July YOTM just yells for red, white and blue decor! 607 Gladys fits that bill. Jayne and Pat who are long time residents and tireless volunteers for the neighborhood have a bounty of color along with July 4 whirligigs. Their crepe myrtles, dianthuses, and hibiscus really pop out of the lush greenery in their front yard. Due to COVID distancing, they were not interviewed for this article.
If you have a nomination or suggestion for YOM, please email beautification@woodland-heights.org.
- Allison Hartzell, Dir of Beautification
Beautification
Beware the Gardening Fairies! /
We have gardening fairies who volunteer their time to weed, water, plant and generally maintain the Watson esplanade that you see as you enter the neighborhood from the south. These neighbors toil away so please tell them thank you if you see them out and about.
WE THANK YOU AND APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK TO KEEP OUR NEIGHBORHOOD LOOKING GOOD!
Pat Schaper
Pat Rutledge
Dan Rueda
Nicole Wyman
Louise Moss
Also, please give them a wide berth if you see their orange cones out at the esplanade while they are working. Looks great ya'll!!
Yet Another New Little Library at 408 Byrne /
Like mushrooms after a rain, we see little libraries popping up around the neighborhood. This one, known as Byrne Books, is at 408 Byrne across from the infamous Feel The Byrne lights. I stumbled upon it while our walking the dogs last week.
Yard-of-the-Month: 528 Highland /
Are you feeling down in the dumps with everything appearing lackluster? Stroll by 528 Highland at the corner of Northwood for some cheer and vibrancy! Shannie and Doug Sharp toil away to make their yard a colorful and entertaining oasis. An assortment of bright flowers along with attractive touches like decorative and vintage pots anchor the yard which attracts loads of butterflies and hummingbirds.
Shannie has an antique bench anchoring the corner succulent garden. An old iron spoked wheel sections off her herbs. Beautiful planters on the front steps welcome you to their comfortable porch. Something is always blooming! You can really see Shannie's artistic talent shine through when she decorates her windows and front porch with festive handmade artwork and banners. Accents of yellow and turquoise really brighten things up along with the yellow poodle standing guard next to the front door. This lovely package is wrapped up in a fence full of Peggy Martin roses!
The home quarantine has benefited those of us who like to stroll past the house because all the extra time has kept these two owners working more in their beautification efforts! Kudos to you Sharps!
- Allison Hartzell, Dir of Beautification
Yard-of-the-Month: 3405 Northwood /
As Beautification Director, I have been fortunate to meet many lovely people in our neighborhood these last two years. It's been exciting to knock on doors, never knowing who I might meet, and always having unexpected and delightful conversations. Each was a little different, but one theme was a constant: our neighbors' gardens give them peace and joy. Our neighbors love their piece of earth and love learning how to tend it so it gives back. It's been fulfilling to tell these neighbors that their care for their gardens brings peace and joy to their community too. We are all so lucky to call them neighbors.
This month is no different! My final pick for Yard of the Month before our next Director takes the seat goes to Caroline and Roy Johnston at 3405 Northwood. Their yard was originally nominated by an admiring neighbor a couple months ago and I'm so happy it was! It's a small space that I had (regrettably) overlooked, but then the more I saw, the more I loved it!
Talking with Roy about all he did to bring it to life was inspiring. The space looks challenging: part along a hot afternoon driveway, part in shade along the front, and area measured in small feet and inches. But as we are out for our walks or bike rides with our families lately, stop and take your time here. It's a sweet spot in the Woodland Heights. Their yard shows us you don't need a lot of space to do beautiful things!
In these times when it's difficult to meet new people, I've decided to leave Roy's write up in his own voice - it's just right and personal, and easier to feel more connected with these kind neighbors. Thank you Roy and Caroline for sharing your yard with our neighborhood!
Stephanie Riceman, Dir of Beautification
We bought our home in 2014 and started on the yard in February 2015. We began by removing the poor existing soil (lots of construction sand), using river rock to separate the beds from the house siding, and building a new stone wall outside to replace the wooden one which had collapsed. I also installed drainage and sprinklers. I'm proud to say that I did all the work myself with help too from Caroline and our kids. My first time building a stone wall or laying out a garden!
