LRENNA Member Sign
Show your neighborhood pride!
Buy your sign today! $5

LRENNA Yard of the Month

Yard of the Month - August 2010

 

Barry and Katherine Black have lived at 9949 Greenfield Drive for 10 years and their yard shows the love and concern that they have for their home. We caught them busy at work fixing the porch light and they were replacing some plants that the blistering sun had wrecked havoc on as well. I'm sure we all have a few of those we could tell about.

They have been married for 11 years and have lived in Dallas all their lives. Barry does the mowing and weeding and Katherine helps out with the planning and planting. They spend time in their yard at least once a week and try to do the beds and trimming every month or so. They plant different seasonal plants semi-annually to add color to the yard. They like to shop the downtown Dallas Farmers Market and the nurseries surrounding it for most of their plants. When asked about their secrets to a beautiful yard, they commented that with this extreme hot weather providing water, water and more water was the at the top of the list. Their least favorite chores are weeding the flower beds and working organic compost into the soil.

Their favorite part of the yard is the flagstone pathway leading from the driveway through the flower beds to the front porch and we would have to agree as it was beautifully done. This summer they planted purple fountain grass, pentas, coleus, and sweet potato vines both in the beds and in pots on the porch. It is very lovely and we hope you take the time to drive by and enjoy their labors. They are members of LRENNA, with Barry being the block captain for his area. Nice to have active members getting recognition.

 

 

 

July 2010


9924 Lakemere Drive

Joel and Tricia Gittemeier have lived at 9924 Lakemere for 3 1/2 years with their long-haired pal, a golden retriever named Hudson.  Joel grew up in Lake Highlands (LHHS Class of 2000) and his parents still live here so LH has always been his home.  Tricia grew up in Katy, just west of Houston. Before moving here, they had a small apartment in Uptown.

They share the yard work duties, with Joel doing the mowing and Tricia making it look perfect with the edger.  They share the less enjoyable task of weeding and the fun one of planting.  They try and work on their yard each week, but when they are really busy due to work, they call someone for help. They like to shop at Lowe's, Home Depot and Brumley's for their treasures and keep an eye out for Hydrangeas, Begonias, Coleus, Pentas, and Lamb's Ear.

When asked what their favorite part of the yard was,  they were quick to respond with "the big flower bed in the front yard."  We agree and
everything looks picture perfect.  As a matter of fact, they had just
finished all the yard work when we drove up to talk with them -- surprise, sometimes that hard work does pay off.  Please take the time to drive by and enjoy the fruits of their labors.

June 2010


Nick and Michelle Schwabe are LRENNA members and are now Yard of the Month winners. Their house is on a nice tree-shaded lot, with well manicured St. Augustine lawn and foundation plantings of perennials and summer flowers.Crepe myrtles anchor the corner of the house, and Nandina and Indian Hawthorne bring the landscape right   up to the front door. Impatiens are currently blooming in the front   yard.

They moved into the house 4 years ago after getting married. They moved from the West Village area. The family includes 21 month old twins, Emily and Michael, and their two cats, Maggie and Mr. Tux. Nick does most of the yardwork, with Michelle picking out the plants. They go to Lowe's and Brumley's for their plants. Nick likes the bushes around the house while Michelle likes the flowers. Neither one likes to pull weeds, but they keep their yard neat and pretty with only weekly maintenance.

Nick's secret to a green lawn is plenty of Scott's grub killer and lots of water.

February 2010

 

Dale and Kathy Jensen have been in their house at 9916              Lakemere for 18 years. They moved in a few months before their  first daughter Anna was born. Anna, and their second
daughter Elizabeth, are active students in the schools in our neighborhood. The family is not complete without listing Finley, their golden retriever.

Kathy plants flowers (pansies, impatiens, begonias) in the Spring and Fall, and has a couple of rose bushes in the backyard.  She buys plants from Brumley Gardens, Lowe's and the LHHS volleyball team.  Dale plants winter rye in the Fall.  He likes the green in the winter, and says it's a good defense against weeds in the early Spring. It also means he likes to mow his yard year-round, but it looks very nice, even after the recent snow.

Dale's tip is that the better your lawn looks in the summer, the more winter seed plantings it will take to make it look good in the winter.  The front and back yards look respectable in the summer, but multiple winter grass plantings are required to make it fill in properly.  With two active teenagers in the house, we're glad Dale and Kathy find the time to keep a very nice yard.  A well maintained lawn in February will catch everyone's eye.

November 2009

 
 
This month's yard of the month goes to Bob and Pam Clark at 
9854 Parkford Drive.  They have been in the area for 25 years 
(wow!) and raised their two children here.  Daughter Stephanie 
and Son Brad (who also lives in the area) both plan on being 
married this year, so Bob and Pam are taking a breath and getting 
ready for those events.  They share doing all the yardwork 
themselves. 
 
With their busy schedules, they really enjoy that quality time
together.  We can testify to their busy schedules as it took us a 
month to connect with them to do this article.  Shopping for the
landscape finds them at Calloway's, Lowes or Home Depot. 
Their favorite area is the back deck area with stone walkways 
through their flower beds and a rock garden.  Look closely and 
you will find pansies in their yard as that is a preferred winter 
choice.  Please take the time to drive by and enjoy the view.
 
 

October 2009


Carissa & Ted Kapsalis

9907 Edgecliff  Drive

This is a before and after story - a story of hard work, lots of water and a father with a very green thumb.

Carissa, Ted and their daughter Finley moved into the neighborhood about two years ago. When they bought the house, it had been completely renovated and some work had been done to the front landscaping, but the side yard was just a strip of dirt without hardly a blade of grass or a flower in site.

Ted's father lives out of town and when he visits he arrives with a laundry list of things he thinks need to be done. He especially likes working in the yard and has taught Ted well on how to grow a beautiful lawn.  Ted and his dad planted sod on the side yard.  It was touch and go for awhile but after lots of hard work, hand watering, summer evening sprinklers and constant attention, the Queenswood side of the house is now lush and green.  They added new shrubs and Japanese Aralias in the front and mums that now really make the walkway pop with color. 

The Kapsalis family loves the neighborhood; they have made lots of great friends and are looking forward to welcoming their second child to their family in December. 



 

 

Archives

April 2009

March 2009

February 2009

January 2009

November 2008

October 2008