May Visual Award

There’s a lot going in front of Laura and Sean Mahoney’s home: Newly planted trees, twining bougainvillea and white roses and tree theater.
Their 1927 vernacular Ranch home is fronted by a yard inspired by Laura’s annual Halloween display. The display requires a curving pathway that, after several years, she decided to make permanent and design the yard around it.

Two Texas olive trees – courtesy of the city’s shade program – anchor the yard. A sweeping berm is home to a variety of plants that thrive in Arizona, from lavender and roses to cacti. Squat little stools sit alongside the path. The front window is framed by a wreath of bougainvillea and roses that have provided surprising amounts of shade.

And then there’s the latest addition: Tree theater. A metal box attached to a tree is the stage for monthly displays of whimsy, often tied to holidays or other events. If this sounds familiar, the theater has migrated from 9th Avenue in the Encanto-Palmcroft neighborhood, where Laura crafted the displays, to Laura’s home. Look for a Mother’s Day theme in May.

This eye-catching yard at 1137 W. Lynwood is the winner of this month’s Visual Award. If you walk by with your pooch, don’t forget to snag a treat from the “treat tree” along the sidewalk and maybe a gulp of water from the thoughtfully placed water bowl/fountain.