< Previous60 COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2023 HOMEPORT (Clockwise from top) A view of the Prengs’ house from the two-story boat house; the outdoor space features a pool, hot tub spa and fire pit, as well as lounging chairs; the extensive back porch gives the family unobstructed views of the canal. PHOTOS: COUrTeSY MYLeS STrANe PHOTOGrAPHY COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2023 61 One thing Joanne insisted upon was two laundry rooms so her guests could wash their linens and replace them on their beds before they left after a getaway weekend. Two washing machines and dryers let them do their laundry at the same time. David’s wish list had one other item — a small wine “room” with coolers large enough to hold more than 300 bottles of wine. He had it built into a hidden and secluded area on the way up to the second-floor family room. The family room, with its large sectional couch, is the other gathering place for the family. A large TV hangs on the wall, making it a perfect place for watching movies or shows. The table in the room is used for card games, puzzles or other activities. “I actually like the outside deck as my favorite place. I’ve been known to fall asleep out there. It is very relaxing.” JOANNE PRENG Besides the four bedrooms upstairs, the Prengs had a bunkroom built in with six bunkbeds for visiting youngsters. Each bed has a blue privacy curtain, but the kids seem to love the communal room, the Prengs said. The house also was designed with lots of outdoor space, protected from the sun. A two-story boat house and pergola juts out into the canal, housing their boat downstairs and a covered table and chairs upstairs. The yard is taken over by a pool, hot tub spa and a fire pit, as well as groups of lounging chairs and sofas. “I actually like the outside deck as my fa- vorite place,” Joanne said. “I’ve been known to fall asleep out there. It is very relaxing.” One of David’s favorite things to do at the house at dusk is to watch as the two nearby Live Oak trees become refuges for dozens of egrets, who nest in the trees until morn- ing when they leave to feed in the nearby wetlands. “They roost in the trees,” he said. “I get a glass of wine, watch the sunset and the birds. It is just gorgeous.” G aido R eal e state G Roup Carolyn T. Gaido REALTOR ® CLHMS, CRS, RSPS, SRS 713.851.3377 CarolynGaido@SandNSea.com CarolynGaido.com Sand `N Sea Properties, LLC Top Agent Since 1999 Michael J. Gaido, III REALTOR ® 409.457.4900 MichaelGaido.com Kimberly A. Gaido REALTOR ® , SRS 713.498.2020 sandnsea.com A trusted name with over 50 years of real estate experience 3009 AVE 01/2 $539,000 4123 LIBERTY $325,000 4203 BARATARIA $1,147,000 13730 SAN DOMINGO $710,000$729,000 3303 LANYARD PLACE $2,395,000 2 WESTWIND LOT $399,000 4116 AVENUE T $529,000 1214 103RD $1,195,00062 COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2023 COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2023 63 GARDEN VARIETY LIGHT AND LOVE With the right care, African violets are easy-to-grow indoor plants story by BARBARA CANETTI photos by STUART VILLANUEVA T he African violet actually isn’t a violet. But it is from Africa and is an easy-to-grow, continuous blooming plant that thrives in almost any indoor space. Using the fuzzy, velvety leaves is the best way to prop- agate this plant, which produces violet, pink, lavender, red-violet and white blooms. The flowers can be single, double, star-shaped, fringed or ruffled and bloom in all seasons. “African violets are easy to grow, but they do require some love,” League City resident Jamie Hart said. A Galveston County Master Gardener, Hart has been growing these plants for decades. Her home collection numbers more than 100. (Above) Teresa Kaminski scores an entrant in the NASA Area African Violet Society Show and Sale in Kemah. The show drew 198 entries, including six design categories of African violets and many beautiful plants. (Left) African violets produce violet, pink, lavender, red-violet or white blooms. The flowers can be single, dou- ble, star-shaped, fringed or ruffled and bloom in all seasons.64 COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2023 GARDEN VARIETY German colonial officer Walter Von Saint Paul-Illaire, who was in East Africa, discov- ered African violets growing among rocks in 1892. Saint Paul-Illaire identified the plant in Tanzania and sent seeds to a German botanist, who officially named the plant. Since then, hundreds of varieties have been created and the plant’s popularity spread. Hart first got interested in growing African violets after watching her mother raise them on a special shelf under fluorescent lights, she said. “It was always something we knew we needed to stay away from,” Hart said. “The blooms were beautiful and lasted forever. My favorites are the ones that produce double blooms. To me, they look like miniature roses.” African violets need from 14 to 16 hours of light a day and eight to 10 hours of dark- ness to flower. They prefer bright, indirect light in temperatures from 55 degrees but not above 75 degrees during the day. Some plants are fussy. They do best in well- drained potting soil and they prefer being pot bound, which also encourages blooms. “If I were to give any special tips to some- one starting, it would be to keep your plant in a pot one-third the size of your plant’s cir- cumference and no larger,” Hart said. “They love to be snug in their pots. If the roots have too much soil around them, they have a greater chance of rotting.” Remember, however, to change out the soil twice a year, she said. And be careful COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2023 65 not to bury the crown when repotting. Water the plant from the bottom, but don’t let the pot sit in water. Avoid getting any moisture on the leaves, which could cause spotting or fungus. To propagate, clip a vigorous mature — not old — leaf and place it in the soil. Be patient because it takes about a month for healthy new roots to appear. Tiny plants will grow where the stem was cut. Plants also can be propagated by placing a solitary leaf in water until roots appear. Cut the stem at an angle about 2 inches from the leaf. Be sure the leaf blade isn’t in the water. When roots are one-fourth-inch long, trans- fer it to a small pot with loose, porous soil. Make sure to place the leaf so the “hairy” surface faces upwards. If the plant develops thin, dark leaves or leggy stems, it means it’s not getting enough light. Bleached leaves indicate too much light. Balance is key. When Hart joined the NASA Area African Violet Society, she had five plants. Since then, she has learned propagating, fertilizing, watering techniques, and sharing of leaves within the club, which has aided in growing her collection. She helped launch a Face- book page for League City Garden Share for residents to post photos of their gardens and plants. More than 5,000 members now contribute to the site. The recent African violet show at the Ke- mah Convention Center featured 198 entries, including six design categories of African violets and many beautiful plants. Besides African violets, Hart also raises begonias, hibiscus, plumerias, orchids and bromeliads. “I am what you call a plant enthusiast,” she said. “Any and all plants deserve a chance, so I try my best to learn about them and give them care. When they get over- whelming, then I share.” (From top) African violets bloom in a rainbow of colors and also can produce bi-color flowers; visitors browse African violets for sale at the NASA Area African Violet Society Show and Sale in Kemah. (Opposite, from top) African violet grower Jamie Hart won best in class and first place for her terrarium at the show. Her entry featured miniature African violets; under the right conditions, African violets will bloom continuously. They thrive in almost any indoor space. “Any and all plants deserve a chance, so I try my best to learn about them and give them care. 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One aspect, however, has remained unwavering — hunt- ers still consider the upper coast to be an excellent place to chase ducks, and many put a lot of effort into keeping that tradition alive. I remember my first duck. It was in a marsh pond near Freeport in some of the nastiest weather I’ve ever been outside in on purpose. When it was over, my buddies and I all were soaked to the bone and had no more than a handful of ducks on a strap to show for our efforts. De- spite that, I was hooked. Since then, I’ve hunted ducks in countless stretches of marsh and open bay between East Matagorda Bay and Sabine Lake. What captivated me and fueled my passion for waterfowl hunting on that cold, rainy hunt nearly 20 years ago, is also what keeps me wanting more today. It was watching the birds work into the decoys. During Next >