In 1964, Jerry Phillips was in the Coast Guard, stationed in Galveston and looking forward to meeting his blind date, arranged by a buddy. When the woman answered her door, however, she said she had just become engaged to be married, but had arranged for him to meet her friend from Galveston, instead.

Fast forward four months and Jerry and his new blind date Shirley were married, now marking 61 years.

Jerry retired from engineering in 2004, and while traveling through Mineola on the way to a doctor appointment, he and Shirley spotted the perfect house at 405 N. Pacific Avenue. It quickly felt like home, since Jerry grew up in Mineola and has two brothers living there as well.

The yard had some landscaping, but they replaced azaleas that weren’t flourishing.  Confederate jasmine provided ground cover under a large tree. They also added crape myrtles along the driveway, then dug down two feet to improve the soil before adding boxwoods on the other side of the drive.

Along the opposite side of the house, they planted hydrangeas, which consistently achieve large blue blooms. In back is a deck built by Jerry and a secret garden, featuring nandina, ajuga, ferns, day lilies, hostas, more azaleas, loropetalum and a lacy Japanese maple. 

Periwinkles are a favorite, sprinkled around the beds. Turks cap enjoys a bed of its own, drawing hummingbirds and butterflies. A red camellia provides a spark of color to the shady front yard, which has evolved over the years.

Shirley learned to love flowers and gardening from her grandmother, and for many years did mowing, weeding and tending to the flowerbeds. She jokes that she’s retired now and has become an advisor.

Jerry’s dad was an engineer and ham radio operator, who also raised nine children while publishing a book of poetry, building furniture and gardening. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree. His son also built beautiful furniture, the deck and a lovely carport for Shirley. Jerry found a way to grow tomatoes and peppers in their shady yard by planting them in pots positioned in a couple scarce sunny spots.

Shirley advises new gardeners to always separate the roots when taking a new plant out of its pot

 She also advises that before purchasing a new plant, that one should carefully read the plant’s tag, which tells the mature size, water, light and temperature requirements and ease (or difficulty) to maintain.

Then, “Don’t be timid...try something new!”

Fannie Marchman Garden Club of Mineola presents the Phillips’ home as April Yard of the Month.