Brian and Brenda Ray bought their home at 416 Pamela Dr. in Mineola in August 2015.  Soon after, they replaced a row of shrubs, some dead, with a less formal bed sporting a crepe myrtle tree surrounded by multi-colored lantana. This opened up an area in front of the house which had been hidden from view.  

Lantana, dwarf daylilies and purslane are among their favorite flowers, though Brian admits to liking bright, cheerful yellow and pink tones throughout the yard.

They both love the curb appeal of their well-tended yard and don’t mind the time it takes them to achieve it.

Brenda likes working in the flowerbeds, while Brian looks after the grass, edging, fertilizing, watering and pulling stray weeds.

They had a challenging summer trying to keep their yard healthy, but choose to have a bit higher water bill over losing trees and shrubs to the drought.

And like many others in Mineola, they’ve often had a mole and gopher infestation. Brian experimented with traps and has become a wizard at catching them, trapping 25 in one year, alone.

Brian and Brenda are not done with improvements to their landscaping. They plan to add a few large boulders to give additional interest in the front.