We had help from Buchanan's to draw up a landscape plan and advise on plant selection. We wanted southern staples in the landscaping, color throughout the year, and different shades of green. We also did the planting and mulching ourselves. Our layout has changed quite a bit since then as we've moved plants where they have struggled and looked to create more interest with varying heights and size.
Our recent projects have been installing decomposed granite & rock border in our courtyard garden and planting a vegetable and herb garden. I am also working to replace the pet mesh on the fence with lower pet bars. I think that will really complete the texture and visual interest by letting the plants flow more naturally through the fence. A fun current experiment is letting one area fallow and seeing what naturally pops up - I'm calling this our wildflower garden experiment!
As I've learned more about gardening, I am increasingly drawn to low maintenance (and cost), with a focus on hardy (frost and heat tolerant) perennials. We are also switching to more indigenous staples and have introduced some butterfly and bird friendly plants. I find learning about what works in a specific spot to be an enjoyable part of the process. I've also enjoyed learning how to build the other structural pieces of the garden (a shed, the raised beds, the borders, the irrigation, and the vegetable boxes).
Some of my personal highlights are the multiple monarchs drawn to our three milkweed plants (thank you Travis!), the many lizards hiding everywhere, our shrimp-plants and jasmine on the fence (the color and aroma), and the thriving hybrid-tea roses which we added two years ago. I have an ivy vine which was a houseplant gift from my mom and cuttings from it have grown in each home we've lived. We are also looking forward to growing tomatoes, basil, and jalapeno from the St. Mark's garden this year.
I personally love the beauty and peace which the garden brings, how we enjoy it throughout the year, and how the kids find many creatures - even in this little space. It also connects me back to my family (and my wife's family) and the gardens they have nurtured over the years.
Here are some of the plants we have:
Vegetable garden:
Mint
Tomatoes
Jalapeño
Basil
Chives
Star anise
Parsley
Thyme
Gladiola (for cut flowers and color)
Front stone bed:
White Knight
Milkweed
Ligularia
Fire cracker fern
Camellia (shi shi)
Variegated dianella
Wood violets (ground cover)
Ajuga (caitlin's giant - ground cover)
Side beds by front door:
Gardenia
Hybrid tea roses
Mexican sedum
Camellia (japonica kramer supreme)
Azalaea - George Tabor
Abelea - Kaleidoscope
Inside fence:
Giant iris
Star Jasmine
Giant Liriope
English ivy in the hanging basket
Thanks again for the honor and the joy of sharing our project with you!
- Roy
Yard-of-the-Month: 3014 Norhill /
After 18 years at 3014 Norhill St, Tiffany Tyler and Charles Kuffner have found that balance in their yard: the soil is rich, the birds and pollinators are happy, the squirrels play, the children grow, it is both relaxing and fun for their family to tuck into the garden work, and it is beautiful!
The yard has taken shape through some trial and error, and some help from friends and neighbors. Stories abound in their yard with neighborhood and historical ties. The monkey grass forming a border along the north beds have been there since they moved in. The Texas maiden hair fern was passed along to them from a friend on Bayland when they moved in as well. The soil itself is enriched from a compost begun before they moved there, wheelbarrowed from three blocks away. The red firespike salvaged from a home in Norhill before it was torn down. And of course the bluebonnets, tended and prodded and now finally blooming at the southwest corner. My favorite is the fig ivy covering the low brick border along Woodland, which also celebrates 18 years with them here.
There is a lot of color to see as we come into blooming season: day lilies, pentas, many varieties of coleus (another of my favorites), purple salvia, columbine, ice plant, Texas gold lantana, purple sage, the native butterfly-attracting purple porterweed, edible nasturtium, foxtail fern, pineapple hamelia, Dutchman's pipe, echinaceas, native milkweeds, tiny volunteer violas, and a yellow globe ground cover. Adorning the porch and deck are a variety of zinnias and geraniums.
Over all of it towers their mature water oak to the west, giving them relief from the heat of the afternoon sun, and drummond red maples to the north. In spite of the shade, their satsuma and Meyer lemon trees are blooming with promise this year!
