< Previous90 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2023 HOMEPORT wide arched entrance hallway and living room. A massive chandelier at the entrance of the hall, decorated with mythological figures, is painted with gold-leaf plaster. And deeper into the hallway, the motif changes to a lighter, brighter more beachy style, with whimsical light fixtures hanging from the original wooden arches. There are three bedrooms on this floor. Each is decorated with the house theme of fleur-di-lis. They ex- panded the original bathroom, making it an ensuite to the primary bedroom. Then, they converted a small back bedroom into a large double-sink bathroom. When remodeling, the Oxmans discovered a window in the primary bedroom that had been hid- den inside a closet. Each bedroom is roomy and bathed in natural light. At the end of the hallway, they re- moved a false ceiling, which revealed an original transom and allowed them to make use of the stairway to the basement. This is where the Oxmans really COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2023 91 had to work. Termite damage and failing vertical beams required major restoration to the lower level. The dirt floor was cemented and a series of entertaining and sleeping spaces were created. They repeated the arched hallway downstairs, but used that de- sign to hide ductwork and mechanical equipment in the ceiling. “The arches downstairs are reminis- cent of the upstairs hall,” Sondra said. The finishes used in the house were rather simple and feature the same off-white color on all the walls, although it appears to have differ- ent shades, depending on the light. All of the red pine floors have been refinished and match seamlessly with the yellow-pine flooring in the back porch area. For their efforts, the Oxmans were recognized with the Sally B. Wallace Historic Preservation Award by the Galveston Historical Foundation in 2022. They use the cottage as a short- term rental. (Below) An antique table and chair in one of the bedrooms. (Opposite, clockwise from top) The primary bedroom is roomy and bathed in natural light; the fleur-de-lis motif is carried throughout the house, including the bathrooms; a painting of the historic Victorian bungalow hangs in the entry to a bedroom. PATIOPARTIES PATIOPARTIES C A F EEASY LIVING, TEXAS GULF STYLE Discover Coast Monthly, the magazine celebrating the unique coastal lifestyle found only along the Texas Gulf Coast. WWW.COASTMONTHLY.COM/SUBSCRIBE94 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2023 GARDEN VARIETY ‘BACK WITH VIGOR’ Whether edible or ornamental, ginger fares well on the upper Texas coast story by BARBARA CANETTI O f the nearly 1,600 varieties of ginger plants, only one is edible — Zingiber officinale. The rest are ornamental and produce some of the most beautiful blooms for tropical plants. The plants are perennial and, despite freezes and droughts, usually come back each spring along the upper Texas coast. Unlike many plants, gingers don’t grow from seeds, but from rhizomes, the horizontal underground stem that puts out lateral shoots. In the edible variety, these rhizomes — also called ginger root — are sold at supermarkets and used in a variety of foods and folklore medicines. Ginger originated in Southeast Asia, which explains why it’s a constant in many regional foods. As an herb, it has been used in ancient cultures across Asia and Europe; Nick Brown demonstrates how to separate the rhizome, or ginger root, from a plant at Moody Gardens in Galveston. PHOTO: JENNIFER REYNOLDS COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2023 95 Alpinia purpurata, commonly referred to as red ginger, also called ostrich plume and pink cone ginger, feature showy flowers on long, brightly colored red bracts. PHOTO: BARBARA CANETTI96 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2023 PHOTO: BARBARA CANETTIeven during the fourth century B.C., Confucius advised to “eat ginger with every meal.” It has been shown that ginger helps boosts the immune sys- tem, protects against colorectal cancer and induces cell death in ovarian can- cer, according to Texas A&M Agrilife Extension. The compound gingerol creates its tangy flavor and fragrance. Tumeric and cardamon are in the same family, although their rhizomes look different than ginger. They are edible as well. The tropical ornamentals can be seen across the upper Texas coast. The plants are large, the leaves usually are green or variegated white/green and grow best in filtered sunlight in pots or the ground. They need well- drained soil. Avoid soggy areas or where there’s too much salt in the air or ground. Cut