If you’ve walked down Victor lately, you may have noticed the tidy little house with fresh garden beds just waiting to burst into life. That welcoming spot belongs to our March Yard of the Month neighbor, Lauraine Kay.

Lauraine’s story begins a bit farther from Junius Heights—about 30 minutes outside Paris, France  With a French mom and an American dad hailing from Arizona, she spent her early childhood in France, living near her grandparents.  At the age of eight, she and her family moved to Southlake, so she has had time to develop a strong community of family and friends here.

Fast-forward to 2019, when Lauraine launched her nursing career—just months before the world shut down with COVID-19. Talk about a baptism by fire! She even spent some time as a traveling nurse, but ultimately was glad to return home to friends and family here in Dallas.

Lauraine bought her Victor Street home in October 2024 and moved in last April. She says she was drawn to the character of Junius Heights, the walkable streets, proximity to Greenville Avenue shops, food and entertainment,  and the easy commute to her job at Baylor University Medical Center—just a couple of miles up Gaston.

This is Lauraine’s very first house, so everything about homeownership—and gardening—is brand new territory. Fortunately, she had a great starting partner. After seeing the beautiful work Alex from New Image Landscaping did for her parents, she invited him to help her create a plan for the yard.

Last month, that plan started coming to life. Alex installed the bones of what promises to become a lovely landscape: flower beds tucked around the front of the house, plus big rambling beds ready for all kinds of flowers and greenery. There’s even room for a future veggie garden in a particularly sunny spot in the backyard. New walkways, cozy sitting areas, and a tidy enclosure for the garbage bins are part of the design and installation, along with small trees, flowering plants, and shrubs that are settling in—and happily, Lauraine kept her favorite feature: an ancient, stately crape myrtle standing guard just behind her fence

Now the fun begins. Lauraine is excited to experiment with her new outdoor canvas—adding color, texture, and maybe a little whimsy.

For now, the little house is neat as a pin, and the garden beds are a promising palette—just waiting for a budding gardener to put down roots.

Congratulations, Lauraine, and welcome to the neighborhood!