More from Gardens on Tour 2008
You’ve seen Tom Spencer’s garden, which I visited on Mother’s Day weekend as part of Gardens on Tour 2008, a self-guided tour of Austin gardens that feature native plants and green-gardening practices. Sponsored by the Wildflower Center, the tour’s focus has varied wildly over the three years I’ve attended. On the 2006 Gardens on Tour, many of the houses and their million-dollar views overshadowed the gardens themselves; however, I had the great pleasure of discovering Jenny Stocker’s garden on that tour—a true gardener’s garden—which led to our meeting again a year later and becoming friends.
Reassessing its focus, the 2007 Gardens on Tour got it right. The gardens, not the views or the houses, commanded all the attention, and they seemed to reflect the owner’s personalities, whether designed by the homeowner or a professional designer. I ended up covering each garden with a separate post that year.
This year’s tour was more of a mixed bag. Tom Spencer’s garden and Mark Hansen’s garden (sadly, no photographs were allowed) really wowed me with strong designs, intriguing plant choices, and garden decor that complemented the gardens and infused each with a sense of individuality. Mark was setting up an ambitious rainwater-collection system in his beautiful garden, which we asked him about, and in the course of conversation we learned that he is a fellow Rice U grad, so naturally we hit it off.
Of the other three gardens, one was more of a nature trail than a garden, and while it was interesting to see what the devoted homeowner-naturalists had accomplished in preserving the native plants and natural beauty of their 8-acre canyon-side property, it wasn’t exactly a garden tour. The other two properties were quite nice though more modest in design than Tom’s and Mark’s. Here are a few photos from the three remaining gardens, including the vignette at the top of this post : a blue sphere among pink evening primrose in the Northington garden.
The Northingtons enjoy a mix of sun and shade in their Circle C garden, with a generous dry streambed dividing the garden and providing a naturalistic focal point. Non-native Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus ) grows alongside the dry stream, adding soft color in the shade of the oaks.
At the Bunny Run garden, designed to tame a steep slope down to Lake Austin, the lake view was stealing the show, as probably it should.
At the very bottom of the garden, along the lake’s edge, in fact, I noticed this dainty native clematis (Clematis pitcheri ), which I’d love to have in my own garden.
Something else I’m determined to have in my garden one day is a sweep of silver ponyfoot (Dichondra argentea ) groundcover, as seen in the entry to the Weber garden. I think it’s stunning and plan to grow it under my ‘Radrazz’ Knockout rose, if it isn’t too late to plant it already.
See what a garden tour will do? It’ll make me break my rule about not planting anything but cacti after May 1. Well, maybe we’ll have another cool, rainy summer like last year’s. I can dream, right?
All material © 2006-2008 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Now comes the season for shade gardening in my yard. I’m going to try some late replantings of some vegetables as well, in my newly less shaded side yard.
It’s getting hot, isn’t it, my fellow Texas gardener? It must be near 100 degrees F today. I’ll be sticking to the shade too, but no more planting for me until fall. —Pam
I am lusting after Dichondra as a groundcover but, alas, I think my season is too short! Love the blue globe…I was going to call it a blue ball but that just conjures up a painful image! LOL 🙂
Yikes, yes, it does, Layanee. Globe, orb, sphere—I think we’d better stick with those, hadn’t we? 😉 —Pam
Being able to go on garden tours sure gives you ideas doesn’t it. I just love the ground cover.
Yes, I love to collect ideas on garden tours. I file them away, sometimes for years, until I find an opportunity to adapt an idea to my own garden. —Pam
Hi Pam, those were wonderful gardens, and the lake view was perfection. The path with the silver dichondra is a wonderful touch. It must be hardy there. That would look good with your roses and stonework. We use it in containers, the color enhances everything so well. Thanks for the wrap up of the tour.
The dichondra in one of my stock-tank planters died back over the winter, but it came roaring back this spring. I think it would be hardy here unless we have a severe freeze, which can happen. —Pam
Do you seriously have a rule about not planting anything but cacti after May 1? You’re pulling our legs – aren’t you? Thanks for sharing photos from the tour, which I missed. That ground cover is wonderful — wonder where I could put some?!
Obviously, rules are made to be broken, but yes, I try not to plant anything after the beginning of May except cacti or agaves. Why? I do not love the heat, and I don’t enjoy standing around watering a new plant all summer. So fall through spring is my planting season, which, as you know, gives the plants a head start on developing a deep root system to help them through the summer. —Pam
I’ve been trying to convince myself of the same thing. Nothing else planted but sedums and cacti, due to the intense heat around here come summer. But I inevitably break that credo with no problem! Thanks for the lovely views of the gardens.
Brenda
I usually break my rule at least once, but it does keep me in check. Last summer, it was so cool and rainy that I gleefully planted a few things in July or August, which I’d never do ordinarily. —Pam
I think your rule about not planting after a certain date, fill in appropriate date for one’s zone, makes perfect sense…I have just been watering a plant that looks forlorn….really my plants all do better if planted very early or in the fall. BTW, the Dicondra is wonderful looking and with your rose will be lovely.
