David Stewart and Barbara Dondiego are among the homeowners swinging open their fences this spring. Their Cobb County garden is one of the properties featured on the Smyrna Garden Tour on May 19.
The tour, from 10 a.m to 4 p.m., gives an outside peek into residents’ gardens. Tickets are $10 in advance at Love Street Gifts & Garden, Back Yard Feed & Seed, the Smyrna Recycling Center and the Smyrna Community Center; $15 on the day of the tour at the Taylor-Brawner House (for more information, call 770-431-2863).
The couple bought their home because of its Tudor style and the grassy space to let their gardening skills blossom.
“A big part of it for us was teaching our son about food and where does it come from and how does it grow, so that he would know that food doesn’t come from a package,” Stewart said.
Snapshot
Residents: David Stewart and Barbara Dondiego and their 2-year-old son, Dominic. David, 41, is a college professor; Barbara, 36, is senior vice president of marketing and chief marketing officer for EarthLink.
Location: Smyrna
Size: About 3,500 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 4 1/2 baths
Year built: 2005
Year bought: 2010
Architectural style: Tudor Revival. "We really liked the architectural style of this house because the style is Tudor Revival, with the chimney on the front and a lot of stone," David said. "We were looking for that, but we didn't think we were going to find it."
Favorite architectural feature: The coffered ceiling in the living room
Interior design style: Traditional
Interior designer: Megan Caskey with Sparrow Interiors assisted them with the decor in areas such as the master bedroom.
Favorite design update: The Stewarts chose a palette of blue, chocolate, cream and white. When they bought the home, the walls, ceiling and trim were white. "It was a little too stark for us, so we added some additional colors," David said.
Landscape designer: Lindsey Mann from Sustenance Design in Atlanta
Favorite outdoor feature: Their garden, which takes up a portion of the property's two-thirds of an acre. They built raised garden beds, made of stacked stone, after they bought the home. They grow vegetables such as chard, garlic, greens, kale, onions peas, potatoes and tomatoes. Their property also has apple, fig, pawpaw, pear, persimmon and plum trees; blueberry bushes; and a strawberry patch.
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