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 21 and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 22.
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at participating gardens on the day of the event, or in advance from Garden Club members and at the Charles Bright Visitor Center, 200 E. Main St.; The Hotel Fredonia, 200 N. Fredonia St.; Pemberley’s at The Jones House, 141 N. Church St.; The Plant Shed, 3123 Appleby Sand Rd.; Charles Pool Real Estate, 3505 North St.; The East Texas Garden Center, 2887 Hwy 21 W.; and Laine’s Hallmark, 3205 N. University Dr. Tickets can be purchased with cash or check, and this is a rain-or-shine event.
This exclusive tour is thoughtfully curated by the Garden Capital of Texas Committee and includes stunning private gardens. Details for each garden destination will be on the ticket.
Presenting Sponsors of the Home Garden Tours are Loblolly Properties and Community Title. Gold Sponsor is Citizens 1st Bank, and Silver Sponsors are Commercial Bank of Texas, Charles Pool Real Estate, StretchER, Nacogdoches Heritage Title, Pemberley’s at The Jones House, The Hotel Fredonia and Landworks Landscapes.
The money raised by the tour will help 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, 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.
Gardens featured on this year’s tour include:
Penny Payne, 3327 Summer Hill Circle
This romantic garden uses colors and textures to soften and brighten up a small space. There are lots of blue, purple and lavender perennials, with touches of rose and a few Japanese maple and redbud trees. “Blue Daze” serves as a border plant in the front yard, creating a nice complement to the brown brick home. The garden also features a small rock patio to hide unsightly equipment and create a space to place potted plants.
Appleby Community Farm, 11825 US-59
This “garden” is actually a commercial farm that provides food and beauty for member families. The old Victorian home features cottage-style landscaping, and sunflowers and zinnias are the “work horses” of the farm’s cut flowers.
Grace Evans, 4125 Red Oak Drive
This fun, informal garden is the result of years of trial and error. It features azaleas, coral vines, hydrangeas, roses and ferns, as well as several rock beds crafted from Colorado pancake stones. One bed started as a small fish pond, but was repurposed into a flower bed.
Corrine and Charles Jones, 173 CR 2053
The garden at these artists’ home unfolds as a surprise, serving as a place to both soothe and delight the senses. Originally planned as a shady area, this garden has changed over the years as some of the surrounding trees have died. The garden balances natural beauty with design elements, including several sculptures that serve as points of interest. Gardenias and azaleas grow well, and gardener Corinne Jones prefers cooler and quieter colors with spots of brighter hues. “I love what survives,” Jones said. “My gardening friends inspire me, especially with their ‘pass-along’ gifts.”
Brown Family Health Center, 1407 Main Street
Designed by Gary Roberts, this “Serenity Garden” was developed to provide a relaxing environment for patients and family members living with HIV/AIDS and other illnesses. It features 31 raised beds that provide healthy vegetables and fruits, a gazebo, a deck with two water features, a fire pit, a trellis with muscadine grapes and several sitting areas.
Jackie and Jeff Badders, 1974 CR 104
This garden is an eclectic mix of plants. While there are traditional rose gardens, a small orchard and several “cut-out gardens” around the 8 acres closest to the house, the main focus is the collection of perennials and evergreen trees and shrubs closest to the house. The original gardens around the home were professionally designed ten years ago by Kim Wright, who owned Dragon Fly Nursery. Since the original installation, the Badders have had some professional help, including from Christi Wright, but have made most of the design decisions themselves. Because of voracious weeds, they prefer faithful perennials and low maintenance plants. The recent freeze brutalized many smaller sized trees, hawthorns and azaleas, and they are patiently trimming and nursing as many as possible back to life.
Scan the QR code to purchase tickets online:
