Houston Open Days Tour 2012: Tudor Garden
My next stop on the Houston Open Days tour on March 24 was the classically elegant Tudor Garden, located in the Broadacres Historic District. To my mind, the property’s best asset is the view of a double line of mature live oaks marching down the center median of the grand old neighborhood’s streets.
The official description of the garden:
Situated along beautiful live oak-lined South Boulevard, the original garden was created by renowned Houston landscape architect Pat Fleming. In 2006, it was renovated and re-envisioned by Curtis & Windham Architects to complement concurrent additions to the Birdsall Briscoe house. The original garden entry at the boulevard leads one through a refurbished, walled parterre garden where mature boxwood forms make a stunning sculptural frame to views of the lush garden beyond. A sunken pool lies at the heart of the garden surrounded by a delightful balance of plantings, pathways, and terraces.
We traversed the enormous front lawn (2nd photo from top) to reach a walled side garden with…more lawn edged in boxwood.
It does get more interesting. Leading into a shade garden in back is a winding brick path accented with a classic garden ornament, an armillary sphere.
Along one side of the garden, a guest house enjoys its own intimate patio.
Pretty paving and shadow patterns
Pink knotweed (Persicaria capitata, or Polygonum capitatum) in bloom
From here you can look through the shade garden to the rear of the main house.
All very elegant
A closer look
An equally elegant garden house overlooks the pool…
…and offers a decidedly cushy outdoor living space.
Potted citrus by the pool
Up next: The Old World-style (but new) Wolf Residence Garden in River Oaks, with a “bosque of hornbeams” that I absolutely fell in love with. For a look back at the Lofgren-Bayer Garden, click here.
All material © 2006-2012 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Thanks for sharing your garden tour pictures, love seeing them! The live oaks are stunning.
Wow, what a perfect garden. And that garden house is to die for! Very pretty.
I always enjoy your tours, Pam. Thanks. The shade garden is very nice. Personally, I’d just live in the charming garden house (minus all that furniture). The guest patio is lovely. There’s something about weathered and rust patina on metal furniture that is so romantic and nostalgic.
This seems peaceful, relaxing, even though it lacks some of the things “us westerners” like! Especially the rear area. For the small number of days comfortable enough to be outside, it would be incredible to be out there, reading.
This is a beautiful garden. I bit too high maintenance for me, though.
Thanks for taking us along.
Hmmm. I feel like this is a “look but don’t touch” garden. I wonder if they enjoy any of the gardening work? Way out of my league….
Tranquil. Refined. Languid. Aristocratic? It’s lovely in a very managed way except for the double line of oak trees, which appear a bit more exuberant. Would I live there? Of course! 🙂 However, my gardening style is much more wild so I probably wouldn’t fit in too well. Thanks for this visual tour through your eyes/camera!
Oh my gosh, I just KNEW I should have played that “Mega Millions” lottery game last week!! (Pam – the photos are stunning! Thanks for sharing incredible design.)