< PreviousCONTACT YOUR LOCAL LENDER TO BUY YOUR GALVESTON DREAM HOME PAUL VINCENT NMLS 49103 | Branch Manager Mortgage Banker | D 713.469.3562 O 713.621.4663 | C 281.827.1139 PVincent@houseloan.com www.ThePaulVincentTeam.com Cornerstone Home Lending, Inc. | 1177 West Loop South, Suite 700 | Houston, Texas 77027 2228 Mechanic Street, Suite 318 | Galveston, Texas 77550 | Company NMLS 2258 Not a commitment to lend. Borrower must meet qualification criteria. Equal Housing Opportunity. GET STARTED TODAY!2021 | Parade of Homes | 21 ABOVE: A bee lands on a stem of Salvia flowers in the Galveston County Master Gardener Discovery Gar- den. BELOW: Frog fruit, which has tiny flowers, grows in the garden in Carbide Park. The native plant attracts pollinating insects and is often used as a ground cover. provide food and shelter for pollinating insects and birds. “Most people are un- aware insect populations worldwide are declining,” Bain said. “So, native plants are needed to remedy this issue. Native plants create a natural habitat for insects and animals, and there are many insects that feed only on native plants.” Using native plants for landscaping homes can provide a variety of colors, textures, heights and bloom times. In fact, by planting native plants, homeown- ers can have color all year round. There are dozens of dif- ferent kinds of native plants that look good as well as serve a purpose. Gingers, hi- biscus, bromeliads and flow- ering vines all add color to the landscape. Many bulbs and tubers also contribute to a bright garden, along with flowers, grasses, shrubs and bushes that are compatible with the Gulf Coast climate and terrain. A native plant is one that has existed in the area or region without human introduction. Some native plants are considered invasive or just a weed. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Bain said. “Weeds are commonly plants that we do not want in our gardens or flower-Whether you are searching for a dream home or vacation haven, look no further than Galveston County. Our agents are ready to help locate the perfect spot. Galveston - West End Office 13450 FM 3005 Galveston, TX 77554 409.737.5200 League City Office 1911 W. League City Pkwy #200 League City, TX 77573 281.607.1990 Galveston - In Town Office 2615 Broadway St Galveston, TX 77550 409.763.8030 ©2021 Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. Better Homes and Gardens® is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation licensed to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Franchise is Independently Owned and Operated. If your property is currently listed with a real estate broker, please disregard. It is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other real estate brokers.2021 | Parade of Homes | 23 SCAN HERE TO VIEW A COMPLETE LIST OF NATIVE PLANTS FOR THE HOUSTON REGION, INCLUDING THE GULF COAST. beds, but if you plant natives, you will soon determine what your ‘weed’ is.” These low-maintenance plants are beneficial to birds, bees and butterflies, but it is important to select natives that are meant for a specific region. For instance, don’t plant West Texas natives in Galves- ton – they just won’t grow. Some good examples of native color plants are corn flowers, which bloom all summer and love the sunshine; black-eyed Susans are cheerful yellows and drought tolerant; sea oats like to be in the shade and sprout flower-like spikes and leaves that look like bamboo; yaupon hollies are drought tolerant and worship the sun — and female plants have red berries; yellow/ orange lantana attracts butterflies and is also drought and salt toler- ant; Turk’s cap spreads easily and likes partial shade for its little red blooms that look like a Turkish tur- ban; salvias bloom constantly and are sun and drought tolerant. “Native plants have a sense of purpose,” Bain said. “Low-grow- ing plants help provide shelter for larvae and young insects and the taller blooming plants attract adults to feed and breed.” ◊ ABOVE: A black-and-yellow argiope spider makes its web in between native plants in the pollinator garden. BELOW: Bain is planting more native plants in the pollinator garden at the Master Gardener Discovery Garden in La Marque.Vacation Rentals & Real Estate Sales | sandnsea.com | 409.797.5500 EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITIES.26 | Parade of Homes | 2021 Pandemic-era employees revamp home offices for comfort and efficiency Story by Shannon Caldwell BACK IN BUSINESS G alveston County architects and interior designers are seeing an increase in demand for home offices as the pandemic means more people are working from home. Cate Black, principal and founder of RISE Architecture + Design, said many of her new build clients are re- questing home offices, and a smaller number of renovation clients want help designing a home office space within their existing floorplan. “If space and budget are no op- tion, then we can go ahead and de- sign a separate home office,” Black said. “I always recommend that the office is somewhere away from the main living room, perhaps near the primary bedroom. Even if space and budget is tight, we always can find a nook or small area for an office.” When space is tight, barn doors or pocket doors work well to close off a home office space and keep the home looking tidy. Built-in furni- ture works well in a home office as it adds storage space and becomes part of the home, she said. “I’m a huge believer in flexible spaces,” Black said. “Why have a guest room that only gets used once a year when it also can be a home office space, too? Or perhaps have a home office that can be a yoga space or art studio, too.” Mitchell Bage, owner and design director of Maison de Campagne, said the increased work-from-home trend has been driven by health and safety concerns and because large Courtesy/Kerry Kirk Photography Cate Black, principal and founder of RISE Architecture + Design, said many of her new build clients are requesting home offices, such as the one she designed above. 2021 | Parade of Homes | 27 “Originally, many of my clients made do with offices in a media room or in a spare bedroom. Now there’s an opportunity to continue working from home, they want something more functional and permanent.” MITCHELL BAGE Courtesy/ Maison de Campagne Interior Design and Home Staging Home workspaces can vary in layout and design, depending on the type of work for the user, the space needed and the areas available in floorplan. Maison de Campagne Home Staging and Interior Design has different designs to suit the needs of anyone working remotely, ranging from traditional styles to offices hiding in a small nook.Galveston M – F 10am-5:30pm Sat. 10am – 5pm Sun. 11am – 5pm Matagorda Wed – Sun 10am – 5pm & Mon & Tue 11am – 4pm NEW Boutique Area Facebook@baysidechicgalveston Facebook@baysidechicmatagorda baysidechicgalveston.com 4002 Broadway Galveston, TX - 409-621-9540 455 Fisher (Hwy 60) Matagorda, TX – 979-863-50422021 | Parade of Homes | 29 employers have not seen any reduction in productivity in the past 18 months of the pandemic. “Originally, many of my clients made do with offices in a media room or in a spare bedroom,” Bage said. “Now there’s an opportunity to continue working from home, they want something more functional and permanent.” Clients who live and work in Houston but have a second home in Galveston also want home offices in their getaway homes, he said. “With more flexibility in work sched- ules and no reason to commute, people Courtesy/Vanessa Chavez of Realty Exposure Photography RISE Architecture + Design remodeled both of these fourth-floor cupola rooms into flexible office spaces. 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