Nichols Hills Garden & Outdoor Living Tour is set for June 13
Nichols Hills Garden & Outdoor Living Tour Cochairwomen Laura Hood and Casey Williams urge our readers to mark their calendars for the event, set for Saturday, June 13.
The 2026 Nichols Hills Garden & Outdoor Living Tour is set to take place Saturday, June 13, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., showcasing diverse approaches to gardening and outdoor living, highlighting traditional perennial gardening, midcentury-influenced outdoor living, resort-style family-focused entertaining, as well as everyone’s favorite secret garden known for decades to Nichols Hills locals as “Fairyland.”
Tickets may be purchased on the day of the tour at any of the 5 tour homes and at Redbud Park. They may also be purchased before June 12 at these local retailers: Balliets, BeBe’s, Calvert’s, C.K.& Co., Culinary Kitchen, Essentials, Mockingbird Manor, No Regrets, Paper+More, Red Coyote, TLC Garden Centers, Trochta’s and Wild Birds Unlimited, as well as Nichols Hills Town Hall.
The 2026 Tour promises to be a recordbreaking year for fundraising. Casey Williams, chairman of Nichols Hills Parks, Inc. and co-chairman for this year’s tour attributes this to the visible improvements that have been made to the city’s parks in recent years and a better public understanding that beautification and improvements to the 36 parks and greenspaces rely exclusively on private donations. All proceeds from the tour benefit Nichols Hills Parks, Inc., a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Sponsors of $1,000 and above are invited to the patron party to be held at the Nichols Hills home of Christian Keesee the evening of June 12. The cocktail party features Brian Dougherty, one of Oklahoma City’s premier landscape architects and co-author of Parks of Oklahoma City, who will speak about his book and answer landscaping and gardening questions. Patrons will also have the exclusive opportunity to visit Mr. Keesee’s beautiful private gardens and to view and walk through Tomas Saraceno’s “Cloud City,” an impressive modular structure, which was previously on display atop the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
Garden Tour to spotlight newly-designed Redbud Park
A new highlight of the 2026 tour is to also feature one of Nichols Hills’ 36 parks and this year’s spotlight is on Redbud Park, which runs along Grand Boulevard between Sherwood Lane and Bedford Drive.
The newly-designed park recently underwent a major renovation and beautification to the water channel, addition of a fountain, extensive stone and brick work including a brick donor plaza, newly planted trees, new walking trails and a frisbee disc golf course.
A tour ticket is not required to enjoy the events at Redbud Park. The full schedule of family friendly activities includes:
• Yoga in the Park mat class taught by Allison Candelaria of Soul Yoga OKC (8:30 a.m. - bring your own mat!)
• Musical performance by family favorite musicians Spaghetti Eddie (11 a.m. – noon)
• Bounce house, face painting, lawn games and frisbee golf from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
• Food trucks: Organic Squeeze (9-11 a.m.), P.O.P. Kitchen (11 a.m. – 3 p.m.) and Kona Ice (noon-3 p.m.) will also be at the park selling their treats.
6803 N.W. Grand Boulevard
Surprises await at 6803 N.W. Grand Boulevard!
This lovely Tudor estate blends historic charm with a newly renovated, resort-style backyard designed for entertaining. The newly built cabana is the centerpiece of the yard, featuring a charming, fully equipped outdoor kitchen built to look original to the property.
While the cabana may be the focal point, several additional seating areas provide the opportunity to gather around an outdoor firepit, dine with friends and family or lounge poolside, making this backyard an entertainer’s dream.
Original brick and stonework surround the pool and entertaining areas seamlessly integrating new with old.
The expansive back lawn, framed by newly designed and manicured flowerbeds, stretches beyond the cabana, offering ample play space for children.
The newly built pool house cabana blends in beautifully with the existing historical features of the backyard.
Above: A view of the resortstyle backyard that overlooks Grand Boulevard.
At right: A charming outdoor cabana. kitchen.
1706 Windsor Place
Bursting with vibrant perennial color, the gardens at 1706 Windsor Place is a garden of all skill levels. Ever evolving, this garden is designed for continuous bloom with different perennials (most grown from seed) taking center stage depending on the season and to attract pollinators like bees, butterflies and birds. Like most well-designed perennial gardens, this one is anchored by interesting trees of all varieties that provide year-round structure as well as texture and foliage of their own.
