Joy Donovan 
Colleyville Garden Club tour sparkles in spring setting
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
While members of the Colleyville Garden Club were browsing through seed catalogs making selections for outstanding spring gardens, they also must have ordered some darned good weather with some kind of money-back guarantee.
Because the weather for the club's nearly yearly fundraising garden tour was spectacular ... just exactly what you'd want as you wandered through four very different gardens on a Sunday afternoon in May.
"I think this is the best weather we've ever had for this," was the observation of club President Carol Wollin while enjoying one of the great back yards.
Holding court near the lavender in his own back yard was David McMillan. His shady yard with its big trees offered a beautiful spot for him to grow many of the herbs he snips for his tony Colleyville restaurant, 62 Main. Besides the oregano, basil, thyme and sage he grows there, the yard features gravel paths, a children's play area and some whimsical touches, such as metal floral sculptures.
The timing of Promenade 2008 couldn't have been better for catching homeowner Lynn Browder's roses in full bloom. Color was everywhere, and it looked to me that in a few weeks, her hydrangeas would add to the rainbow. As owner of Lynn Browder Designs and Remodeling, she also could showcase her talents with the yard's patio. Surrounded by foliage and featuring an outdoor fireplace, the patio would probably be better described as an oh-so-relaxing outdoor living room.
Check it out ... a chandelier tops the outdoor swing at the home of Shelley Stults and Tuula Westlake, but that was only a teaser for what waited out in back.
Dian Pierce, a concert pianist and garden club member, provided music to wander by. She played while the homeowners chatted with guests who took in their koi pond, ferns, sitting area and large hammock.
Before getting to the back yard of Louanne and Ralph Williams, visitors got a chance to participate in the raffle that garden club members had carefully arranged. Besides such garden-enhancing additions as a red maple, scarlet oak and bald cypress, the fundraiser included dinner packages and wine tastings, too.
Then the tour led to the Williams' back yard, complete with a beautiful vista of a meadow and pond. More formal than the other three gardens on the tour, this one is described by the owners as an English garden in attitude, but with plants suited for the warm Texas climate. Another nod to the hot summers here? A ceiling fan in the outdoor pavilion overlooking the swimming pool.
These all were so nice, they made me want to just plop down with a cup of coffee and read the Star-Telegram. Think any of those homeowners would mind if I show up later this week to do just that?
jdonovan@star-telegram.com
