Gardens on Tour 2011: Bee Cave Road garden
Yesterday I toured the five private gardens on Austin’s Wildflower Center-sponsored Gardens on Tour 2011. The annual tour is designed to showcase gardens planted predominantly with native plants. My favorite garden this year? Landscape architect, plantsman, and rock hound Tait Moring‘s personal garden on Bee Cave Road.
Like any gardener’s garden, Tait’s is packed with interesting plants, adorned with his collections, and imbued with personality. But what really makes this garden sing is beautiful—and often whimsical—stonework. Take this path, for example. I love that it’s made up of different types of cut stone, as well as a few old bricks and pavers of different sizes. Marching along its zig-zag edge is a double-line of shade-tolerant paleleaf yuccas (Y. pallida), glowing silvery blue in the shadows.
Another feature that sets Tait’s garden apart from many others on the tour is his lawn. He has chosen to keep a swath of lawn in his back garden as well as this oval lawnette in a cedar glade alongside his driveway. The formal framing of the grass sets it off beautifully and makes it a garden feature in its own right.
Cedar poles are used liberally throughout the garden. Here long, shaggy poles of varying heights create a screen to shield the garden from busy Bee Cave Rd. Against its backdrop an Agave salmiana (I think) sends up a towering bloom stalk as it gasps its last breath, and a shimmering Yucca rostrata stands guard nearby.
Bees were swarming the agave flowers.
I love the house for its unpretentious scale and design—a clean-lined, contemporary updating of a simple ranch.
In the back yard, a generously sized lawn sweeps unapologetically from the wooden deck, past a pair of massive stone pillars, to a ramada at the back. This is a space for entertaining, Tait told us, and he likes lawn for that. Installed properly, he added, it doesn’t have to be high-maintenance. His grass looked to be a drought-tolerant Zoysia variety.
A cedar ramada shades a small patio at the opposite end of the lawn.
A writhing cedar branch seems to stalk through a border.
Near the ramada, a drilled-stone fountain burbles gently amid shade plants like Berkeley sedge (Carex divulsa), Japanese holly fern (Cyrtomium falcatum), and river fern (Thelypteris kunthii).
Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium)
Leading to the decomposed-granite drive, a large, arching cedar pole spans stone pillars, part of a uniquely decorated stone wall.
This fanciful wall contains fossils, glass, a miniature altar, and stones collected by Tait over the years, reminding me of Jill Nokes’s garden wall and gate.
Detail of the wall
Here’s what it looks like from the driveway side.
A triangular “window”
A trio of ‘Fireworks’ purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) flame brightly next to an architectural potted ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens).
Going back through the gate…
…you see what a focal point the stone-relic pedestals are. Massive terracotta saucers planted with succulents balance on top.
The flat lawn area gives way to a steeply sloping ravine behind the house. At the transition between tame garden and wilder hillside, a small circular pool hugs the slope, its raised stone edge emphasizing the change in elevation.
Overlooking the hillside, a modestly sized deck extends the home’s living space. An eye-catching, colorful display of potted plants guards the open edge.
A simple table for two offers a spot for morning coffee. A section of corrugated steel siding adds a contemporary accent.
Stone steps drop down to another stone-and-brick path behind the house, which leads to an outdoor shower shielded by a curving cedar-post screen.
I asked the dapper gentleman sitting on the bench if I might take his picture. His body language says he isn’t too sure about me.
Single-specimen potted cacti decorate the bench.
Looking back. I’m crazy for this path.
The bench is wonderful too.
On the other end of the house, another arched-cedar gate leads to a…
…fenced vegetable garden built on the hillside.
More beautiful stonework
A patch of wildflowers adds late-spring color.
Out front, the driveway and generous parking area (Tait operates his business from his home) are paved with water-permeable decomposed granite.
A crisp, low wall outlines the parking area, lending structure and definition to the informal gravel surface.
Goldfish add color and movement to a raised, square pond by the front door—just one of many creative, beautifully designed features in this garden.
Stay tuned for a tour of the West Monroe Street garden. And happy Mother’s Day to all the moms reading this, including my own!
All material © 2006-2011 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Love the use of rock and raised beds in this garden. The added texture of wood and green is also very pleasing to the eye. I have in my mind that we will need to do something similar in our yard if our drought conditions continue!
Happy Mother’s Day to you, too.
As usual, your photos are great. Mine didn’t come out as well as I’d hoped.
Outstanding, I enjoyed your guided tour. I’ve noticed the galvanized accents for sure. His design reminds me of concepts that float around in my brain at times, definitely a design method and installation I could be proud of. It’s very cool that he uses materials that a lot of people think are useless, juniper logs and limbs, farm products, tin siding, native rock, and left over stone and pavers which are not uniform. The architectural elements are definitely central/hill country texas. He should win the prize!? The cultural concepts in the front wall are very unique too.
Thanks for taking us there! My faves – varied stone/brick entry, its rectilinear lines, and the massing of Yucca pallida. And the front patio entry is so well-done, with the clean lines showing off different plant forms. And let’s not forget the massive stone columns or pedestals – nice. (and Ocotillo still looks cool even dead, like that potted specimen seems)
Ooo! Thanks, Pam. Can’t wait to see others. I love how this one is overall so clean, relatively sparse, and calm, yet very detailed at the same time.
Very cool. I love the ramada! Very, very Texas. That stone block column with the dish planter on top is eye-catching; especially the way it is so off-set. Thanks for the great pics. Can’t wait to see more!
Wow…it just kept going and going, with style all the way.
Oh, I’m crazy for that path too! Thanks for the great tour of this garden. Loved all the unique materials.
Thanks for the tour Pam. Even when I know the gardens well, I am intrigued to see it thru your camera lens….your view is awesome and you don’t miss a detail.
What a showcase. I’m jealous of all that hardscaping. Wow, and wow.
Wow, what a tour! I think my favorite idea is the use of raw-looking cedar poles for garden construction… might have to try it.
I wish I could’ve gone on the tour! Miss those shreddy juniper tree trunks…Thank you for sharing the photos.
I can see why this was your fave. It has so much action with all that stonework. The paths are so inviting. The one you mentioned as your favorite looks like a crazy patch quilt. I could be so inspired. Love that raised bed veggie area.
I’m with you, Pam, this turned out to be my favorite as well. So much interest everywhere. And those paths – yes, I’m in love with them, too. I covet them. I want an entire patio like that! I also noticed the house – he hadn’t overdone anything, it was all very friendly,emotionally accessible and comfortable. A great balance.
So interesting, Pam. We got different angles on many of the shots. Love your first few of the rock work. And I completely missed the ramada!
Chris Levack’s work is really stunning. The gate and the two horns — both of these pieces really grabbed me.
Tait is my brother and I’ve enjoyed his garden for years now, but it took your great photos and commentary to make me really appreciate all the different aspects of it. Thank you for posting your photographs and rich descriptions of Tait’s wonderful garden.
Thanks for your comment, Shelley. I’m envious of your regular access to Tait’s splendid garden. And I hope he has designed one for you too! —Pam
Great photos Pam! That Zoysia grass was indeed beautiful. Such a great example for folks wanting to keep their turf, but move to lower water/lower maintenance.