1706 Windsor Place, a charming cottage surrounded by seasonal and everchanging perennial gardens — mostly planted from seed.
Wander down the drive and you will be rewarded with the home’s charming outdoor kitchen and living area, as well as raised zinnia cutting gardens. While everything about this charming cottage and its beautiful gardens will make you feel like you are in England, it is clear the homeowners are dedicated and masterful gardeners able to achieve all of this in Oklahoma’s trying weather conditions.
During the tour the homeowners and their tree specialist will be on hand to visit and answer questions.
6436 N.W. Grand Boulevard
This charming home and garden demonstrate that a smaller, thoughtfully designed space can make a lasting impression.
Meticulously maintained, the landscaping features native perennials and distinctive trees designed for year-round appeal. A red buckeye tree serves as an introduction to the peaceful backyard, offering early spring blooms that attract hummingbirds and pollinators.
A blend of new and antique faux bois furniture and statuary offer a glimpse into the homeowner’s love of antiques and design. The garden includes an espaliered Asian pear tree, showcasing a space-saving and elegant technique for fruit trees.
Darrell Pothorst from TLC Gardening Centers is to be present during the tour to discuss this garden’s specific features and answer questions regarding plant selections and care generally.
1701 W. Wilshire Boulevard
The photo above show 6436 N.W. Grand Boulevard’s meticulously landscaped and layered backyard. At right, the front entry gardens feature distinctive antique stone-lidded urns.
Blocks made from repurposed driveway stone provide an interesting background for the pool fountain and sculptural art brought back from Mexico by the homeowner.
The densely landscaped front lawn of this unique mid-century modern home features a wide variety of native grasses, evergreens and deciduous trees, helping to screen it from one of Nichols Hill’s busier intersections.
The brightly lit, hanging lanterns under the porte-cochère offer a hint of what awaits in the backyard. With its vibrant color scheme, fun is clearly the theme of this backyard! The inviting pool area is anchored at one end by an incredible outdoor kitchen and dining area and a rich blue glass firepit at the other.
Stone cut from a previous driveway has been repurposed into a wall fountain at the back of the pool and sculptural artwork purchased by the homeowners in Mexico add to the layers of interest. It’s no surprise that the colorful backyard and collection of equally colorful birdhouses attract many feathered friends, which led the homeowners to install a smart bird camera, automatically capturing motion-triggered photos of the property’s winged visitors.
Insight into Oklahoma’s native bird populations is to be provided at this home during the tour by special guest, Susan Prescott.
The inviting pool area is anchored at one end by an incredible outdoor kitchen and dining area and a rich blue glass firepit at the other.
1500 Huntington Avenue
One of the first homes built in Nichols Hills, 1500 Huntington Avenue is a true estate property. Historically known to local residents as “Fairyland,” glimpses of the terraced side lawn of the home invite curiosity and a sense of secret-garden mystery.
Tour patrons will be invited down the stone steps to see the full extent of Fairyland’s magic, hidden under its canopy of mature trees. A charming stone bridge, rambling water features, antique garden statuary, a wishing well and swing set from yesteryear, surrounded by a wide variety of shaded, natural landscaping all contribute to the magic.
And, while Fairyland may be what initially draws people to the home, the home’s multiple outdoor living areas are no less magical. Tour visitors will be treated to intimate shaded courtyards, an antique stone wall fountain repurposed into a charming and functional koi pond and an infinity edge tiled hot tub that seamlessly blends into the landscape while overlooking the beauty below.
The perfectly situated Mediterranean-inspired cabana perched above Fairyland offers proximity to the swimming pool and features distinctive tile floors, a blend of antique and new furnishings and is the epitome of graceful outdoor entertaining.
Above: Fairyland’s infinity edge tiled hot tub seamlessly blends into the landscape while overlooking the beauty below.
Above: 1500 Huntington Avenue is historically known as “Fairyland.” Below: The perfectly situated Mediterranean-inspired cabana perched above Fairyland offers proximity to the swimming pool.
