For over twenty years she worked double shifts and raised her children and cats, while her traditional yard with boxwoods and St. Augustine waited. But in 2008, Lois Pesz retired and became a Master Gardener. At long last, Lois had the time and information to transform her yard into a sumptuous garden to delight the boldest senses.
Five years ago, Lois completely removed all of the landscaping in her front yard including a huge, unhealthy elm. Initially, she removed 25% of the St. Augustine grass to create an S-shaped flower bed surrounding a flagstone pathway and small patio. Each year, she expanded the landscaping makeover by replacing successively more St. Augustine. Today, the remaining strip of St. Augustine forms a curvy pathway between the S-shaped beds that leads across the sunny front yard and invites the visitor to stroll to the shady backyard.
The front beds are lined with precisely placed river rocks and are bursting with a singularly striking combination of colors and textures. Filled with mostly Texas native and adapted plants, these beds flow in a graceful crescendo of jet black foliage to near silvers, and bright reds, oranges, chartreuse, celery and sage. Her precise, bold plants seem to be a study in triangles, with patterns of color creating showy contrasts that surprise and delight the senses.
Upon entering the backyard through the side gate you will see a lush planting of perennials along the fence. One would never suspect that beneath this bed is a deep layer of caliche rock that has almost stopped Lois in her tracks. Only by digging narrow wells or holes and filling them with compost while tilling in heaps of compost to the entire bed has she been able to coax anything to grow here!
Not only has Lois had to wrestle with caliche, now she must bow to Corporate America, known as Google Fiber, while they dig holes and replace an electric pole and at the same time trim trees along the fence line creating sunny spots in what has been for many years complete shade. All this is happening during the hottest days of summer. Shade-loving plants are suddenly greeted by blazing July sun. What was to be an expanded shade garden is now an area in flux. What to do?? The tour is weeks away. What homeowner hasn’t had to suddenly do a 180 and change plants? The result will be evident in October.
The variety of natives, succulents, herbs and annuals in Lois’ garden come together throughout her backyard and creates excellent color and texture to contemplate everywhere you look. Last year’s addition of a rainwater collection system and this year’s addition of an automated drip irrigation system have continued to improve the health and maintenance of the plantings as well as regular use of compost, peat moss and mulch instead of chemical fertilizers. Today, Lois’ landscape is a home to hummingbirds, bees, dragonflies, frogs, fireflies, birds and squirrels.
To view a PDF plant list, click HERE.
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