January 27, 2025
New Ideas for Old Yard
On a house-hunting mission, Kat and Dave Sherby fell for a big yard that beckoned collaborative brainstorming for wildlife watching. First, they tackled rainwater runoff and lawn reduction to make way for food and flower gardens. Then came rainwater collection, compost-making, a keyhole garden and relaxing spots to hang out and enjoy it all.
In 2008, they moved from 10 acres to this friendly neighborhood on an acre of land, embraced by an arching old live oak.
When we met them in November 2023, Kat told us, “We wanted to have kind of an in-town countryside look and feel to our home.” I grabbed a quick shot of CTG crew Steve Maedl and Joe Rocha as they packed up gear on the new patio framed by soft leaf yuccas and turk’s caps.
Kat and Dave left about half an acre wild, concentrating gardens near the house. From the patio, a winding black basalt path leads to the side gardens. To slow down rainwater that drained towards the house, they built raised beds for canna lilies (beloved by hummingbirds) and various native perennials. Corgi Pyrenees mix, Tina, was happy to conduct the tour.
The basalt hooks up with a decomposed granite path framed by turk’s caps. “We put in a pathway to help drain water away from the house,” Dave said. “Just trying to work with what Mother Nature is going to send us.”
Nearby, a fluffy dwarf white fountain grass catches the slanting sunlight, just begging to be petted!
Turk’s cap and Gregg’s mistflower companion in part shade. Water wise both, they appreciate a bit of watering in the heat of dry summers.
Goldenball leadtree flaunts fragrant golden puffballs.
They’ve got something blooming just about all year, but in fall, ‘Country Girl’ chrysanthemums and asters were glorious. I’ve got a few ‘Country Girls’: little champions through drought and ice, and such a hit with bees.
Kat and Dave have always harvested rainwater, so they installed three tanks: two 1500-gallon tanks and one 1000-gallon cistern to water the gardens.
It was nippy that November day, but we’d just surfaced from months of soul-searing heat. Kat and Dave turn down the heat in their cowboy pool.
Serenely floating with an icy drink in hand tops the day to simply appreciate the sounds and sights of the wildlife all around them. Kat keeps up with the birds stopping by on Cornell Lab’s Merlin sound app. Even if you can’t see who’s chirping, the sound app identifies the birds so you can learn more. It’s free and so much fun, so give it a whirl!
After a refreshing dip, they’re back to work, tending beds and adding new ones.
An herb garden supplies fresh tastes for recipes and cocktails.
Dave cultivates succulents and whimsey in a miniature stock tank.
Kat cultivates crops all year in her keyhole garden. She pours compost into the screen tube to feed the soil and her thriving plants.
They make their own rich compost in a tumbling bin.
A lot of their plants started in their rustic potting shed. Director Ed Fuentes eyed a few seeds he wanted.
Along with collecting seeds from their own robust bloomers, they keep an eye on wild plants to gather a few seeds.
During the pandemic, Kat spent a lot of time documenting her outdoor observations through art.
She found a supportive audience in person and online for her drawings and paintings at Kat & Dog Studio.
As I write this, she may be finishing up her mural at People’s Pharmacy on Lamar!
Kat and Dave have seen many gardens and know that “the beauty of gardening is you can make it whatever you want.” Rather than judging another person’s version of a garden, simply appreciate that there are so many ways to garden! He wisely reminds us, “I think when you get into thinking about a garden or designing a space, make sure you put into it what you want to get out of it. It doesn’t have to be the same as your neighbors.”
Thanks for stopping by! Watch now.