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 16 and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 17.
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at participating gardens on the day of the event, online at texasgardencapital.org, or in advance at the Charles Bright Visitor Center, 200 E. Main St.; Charles Pool Real Estate, 3505 North St.; Pemberley’s at The Jones House, 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.; and The Fredonia Hotel Gift Shop, 200 N. Fredonia St. 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 six private residences and the Old University Building. Local Master Gardeners and members of the Pines, Flora and Four Seasons Garden Clubs will serve as docents for the garden tours.
ABOUT THE GARDENS
Judi and Jeff Kruwell, 2900 Colonial Dr.
The front garden of this home includes an established, traditional front lawn featuring towering pine trees, azaleas, camelias and Japanese maples. An iron fence separates the front and back yards. The backyard has been recently re-envisioned to include a swimming pool, a tiered retaining wall with a planter ledge, and a cabana designed for outdoor entertaining. The backyard landscaping remains an ongoing project that is enhanced each year to improve the plantings and features.
Casa Colina, 275 Harris St.
The Spanish gardens at Casa Colina feature a brick patio and the property is planted with wonderful varieties of cactus, roses, perennials and vines. The large Spanish three-tiered fountain and koi pond highlight the details put into the gardens over the years.
Kristen and Shannon Conklin, 3516 Churchill Dr.
Framed by an abundance of azaleas and graceful oak trees, this traditional home is defined by clean, layered lines. The property was recently enhanced with the addition of a pool house, thoughtfully integrating turf grass, Peggy Martin roses, raised garden beds, and lush hydrangeas. The Conklin’s continually refined vision is to create a resort-style pool setting designed for effortless entertaining and memorable gatherings with family and friends.
Jackie and Jeff Badders, 1974 CR 104
The gardens of Jeff and Jackie Badders’ OBar Ranch have been a work in progress for fourteen years, and the landscaping is in continuous expansion. A flagstone walkway behind the pool was recently added for a grand passage to a wedding that took place in the back pasture. Everywhere you look, roses dominate the landscape. Worked into the 10 acres of landscaping is a hardscaped vegetable garden, which also features herbs, berries and, of course, roses!
The Old University Building, 515 N. Mound St.
The Old University Building was built in 1859, and there is no information about the landscaping at that time. So, in 1988 when Jeff Abt designed the courtyard in front of the building, he used the Greek Revival style of the building as his inspiration. This is a formal style where symmetry is paramount. The two front planting beds are triangular shaped, each with one curved side and placed so they mirror each other. The other large planting bed reflects these shapes. Each bed is edged with brick matching the brick of the building.
Dwayne Yeager, 3330 Windsor Dr.
Located in a neighborhood filled with old-growth oak trees, the Yeager garden, Ray of Hope, features ferns and flowers that bring peace to the many outdoor contemplative areas. The dappled shaded spaces are filled with anchoring evergreens, and perennials and annuals surround garden statues and seating.
Barbara and Bill Gandy, 725 Crooked Creek
This Georgian home features formal and informal landscaping. The backyard has brick planter boxes filled with azaleas and bedding plants, and Japanese maples are spread across the yard. There is a large patio area with a beautiful swimming pool surrounded by landscaping and bedding plants.
SPONSORS
Wendy Buchanan Wealth Management and Eaton are Presenting Sponsors for this year’s Tour of Homes. Gold Sponsors are Citizens 1st Bank and Cataract, Glaucoma & Retina Consultants of East Texas. Silver sponsors are Community Title, Huntington Bank, Landworks Landscapes, Charles Pool Real Estate, Nacogdoches Heritage Title, McWilliams Heating and Air Conditioning, The Fredonia Hotel, Commercial Bank of Texas, Well Body Solutions and Pemberly’s at The Jones House.
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 2,000 trees in recent years.
For more information about the Garden Capital Tour of Home Gardens, go to visit texasgardencapital.org., contact the Garden Capital of Texas Committee at Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful, 936-560-5624, Visit Nacogdoches at 936-564 7351 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.