Yard-of-the-Month - 2019
Williamsburg Settlement
the prestigious Katy community

For further information on the program, please call Jim Calvert at 281-380-8628 
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Each month the yards in our subdivision are judged. If the resident of the one that is considered to have the best display has not won the award within the last two years, is in good standing with the Association and agrees to accept the accolade, it is designated as the Yard-of-the-Month. A sign is placed in that yard throughout the duration of the month, a photograph and write-up are posted here on this web site and the winners are mentioned in our monthly newsletter.

January Winner - Amanda Applegath of 22530 Bucktrout
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Amanda has lived in the Settlement for 34 years and has two grown daughters and one grandchild. Amanda is retired allowing her to indulge her hobby of quilting. Her favorite likes about the Settlement are it quietness, its well-maintained yards and the abundance of loving caring neighbors that exist throughout the neighborhood.

Her well maintained yard starts at the street with two large potted foxtail ferns that accent each side of the walkway followed by a live oak and water oak that offer her amble shade during the summer months. The curved flower beds bordering her home contain well-trimmed boxwoods accented with red crescent roses to their rear and both dianthis and pansies in the front. Completing her beds are a holly tree surrounded with bottle brushes on the west side and a Japanese yew and Indian hawthorns on the east.  

We thank Amanda for her continued years of adding such beauty to Williamsburg Settlement. Congratulations Mrs. Applegath on winning our first yard of the month for 2019.

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February Winner - Dan and Ann Teeters of 22318 N. Rebecca Burwell
The Teeters have lived in the Settlement for 39 years raising two daughters Amy and Ashley, who together have given them four grandchildren, Julianna and Jake, Will and Matt.  

Dan and Ann, who enjoy singing in the choir for their church on Sundays, are both retired. Dan also enjoys singing with a few other groups from their church while Ann enjoys spending her free time reading.

Their yard is neatly landscaped with stacked stones accenting the trees and flowerbeds. The beds to the left consist of loropetalums, foxtails, dianellas, and dwarf bottlebrush plants, knockout roses, red drift roses and ground mound juniper. To the right are loropetalums, foxtails, and dianellas. Along with a pine and oak there is a bottlebrush tree accented by red drift roses. Dan and Ann have added a beautiful flagstone and pea gravel walkway that flows along the left bed from the sidewalk to the driveway.

When asked why they've enjoyed living in the Settlement all these years Ann was quick to say "It has always been "Our Little Oasis from the busy world."

Congratulations Dan and Ann Teeter for being awarded Yard of the Month for February. We thank you both for adding such beauty to our neighborhood for so many years.

March Winner - Karen and Steve Word of 22323 Prince George Street
The Words have lived in the Settlement since 1981 as they were one of the first to move to Prince George. In those 40 years they have raised three children, Kelly, Ashley, and Travis. While Kelly and Travis still live in the Katy area, Ashley and her family live in Connecticut with their three sons, Jacob, Noah, and Preston.

Steve operates his own printing and promotional products business and is starting to think about considering retirement. In their free time they both enjoy walking, exercising, working in their yard, cooking and barbecuing as well as spending many relaxing hours in their gorgeous backyard. 

The Word's yard begins with 3 original pine trees surrounded with flagstone edging. Along the front of their home are flower beds edged with the same flagstones and containing a variety of plants such as ginger, boxwood's, purple azaleas, red drift roses, dwarf bottle-brushes, pentas, Japanese aralia, sweet viburnum, and diamond delight euphorbias. With the addition of their new landscape lighting this year they are both anxious to add new plants in the spring that will be highlighted by these lamps and make their yard even more attractive.

Karen and Steve say the Settlement has always been a nice quiet neighborhood in which to raise kids. They've enjoyed watching the area grow and expand over the last 40 years. While neither is happy with the extra traffic that comes with it, they truly love all the new amenities that now exist and look forward to what may be coming in the near future.

Congratulations Karen and Steve Word for receiving the Yard of the Month for March 2019. For all your years of dedication in bringing continued beauty to the Settlement we say Thank You!
April Winner - Karen and Ron Mace of 1519 Durfey Lane
The Maces have lived in the Settlement since 1991 where they raised 2 sons Jason and Cameron. Both Karen and Ron are retired, Karen in 2015 from retail and Ron in 2017 after 32 years in I.T. 

The Maces yard is meticulously landscaped as both Karen and Ron do all the work themselves. The boxwoods along the front add simplicity to the incorporated Urn, which came from Karen's parents’ home after Harvey, and a Savannah Girl Statue surrounded by Amarylis, pentas, dahlberg daisies and a lugustrum tree. The large island bed in front contains Indian hawthorne, agapanthus, salvia, alysum, geraniums, and whatever else is in season. Their walkway is accented by yupon holies, junipers, society garlic, and large firecracker plants. Several large flowerbeds, a fountain and a pool allow them both to enjoy a backyard oasis year round.  

