Gail McKinley and Bill Poteat
438 West Cameron Avenue

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The house was built in 1927 by S. H. Basnight and his bride Pearl. It is likely that the masonry-edged beds, the brick-edged front walkway and the low, typically Chapel Hill stonewalls also date back to 1927. In the early 1990′s these walls were topped with decorative metal fencing. Every inch of the small lot is thoughtfully designed and landscaped. Heuchera, hostas, and variegated gardenias line the front walk; nearby are hellebores and Solomon’s Seal. On the east wall a true-to-size mural recalls a pink rambling rose that perished in the 2006-7 drought. Chapel Hill’s Michael Brown was the artist. A path leads through the White Garden to the back where large planters complement the stone walkways, which frame groups of perennials, trees, and a raised bed of vegetables and herbs. In 2008, the owners installed a 2500-gallon cistern in the basement, and a 55-gallon water barrel for irrigation. An original garage at the back of the garden was converted to a studio in the early 1990’s.  Now, adorned with a pair of ‘Royal Sunset’ climbing roses, it also serves as a charming guesthouse.

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Photos:  Anne Wood Humphries
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