.