By Rachael Lindley
Photos courtesy of Southlake Perennial Garden Society
The Southlake Perennial Garden Society will be holding its biennial tour, “Peek Behind the Garden Gate” on May 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Widely regarded as one of North Texas’s most beloved garden tours, the event goes beyond beautiful blooms. The tour will feature five homes with Master Gardeners standing by to share practical wisdom on soil health, irrigation, plant selection and sustainable pest control. Each garden has its own education theme — ranging from butterfly-friendly landscaping and native plants to water-wise practices suited for the Texas climate. Visitors are free to wander while local artists paint spring unfolding in real time.
Co-chaired by seasoned Master Gardeners Cathy Vollmer and Siân Rees, and supported by volunteers from across Northeast Tarrant County, the tour highlights an inspiring range of landscape styles. While some are formal and structured, others feel relaxed and delightfully untamed. Each reflects not only horticultural knowledge, but the personality, persistence, and vision of the people who tend them.
Serenity Spaces — Jane and Don Langlais
For Jane Langlais, gardening is a memory made visible. Years spent living in London left her with a love for the softness and romance of English gardens. Back in Texas, she thoughtfully adapted that aesthetic to North Texas’ heat, blending hydrangeas and seasonal blooms with regionally resilient plants. Gentle fountains murmur beneath the Texas sky. Hummingbirds hover among pollinator-friendly flowers. Layered beds spill generously with color.
Designed as a series of outdoor rooms, Serenity Spaces feels intimate and welcoming — made for shared meals, lingering conversations, and quiet morning views from the kitchen window. It is a garden rooted in love and shaped by experience, offering calm beauty through every season.
Birder’s Paradise — Ann and Scott Hollinger
In 1991, Ann and Scott Hollinger stood in a backyard of Bermuda grass and sandburs and saw the possibilities. Over three decades, that blank canvas has transformed into a thriving ecosystem alive with birdsong and fluttering wings.
With 81 bird species recorded in their backyard, Birder’s Paradise is less about manicured perfection and more about meaningful biodiversity. Towering trees shelter ferns and wildflowers. Aging trunks are intentionally left standing for woodpeckers and lizards. Native plants nourish butterflies and migrating birds. Ann and Scott have embraced the “wildness” that comes with true habitat gardening, creating not just a yard, but a sanctuary where nature is invited not simply to visit — but to stay.
Botanical Bento — Dori and Stanley Kawai
At Stanley and Dori Kawai’s home, structure meets philosophy. Botanical Bento is composed like its namesake — distinct spaces arranged with care and intention, each offering its own experience. Pergolas frame pathways. Hedges define intimate outdoor rooms. Layers of plantings unfold gradually, rewarding visitors who choose, as Dori believes, to take “the long way.”
A front-yard permaculture orchard guild has become something of a neighborhood landmark, drawing passersby who pause to admire what’s growing. Inspired by global garden design and guided by a respect for nature’s impermanence, this space invites reflection and renewal. It is both artful and deeply personal — a garden that asks visitors to slow down and notice.
The Art of the Shade Garden — Susan and Steve Miller
For nearly 30 years, Steve Miller has shaped his garden the way an artist approaches a canvas — patiently, intuitively, and without fear of revision. As the trees around his home matured and shade deepened, he adapted rather than resisted, learning to work with shifting light.
Built bed by bed, season by season, the garden reflects decades of experimentation. Plants have been moved and layered to create depth and harmony. Spiky forms mingle with soft textures. Blue agapanthus rise dramatically among shade-loving companions. Like Steve’s painting and cooking, the garden reveals an instinctive artistry — one most evident in his quiet, confident mastery of shade.
Perennial Pathways — Becky and Chris Miltenberger
When the historic 2021 freeze reshaped their landscape, Becky and Chris Miltenberger saw not loss, but opportunity. They reimagined their garden from the ground up, creating a resilient tapestry of hardy perennials, native stonework, and staggered blooms that ensure color nearly year-round.
Inspired by travels from Mexico to Norway, Florence to the American Southwest, they’ve blended global influence with North Texas toughness. Pathways weave through outdoor rooms designed for reflection and connection. Even in summer’s heat, flowers thrive, and hummingbirds dart through the air. It is a garden that celebrates endurance and creativity — proof that beauty can emerge stronger after hardship.
While the curb appeal of these homes may already impress, the true magic lies beyond the gates. This tour offers a rare chance to step into lush, private worlds shaped by patience, passion, and perseverance.
Pre-sale tickets are $20 per person, with children under 12 admitted free. Beginning April 1, tickets may be purchased online and picked up the day of the tour at the first home, 811 Shorecrest Drive in Southlake. Starting April 10, tickets will also be available at Marshall Grain Colleyville, Landscape Systems in Keller, Calloway’s Nurseries in Southlake and Hurst, as well as The Flower Ranch in Keller. Day-of tickets are $25.
Proceeds support the Society’s educational initiatives, including community programming, school grants for hands-on garden education, and sponsorship of the beloved Butterfly Release at the Southlake Monarch Butterfly Festival.