Pretty goods at Austin nurseries
By Monday morning, which was my deadline for turning in my new book manuscript, I hadn’t showered in three days, changed out of my sweats in two, or slept more than 4 hours a night for about a week, give or take a few coma-like naps. Yesterday, after two nights of good sleep, multiple showers, and a morning appointment at the hair salon, I felt as spiffy as a new-shined penny. With a few hours to kill before school pickup, I hit a couple nurseries I’d hadn’t visited in a while.
And I saw some pretty things. Like this vignette of potted succulents and flax lily at The Natural Gardener.
And this terracotta tower of blooming annuals.
And this fence detail. Love! It’s just a forked cedar branch tucked inside a cedar and corrugated metal frame, with three metal birds attached, but isn’t it sweet? I think the silhouetted birds are cedar waxwings.
I’m going to copy at least the branch and bird part. I went into the shop and bought three wrens to keep company with the Carolina wrens in my garden. A project for a rainy day.
While in the shop I had to check the bookshelf. Yep, there’s Lawn Gone! Thanks for keeping it in stock, Natural Gardener. By the way, if you’re a member of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (and you should be. Hello! Free reciprocal admission to botanical gardens around the country), all through February you can show your membership card at the Natural Gardener to get 20% off one native Texas tree. Nice! (The Wildflower Center’s offering many other discounts for members at retailers around town this month, so be sure to check the link.)
I also popped over to The Great Outdoors, where a pair of terracotta lamp jars caught my eye. Not cheap at $260-something apiece, but so pretty.
They remind me of these pierced terracotta lanterns I admired in the garden of Jennifer and Fred Myers.
The Great Outdoors has long had a green roof over their gift shop, but currently it’s planted with purple pansies — and one rather large softleaf yucca. Cheery!
And yes, they have quite a few copies too. Thanks, TGO!
So have you been trolling the nurseries yet, eager for spring? Or if you live where it’s snowy, are you perusing plant catalogs? I hope, at the least, that you’ve showered in the last couple days.
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At the moment I’m shopping my own stores of unused and discarded pots to see if there are any new combinations to try or some freshening up I can do with the stock already at hand. Your foray provided me with inspiration already however – that terra cotta pot tower planted with annuals is not only gorgeous but an idea potentially easily imitated on a slightly smaller scale. Thank you!
The tower is perfect for this time of year, when it’s cool and rainy. I’d hate to try to keep it going with anything but succulents at another time of year. What do you think — a piece of skinny rebar down the center to add stability? —Pam
Oh my. I’m loving those soft green chickens. Love.
Jenn, I had to scan through the photos twice to see the chickens you referred to. Ha! Guess I didn’t have chickens on the brain. —Pam
So glad you took some time for yourself and to share a little nursery browsing.
I’ve been collecting photos for a natural cedar gate so there may be another copy of the branch and birds detail soon.
It’s an eminently stealable idea. Plus the birds are available in nurseries all over central Texas. I already had a crow/grackle myself. —Pam
I love those pierced terra cotta lanterns too. I have been visiting nurseries lately, but mostly buying houseplants to put in the greenhouse. I’ve been poring over the catalogs too lately. I’m champing at the bit to get gardening!
Spring is coming, Alison. —Pam
Too funny, it was 11F here this morning and I had to shower before going to work. With snow on the ground and the cold I am relegated to studying seed catalogs and plant catalogs. Just looking at your nice warm photos of green growing things makes me feel warmer.
Ooh, 11F is c-c-c-cold, Lisa. Hope you get some relief soon. —Pam
I agree with Shirley on taking time for yourself after all that!
Those birds and branch are so cute. I know that Gail and I picked up some similar birds at the rose garden in Portland last year. Mine’s a bluebird (cause I keep hoping for some nesting here!).
Funny, I’ve never noticed the green roof at Great Outdoors. I think I must keep my head down looking at stuff there. I do wish we had at least one pretty little nursery here – I’m sure you know how lucky you all are!
It’s usually not so lushly planted, Jean, which is perhaps why you’ve never noticed it. But it’s been there for several years. —Pam
I will say that I do miss Austin’s nurseries! And HEB… ~Julie
The nurseries I can understand, but HEB? I like HEB but have never thought of it as irreplaceable. Funny the things you miss, huh? —Pam
That’s because HEB is so readily available in Austin! We would give up a nursery for an HEB in northeast Texas and that’s pretty desparate!!!
Wow, that IS saying something, Nan. I will try to be more appreciative of Austin’s hometown grocery store too! —Pam
Haha, I’ve heard the same thing here in north Louisiana – what we would give for an HEB here!
Who knew?? —Pam
Those terra cotta pieces must be the world’s largest luminarias. A pair of those straddling the front walk would be spectacular at night. Also, like Jean, I’ve never noticed the green roof at GO. Will have to make a point to look up the next time I’m there.
Yes, that would be spectacular indeed. I bet someone on the rich side of town will snap them up! 😉 —Pam
I’m glad you could celebrate your accomplishment in completing your manuscript with well-deserved retail therapy. I love those metal birds! And that green roof is one of the prettiest I’ve seen.
The retail therapy, even though it was mostly window-shopping, was much needed, Kris. Actually, it was just good to get outdoors. —Pam
Oh, I like the birds on the branch, too. I love cedar waxwings. If you hadn’t said the purple flowers on the roof were pansies, I would have assumed they were some pretty Texas wildflower. It’s a nice effect, at least.
The wildflowers will be along in late March and April, Evan. Well, I don’t know if they’ll be on this roof. However, I have seen bluebonnets on the Wildflower Center’s ticket-booth green roof! (3rd picture from top) —Pam
Glad to hear your book is being published soon! I think we are getting a jump on spring fever with the nice weather. Love the nursery visit…. I will put those on my list to visit the next time I’m in Austin. Who wouldn’t want those terra cotta pots?~J
The book won’t be out until Feb. 2016, Jeanette — a year from now — but that time will be well spent on making sure it’s as good a book as it can be! By the way, check out my nursery page for good Austin nurseries to visit the next time you’re in town. —Pam