Pulling out of Whole Earth Provision Company on N. Lamar Blvd. the other day, I spontaneously turned west, heading uphill on the alley-sized road behind the store, which dead-ends onto Baylor Street just below the “castle” that Castle Hill neighborhood is named for (originally built in 1869 as headquarters for the Texas Military Institute). On the concrete-walled slope below it, I was astonished to see a graffiti wonderland.

Graffiti covers every vertical surface—and most other surfaces as well, like the culvert pipe and red couch in the foreground. As I pulled over to gawk, I noticed other visitors strolling around, looking at the colorful images. Two teens sat on the highest wall, legs dangling, enjoying a first-rate view of downtown Austin as well as the spray-painted scene below.

Googling it that afternoon, I learned that this place was once slated to be a condo development, but the project died and street artists took over. Sometimes called Graffiti Hill, sometimes the Foundation, it attracts well-known graffiti artists and unknown taggers who continually remake the fantastical wall art.

I wondered if the place might be a homeless or drug-users camp, but from what I’ve seen online, all kinds of people visit Graffiti Hill, from families to young couples taking engagement photos here. I think I’ll come back with the kids one afternoon. They’ll get a kick out of it.

By the way, does it inspire anyone to want to add a little street art to their garden, a la the Blue Lotus Garden in Dallas?

Next door, a private home perched on a hillside seemed to be getting into a similar spirit with their own recycled “foundation” garden, complete with a couple of bronze giraffe statues on the top level, one overlooking the deck and the other the garden. Wild, huh?

All material © 2006-2013 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

The Great Recession dimmed Austin’s beloved Trail of Lights for two years. But this year the electric extravaganza, an Austin tradition since 1965, returned, and so last night we braved traffic (I witnessed a bang-up fender bender on MoPac on the way downtown) and hordes of our fellow Austinites to walk the loop through Zilker Park.

What I love about the Trail of Lights is that it’s the perfect mix of corny and endearing.

The displays are dated, with a bizarre mix of dinosaurs, the Peanuts gang, pop-culture elves, nativity scenes, and even Greek gods, set up at intervals along the trail, with piped-in Christmas carols playing from hidden speakers.

But standing like majestic, otherworldly creatures among this cultural mishmash are the naked trees of Zilker Park, ancient pecans mostly, each one picked out of the darkness with brightly colored bulbs. They are stunning.

When you’re young you go with packs of friends and sing at the top of your lungs as you walk back to the car afterward. When you have small children, you carry them on your shoulders to see above the throngs and point out their favorite characters among the displays. When you’re older and your children are jaded teenagers, you drag them along and bribe them with funnel cake and point out your favorite trees in the park.

But of course the best tree in Austin at Christmastime is the Zilker Tree, a 155-ft. light tower strung with colored lights in a crisscrossing spiral pattern.

Lit from early December until the stroke of the New Year, the Zilker Tree attracts Austinites of all ages to congregate under the lights, clasp hands with each other, look up at the spiral of lights, and SPIN.

You can’t help but smile and shriek as you spin. You try not to crash into other spinners, and when you let go you stagger drunkenly with dizziness.

Wheee! It’s a joyful tradition, silly and fun, and you feel goodwill toward your fellow spinners.

Wherever you’re spending Christmas this year, I hope you enjoy a little Austin holiday cheer, from me to you!

All material © 2006-2012 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Each week in October, which is Support Your Independent Nursery Month, I am featuring one of my favorite Austin-area nurseries here at Digging. To make things even more interesting, I’m also hosting a giveaway every week—one from each nursery! This week I’m shining a spotlight on The Great Outdoors.

The Great Outdoors is located in the South-Austin-hippie-meets-hipster zone of Congress Avenue just south of downtown. It carries a good selection of annuals and perennials, including plenty of natives, plus lots of succulents, bamboos, and edibles.

It’s also a great spot to find fun garden decor, like these pots and metal prickly pear sculptures.

And if shopping makes you hungry or thirsty, you can stop for a refreshment at the cafe located on the grounds, with a deck overlooking the nursery.

But back to the pot selection—TGO carries beautiful containers you won’t find anywhere else, like these…

…and these handmade, dino egg-like creations.

You’ll find succulents and cactus galore—perfect for filling seasonal planters.

And the garden shop behind the succulent tables, you’ll notice, has a green roof.

Here’s something I’ve never seen at any other nursery: crested golden barrel cactus.

The agave and yucca section at the top of the hill (this is a nursery with some elevation changes) is chock full of larger specimens.

And look—they’re into culvert-pipe planters too, but they paint theirs. These orange ones were for sale.

So was this blue one.

TGO is the place to go for fun or funky, spiritual or ironic garden art, like this Winnebago birdhouse.

Or a mosaic-tile toilet fountain.

Or painted metal birdhouses and animals.

Or Buddhas and bonsai.

Inside the garden shop you’ll find plenty to tempt you as well.

You can spend a good hour strolling the shady grounds to see everything, despite the urban location.

You might even see Merrideth Jiles, the nursery’s general manager and an all-around nice guy. He and his staff are always ready to answer your gardening questions and help you find what you’re looking for, so check them out the next time you’re south of downtown.

Now for the giveaway! The Great Outdoors is giving away a $50 gift certificate to one of my lucky readers! Just leave a comment on this post to enter, and I’ll announce the winner at the end of the week. Update 10/28: The winner is announced here.

Giveaway Rules:
1. You must leave a comment on this post to enter.
2. Only one entry per person is allowed.
3. Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm on October 27th.
4. I’ll announce the winner on October 28th.
5. The winner must go to the nursery with a photo ID to claim the prize within two weeks of winning. Prizes will not be mailed.
6. The winner is not eligible to win any other giveaways at Digging for 2012′s Support Your Independent Nursery Month.

Remember, win or lose, if you live here in Austin you’ve already hit the jackpot with a great selection of local nurseries at which to shop, learn, and be inspired.

Disclosure: I’ve posted about this nursery because it’s one I shop at regularly and recommend to others. I invited the owner/manager to participate in a giveaway for my readers, but my post was not conditional on any donation. Plain and simple: I like this nursery and think you will too.

All material © 2006-2012 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.