Heavenly Gardens

Our weekend was spectacular. We drove down a secluded dirt road. One would never know it would lead to anywhere but a grass farm. There are grass farms everywhere down there, and this was just another one of them. Anyway, you drive and drive and wonder why you are driving down a skinny dirt road only meant for a tractor when suddenly you cross two cattle guards and you enter paradise. It's like entering another world. I felt like I was in a magical place like the Secret Garden or Cair Pavel. If ever I needed a place to hide out, this would be it. It was breathtaking. Unbelievable. My aunt's "ranch" is like better homes and gardens on steroids. They have poured more sweat and toil in this place than imaginable. And, oh yea, money. That's helped immensely. The first thing you see is the barn. There are two murals painted on the sides. They were painted by teenagers, so they are cute but in an eclectic sort of way. But I wondered if I was at the right place. And then I asked myself, "Who else would have the money to make something like THIS way out in the middle of nowhere?" I mean you just sit there in your car dumbfounded.

And then I saw my sweet aunt come outside of her three story house and wave to us to pull on up. As we got out of the van the most tantalizing smells of dinner came from the kitchen. I was immediately overtaken with the beauty and art of where I was. It seemed the whole place fit and worked together as a complete whole. Flowers loomed everywhere and everything inside was immaculate in color and cleanliness. About two hours later I realized this wasn't her house. This was the guest house! I about freaked out. What I mean is the bottom floor is really the guest quarters. The counter tops are granite...in the guest house. There are two bedrooms, a pretty little pink and blue parlor, a dining area for 12, a screened in patio that you could live in for years, and a living room with golf clubs and a piano...in the guest house. We settled in and found our rooms. We actually got the guest "house" all to ourselves. It was nice. Kind of like a really wonderful apartment, only it outfitted like a house. They keep many of their favorite things there. I would venture to guess it was almost the size of our house.

I couldn't keep my eyes off the gardens. Flowers loomed and flowed from every corner of the eye. There were two vegetable gardens full of large boxed gardens made with rows and rows of vegetables. Unique fences and gates surrounded these gardens and gave such an appealing texture. Surrounding these vegetable gardens were paths of all kinds of flowers. I wanted to run outside and soak it all in. But I had to be polite and say hi to everyone. And then I had to help with dinner. The kids were immediately excited about swimming. There's a covered pool house. The pool is as large as the one for our neighborhood. It has two guest bedrooms, a full bath, a full kitchen, tons of cushy patio furniture, and a table that seats 20. It is surrounded by beds and beds and beds of hydrangeas. Gorgeous hydrangeas in all colors!

And as far as the eye can see there is st. augustine grass that they have planted themselves, or at least hired someone to plant. It is all irrigated with a sprinkler system that uses treated and recycled waste water. They have a green house with four different rooms that is larger than our first apartment! Under the greenhouse shed they helped our kids make stepping stones for one of the pathways. They truly love kids and I think wish they had kids of their own. Right outside the house there is a patio with beautiful teak furniture and this large fireplace. There is nothing else to call it. It is made of a pink, peachy colored brick and on the mantle sits a little cupid. Just imagine english gardens and you will get the picture. And there along these pathways that surround this beautiful house are every imaginable flower that can grow in texas. And right now the lilies are blooming in all their glory.

If you were to walk right outside the screened in patio you would walk up to a fountain. The fountain is cement and it is about seven feet wide and five feet tall. You walk down a path from there and come upon a water garden enclosed with a large iron gate. When you enter your eye is immediately drawn to this little horse statue that they bought in nyc. The color of the bronze horse blends well with the plumbagos blooming everywhere. She planted in a secession of color on the outside of the garden. Shades of red turn to oranges and then yellows and then blues and then violets. All the way around. In the very middle is the goldfish pond. When you exit this garden you walk down the path of logic and reasoning. About 24 brick columns take you down a paved walkway to a gazebo. Wisteria grows wildly all the way down this path. The wisteria is growing on wooden slats overhead. The gazebo has 8 walls each 9 feet wide. Inside is nicer furniture than I'll ever have in my living room. It is all screened in to keep the skeeters out. Beyond this point is a tree house. Literally. And arbors. I cannot begin to tell you how many arbors there are. Do you know how long I have wanted a small little arbor for my backyard? And they have...many. I was just flabbergasted. I cannot say that you envy what they have. It is all too much to ever imagine obtaining. You just appreciate and feel inspired. You just stand there in disbelief with breath taken away. It is too much to believe really that a place this wonderful could exist. That a place this exquisite could have been created by two people... That they would share it when they feel it such a private part of who they are... It is really amazing.

And then, in the midst of these exquisite gardens, you feel anything must be possible.