What's the secret to having such a nice yard? The Houston Museum of Natural Science plant sale gives her a lot to work with, as well as local favorite Buchanan's. And Tiffany has been inspired by the community of organic farmers and veggie enthusiasts at Central City Co-op, where she has been involved for many years in its development. The soil was in poor condition when they moved in, so regular household compost has helped nurture and feed the roots. Tiffany wants to feel relaxed and have fun gardening so that is rewarding in itself, and she doesn't worry over the weeds much - if pollinators enjoy them then they have a place at this corner too. Not to be overlooked is the abundance of yard art tucked all about the gardens, most of it gifted to her, or acquired from local artists or on trips, all quietly at home here.
Yard of the Month: 1116 Euclid St /
Jeanette and Dannie Davis have been making things bloom in the Heights nearly all their lives. Jeanette grew up only a couple blocks away, and they are the second family in their home at 1116 Euclid. When they moved to their forever-home in 1976, they were the young ones on the block; now they nurture the neighborhood through all the changes.
Their massive water oak is center stage, and was planted the year their first child was born, more than 35 years ago. Seeing it now, their home looks tiny under its mighty limbs. Their second child was, and is, all about the out-of-doors, and was taking care of their yard and neighbors' yards beginning in elementary school. By high school it was a full job. Today he still keeps his parents' yard beautiful, plus many more in the Heights, and throughout Houston, with White Oak Groundskeeping. He takes after his dad who is always out tidying up neighbors' yards and clearing storm drains.
Edging into spring, the Davises' yard is alive with hydrangeas, Boston ferns, begonias, cyclamens, and ivy.
Their seasonal yard changes with every holiday, so while these pictures reflect February love, by the time this prints it will surely be lucky green.
Yard-of-the-Month: 3515 Oak Ridge /
Alyssa and Jeremy Holub have done a spectacular job of incorporating their home with yard, making it a place to play and relax too. Working in architecture and a hobbyist woodworker, Jeremy has made their porch whimsical with details to showcase their plantings and salvaged and repurposed art.
The first eye-catching planting is their soft white dusty miller, looking glorious in our snowless climate. It is thriving and beautiful through the winter. Small lamb's ears counter on the other side of their swooshing and colorful steps. More include hydrangeas, foxtail fern, succulents, lilies, gardenia, white-blooming Katie Ruellia, and salvia for the bees. Color abounds with little orange bell flowers in cigar plants, snapdragons, and russelia (firecracker).
And a treat for the nose too! Society garlic at the steps and a rangoon creeper, which flavors their air of fruit punch all summer, guarded by Wallace the Lion, lofts over their trellised gate with a special feature for their pup - see if you can find her in the pictures!
Along the south side of their house and taking advantage of the little strip of land between driveway and home is a small transitioning garden with a hardy artichoke plant which gives generously. If you can keep from eating them, the bloom is amazing!
Giving them gentle shade through the summer are two tall cinnamon bark crepe myrtles, plus a little citrus tree.
All beautiful! Thanks for sharing your yard with our neighborhood!
- Stephanie Riceman, Dir of Beautification
Yard-of-the-Month: 1133 East 6 1/2th Street /
Our Holiday/January yard of the month honors 1133 E 6½ Street, home to Chris Waggoner and Mary Vasquez for more than 20 years, and certainly recognizable to anyone who travels via Studewood regularly.
Occupying the corner of 6½ Street and Studewood, their statue of a lovely figure on point, lofting a light above their yard’s entrance, also serves as a beacon to anyone returning home to the Heights through here. In Decembers it wears a festive red and white robe, but I always look forward to seeing how Chris and Mary dress it up for other holidays too. And, of course, all the figures along their second floor balcony, just for fun!
Their stretch along Studewood is made lively with mature oaks, crape myrtles, and an abundance of lantana. Then honeysuckle blooms orange on their short fence, lavender in front, and pops of yellow on the tall fence from giant leopard plant. New Maui ixora have replaced azaleas to accompany foxtail ferns, rangoon, lavandula and lily of the Nile.
Thank you Chris and Mary for always bringing smiles and whimsy to our neighborhood!”
- Stephanie Riceman, Dir of Beautification
Yard-of-the-Month: 501 Highland /
501 Highland is a pretty and highly manicured little yard with an inviting front porch. Have a look as you take in the Lights in the Heights on December 14th!
Honorable Mention goes to 3405 Northwood! If you have a yard you would like to nominate for consideration, please email beautification@woodland-heights.org.
