Barry Vinson and Mary Arnie - Gold Louisiana Certified Habitat

When designing their modern home in River Ranch, Barry wanted a landscape that required

no mowing. Their architects suggested a Cajun Prairie for the backyard on the Vermilion

River, which rises and falls regularly. Planning around the existing cypress and other trees

in the yard, several native landscapers have been involved in bringing it to what it looks like

today, most recently Matt Boutte, who has added numerous unusual prairie wildflowers and

grasses to complement the coneflower and coreopsis crowd pleasers. Barry and Mary have

enjoyed watching hummingbirds and butterflies flock to their prairie. The front yard is a

matrix of sweet bay magnolias with an inviting raised bed at the front door with a colorful

mix of natives and exotics. Their beautiful yard was on the Acadiana Native Garden Tour

May 18.