The Maces say they were drawn to the Settlement when their boys were young because it allowed them to walk or ride bikes to our elementary school. They've stayed because they like the community and what the constantly changing surrounding area provides as it continues to grow.

Congratulations Karen and Ron Mace for being awarded Yard of the Month for April 2019. Your continued efforts in maintaining the beauty of Williamsburg Settlement are greatly appreciated.

May Winner - Mike and Kathy Morrow of 22419 Vobe Court
The Morrows have lived in the Settlement for just over 40 years. They have one son Jason and one granddaughter named Skylar. While Kathy is more of a stay-at-home, work-in-the-yard type, Mike keeps busy running his Westside Auto business here in the Katy area. Their yard contains some very uniquely designed landscaping and flower beds. The front yard consists of a total of 2 large beds along the house with another 5 located in different areas of their yard. The well-manicured beds, which are all planted, watered and maintained by Kathy herself, contain a large variety of different plants ranging from Aztec grass, assorted day lilies, various colored roses, bird of paradise, flax grass, gardenias, sago palms and even some ginger. Placed within these beds and plants are several bird baths, multiple angel cherub statues and a few other yard decorations. The Morrow's driveway is lined with hibiscus plants, knockout roses, a white crepe myrtle and a rare black diamond crepe myrtle. Kathy says having the quietness, great neighbors, location and a wide variety of shopping locations so close with easy access makes the Settlement one of the best neighborhoods in which to live. Congratulations Mike and Kathy Morrow for being awarded Yard of the Month for May 2019. The beauty you've continued to add over these years is greatly appreciated.
June Winner - Margaret and Steve Lee of 22318 Bucktrout Lane
The Lee's have lived in the Settlement for 20 years where they have raised 5 children all of whom have graduated from college. Margaret says they have 2 grandchildren who still live in the Katy area and who visit often when both she and Steve are home. Both Margaret and Steve still work, but are able to find the time to enjoy those grandchildren along with their many hobbies like boating, riding and caring for their horses. On any given day you may see Margaret, Steve or both taking advantage of our neighborhoods quietness while running the perimeter streets.

Asked what they each like about living in the Settlement they said, it’s their neighbors, the community, the peace and beauty and definitely the location.

The Lee's yard leans towards a native Texas look, which includes monkey grass, boxwood, ligustrum, and hawthorns, all accented with iris's, lilies, fox tail ferns, iron plants, river ferns along with the pine trees and crepe myrtles.

Congratulations Margaret and Steve Lee for being selected our June 2019 Yard of the Month. Our neighborhood’s sincere thanks for the beauty you both have added over the years.
July Winner - Brian and Alicia Noviskie of 22334 Joshua Kendell
The Noviskies have 2 grown sons who no longer live with them, but they do share their home with their 2 dogs, a Lab named "Bos" and a miniature Schnauzer named "Bella"! Both Brian and Alicia work full-time, Brian in Landscaping and Alicia as a Project Manager in Healthcare. The Noviskies have only been living in the Settlement for just under 5 months and on moving in one of their major move-in projects was a total re-do of the existing landscaping to enhance the beauty of their new home.

The front of their home consist of several new trees, shrubs, fresh flowers and blue plumbago. Along the side are bottle brushes, loropetalums, and dianella plants forming a border with ginger plants throughout to offset some of the different colors. Adding to the bugambilias they brought with them are several new Japanese yews, Japanese blueberry hedges, and several trellises on the side for confederate jasmine, finishing at the street with two large blue pots with flowering esperanzas. 

Brian and Alicia say they were looking for a place that was not just nice or well established, but where they'd feel welcome as new homeowners. The Settlement has filled all that and more, especially having the neighborhood swimming pool and tennis courts just around the corner.

Congratulations Brian and Alicia Noviskie for being awarded our July 2019 Yard of the Month. Thank you both, the before and after landscaping of your yard has been an amazing transition of added beauty to our community and is well appreciated.

August Winner - Dana (formerly Johannsen) and Wayne Medford of 1707 Palace Green Court.
Dana and her husband Wayne have lived a combined total of 23 years in the Settlement. They have raised 3 children together Dallas 21, Dustin 20, and Darian 18. Dallas is a senior at Texas State University studying to be a teacher, Dustin is an apprentice journeyman with CenterPoint, and Darian is a freshman at Austin College in Sherman, Texas where’s she's studying political science and journalism.

