Meeting up with “Gays Who Garden” Andrew and Jared
November 15, 2021 I can’t remember when I started following @gayswhogarden on Instagram, but their alliterative, cheeky, and decidedly out username caught my eye, as did their beautiful images of soft-petaled roses, colorful Texas wildflowers, and glowing dahlias (in Austin — how??). We started chatting online, and in due course ...
Early fall purples in Sheryl’s garden
October 06, 2021 One hot September afternoon I visited blogger Sheryl Williams‘s garden in north Austin and spotted some gorgeous late-season purples in her not-quite-autumn garden. We were both smitten by spiky-skirted eryngo (Eryngium leavenworthii), a native Texas annual that resembles a thistle and is just as spiny. The rich ...
Yuccas big and small give a garden the blues
September 30, 2021 I’m getting Blue Garden Lotusland vibes from this part of the garden. A loose grid of paleleaf yucca (Yucca pallida) glows blue-green amid foamy, silver woolly stemodia (Stemodia lanata) groundcover. The anchor plant, by the trio of blue ceramic balls, used to be a gigantic ‘Green Goblet’ ...
Moonglow mangave and signs of summer’s end
September 07, 2021 ‘Moonglow’ mangave I’m a little infatuated with mangaves, those succulent-leaved hybrids of agaves and manfredas. I’ve been growing a couple hardy mangaves (hardy most winters in our zone 8b) for years as focal points in protected beds or containers. My hardy faves are ‘Macho Mocha’ and its ...
Exploring reimagined Waterloo Park in downtown Austin
August 30, 2021 Shade trees are precious in a hot climate, 200-year-old heritage live oaks even more so. As Waterloo Park in downtown Austin emerges from a massive, 10-year redesign and overhaul, two grand old live oaks on the west side of the park greet visitors as if lovingly presented ...
Pretty native plants and fountain at Cat’s garden
July 20, 2021 At my friend Cat‘s garden one afternoon, I was stopped in my tracks by this pretty vignette: a bubbling fountain with a plucked orange flower catching the ripples, and ballerina-skirted purple coneflowers dancing behind it. Cat is so good at creating eye-catching moments like this. She teases ...
Nighttime is datura time
July 19, 2021 On a recent evening I followed the fragrance of lemon Pledge to find my datura (Datura wrightii) practically howling at the moon. I counted at least 20 flowers, each as big across as my outstretched hand. The fragrant flowers of this native Texas plant open at dusk ...
Playing at revamped Kingsbury Commons in Pease Park
July 12, 2021 I recently rounded up the family to explore the newly redesigned section of Austin’s Pease Park known as Kingsbury Commons. The biggest draw for me was seeing the Treehouse, a rusty orb of rebar and steel beams — less a treehouse than a giant ball of pollen! ...
Heart eyes for heartleaf skullcap and more
May 26, 2021 A blue haze has settled over the driveway-island bed, the silvery blue flowers of heartleaf skullcap (Scutellaria ovata). I find myself stopping to admire them every time I step outside. It fills in nicely around a ‘Vanzie’ whale’s tongue agave (Agave ovatifolia), ‘Vertigo’ pennisetum grass, Mexican oregano ...
Bluebonnet safari in Round Top and Brenham
April 16, 2021 I kept hearing that bluebonnets were a bit of a no-show in Central Texas this year due to a dry fall and winter, not because of the February freeze. Friends who’d gone west into the Hill Country looking for denim-blue fields came back disappointed, and my own ...
Plant This for purple power: Spiderwort
April 08, 2021 Every year native spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis) seeds itself into rocky nooks and crannies and pops up in new places in the garden. I usually like where it shows up, like this spot at the top of a stone stair. Bees love the flowers too, so having lots ...
Early spring blooms and Athena the owl at Wildflower Center
March 20, 2021 When they’re offered, I take advantage of late-admission hours to gardens. The light is better for photography in the early evening, and you have a better chance of seeing wildlife. On Thursday our local native-plant botanical garden, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, stayed open late, and ...
Origami sculpture in the Culinary and Adventure gardens at San Antonio Botanical Garden
December 10, 2020 Part 3 of my recent visit to San Antonio Botanical Garden to see the Origami in the Garden exhibition by Santa Fe artist Kevin Box takes us through the relatively new Culinary and Family Adventure gardens. Two festive Christmas trees greeted me just inside the entrance. Zachry ...
Grow a hedge using native Texas plants
November 30, 2020 I want to share a little more Wildflower Center inspiration, this time from the maze in the Family Garden. Traditionally mazes are defined by clipped boxwood or yew hedges that grow at least to head-height — about 6 feet tall. Here at Austin’s native-plant botanical garden, the ...
Home-garden design inspiration using native plants
November 29, 2020 On my recent visit to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, I was struck by the design of this small garden, which uses native Texas plants in a traditional but lively way to create a space that would look right at home in a residential setting. It’s ...
Hide out at Fortlandia at the Wildflower Center
November 21, 2020 Bring your child — or just your inner child — and explore the collection of architectural play forts at Fortlandia. This hands-on exhibit at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center occurs every fall through winter, with local architects, designers, and artists creating one-of-a-kind forts that are spaced ...
