Greensleeves Nursery featuring native plants opens in Pflugerville
March 14, 2025 Two weeks ago a new nursery specializing in native Texas plants opened in Pflugerville, just north of Austin. It’s called Greensleeves (cue the old English ballad), appropriate for a place wearing its love of native plants on its sleeve, so to speak. The owner, Willy Glenn, is ...
Fall garden stroll at the Wildflower Center
November 18, 2024 Being able to visit a garden at the golden hour — just after sunrise or before sunset, when the light is soft and warm — is a garden photographer’s fervent wish. So I am grateful when a botanical garden offers early or late visiting hours. Austin’s Lady ...
Cold-hardy cactus and more at plantsman Kelly Grummons’s garden
November 12, 2024 While in Denver this fall, I found Colorado gardeners to be warm and generous about sharing their creations and eager to make introductions to other gardeners they admire. That’s how I came to meet plantsman Kelly Grummons, co-owner of specialty nursery Prairie Storm Nursery. How, exactly? After ...
A little shopping at Ravenna Gardens in Seattle
September 13, 2024 I can’t buy the plants at Ravenna Gardens in Seattle — I mean, why torture them by bringing them home to Texas? — but I still love shopping there because of how beautifully they display plants, pots, and garden/home decor. I first visited during the Seattle Fling ...
Plants and garden art at VanLierop Garden Market in Puget Sound
August 09, 2024 Lunch on Day 2 of last month’s Puget Sound Fling was held at Sorci’s Italian Cafe, which just so happens to share a location with VanLierop Garden Market in Sumner, Washington. Tasty appetizers, pizza, and salad plus plant and garden-art shopping? Yes indeed. VanLierop Garden Market After ...
North Haven Gardens nursery in Dallas
June 09, 2024 For more than 70 years, North Haven Gardens has been a resource for plants and supplies for gardeners in north Dallas. And this is despite being hit by two tornadoes in a recent two-year period. Yes, two tornadoes — bam bam! The longtime family nursery was torn ...
Eye-candy containers at Vivero nursery
May 29, 2024 At Vivero Growers nursery in southwest Austin, big containers are planted as eye-catching showpieces. I oohed and aahed over them, including this one with hot-pink ice plant and a giant hesperaloe, during a recent visit. Sizzling pink ice plant flowers Check this one out: a potted Mexican ...
Fall florals to fall for at Terrain garden shop
October 22, 2023 It’s good for my wallet that we don’t have a Terrain in Austin, or even in Texas. I know, I know, Terrain has an online store. But my infatuation with this beautiful garden shop stems from its immersive, gorgeous, creative store displays and merchandising. Especially when it’s ...
Marfa love affair
August 05, 2023 Last week I made my first real visit to Marfa, the tiny (population 1,750) and improbable art mecca in far West Texas. I’d passed through Marfa once before, at the tail end of a spring break trip to drought-bleached Big Bend with small children, and I confess ...
Plants and pots at Shades of Green nursery in San Antonio
June 22, 2023 Friends in San Antonio told me they like to shop at Shades of Green nursery, so when I was in town a few weeks ago I decided it was time for a visit. The place looks small from the outside, but as soon as I walked in, ...
On the hunt for a Shantung maple at Metro Maples
April 18, 2023 One thing that may surprise you about North Texas gardens is they frequently indulge a passion for Japanese maples. In the leafy, older neighborhoods of Dallas–Fort Worth, Japanese maples fill the understory with wine-red leaves and a ballerina’s grace. Although they need deep soakings during droughty Texas ...
Teri Speight shares Black Flora stories at Garden Spark
October 22, 2022 Author Teri Speight came to Austin this week to share inspiring stories from her new book, Black Flora, at my Garden Spark speaker series. An enthusiastic audience came out to hear Teri’s talk under the big live oak at beautiful Barton Springs Nursery. Here are a few ...
New succulent nursery by OG Agave spikes up Lakeway
May 16, 2022 Austin gardener Matt Shreves is crazy about cacti and succulents. His own gorgeous garden is a spiky showcase of agaves, barrel cactus, yuccas, Argentine saguaro and other columnar cacti, as well as small container-sized succulents. I’ve featured his garden twice — here and here — so check ...
Poppies a-popping at Antique Rose Emporium, plus Round Top shopping
May 10, 2022 A month ago it wasn’t blazing summer in Austin but gentle spring. Early April found me on a wildflower safari with Patterson Webster, visiting from Canada, and my friend Diana Kirby. The Antique Rose Emporium in Brenham We drove out to Brenham for lunch at Truth BBQ ...
Wisteria-scented Garden Spark at Barton Springs Nursery
April 16, 2022 Last week I hosted one of my Garden Spark talks at Barton Springs Nursery, and their beautiful outdoor classroom was made even more beautiful by a wisteria in full bloom. If you know anything about Chinese wisteria, you know it’s a monster of a vine. But its ...
Texas mountain laurel bliss – and books! – at Barton Springs Nursery
April 05, 2022 Last week Barton Springs Nursery was marinating in grape Kool-Aid fragrance thanks to a bumper crop of Texas mountain laurel (Sophora secundiflora) blossoms. Purple clusters of sweet-smelling flowers greeted me at the entrance to the nursery yard. More grapey trees — including a giant of about 15 ...