Dana is a homemaker who enjoys home projects, working in their yard and making puzzles. Wayne is a Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) who also enjoys home projects, cooking and whatever Dana has on his honey-do list!

Dana and Wayne's home is landscaped with a Southwestern look. The flower beds across the front of their home are lined with limestone rock which contain a variety of plants that include lantanas, yellow lugustrums, drift roses, caleras, boxwoods, flax grass, and iris's all accented with landscaping lights at night. The large atrium located just right of their front entry is decorated with a variety of succulents and flowering cactus plants. The pines trees are lined with the same stone, neatly mulched and each accented with a large Texas step stone. Their backyard continues with multiple river rock beds that too contain various succulents, cacti and metal works.

The original attraction to the Settlement, Dana says, was because of it being a quiet master planned community with mature trees and the opportunity to see deer roam! Dana and Wayne say they have loved living here over these 23 years, Dana adding that this was especially the case in the beginning when the neighborhood was surrounded by trees. They both say they have the best neighbors in the world and have made many lifelong friendships.

Congratulations Dana and Wayne for being selected Yard of the Month for August 2019. May the enjoyment of our community remain with you for many years to come.

September Winner - Matthew and Yolanda Dunleavy of 22526 Prince George Street
The Dunleavys have lived in the Settlement for 7 years. Matthew and Yolanda have one grown daughter, Marissa, and a grandson, Kieran. Matthew says Marissa attended Williamsburg Settlement Elementary just before its name was changed to Winborn Elementary and now living across the street from Winborn, he says, brings back lots of memories. When Matthew isn't working as a Facilities Manager for Academy he enjoys drawing, painting, the gym and his yard work. Yolanda is a payroll administrator who enjoys spending every moment she can with Kieran and loves taking their dog, Pipit, for walks. 

The Dunleavy's yard is beautifully manicured by Matthew himself. The front flower beds have a variety of plants that include a large group of agapanthus on each side of their front walkway, Indian hawthorns, red buds, boxwood's, ferns, caladiums, and a large yaupon on the corner. Along the driveway side is a large esperanza with foxtail ferns. Matthew and Yolanda's front yard is not the only focus on beauty as their backyard has been turned into a tropical paradise that includes lots of patio plants, lighting and trellises for their evening enjoyment.

When asked what they enjoyed about the Settlement, they answered "the uniqueness of no cookie cutters homes, mature trees, great location, neighbors, and the quietness of our neighborhood". Congratulations Matthew and Yolanda for being selected Yard of the Month for September 2019, your continued efforts in adding beauty to our community is greatly appreciated.

October Winner - Patrick and Patricia Schrum of 22314 Bucktrout
The Schrums have lived in the Settlement for 20 years and over this time have raised two children who have now given them three grandchildren. Both Patrick and Patricia are semi-retired giving them plenty of time to enjoy golfing, traveling, working in their yard and attending their grandchildren’s activities. Like so many of our residents they like the Settlement because of their great neighbors and the quietness of the subdivision resulting from it being largely isolated from through traffic flows.

Patricia describes their yard as being basic, clean and simple which, she says, makes working in it that much more enjoyable. Their yard is neatly manicured with heavy stone rocks that border their pine trees and flower beds, these beds containing a variety of plants including gardenias, viburnum loropetalum, driftwood roses, a juniper tree, lady of the night, leopard ear, wood fern, society garlic, day lilies and caladiums.

Congratulations Patrick and Patricia Schrum on being awarded our October 2019 Yard of the Month. Thank you for your continued outstanding contribution in adding such beauty to our neighborhood. 

November Winner - Mike and Tracy Vickery of 1602 Calveryman Lane
The Vickerys have two grown daughters Lauren and Olivia and three grandchildren. When Mike isn’t working as a retirement planning consultant they both take time to enjoy cycling, kayaking, traveling and spending precious time with both family and friends. Just as the Settlement was a wonderful place to raise their daughters, they have that same wonderful feeling having their granddaughters living in the neighborhood and seeing a new generation making new memories. 

After 30 years of the same landscape they recently decided to give their home a fresh new look. The flower beds have been beautifully planted to bring together nearly 20 different varieties of plants that contain flax lily, rhoeo gold/tri-color, bleeding heart vines, purple fountain grass, midnight elephant, crotons, blue rug juniper, drift rose-white, variegated pittosporum, lilirope, holly fern, loropetalum, sunshine ligustrum, hosta, wandering jew, bulbine, coleus, wedelia, crossandra and calathea. Adding bull-rock along the foundation for separation and drainage the new look they were looking for was achieved.

Congratulations Mike and Tracy Vickery on accepting Yard of the Month for November 2019. The beauty you add to our neighborhood is greatly appreciated by all.