< Previous Hill & Hill, P.C. Law The value added law firm. 409.220.1166 FOR RESERVATIONS: 281.334.1000 ext. 2025 or nmatthews@sshr.com Enjoy a two-hour adult-fun cruise on Clear Lake with Houston Party Boats. Meets in hotel lobby at 3:30pm and departs at 3:45pm. Reservation required. $59 Inclusive/Per Person Includes beer and wine, light bites and a complimentary drink from our featured sponsor of the day. June 17 sponsored by July 15 sponsored by August 19 sponsored by September 16 sponsored by October 21 sponsored by62 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2023 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2023 63 GARDEN VARIETY ‘MY PEACEFUL SPOT’ Long days and years of work yield beauty and color in Santa Fe garden story by BARBARA CANETTI | photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS I t all started with the koi pond her husband and son created 25 years ago. Sandra Bradley saw that as an op- portunity to expand her Santa Fe home garden, making it a place where she and husband, Dalton, would find joy and lots of work. The koi pond wasn’t as successful as they had hoped, but over the years the garden has grown in size and varieties and gives the couple hours of pleasure every day. Recently, they hired Earth Creations in Galveston to rebuild the pond, adding a waterfall and other elements. They have even trained the fish to respond to feeding time. “We ring the wind chime bell and they come,” Sandra said. “They know it is their time to eat.” When the couple moved to their quiet neighborhood 30 years ago, the house was surrounded by mobile homes. Now, the double-wides are gone and their half-acre lot has at least 10 separate garden areas. Looming over their one-story house are huge oak trees they planted three decades ago in the front and side, shading the house and side gardens. They filled the side areas with plants that do best with little or no sun. (Left) Sandra Bradley, with Biscuit, one of her three dogs, stands in the shade of the pergola in the backyard of her Santa Fe home. She and her husband, Dalton, have transformed the space over the years into a peaceful spot where they can watch birds and butterflies as they drink their coffee. (Above) A large koi fish surfaces near the waterfall in the koi pond in the backyard. The Bradleys have trained the fish to respond to feeding time by ringing a wind chime bell.64 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2023 GARDEN VARIETY COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2023 65 But the front of the house is wild with color — yellows, pinks, reds, whites and oranges — and features flowers mixed with variegated gingers and a bird of paradise. In the yard, the Bradleys have a bulb garden, where several years ago they planted hundreds of bulbs — ca- ladiums, daffodils, gladiolas. Surpris- ingly, the plants all survived the 2021 and 2022 winter freezes, igniting this spring in a rainbow of blooms along the back edge of the house. Nearby, a variety of succulents cov- er a decommissioned bird bath, which sits among a bed of red bromeliads. “I like bromeliads because they are showy but do not require a lot of work,” she said. “That is always a good thing.” The flowering plants also provide desired nectar for butterflies, bees and birds, especially buzzing hum- mingbirds. Sandra placed bird feeders for migrating birds and milkweed for monarch butterflies to munch on in several gardens and nearby she planted an assortment of hibiscus trees — yellow, red and orange — and a smattering of “recuperating” shell ginger. “I had to cut these gingers back after the freeze,” she said. “They are coming back now, but it will take a while.” Along the back fence she planted different kinds of sunflowers, but has been disappointed in their growth, she said. (Right, from top) A bird bath in the Bradleys’ backyard has been repurposed as a succulent garden; the Bradleys created a vibrant flowerbed in front of their home. The bed is full of plants in a variety of colors and heights. (Opposite, clockwise from top left) A bee buzzes toward the conical, lavender flowers of a vitex tree; a peach-colored rose catches the morning sun; red blooms of a bromeliad bend toward the ground; a star dahlia.66 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2023 GARDEN VARIETY “I was hoping for those big 6-foot-tall plants with big flowers,” she said, pointing to some puny looking specimens. “Maybe next year.” In the center of the yard where full sun beats down every day, a grouping of dahlias, hollyhocks, lilies, Mexican petunias and irises fill the area. Close by, in a shaded space, she planted different colors of caladiums, which don’t like the sun and now are thriving. Sprinkled among the garden are drift roses, elephant ears, petunias, figs and a coral bean tree with vibrant red flowers and dangerous thorns. A lavender-flowered vitex will continue blooming through the summer until November. Although the Bradleys spend some days from sun up to sun down working in their garden, it’s their passion. “This is my peaceful spot,” said Sandra, while tending to her four dogs. “I come here to watch the birds and butterflies and drink my coffee. What could be bad with that?” A flowerbed winds along one side of the backyard. The bed is filled with a variety flowers that add color and texture to the backyard; purple, top right, and salmon-colored, bottom right, gladiolus.Thankyouforbeautifullycapturingtheessenceof ourislandandshowcasingtheincrediblepeople,stories &businessesthatmakeGalvestonsospecial. ToLauraElder,aheartfeltcongratulationsfor yourvisionanddedicationinbringingthismagazine tolifesomanyyearsago. Here'stomanymoreyearsofislandinspiration! Congratulationson15Years! sandnsea.com|409.797.550068 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2023 Call us today or Book a Tour here! We can’t wait to meet you! www.themeridian-galveston.com Call today 409.763.6437 2228 Seawall Boulevard, Galveston Island, TX 77550 The Meridian is a Senior Living Community In Independent Living you can be who you were meant to be.... It’s never too late to discover new hobbies, start an exercise program, and make new life-long friends. Choose The Meridian Independent Living and let us take care of the little things ~ so you can live big! Enjoy our fine dining, coffee bar, on-site library, fitness room and movie theater. Spend some quiet time in our chapel. Participate in scheduled activities. Take a walk on the beach. Your days can be filled with all of this and more! The Beach House Assisted Living & Memory Care gives the residents the support they need while they maintain their dignity and independence. On our Post-Acute Skilled Unit we provide Skilled Nursing and Therapy after a hospital stay where Medicare and Insurance will often cover your stay. We also offer Long-Term Care. At The Meridian, we are not just community... we are Family. JOIN US FOR OUR OPEN HOUSE ON JULY 13TH We will have refreshments, door prizes, tours and a dedication of reopening our ChapelNext >