them back annually if they last through the winter; they’ll re-emerge. Although edible ginger is the most familiar, the varieties of ornamentals are interesting and showy. Nick Brown, horticulture technician at Galveston’s Moody Gardens for the past four years, has a special affinity for gingers, he said. He raises about 20 varieties for Moody Gardens’ Rain- forest Pyramid and at his home. “A lot of people don’t know you can grow all kinds of ginger here,” Brown said. “They are tropical and will freeze to the ground, but they will be back with vigor in the spring.” Brown favors some of the more exotic gingers, he said. One of his favorites is the butterfly ginger or hedychium, which actually has about 50 species. It gets its name because of the shape of the flowers and its scent, which appeals to humans, butterflies and moths. These usually bloom all summer and into the fall. They can grow in partial shade but prefer some sunshine during the day. They’re usually the first gingers to appear in the spring, growing as high as 8 feet. Blooms appear on new growth, so stems should be cut back at the end of the growing season. Brown also grows several spiral gingers, or costus, with leaves that are arranged in a spiral around a stem that grows up to 10 feet tall. They’re particularly attractive to COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2023 97 GARDEN VARIETY PHOTO: JENNIFER REYNOLDS (Above) A rhizome, or ginger root, has been separated from a ginger plant. Unlike many plants, gingers don’t grow from seeds, but from rhizomes, the horizontal underground stem that puts out lateral shoots. (Opposite) Red butterfly ginger brings a colorful show to garden spaces.98 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2023 GARDEN VARIETY PHOTO: BARBARA CANETTI PHOTO: BARBARA CANETTIPHOTO: COURTESY HERMAN AUER PHOTO: COURTESY HERMAN AUER COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2023 99 When Only the Best Will Do. We Love Working with Designers & Contractors! Kitchen Design, High-End Custom Cabinetry & Gourmet Appliances For Kitchen Remodels and New Homes, Since 1983. • We have a kitchen showroom in Webster • Professional Kitchen Design Services • Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove Gourmet Appliances Bay Area Kitchens 281.338.2737 www.BayAreaKitchens.com 17306 Highway 3 @ Medical Center Blvd. – Webster Appointments Recommended hummingbirds and bees, which feast on the honey-like ginger nectar pro- duced by the flowers. Varieties that grow well in the upper Texas coast climate are crepe ginger with its bur- gundy-colored pinecone-shaped flow- ers; the red tower ginger with its red bracts and yellow flowers; and the spiral ginger, or woodsonii. Unlike other gingers, they can be propagated with stem cuttings, although rhizome division is preferred. Brown also found a rare, dark ginger, called black ginger, or Zingiber malay- sianum. It was discovered in Malaysia in 2002 and has shiny leaves that are a deep, almost black, purple-bronze. It’s also called midnight ginger. The globba genus of ginger grow about 2 feet tall and produce inch- long dangling flowers that sway in the breezes and appear to be dancing. These plants die back to the ground in the fall but re-emerge in the spring. They’re favored by florists for arrangements and can last several weeks as a cut flower. The 11th annual Friends of Moody Gardens Herb Fair features gingers this year. The event is May 3 in the ballroom at Moody Gardens Hotel. Featured speaker is Ginger Benson, Galveston County Extension Agent for Family and Community Health. Benson will discuss the nutritional benefits of edible gingers — “Gin- ger on Gingers.” She emphasizes the numerous health benefits from including fresh ginger in diets. One of her favorite recipes is using a small amount of ginger in a smoothie for a “refreshing kick.” She’ll demonstrate a “blender bike” using pedal power on a retrofitted bicycle to propel blender blades and create a smoothie during an exercise regimen. (Opposite, clockwise from top left) Spiral ginger, shell ginger, red button ginger and shampoo ginger. Although edible ginger is the most familiar, the varieties of ornamentals are interesting and showy. This is an advertisement. ©2023. All rights reserved. Member Home Loan, MHL and all related logos, are trademarks of Member Home Loan, LLC. Office located at 9601 Jones Rd. Suite 108, Houston, TX 77065, phone number is 832-912-2151. Member Home Loan - NMLS#105693. Member Home Loan is a subsidiary of CU Alliance, LLC. Coastal Community Federal Credit Union - NMLS#595906. NMLS#595906 ccfcu.mymortgage-online.comNext >