San Antonio lures gardeners on Saturday
Road trip! If I didn’t already have plans, I’d be southward bound on I-35 this Saturday. Two very tempting gardening events are going on in San Antonio.
The Antique Rose Emporium at San Antonio is throwing its 6th Annual Festival of Roses this weekend. For those of you who’ve visited the better known Rose Emporium in Brenham, you really must see the San Antone Emporium too. It’s a vision of sun-kissed adobe walls draped with scented roses. Owner, author, and Texas Rose Rustler Mike Shoup talks at 10 am on Saturday, and other talks and events continue through Sunday.
Also on Saturday, the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days tour comes to San Antonio for the first time. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, for only $5 a garden, you can tour six uniquely beautiful private gardens. San Antonio has a more tropical aesthetic than Austin, and the architectural and cultural influence of Mexico is stronger there. I’d love to see how that’s reflected in these gardens.
I wish I could go. Since I can’t, I want a full report from any San Antonio bloggers out there (Vanillalotus?), or non-bloggers for that matter. Maybe some of the Austin bloggers are going? It’s only an hour and a half away—perfect for a day trip—and the weather couldn’t be better.
Update 10/20: Check out Quarter Acre, a new San Antonio blog, for a write-up of the Open Days San Antonio tour.
All material © 2006-2008 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
The Rose Emporium sounds wonderful and I’ve tucked that idea away for a future San Antonio visit, as well as a visit to Brenham because I haven’t been to the original Emporium, either. (Not having had deer-safe room for roses until recently.) Thanks for the good tips. You know everything that’s going on! Even outside of Austin. I’m afraid I am having to limit my garden outings to one for our Sunday Austin tour, and I am really looking forward to it.
The Rose Emporium has many other plants besides roses, Diana. The display gardens also mix natives, cacti, succulents, and ornamental grasses along with the roses for a spectacular display. You must go. —Pam
I sure wish I could go too Pam. Of course San Antonio is way off my beaten path. I love the funny looking little spider. It matches the flower just perfectly.
Yes, San Antonio is certainly off the beaten path for you, Lisa. You need to take a Texas road trip one spring, winter, or fall. —Pam
It sounds like fun. I’ve ordered many roses from them and used to visit their Dahlonega, Georgia location when it was open.
I’ve ordered a few from their website too, but Austinites can also find their roses in town at Barton Springs Nursery. —Pam
sounds great. I wish I could make it, but we’re going to the Maker Faire to see new, crazy inventions!
That sounds like a fun event too. —Pam
Pam, You must have very good plans to turn down this garden weekend! I have always loved looking at the antique roses and wished I could grow them! The romance of rose rustling is very appealing to those of us inclined toward plant rescues. That is a great spider and flower shot. Gail
I had two get-togethers with friends planned this weekend, Gail, so yes—very good plans. More on the Sunday get-together coming soon (it was with the Austin garden bloggers). —Pam
I am going to Open Days!!! I will of course post my experience as long as it’s not raining. I refuse to let my digital slr go near rain drops. I won’t be going to the rose emporium event but I will be going to the Herb Market to say hi to my colleagues and see what is going on there. I wish I had endless hours on Saturday to go to all these plant events. I’ll make sure to get many photos of each garden. I plant to go to all 6 gardens hopefully.
I can’t wait to read about your Open Days visit, Vanillalotus, and hopefully see some photos. —Pam
Pam, you sure know a lot of stuff. I am amazed at all the things you keep up with. Your blog is always informative and beautiful. I know you recently had some big changes going on and wish you best with them.
Many thanks, Anna! I try to stay informed about gardening events around town. It’s easy to publicize them, but if only I had time to see all of them. —Pam
Pam, I also believe this weekend is the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center plant sale…Robin
Right you are, Robin. Did you go? —Pam
“Sun-kissed adobe walls draped with scented roses…” Mmm…sounds like a wonderful day to me! It’s a bit of a drive for me, though. 😉 I’ll look forward to a summary from someone who attends.
Yes, too far for you to drive, Nancy. San Antonio would be a great mid-winter destination for you though. 😉 —Pam
Sounds like a busy weekend Pam!
It was! But a fun one. —Pam
Sigh. Maybe next year. But I have got to see the San Antonio location for the Antique Rose Emporium someday soon. I love the whole southwestern vibe with roses that they’ve got going. Perhaps we can do an Austin blogger sojourn in the spring?
That’s a great idea, Lori. Maybe you can organize it when we get our Yahoo group set up. 🙂 —Pam
I’ve only been to the Antique Rose Emporium in Brenham – this would have been the perfect weekend to visit the San Antonio location, wouldn’t it? Your pictures always amaze me, Pam! What is that bug on your blossom?
Thanks! It’s a spider of some sort, Mary Beth. —Pam
Great shot of the spider, Pam!
Cindy
Thanks, Cindy. —Pam
I went to the San Antonio Garden Conservancy Open Days. At the first house we visited, I realized my camera was out of batteries, so I have no pictures.
In my opinion there were only two wonderful gardens – the Blocker’s cactus garden and the Golden garden (but that one was 80% house and hardscape, but what a wonderful house).
I was a little disappointed to like only 2 of 6, in contrast to the Austin open days, which I felt were 4.5 of 7.
I am sure the folks in San Antonio put in a lot of time and effort, but I wanted more.
Shelly, thank you for commenting with your impressions of the tour. I know what you mean about seeing “gardens” that are really more about the house and hardscaping than plants, and I’m even a big fan of hardscaping. But on a garden tour you really expect to be wowed by the garden to an equal or greater extent.
I regret missing this tour, especially the cactus garden you mention. And even gardens you don’t love can be instructive in a few details. —Pam
I went to Open Days! I’ll be posting up pictures today. I’ll have to spread out each garden as I took some 150 photos until my camera got full.
I can’t wait to see them. —Pam
Pam, I didn’t make it to the LBJ Wildflower Center for the sale this weekend. I actually made the decision not to go, because I don’t want to purchase more plants right now! If I had gone, there’s no way I would have left there empty handed, so it was the only way to contain myself. How did your weekend turn out with the gorgeous weather that we so righteously deserve…
That’s pretty much why I decided not to go too, Robin. The weekend was exceptionally beautiful, wasn’t it? We missed you at the East Austin garden-blogger get-together, but you can read about it here on Monday morning. —Pam
Oh my,
we have come to the conclusion that from this point forth, that Pam Penick will hereby supply the east-side-patch with her cheese cake bars on a quarterly basis for the the rest of her life!
omg…so good!
That is ridiculas.
If you supply the sangria, I will happily supply the cheesecake bars, Philip. I’m glad you liked them. Thanks for hosting me and the other Austin bloggers yesterday in your garden. I had a great time. My post about your garden and Lee’s will be up Monday morning. —Pam
I am a long time reader/lurker for all of you Austin bloggers and I thought it would be a nice chance to return the favor of garden tours lived vicariously through your pages. I went to all 6 gardens and have posted three summaries today and will do three more tomorrow.
Please go easy on me, I am new to the “creating” part of this blogstuff. I also apologize in advance for the resolution size on the photos, they are (I see now) huge, but at least the details show.
Thanks to all of you for the hours of enjoyment I have received in reading your blogs.
SC, I’m delighted that you’re posting about the San Antonio Garden Conservancy tour, and I’m happy to hear that the Austin blogs have inspired you to start your own. Yea to more Texas bloggers! —Pam