Antique Rose Emporium in San Antonio
My pictures of the blue adobe courtyard at the Antique Rose Emporium in San Antonio drew several comments from readers who didn’t know about the Alamo City location. While ARE in Brenham/Independence is better known, the Emporium in San Antonio is actually closer to us Austinites.
As you can see, the shop building has the same rural charm as the Brenham location, although it’s all done on a smaller scale here. The display gardens are not so large, nor the gift shop. But adobe walls and courtyards anchor one side of the property, and when draped in roses they’re a lovely sight. Visit in April or October for a good show. On this January visit, of course, the roses were clipped and quiet, waiting for spring.
As in Brenham, a bottle tree glitters in the sun. This reminds me to get my old bottle tree planted somewhere in my new garden.
Pretty glass ornaments caught my eye.
What would a garden be without a lazy cat lying in the sun? Well, OK, I don’t have a cat in my own garden, but I admire them elsewhere, bird-killers and mulch-poopers though they are.
I did not purchase any roses this time, mainly because I have so little sun in my new-baby garden. And it’s not much fun to window-shop roses when they’re not in bloom. But we enjoyed strolling the grounds anyway, and ARE offers many other plants besides roses. I’ll be back again soon.
If you’re interested in a fall visit to the Antique Rose Emporium in Brenham, click here.
All material © 2006-2009 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Wonderful photos and such a great inspiration!
Linda
Hi Pam!
THANKS so much for posting those pics of the SA ARE! I’ve been to the other one numerous times, but I love this adobe wall, bottle tree, etc. This is exactly how I want my garden to look someday.
Gotta go down there SOON!
bobbi c.
leander, tx
I got to visit both locations on one of our vacations, and I really loved the San Antonio location best. I loved the desert plants and the adobe walls. Can’t wait to see where you’ll put your bottle tree, Pam. I have a lazy cat just like that. You probably saw her when you visited.~~Dee
Pam,
I would like to have an out door cat, but every stray in the neighborhood already poops in our mulch. Nice post, I love the old shop. Also nice to see you in one of the pictures too. It looks like you are locked in a little world inside the red globe trying to peek through the glass. 🙂
You live in such a wonderful area!
Cameron
Bird-killers and mulch-poopers that they are! I am howling right now. But I share your sentiment. My neighbor’s cats come poop in my mulch and try to eat my birds all the time. I am forever screeching out the garage door waving my hands like a banshee trying to scare them off. (Of course, I’m sure that scares the birds, deer or any unsuspecting humans away as well!) But that one does look pretty lying in the sun in your photo!
I’ve meant to ask you about your bottle tree, and if you had ‘planted’ a new one yet. I love the idea and would be tempted to do one here except I’m not sure about the wind. Or the raccoons. Maybe I’ll try something in the spring as a test ‘tree’ and see what happens.
Hi Pam, thanks for showing more of the ARE in SA, that’s more of what I remember from Brenhan, but I know things are always being remodeled and updated, as they should be. The bottle trees are great, I want one made with rebar, it wouldn’t be that hard to do. Tina from In The Garden, has one with LED lights inside the bottles that she showed on today’s post. That sounds pretty cool to me, too. Just a word in defense of the cats, they are pretty good at keeping the rodent population in check, a reason why many gardens have them. 🙂
Frances
You are so good at lifting my winter blues Pam. Every time I visit, I feel transported to another season. 🙂 I love the pretty glass ornaments and the shop is so cute. Have you seen those darling hummingbird feeders on stakes (that look similar to these ornaments?) I want one for my garden although I worry they aren’t tall enough. I quite agree with your assessment of cats even tho I’m a cat lover. Mine stays inside except for an occasional (supervised) roll on the concrete sidewalk. It’s my big beef with my neighbor who thinks it’s perfectly normal to let his run loose. but lets not go down that road on this beautiful day….
Oh yes, please bring back your bottle tree! I loved it!
Brenda
What an interesting place. I love the whole look and feel of it.It is my kind of garden with a bottle tree and a cat! also, in your earlier post, but I just loved the strong pigments of the blue walls you showed.
🙂
Philip
Had I known there was an Antique Rose Emporium in San Antonio we would have visited there just a couple of weeks ago.Next time, for surely there will be a next time. What a great city for a winter visit. A day at the botanic garden, a few private gardens that were wonderful and dinner on the river walk was enchanting. It was almost 80 one day then cool and drizzling the next…Gloria
I have wanted to go for a very long time. Thanks for the sneak peak.
Based on your pictures, I have to say that I think I might prefer the San Antonio display gardens to the ones in Brenham. They seem to have really thought them through from a design perspective, and I really like all the blues and formal lines. I’m definitely going to have to visit, even though I have no more room for roses, either!
I didn’t know the Antique Rose Emporium had more than one location. But being so far away, I rely on their mail order anyway. All of my antique roses are from there. Great products. Great service.
I need a bottle tree. I’m glad you reminded me to put that on my spring “to do” list.
Robin Wedewer, Examiner
also at bumblebeeblog.com
Everytime I go to S.A. I say I’m going to fit in a trip to the A.R.E. – but haven’t yet. Your pictures tell me how out of whack my priorities are . . . Looks just as wonderful as their Independance/Brenham location.
I’ve never visited the Antique Rose Emporium, though all three of my roses come from there. I’d like to plan a trip to central Texas sometime soon to look at some public gardens, but the ARE is at the top of my list, too!
I just love the NAME Antique Rose Emporium. I wouldn’t even know quite what to expect but I’d go simply by the name.
That pussycat is adorable. The two cats I have now are in-door cats (one is deaf). But all my other outdoor cats were TRAINED not to kill birds. It’s totally possible. You just have to start early. They brought me mice and snakes,but never ever a bird. They knew better. Also if you put bells on cat’s collars they are less inclined to be able to catch birds. In other words, it’s not inevitable. You just have to teach them.
Pretty photos, as always, Pam.
This only makes me want to move to Austin even more! Oh to win the lottery….a house here a house there! Are these the folks that rustle roses from old pastures and grave yards?
gail
Thanks, everyone, for your comments on the ARE in San Antonio, cats in the garden, and bottle trees. I enjoyed them all. Stay tuned for pics of my new bottle tree very soon.
Gail, yes, Mike Shoup, the owner of ARE, is one of the early Texas Rose Rustlers, who rescued cuttings of old roses growing at abandoned home sites and old cemeteries. —Pam