March 22: Residential Gardens Tour, Nacogdoches

Azalea Trails
www.nacogdochesazaleas.com
 

Eight Gardens Featured on 2nd Annual Garden Tour 

Seven residential gardens as well as the Old University Building’s garden will be featured on the Second Annual Azalea Trail Tour of Gardens. The public is invited to tour these beautiful Nacogdoches’ gems on Saturday, March 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $15 and available at the Visitor Center, 200 E. Main St., as well as at each home the day of the tour.
The gardens featured on this year’s tour include the following:

The Durr’s, 3723 Tudor

Nestled among towering pine and oak trees, this yard features native plants and a vast array of azalea, camellia, and Japanese red maple. The spring-fed creek trickles year round and provides a natural setting for wild fern, native azalea, Spanish mulberry and paw-paw shrubs along with huckleberry, bay, fringe, dogwood and holly trees. Designed by Charles Honea, various planting assures color during most seasons of the year. Flagstone walks connect bridges and paths to secluded sitting areas around the garden.

The Hughes, 3521 Ashcreek Circle

This unique town house garden is best known for its shade loving plants with four cypress trees, evergreen shrubs, ferns, hosta, ligularias, variety of Japanese maples and approximately fifty or more container and mounted plants. Come stroll through this tranquil garden, with its narrow paths, which was designed and developed in less than ten years by its owners Roger and Shirley Hughes.

The Wright’s, 3905 Peppermill Lane
Designed and owned by the owners of Dragonfly Nursery, Kimberly and Richard Wright, this garden features oriental accents that blend with hard-to-find perennials, creating a mini-arboretum. Pathways wind through the collection of Japanese maples and azaleas in this personal retreat. Moss boulders and fieldstone help to create a natural look, and provide structure during the winter months of perennial dormancy. Flowing water calms the senses by the koi pond and smaller water features. Considered a work in progress, this garden is ever changing.

The Cage’s, 1000 Northwood Circle

Bordered by Lanana Creek, this 2-plus acre property features an all-season landscape, which is at its most colorful in spring when azaleas are predominant. Landscape design and execution are completely the work of the homeowners over a period of more than 30 years.

Ms. Tipton’s, 3302 Raguet

This garden was designed and installed when the house was built in the 1950’s. Tiers of matching retaining walls terrace the garden gently down the slope to the creek and up the opposite side. A concrete bridge provides access across the creek and to a mosaic bench placed in a secluded nook for enjoying the garden. In the beds were planted azaleas, camellias, roses, gardenia, crepe myrtle, yew, elephant ear, forsythia, althea, bridal wreath, aspidistra and other southern favorites. Much of the natural flora was retained and native ferns abound along with a variety of ivies and other climbers. Pink and white dogwoods, Japanese maples, redbuds and crepe myrtles have been added in recent years. Closer to the house are beds with a variety of plants: foxtails maidenhair ferns, hydrangea, azalea, gardenia, daylilies, gerbera daisies. An arbor area near the guest house is home to a Peggy Martin climbing rose and annual and perennial favorites such as rosemary, iris, amaryllis, shrimp plant, Mexican pinks. Many of Ms. Tipton’s mother’s bulbs were transplanted into the beds on the east and south side of the property, including paper whites and other varieties of narcissus, spider lilies, mont breeches, and daffodils.

The Howell’s, 2915 Colonial Dr

Throughout the last decade, Tim and Lynn Howell have added three azalea beds to the back yard and one in the front. They have incorporated many Japanese Maples, dogwood, crepe myrtles, camellias, cannas, shock wave roses, salvias, lilies, daylilies, iris and other perennials and annuals into these and other beds. Their great fondness for hydrangeas can be seen in the 25 different types of them including oak leaves, pee gees, lace caps, hybrid, mop head, and climbing varieties. The garden also features daffodils, tulips and crocus, which the Howells hope will be attractive at the time of the tour of gardens. Tim Howell is an avid bird watcher and much of the yard art is for the purpose of housing or feeding birds.

Ms. Brophy’s, 25 Austin Hollow Circle

The bubbling fountain and chirping birds invite you in to this tranquil garden sanctuary. It is a beautiful, pleasant space to relax throughout the day. Kimberly Wright, landscape designer, was able to capture perfectly Shelley Brophy’s desire to have color, shapes, and textures with a curving walkway and flowerbeds which add to the relaxing nature of the garden. Though beautiful in full bloom, the yard is also relatively low maintenance – which is critical for this busy homeowner.

The Old University Building’s, 501 Mound Street

The formal garden at the Old Nacogdoches University building was designed by professional horticulturalist Jeff Abt. Old Garden Roses, which originated prior to 1867, dominate the flower beds. Scattered among the roses are perennials that were popular in the mid-19^th century, such as cone flowers, rain lilies, Clematis and some older day lilies. The beds are bordered by dwarf yaupon (the East Texas version of boxwood). Garden researcher Greg Grant added Crinum lilies along the West fence. The Monument Bed on the East side of the courtyard features the iconic Old Blush rosebush (1752), the first rosebush known to the western world that bloomed more than once a year, the “Maggie” rose and other Old Garden roses including the Duchess de Brabant (1857), Cramoise Superier (1832), Marchesa Boccella (1842), and Souvenier de la Mal Maison. Also in this bed is Ducher, the only China rose that is white. In the West bed at the center front is Hermosa (1840), Louis Philippe (1843) and a pink Georgetown Tea rose of unknown date. The plantings along the Eastern side of the building are more casual and include crepe myrtle trees, a fascinating bush called Mutables that has different colored blossoms at the same time and one of the very few Moss Roses that will grown in Nacogdoches, Henri Martine (1863).

The Garden Tour is part of the fifteenth annual Azalea Trail. The annual event will also feature a Little Princess Tea Party, a Floral Design Exhibit, a Farmer’s Market Spring Fling and 25 miles of self-guided driving tours through beautifully landscaped residential areas.

For more information about the Garden Tour or other Azalea Trail events, contact the Nacogdoches Convention & Visitors Bureau at 936-564-7351, visit www.nacogdochesazaleas.com, and friend us on facebook @ Nacogdoches Azalea Trail.



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