JUNE YARD OF THE MONTH
This month’s winning yard at 4536 Calmont Avenue is a paradise for butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.
When Britt and Bob Whitney got married in 2014, they were living in Coppell, but wanted to move somewhere that was “non-suburbia.” They fell in love with Fort Worth and bought their first home at the corner of Calmont Ave. and Hulen St. in July 2016. What they like most about Arlington Heights is that every home is unique.
The previous owner of their home at 4536 Calmont was in the landscaping business, so the Whitneys inherited a well-established landscape that included a large magnolia tree, two juniper trees, red yuccas, a large lorapetalum shrub, salvia, Texas sage, and grasses. It fit perfectly with Britt’s vision of planting to attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. Britt added a large pot of coleus on the front porch, lantanas and multi-colored pentas in the beds, and a few small rose shrubs. She was crushed to lose a large blue agave during a severe winter freeze, but replaced it with a large variegated agave that she now covers when the weather gets super cold. Lee’s Lawn and Garden takes care of Britt’s mulching and trimming.
The Whitneys proudly fly the flags of their respective colleges: Oklahoma State for Britt and University of Kansas for Bob.
After moving in, Britt experienced a bit of serendipity when her grandmother who lives in Carrollton recognized Britt’s Arlington Heights home in a vintage photograph posted on a friend’s Facebook page. When Britt tracked down the people who posted the photo, she discovered they were the second owners of her home. At Britt’s invitation, they came to tour their old homestead which had changed dramatically. They showed Britt and Bob where all the original rooms, including a telephone room, had been.
The Whitneys received a $25 gift certificate to Archie’s Gardenland, courtesy of Arlington Heights Neighborhood Association, and a free year’s membership in AHNA.
If you’d like to nominate a yard, even your own, please send the address to president@arlingtonheightsna.com.
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