When Deirdre McDowell moved into the bungalow at 811Arlington in 2003, the front yard consisted of
mulch and a mass of foxtail ferns. She wanted a yard that welcomed visitors, including birds, butterflies,
and especially bees. She designed the layout of the beds herself and a landscaper to install the edging and
the large rock, now hosting a lovely lichen. There is also a little free library in front of her yard, along with
a bench to sit on while perusing the books. She installed the mail-order wrought iron fencing and gate
herself.

She proceeded to plant a wide variety of beautiful plants. An open area allows her to tend the garden more
easily and is home to a bird bath, and a raised bed for herbs, sweet peas, strawberries celery and a
cucumber plant.

The front consists of beds of multi-colored azaleas, camelias, roses and a sweet olive. There are two
weeping hollies overlooked by her front windows. Perennials include foxglove, salvias, Gerbera daisies,
cone flowers, salvias, lavender and blue daze. Annuals include a wide variety of dianthus, marigolds,
petunias, pansies, verbena, cosmos, snap dragons and cyclamen. Bulbs include agapanthus, multiple
varieties of irises and amaryllis. One of the more successful plants she has tried is Australian violets,
which are drought tolerant. The bedding includes ferns, in particular a striking mass of foxtail ferns.
Deidre considers gardening a great therapy, and she is willing to continually experiment with new plants.
We want to thank Joshua’s Native Plants & Garden Antiques for the very nice gift card awarded to
Deidre for our April Yard of the Month. 713.862.7444 www.joshuasnativeplants.net