The Idylwood Garden Club’s Yard of the Month for March 2024 goes to Jo Ann and Paul Malague at 6623 Park Lane.
Jo Ann and Paul moved to Idylwood in 1997. They spent almost two years driving every street, every day looking for new listings. “Back in 1995-1997 there were no internet listings, just signs in the yard. The market was so hot homes rarely went more than a day without a contract,” Jo Ann remembers.
Jo Ann was born and raised in Houston. Paul is a “transplant” from New York but has lived in Houston most of his life. Jo Ann has lived in the East End area (Denver Harbor and Magnolia) her entire life. While “Paul lived in Cypress before getting married and being transplanted to Idylwood,” Jo Ann says.
Jo Ann loves “the cute charm of the area and homes” of Idylwood and the neighborhood is also near downtown and Jo Ann’s extended family. The couple have two daughters, Amber and Jade who have grown up here in Idylwood. Jo Ann says, “We love the community and all the Halloweens and Christmas decorating we have shared with them through the years. The Halloween trick or treating parties are our most fond memories.”
What makes their home on Park Lane so special is that the Paul and Jo Ann were able to “completely remodel our home in 2014-2015 and were able to have all the amenities of a new home.”
They both love the neighborhood’s many stately trees and its interesting topology of hills which is a perfect setting for “our quaint cottage home.” One of the more striking features Paul and Jo Ann added to their home is the handsome brick and stone front porch with decking and casual furniture.
Another feature is the lovely front door where Bruschetta, the Australian Shepherd, always provides an enthusiastic welcome.
Jo Ann is the gardener in the household, and she loves working with a variety of flowers in both her pots and front beds. Jo Ann says she travels from nursery to nursery picking out what she likes and what she thinks will work in the yard. She says she loves color and variety but claims not to “have knowledge about any of it” and just “hopes the flowers make it thru each season.” The plants in Jo Ann’s pots and beds include Day Lilies, Impatiens, Spiraea, Easter Lilies, Day Lilies, Hydrangea, Society Garlic, Phlox, Coreopsis, Amaryllis, White Agapanthus, and Canna Lily.
As far as landscaping features go, Jo Ann enjoys changing out the plants in her various pots and tries to make the front and back yards more attractive and interesting. They also added a stepping stone walk from the driveway to the front porch.