You can’t beat that silvery gray. Pam, even though that Evening Primrose is quite a thug, she sure is adorable with the blue globe. Gail
I agree—silvery gray goes with everything, and in our climate it looks especially great. And yes, I’d be too afraid to plant pink evening primrose in my own garden, but it looked so beautiful along the roadsides this spring in Austin. It was the best year for it I’d seen. —Pam
First, congrats on your awards, Pam! Glad to see them–you so deserve them, and your blog is always a highlight of my reading days (on those days when I actually GET to read blogs, of late. Darn those internets, anyway).
And this is a wonderful post–I love, love, love the dichondra in the walkway–never seen it used that effectively before, and I have a new respect for this plant as a result.
Thank you, Jodi. I appreciate your kind words. And I just love, love that dichondra as a groundcover too. I’ve been using it in containers, but now I see a whole new use for this lovely plant. —Pam
I like the vignettes you chose to show us. There is beauty in every garden, isn’t there, plus ideas we can take home to our own gardens.
I’m still planting up here in Indiana. I’ll be planting the rest of the vegetable garden this weekend, many perennials bought this past week, and some annuals.
I’m sure you’ve had a busy planting schedule lately, what with your gardening vacation. I look forward to seeing your new additions, Carol. —Pam
I really love dicondra silver falls too. I think the silver/grey foliage really sets off the colors in the garden. I plan to plant more. I love the tours you go on!!! Thanks for sharing all the wonderful pictures with us(-:
I’m glad you enjoyed the tour, Cindee. Thanks for coming along with me! —Pam
Rules are meant to be broken in the garden Pam, you should know this by now. 😉 Such a pity you weren’t allowed to take pics in one of the gardens. Why was that? As you know I’ve recently been to Monet’s garden (see blog) and to many other famous gardens too and there is never any trouble about not taking pics.
Yes to that gorgeous native clematis pitcheri and the silver ponyfoot, both are gorgeous in their own way and you should have them in your garden too. That last one is used to great effect in the Weber garden, just stunning!
I don’t know why the owner did not allow photographs of his garden. I suspect it’s because he’s a landscape architect and didn’t want his ideas stolen. Or maybe he just likes his privacy. I’m always disappointed when I can’t photograph a beautiful garden, but I am still glad I had the opportunity to see this one in person. —Pam
Like you, I’d originally planned to not plant anything after the first of May, but my front yard project is lagging, and that rule has already been broken. As much as I don’t care to spend a lot of time coddling new plants, looking at a bare expanse of mulch all summer would drive me nuts. I’m just going to grit my teeth and water a lot, and hope things fill in by fall. I’m not a very patient gardener!
Who is? I completely understand where you’re coming from. Sometimes it’s worth the watering hassle to get something growing in a bare spot. Besides, maybe we’ll have another rainy summer, right? —Pam
Anyone who names their garden “Bunny Run” is just asking for trouble! Great view in that garden, & I love the shot with the blue globe. Which reminds me that I have some silver globes that need homes in the garden. I’ve been so busy trying to get rid of overgrown shrubs, I totally forgot about them.
Actually, Bunny Run is the name of their street. The owners wanted their privacy and didn’t include their names on the tour brochure, so I just called their garden by the street name. Bunny Run, by rights, should be the name of May Dreams Carol’s garden, right? —Pam
Thanks for more of the tour, Pam – the timing has been bad for me to go on this yearly event, but some year I’ll make it!
My lot has big trees and heavy shade for part of the day. If I avoid the sun it can be hot but not intolerable except on the worst days, and I do plant things if I feel like it…just not expensive things!
The Silver Pony Foot loves my decomposed granite – two small pots make quite a splash after a couple of years. I put a couple of photos on the Addendum if you’re interested.
http://anniesaddendum.blogspot.com/2008/05/silver-ponyfoot.html
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I’m glad to know that you can plant all summer thanks to your shade. There’s a silver lining to heavy shade, isn’t it? Your ponyfoot is charming. Spilling out of the pot, it looks like a real waterfall, and you’ve got the same groundcover effect going on as in the tour photo I took. How does the groundcover area look in the winter, when it goes dormant? Do you cut it back right away or wait until later in the season? —Pam
I also really enjoyed Mark Hansen’s garden most of all and was really bummed about not being able to take photos there. There was a wide variety of plants, some of which I was unable to identify afterwards using my hazy memory and the plant list on the Wildflower Center’s website. Oh well.
I know, nothing beats a photo to help one remember a new plant or plant combination. Most people look for ideas they can use at home when they tour a garden. That’s why I don’t understand when photos aren’t allowed. Thanks for commenting, Ryan. —Pam
I love your blog and visit it daily! Best Wishes from Zone 5 Midwest… Please feel free to visit my blog as well!
Thanks for visiting, Bren, and for saying hello! Being in Zone 5 must mean you’re enjoying prime springtime weather about now. That sounds nice compared to our muggy summer heat. —Pam