River Oaks Garden Club 76th Annual Azalea Trail 2011
March 4, 5, & 6
Easy To Follow Numbered Map of Azalea Trail
1. River Oaks Garden Club - 2503 Westheimer Road
2. Featured Home - 2526 Bellmeade
3. Featured Home - 3208 Locke Lane
4. Featured Home - 18 West Lane
5. Featured Home - 3880 Willowick
6. Bayou Bend Gardens 2940 Lazy Lane / 6003 Memorial Drive
7. Rienzi
I had a really great fun day yesterday. I was invited for a, ahem, (VIP) 'behind-the-scenes' tour of the four incredibly beautiful private homes featured this year on The River Oaks Garden Club Azalea Trail.
Wow, you may think. Our little blogger (moi) certainly must be rising in rank and prestige to be included in such an honor - VIP tour of this year's 4 featured homes. In all honesty, I must confess that my 'invitation' was a little less 'polite invite' and a lot more 'pushy me' - "Can I go! Can I go! Please take me! I'm dying to see the homes. I promise that I'll behave myself; no one will even know I'm there."
My over the top enthusiasm left very little wiggle room for my dear friend C.B. to properly profess - I think not. But instead, my dear friend obligingly replied, "Um, I guess." Wince.
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Here is some exciting behind the scenes footage (teaser photos) of the 4 fab homes featured this year on the 76th Annual Azalea Trail.
Bellmeade
The Bellmeade home was the first house that I visited. Much to my dismay, I caved from my self imposed pressure of not wanting to seem pushy and left with very few pics, sorry.
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Locke Lane
This beautiful home on Locke Lane was the 2nd home on the tour that I visited. At this home, I stepped up to the challenge and snapped away more freely, sneaking lot's of charming pictures of the dining table in the family room, the outdoor patio dining table, and a charme shady nook. I politely thanked the hostess and promised her that I would only post a couple of pictures on The Blog.
"Mostly outside stuff." I said trying to calm any apprehension she (sweet hostess) might have of sharing photos of her beautiful home on a 'blog'.
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West Lane
By the 3rd home, I begin to feel like a real bona-fide journalist. With that feeling (bravado), I begin to lose my inhibitions.
"How incredible are the grounds of this home?" I couldn't help but ask too loudly (gauchely).
"How big is this property?!"
"How cool is this furniture?"
"OMG - the art!"
I behaved very poorly.
I surely embarrassed myself, the hostess, and my dear friend.
Take it from me - try to keep all such stupid comments to yourself until you are well out of ear's way (the car with windows up).
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Willowick
By the time I reached the fourth home, our final destination, I was beyond brazen. I even asked if I could have a look . . . . upstairs (crossed a few boundaries with that request). I even took a picture of the family dog, Zeus.
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Indulge Decor Blog Insider Tip:
Parking is tight on Bellmeade and Locke Lane - lots of No Parking signs litter the streets. So here is my Blog Insider Tip - park you car anywhere and walk. As the crow flies, it's only about 2 miles from Bellmeade to Willowick. So here is what I would do . . . . .
- Meet a friend for a spirited glass of wine at Ousies Restaurant or a festive margarita at Chuy's before hand and map out your route.
- Suggested Attire - comfortable clothes (hello chaffing!), comfortable flats (hello blisters!), over-sized sunglasses (hello botox!), flouncy sun hat (hello hat-head!).
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Polite Reminders:
(Cut & Pasted from Last Year's Miss Manners Azalea Trail Post)
Don't forget to mind your manners when you're stomping through these beautiful homes...
Don't stray from the delineated path - there are plastic floor coverings and ropes to guide you so that you can not pretend that you got lost.
Don't go upstairs (the stairs are always blocked off with rope but you'd be surprised how many people make it up there).
Don't walk through the house backwards. Again, delineated pathways. Narrow. Crowded.
Don't ask how much the house costs. That's just tacky.
Don't pick the posies. Um, hello?
Don't ask where the powder room is. Seriously, don't.
Don't say "Do you think that's real?" out loud. Sure, the homeowner will probably not be there. But let me tell you, her big-eared friends will be.
Do say how lovely everything is. Those wonderful Garden Club volunteers (provisionals) have come through and made the homes & gardens look absolutely beautiful, and I'm sure they would love to hear how much you appreciate it.
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Ticket Information
Dates: March 4, 5, & 6
Hours: 11am to 6pm
Price: Single Site Admission $5 (available at each entrance)
Six Admissions, $20 (includes Bayou Bend, Rienzi, and 4 Featured Homes)
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River Oaks Garden Club is a member of The Garden Club of America and was founded in 1927. The club has made many contributions to the Houston community in the areas of conservation, horticulture, education, and civic beautification.
Proceeds from The Azalea Trail support these ongoing projects:
• Maintenance of the River Oaks Garden Club Forum of Civics Building and Gardens (the gardens are open to the public).
• Maintenance of the 14-acre gardens of Bayou bend, the former estate of Miss Ima Hogg and now the Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
• Continuation of the Bayou Bend Gardens Endowment, a charitable trust for the perpetual maintenance of the gardens. The endowment is also supported by public contributions.
• Hosting of the annual Sadie Gwin Blackburn Environmental Seminar, which is open to the public (admission is free).
• Publication of A Garden Book for Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast. In 2009, the River Oaks Garden Club made contributions to the following: Holly Hall, Casa de Esperanza, Trees for Houston, Lamar High School-HISD, and Students Conserving America.