- Stephanie Riceman, Dir of Beautification
Yard-of-the-Month: 823 Ridge /
The corner at Julian and Ridge has been a mystery to me for several years, so I was happy to meet Gene and Chris Feronti, who have raised their family adjacent to the corner since 1984, and began this 'Orphan Garden' ten years ago!
It started as a blank slate and a couple donations of yucca and agave cacti when a friend and neighbor's succulent sprouted seedlings. The trans-plantings took off! They managed a variety of random donations from neighbors and written-off dumpster or discount finds of succulents, grasses, and flowering beauties into an inspired design. Their yuccas are peacefully at home here, standing tall, spines shimmering in a breeze, with a symmetry that snaps back when the air is calm again. The heat and periodic droughts agree with them as the garden thrives without irrigation!
Their Orphan Garden includes:
yucca
agave
prickly pear
sago palm
asparagus fern
firecracker bush
Mexican petunia
daylilies
nandina
mother of thousands
native Texas grasses
and a rich jasmine and monkey grass ground cover
A variety of trees and bushes too:
camphor
pecan
oleander
crepe myrtle
Stroll by this peaceful bend at Ridge and Julian and let the calm set in. Thank you to the Ferontis for sharing their yard with us!
- Stephanie Riceman, Dir of Beautification
Yard-of-the-Month: 509 Woodland /
The yard of Marci DeBock, Mike Conner, and Dylan Conner captures a lot of what I like about the Woodland Heights: it's practical with its herbs and vegetables front and center in the right of way to take advantage of the least shady spot in the yard, and simultaneously whimsical with the art that they have both made and procured in their more than quarter century at 509 Woodland. Their yard is lived in, played in, and loved, hosting insects and wildlife that feed their creativity and nurture their plantings.
They have two iconic pieces that make their yard unmistakable. Their dramatic night-blooming cereus cactus, planted about ten years ago, stands tall at the east end of the yard. During the day the blossoms droop, but at night they are on full display. Its base is surrounded by bamboo muhly grass, bat face cuphea, and red firecracker fern for the hummingbirds and bees. And the shark, of course! Why not a shark? It was a gift from a good friend of theirs when the opera was clearing out their warehouse.
Around the yard you can find Dylan's early metalwork art on display in monkeys and bottle trees, and functionally in their chairs, gates, and hedges. One of his more recent works is on display in Woodland Park: Firefly Field. As with the cactus, it comes alive when the sun goes down.
And more throughout the yard: herbs of basil, rosemary, and oregano are always plentiful, and the mint has returned with the rain. Fall plantings are going in now, or soon, with parsley, fennel, and thyme, along with vegetables (kale, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, neon chard) in purples and greens to complement their home. Sugar snaps will come along later. One year their sweet potato patch gave them 75 lbs of the root vegetable!
And still more: dewberries along the front fence, dwarf Meyer lemon tree, pink angel's trumpet, Indian Hawthorn, yesterday today and tomorrow, vincas border with their neighbor, and sweet olive with a sweetly scented and understated fragrance.
Finally, an evergreen wisteria arches welcomingly at the front gate, with a mango tree planted by their son many years ago.
Thanks for sharing your yard with us!
Yard-of-the-Month: 3540 Pineridge /
Our September Yard of the Month has seen many changes over the 38 years its owners Tim Calk and Leigh Owen have lived there. When purchased in 1981, it had one front flower bed of cannas and two hackberry trees in back surrounded by weeds three feet tall. Since those days the owners have seen trees come and go. They discovered after a few years the silver maple and weeping willow they planted didn't prosper, but a 35-year-old magnolia and three-story red oak anchor the front yard.
The current plantings reflect their love of green foliage and colorful flowers, but are showing the effects of summer and will be transitioned to fall when cooler temperatures arrive. Today's plantings in the front and back yards and along the drive include:
loropetalum
sago palms
boxwood
crossandra orange marmalade (a favorite!)
variegated hostas (another favorite)
sedum
golden creeping jenny
verbena
lantana
firebush (hummingbird bush, Hamelia patens)
vitex
sweet olive
banana trees
elephant ear
ficus pumila
magnolia
red oak
And while these plantings are all fine and lovely, it's really about the tomato.
This special tribute to Leigh's hometown occupies the curb at the driveway. Surrounded by a low ground cover of golden creeping jenny, their tomato weighs in at an impressive 660-lbs of solid concrete! A surprise gift from Leigh's sister and brother-in-law, it has more than 300 "twins" occupying sidewalks and lawns in Jacksonville, Texas, the one-time "Tomato Capital of the World."
