Houston Open Days Tour 2012: Wolf Residence Garden
My next stop on the Houston Open Days tour on March 24 was an Old World-style home in the well-heeled River Oaks neighborhood. While their garden included the sweeping lawns, classic hedging, and emphasis on outdoor architecture commonly seen on this tour, I have to admit that the garden was beautifully designed. But what stopped me in my tracks surprised even me: this walled garden under a “bosque of hornbeams.” More on this below.
Let’s start with the official description:
This gracious house and garden evoke the restrained elegance of the original houses built in River Oaks. Designed by Curtis & Windham Architects and completed in 2002, the stucco house and its garden were inspired by the work of architect Charles Platt who built many fine residences in the 1920s. The original expanse of lawn was preserved and enhanced with additional perimeter, canopy, and ornamental trees. A subtle drop in grade across the property enabled the formation of a sunken oval lawn framed by layered plantings of azalea, viburnum, camellias, and ornamental trees beneath the existing canopies. From there, a path winds through a woodland garden comprised of native and ornamental plantings beneath a grove of Mexican plum trees. While tucked behind the house one discovers a walled parterre garden under a bosque of hornbeams and, next to it, a wisteria-covered pergola from which to enjoy the pool set in a lawn of zoysia bordered by gardenias with views to the woodland garden beyond.
From the front driveway we rounded the side of the house, enjoying two water features along the way.
Everything was meticulously maintained and beautifully designed.
Dwarf mondo grass surrounds bluestone paving at the side entry.
The afternoon sunlight glows through the leaves of potted citrus set in a parterre of boxwood. It was all very nice, but I didn’t expect too much from the tour at this point. We’d seen a number of gardens that were well designed but not full of personality or even particularly interesting plants.
Across from the side entry, this walled garden caught my eye. Diagonal paving of decomposed granite was segmented by triangles and rectangles of emerald dwarf mondo grass. Rows of hornbeam trees in exact alignment supported a leafy roof over the enclosed space, in which a lacy iron table and fold-up, park-style chairs offered relaxation.
I took a few pictures and walked on by, then stopped and went back to look at it again.
I became fascinated with the space, which irresistibly drew me in.
Being enclosed by the hedges, but not hemmed in, with space to sit and read or gaze about or even stroll along the diagonal paths, the way the trees caught the light and made intricate shadows with the table—I knew if I lived here, this is where I’d spend a lot of time.
I had no idea this sort of geometry and enclosure could inspire so much delight, but it did. I loved this garden room.
Around the other side of the wall stood a tall pergola overlooking a swimming pool…
…and with seating for…well, the whole garden club. I couldn’t help peeking through circular windows in the wall…
…for a framed view of the parterre garden I’d just left.
I finally tore myself away and continued around the house to this pretty terrace. My camera ignored the large back lawn and strolling garden of azaleas, though I’m sorry I missed the grove of Mexican plums. Ah well.
And that’s it for the tour. I did visit one more estate-style River Oaks garden, but the owners did not allow photographs, so I won’t bother writing about it. For a look back at the classic Tudor Garden, click here. You can follow links back to all of the gardens, and I hope you enjoyed my series on the Houston Open Days tour.
All material © 2006-2012 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
All of the featured gardens are nice, but I could not imagine myself lingering in any of these gardens for very long. The Cortlandt and Lofgren-Bayer gardens appealed to me the most. They seemed to have the most personality and hardscape features (not plants) that I could translate to my garden. Great photos as always.
Those two were also the smallest gardens, apart from the J. Green garden with the manicured parterre. I think that makes most of us feel more of a relationship with a garden—to feel like we’re seeing someone’s unique and personal space rather than park-like grounds, don’t you think? —Pam
I agree with Michael. Most of these gardens,though lovely, leave me with a cold feeling. On the whole, they didn’t strike me as warm and welcoming so much as proper and “snooty”. As if to say “we’re perfect and you aren’t.” My, that sounds harsh but I find too much perfection off-putting. Thank you for the tour! Great pictures as always!
Next time you visit family Pam, check out 605 Peddie (in the Heights) A wonderful garden you can enjoy from the street. There are lots of interesting gardens here in Houston but they tend not to be on tours.
Why is that, Chris? I’d love to see fewer estate-style gardens and more gardeners’ gardens on these tours. —Pam
I love the term, well-heeled.
LOVE those round cut-outs and the slate steps.
I think you should carry around a pocketful of those garish orange ceramic mushrooms (that I love)and secretly stick one in each of these meticulous yards. Heeeeeeeeeeee.
Thanks for the tour, as always.
Ha! And maybe a gnome or two? —Pam
I must say, I do love the look of the mondo grass around the bluestone. Other than that… rather too stern and formal for my tastes..
Those are beautiful gardens that seem to have been selected more as a design show and less for public inspiration. I do agree that personality was missing as compared to gardens elsewhere in Texas. I wonder if it’s because Houstonians don’t spend as much time outdoors.
I liked the welcoming little parterre also. My favorite is the barbed wire sphere because now I know what to do with the roll of rusty barbed wire I have stashed under the deck. Carefully, of course.
Thanks for the tour, Pam. I’ll just say that I agree with most other comments regarding the lack of imagination to some of these obviously very costly installments. And that’s the problem: they’re installments.
I do have to ask, though; why bother to offer your garden for touring if photos are not allowed?
I’m always annoyed to learn that a garden on tour may not be photographed, Sandy. It seems stingy, somehow. That said, I’ve heard that some homeowners have safety concerns about it, which I guess I can understand. After all, people like me post their photos for the whole world to see when they go on public tours. That might make private-minded homeowners nervous. Then again, I can’t imagine why they’d be willing to be on tour in the first place. —Pam
That walled garden you love reminds me a lot of Bryant Park in Manhattan.
I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation of all the gardens on the tour. It is such fun seeing all the things that caught your eye.
Thanks, again, for taking us along on this tour.
These are not really my kind of gardens. I prefer gardeners gardens. I would bet the owners of these never actually get out there and get dirt on their hands.
But, it is interesting to see the designs.
I agree about the photo ban. Why open your garden to the public, and then not allow photos? If you are that worried about privacy, then don’t allow the tour in the first place.
Have a great weekend, and a Happy Easter.
“the owners did not allow photographs, so I won’t bother writing about it.”
Yeesh. Why bother opening the garden if you don’t want to share it?
Thanks for the share. The bosque and associated hedges (magnificent pruning), feel of the space from various angles, and plant forms used all evoke awe and serenity. Causing me to think how to better impart that in my work, or just at our place. Too bad that other home didn’t allow pics (though it is their property and their choice), but that’s what sketching and writing about is for after the fact!
I’ve missed a few recent posts…pesky paying work getting in the way again.
Pam,
You might keep an eye on this FB page and see if they are having an event the next time you are in town. I thought they did tours, but maybe that was another group.
https://www.facebook.com/events/283311485026242/
Thanks, ChrisF. —Pam