A NEW VIEW
West U homeowners expand backyard with natural appeal
MARILYN Wolfe-Kirk and Harry Kirk loved their West University Place home, but they missed what so many other of their neighbors do, too: a bigger yard.
Their home is roomy, with plenty of space for visiting children and grandchildren or parties they might host. But when they headed outside, the fence line between their house and the next-door neighbors was about 5 feet. Their backyard consisted of a small patio and patch of grass.
When a neighbor was ready to sell her home, the couple made an offer. It was a teardown that would become the couple’s nature preserve.
Their checklist included a nice pavilion where their family could gather, a pool where grandkids could splash around and a lily pond — just because Wolfe-Kirk likes them.
In the landscaping, older trees were kept safe from damage, and new trees, bushes and flowers wind throughout the green space. They draw birds and bees and insects of all kinds, helping the vegetable garden where Kirk tends his peppers, onions,
tomatoes and herbs.
The project ended beautifully, with a showpiece they share with neighbors who walk by and view the space through the wrought-iron fence. Other neighbors erect privacy fences, but the couple wanted anyone strolling by to find a little joy of their own.
Pulling it together was no easy task and required collaboration from many hands: architect Michael Dreef of Eubanks Group Architects, contractor Rob Hellyer of Premiere Remodeling, Monica Eatherton of Moss Landscaping and attention from Cypress Pools.
Permits took six months to get, and heavy rains caused a few slowdowns, but weekly schedules and daily chats and texts kept everyone on track, said Hellyer, as he stood under the eight-sided vaulted ceiling in the pavilion that he and his crew built.
“Both of us love nature, so we were thinking in terms of how do we accentuate the beauty of the red oaks that surround us,” said Kirk, who owns ACT Pipe & Supply. “The kids can come out and relax and be protected from the sun, and we enjoy evening meals out here.”
Dreef said that his firm is often hired to create formal, structured gardens, so the more natural space in this project turned out to be fun.
While the couple see their pavilion as the highlight of the project, their grandchildren think otherwise.
“When the pool was finished, it was 75 degrees outside and three of my grandkids were over here wanting to go swimming,” said Wolfe-Kirk, who retired from nursing 10 years ago when her first grandchild was born. “They waded in and got wet up to here, and then it was splash, splash, splash. We eventually learned how to turn the heater on.”
The couple has four children, three of whom live in West U — close enough that some of the grandkids hop on their bikes to visit Grandma and Grandpa fairly frequently.
The deep-blue of the pool is accented by another water feature, a pond that holds water lilies that seem to bloom every other day, a handful of large goldfish, a couple of toads and, now, a slew of tadpoles that have Wolfe-Kirk wondering what their survival rate might be.
A love of wildlife isn’t limited to their West U home, they also have a farm in Brenham and a ranch in South Texas; both have wildlife conservation plans.
While their grandkids had no say whatsoever in the yard’s design, they do get a nature lesson or two out of it. If they can name the birds they see, they get a quarter from their grandparents.
As in this project, many outdoor pavilions call for space for two seating areas, one for visiting and one for dining, Dreef said. And it’s a must that the pavilion and its materials complement the main house.
Limestone used in the outdoor kitchen, around the elevated vegetable garden and in the pavilion’s posts all match the stone on the home’s exterior. Custom-milled cedar columns hold up the eight-sided vaulted ceiling that’s covered underneath with stained pine.
There’s a huge seating area, fireplace, summer kitchen and a shower to use after swimming. The pavilion has a TV, too, though Wolfe-Kirk is proud that it hasn’t gotten much use.
“If I’m going to be outside, I want to enjoy nature,” she said. “When they’re here, the grandkids don’t play with their phones.”
Marilyn bought a croquet set for them to learn a game that doesn’t involve an electronic device, and there are plenty of pool toys to keep them busy, too.
A small fire pit gets an occasional workout with kids roasting marshmallows.
This restful green space makes you feel like you’ve stepped outside of the big city.
Shady red oaks and live oaks were already here, and a peach tree and orchid tree have joined them. Flower beds hold Mexican heather, pentas, coneflowers and caladiums, among other showy plants. There’s a trellis of star jasmine, and leafy azaleas sit nearby waiting for their next blooming season.
As Kirk stands on the sidewalk in front of his home, he notices holes in the dirt where squirrels have been digging and a feeder that’s just drawn a pretty bluebird looking for breakfast.
“We’re really proud of the way it came out,” he said.