"We love the Heights and how near we were to the Gulf Publishing Company building on Allen Parkway where we both worked together for more than 25 years," said Tim Calk.
And there are more stories! The tomato may have been what made me stop at first, but if you pause there for a picture and find Tim or Leigh on their porch, ask about the decoration on their door!
Thank you, Leigh and Tim, for sharing the tomato story and your yard.
- Stephanie Riceman, WHCA Director of Beautification
Watching Out For Street Trees /
A live oak lost in the 500 block of Bayland Avenue.
You may have noticed that one of the much-loved Live Oaks on Bayland Avenue was recently taken down. Several neighbors noted this as it was about to occur. While we're saddened by the loss of the majestic oak, we are happy to report that, according to the COH Forester, the tree in question was properly permitted for removal due to structural problems.
If you witness the removal of trees from street easements, please call 832-395-7100 immediately so the Houston Parks Dept can check for permits and avoid unnecessary street tree loss. This phone line is answered 24 hours a day.
For all other non-emergency street tree service requests please call 3-1-1 (713-837-0311).
Yard of The Month: 728 Usener /
Our August Yard of the Month is 728 Usener, home to Daniel Rueda for more than twenty years. It is thoughtfully tended with help from David Bartula (Luxury Lawns), sourcing locally, mostly from Buchanan's and statues from Joshua's. Plantings are chosen to be low maintenance, capable of withstanding our melting climate, and high impact, with florals taking turns to pop seasonally.
Through his yard you will find:
Yaupon Holly for a little shade
Asparagus Fern
Purple Potato Vine provides the tiered entry along a rare Houston hill
Agapanthus
Periwinkle
Canna Lily in a lovely salmon hue
Rudbeckia, showing off now in deep summer, is a yellow flower similar to Black Eyed Susan. Daniel's took off from a single planting and fills in so nicely.
Along the east side of his yard, springing from the hardy jasmine ground cover, are beautifully twined purple-bloom Wisteria.
On the west side, in a tricky spot with heat and shade, is a sweet-scented Mountain Laurel.
Years ago a neighbor had suggested having a theme of Red Bud trees lining their block, so in the spring they are on display.
In winter, pansies continue to make his yard vibrant and bright, sometimes complemented by purple kale.
Thank you for sharing your yard with us this month!
- Stephanie Riceman, WHCA Director of Beautification
We have a new sign to recognize Yard of the Month! /
Many thanks to our neighborhood’s own Stella Espinosa for sharing her talents and initiative with this lovely design, and to Mary Hayslip at 118 Alma for sharing her yard and making our community even nicer.
- Stephanie Riceman, Dir of Beautification
Yard-of-the-Month sign has gone missing again! /
It seems that the WHCA Yard-of-the-Month sign has gone missing again! It's last known perch was on the 900 block of Merrill. We need it back! If someone grabbed it, perhaps to prank a neighbor, we'd be happy just to see it returned to where they found it. No questions asked.
If you see it, please let us know where so we can collect it. You can email newsletter@woodland-heights.org or send us a message via the WHCA Facebook page.
- Michael Graves
Yard-of-the-Month: 118 Alma /
I love wandering the neighborhood and admiring our fine old homes and the gardens that surround them. One of my favorite walks is Germantown, an area just east of Houston Avenue and bordering I-45 settled by German immigrants in the late 1800’s.
A few years ago, I discovered a wonderful Queen Anne cottage (c1915) and garden at 118 Alma. I knew immediately that the resident was an artist. The evidence is everywhere. The large picture of a beloved pet mounted on the wall of the front of the house protected by the porch, the planters made out of tires, the mosaics on the fence, the jars filled with various colored water that adorn the flower beds, and the amazing topiary that spells out the artist’s last name, H-A-Y-S-L-I-P.
Mary’s great-grandparents moved into the house on Alma in 1920. Mary has lived in the home since 1974. Take a walk and come to see Mary Hayslip’s garden and art. There are memories here among the flowers and trees in our Yard-of-the-Month.
