GARDEN CAPITAL HOSTING TOUR OF HOME GARDENS 

NACOGDOCHES – The Garden Capital of Texas will showcase some of its most beautifully landscaped gardens during the Tour of Home Gardens, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 18 and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 19.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at participating gardens on the day of the event, online at visitnacogdoches.org/events/2024/garden-capital-tour-of-home-gardens, or in advance at the Charles Bright Visitor Center, 200 E. Main St.; Charles Pool Real Estate, 3505 North St.; The East Texas Garden Center, 2887 Hwy 21 W.; Pemberley’s, 141 N. Church St.; The Plant Shed, 3123 Appleby Sand Rd.; Laine’s Hallmark, 3205 N. University Dr.; Cook’s Nursery, 3535 Hwy 21 W.; The Fredonia Hotel, 200 N. Fredonia St.; and Kline’s/Wrap-It-Up, 628 N. University Dr. Tickets can be purchased with cash or check, and this is a rain-or-shine event.

This annual event is organized by the Garden Capital of Texas Committee to highlight the work of some of Nacogdoches’ most dedicated gardeners. This year’s tour features three private residences, Cindy and Ray Perry at 610 Park St., Alexandra and James Van Kley at 310 Brookshire Dr., and Judy Abbott and Ralph LaRue at 524 Oakview Dr., and the Lanana Creek Trailhead and Frances Shofner Memorial Loop at 3900 N. University Dr. Local Master Gardeners and members of the Pines, Flora and Four Seasons Garden Clubs will serve as docents for the garden tours.

Wendy Buchanan Wealth Management is Presenting Sponsor of the Home Garden Tours. Gold Sponsors are Citizens 1st Bank and Jackie Badders. Silver Sponsors are Commercial Bank of Texas, Charles Pool Real Estate, Pemberly’s at the Jones House, The Fredonia Hotel, Landworks Landscapes, Nacogdoches Heritage Title, Cadence Bank and McWilliams Heating, Cooling and Plumbing.

The money raised by the tour helps fund the Garden Capital committee’s planting efforts. The Garden Capital Committee has worked with its partners, including the City of Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches Parks and Recreation, the Parks Advocacy League, Keep Nac Beautiful, SFA Gardens and local garden clubs, to plant more than 3,000 trees in recent years. 

For more information about the Garden Capital Tour of Home Gardens, contact the Garden Capital of Texas Committee at Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful, 936-560-5624 or by email at info@keepnacbeautiful.org. The mission of the Nacogdoches Garden Capital of Texas Committee is to educate, engage and inspire Nacogdoches area citizens to become involved in beautifying their community green spaces. The Nacogdoches Garden Capital Committee is a part of Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful.

ABOUT THE GARDENS

Cindy and Ray Perry, 610 Park St.

This garden features more than 400 feet of granite pathways, a carpet of lush Asian jasmine, pocket gardens with many varieties of Japanese maples, Camilla, sasanquas, tulip trees, azaleas, dogwoods, cypress, hydrangeas, and a beautiful koi pond with aquatic plants.

Alexandra and James Van Kley, 310 Brookshire Dr.

The design philosophy behind this low-maintenance ‘green retreat’ incorporates relatively manicured areas set-off by sharp, maintained edges from semi-wild, shrubby, and shaded areas, mostly around the boundaries of the property. Native plants were used when possible, but there has been no attempt to exclude exotics. Different areas (pool area, back yard, glade water-feature area) are separated by shrubs and natural areas to form ‘rooms’ for different experiences.

Judy Abbott and Ralph LaRue, 524 Oakview Dr.

This two-lot landscape includes perennials (daylilies, irises, coneflowers and salvia), vines (wisteria, honeysuckle, trumpet and clematis), roses (bush and climbing) and colorful azaleas and camellias. A hybrid Jack-In-The-Pulpit, which the owners brought from West Virginia, thrives in its location next to the front porch.

Lanana Creek Trailhead and Frances Shofner Memorial Loop, 3900 N. University Dr.

The Frances Shofner Loop, which is just shy of a mile long, is a recent addition to the existing 7.26 miles of trails and 21 parks in Nacogdoches. The Lanana Creek Trailhead makes the northern end of the beautiful Lanana Creek trail more accessible and visible to the public and the Frances Shofner Memorial Loop is a wonderful memorial for Frances Shofner, a dedicated community volunteer and activist.