September 30, 2026
Are you like me? Do you looky-loo at people’s houses and yards when you’re passing by? I’ve done this all my life. When I was little, I remember riding around with my parents on Sunday drives through other neighborhoods, listening to them comment on things they liked — or didn’t. When I was older, I did my own driving and looking. And as a blogger, I’ve been sharing Drive-By Gardens posts for years.
I’m still ogling.
And why not? There’s a smorgasbord of design, artistic statements, and problem-solving efforts out there, free for sampling with your eyeballs. Here are a few homes in Denver’s Washington Park neighborhood that caught my eye over the summer.
Tulip house
This one I call the Tulip House (see top picture). Craftsman-style tulips grace the garden gate, brick pillars, and window grilles on the upper story. These folks are all-in on tulips.
It’s a charming accent. If anyone is interested in similar tiles, I’ve seen them online at Motawi Tileworks and at local stores like Modern Bungalow.
Meadowy ranch garden
I love this meadowy, shades-of-green garden laid out in front of a retiring, dark-brick ranch.
Harmonizing with the brick, a flat boulder is surrounded by purple coneflower, blue oat grass, alliums, and a yellow-flowering plant. That Christmas-tree conifer in the background is the perfect Colorado accent.
Side view
A flagstone path curves through bristly firs or spruces or whatever they are to the front door.
One more glimpse. Is the back like this too? I’d love to see it.
Fairy-tale cottages
At one end of Washington Park are two houses that look straight out of a fairy tale with their curvy, wavy, wood-shingled roofs.
The oldest, built in 1913, is the Causey-Sterne House. It has so much character.
I’ve spotted a few other houses with bent-shingle roofs around the neighborhood, but they’re unusual. I can’t help wondering what level of skill and budget are required to maintain these work-of-art roofs.
Modern house pollinator garden
There are modern houses in the neighborhood too. This one has a naturalistic meadow garden for a front yard, with a sign proclaiming it’s part of Wash Park’s Pollinator Corridor. I plan to join next spring or summer, after I overhaul the front garden.
Lattice peek-a-boo fence
A chocolate-brown lattice fence caught my eye at this house. I like the way it defines the private backyard while still allowing peek-a-boo glimpses — very friendly.
Ivy league
This small brick bungalow has an entry gable cloaked with ivy — a fairy-tale touch of its own.
House of seven gables
There are gables galore at this handsome house with green roof tiles. Notice the flowering yucca design of the storm door.
Kaleidoscope yard
At this house, a garden kaleidoscope sits invitingly along the sidewalk.
A step stool offers kids a boost to peek into the lens.
It’s trained on a planter bowl, which earlier this summer was filled with colorful pansies.
Mirrors in the tube turn the flowers into a shifting prismatic image. What a fun gift to the neighborhood this is.
Waterwise sidewalk garden
At this house, a narrow bed along the sidewalk is bursting with colorful, waterwise perennials like yarrow, aster, and hummingbird trumpet, plus grasses like ‘Blonde Ambition’ blue grama.
What a happy garden to walk past.
My eyes are peeled for beautiful moments like these on every walk. Thanks, neighbors!
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