Yard-of-the-Month: The Garden At Travis Elementary School /
While there are many lovely flower-filled front beds to choose from in our neighborhood this month, I am overwhelmed with the variety and range on offer in our own elementary school garden! Many of us shuttle along the garden path five mornings a week to see our kids to school, but it's worth taking a few extra moments to absorb the nature there.
The Travis Garden has been under the guidance of neighbor, teacher, grandmother, and Army veteran Christina West for nearly two years, with the help of volunteers, teachers, and students. When I asked her if we could choose the Travis Garden for May Yard of the Month, she was delighted!
Ms. West says every morning she loves riding her bike to Travis Elementary School along the leafy streets past her neighbors' flowering gardens. The Travis gardens are at the east end of Redan and have a fence covered with muscadine grapes and bordered by fig trees. Inside, there are 30 beds, one for each class at the school and five others that are filled with wildflowers and small trees.
In the fall, as soon as it is cool enough, students plant vegetables and herbs, and continue planting throughout the winter months. They plant broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, chard, beets, lettuce, arugula, bok choi, cilantro, onions, potatoes, chives, dill, and carrots. Many are planted from seed and students watch them grow week by week until they can harvest and eat them. Their favorite eating experiences are: kale smoothies, broccoli pasta, blanched broccoli, salads of cabbage, carrot and lettuce, herb butter with chives/rosemary/oregano, mashed potatoes, chard roll-ups with apples and sun butter, and, of course, raw carrots. In spring, each class garden plants a tomato and some peppers, cucumbers, and beans.
Ms. West tells us "Perhaps the students' favorite part of the garden is the pond, that has a small cascade of water and a marshy area with purple lotus flowers and a slightly deeper pool visited by toads each spring that leave hundreds and hundreds of eggs in long strands. Turtles also visit our pond, as well as many migrating birds, such as American goldfinch, Cedar waxwings, and American robins.
"Around the edges of the Travis garden are "pollinator gardens", sometimes called "insectiaries". Many of our vegetables depend on pollination, so it is important to invite bees, wasps, and butterflies into our garden. Students enjoy watching these insects that are so helpful to our community. Gardens also need compost piles which can manage the waste from gardens and then provide rich soil. Students love running over to the compost bins and tearing up the spent leaves of our broccoli, kale, and chard. (Just a reminder: tomato and potato leaves should never go into compost piles)." - Christina West
"A garden is a grand teacher," naturalist Gertrude Jekyll wrote. We are so fortunate to have this rich resource here in our neighborhood, for our kids, birds, beetles, butterflies and more.
Stay tuned for an opportunity to tour the garden with Ms. West and learn more. The Travis Elementary Garden is supported by the school's PTA, grants, donations, and volunteers. If you are interested in helping in some way, please contact beautification@woodland-heights.org and we will put you in touch.
And an honorable mention goes to 923 Teetshorn, nominated by a neighbor for their nice flower beds. Well done!
YARD-OF-THE-MONTH: 919 Ridge /
You can’t miss the burst of bluebonnets at 919 Ridge, home to Amy, Chris and Nathan Boyers. Bluebonnets here have been an annual occurrence for many years. Every year, bluebonnets drop seeds to produce plants for the following spring.
In 1938, Lorene and Herbert Smith purchased the new home and raised their two children there. Mrs. Smith always loved gardening and sowed bluebonnet seeds near the crepe myrtles by the street. After Mrs. Smith passed away in 2004, Mrs. Smith's granddaughter, Amy, and Chris bought the house from Amy's father. The Boyers have looked forward to the annual bluebonnets every year since. In 2013, Chris and Amy’s son was born in the midst of a bumper crop year of bluebonnets. Four generations of one family have lived in this house, so it has so many special memories. One memory is being entertained by the families that plop their kids among the flowers for bluebonnet pictures. The Boyers enjoy sharing the happiness from the bluebonnets with neighbors.
The rest of the landscaping, installed and maintained by the family, is a mix of natives and low-water plants. They are also experimenting with citrus trees, which have replaced the crepe myrtles planted years ago. Amy held on to several of Mrs. Smith’s roses, day lilies and Easter lilies, which begin blooming once the wildflowers begin to fade.
While their poppies didn't bloom this year, their seeds have blown across the street, sharing, as neighbors do, and are on full display. And bluebonnet volunteers can be found in other nearby yards.
It's a beautiful legacy that the Smith and Boyers families carry through generations, and our neighborhood is made lovelier for it.