Post-Fling garden exploring with blogger friends
Having said goodbye to nearly 100 garden bloggers at Austin Garden Bloggers Fling, on Monday of last week I picked up 4 late-staying blogger friends — Loree Bohl of Danger Garden, Gerhard Bock of Succulents and More, Victoria Summerley of Tales from Awkward Hill, and Helen Johnstone of The Patient Gardener — for an impromptu day of visiting additional gardens and one nursery.
Our first stop was the home of landscape architect Jackson Broussard, whose garden I photographed last fall on the Open Days Tour. I greatly admire the classical-contemporary style of his garden, epitomized here by an Italian-potted prickly pear showcased on a mosaic-style low wall along the driveway, and backed by a rustic cedar-post fence. Perfection!
The smaller details are wonderful too, like this rough-hewn stone water bowl reflecting the tree canopy amid low-growing greenery.
Next we shopped at East Austin Succulents for pots and plants, where I admired these wacky Lone Star beer can planters.
East Austin Succulents carries a fascinating, high/low variety of pots, as well as many potted succulent arrangements ready to take home.
Roped to a fence, unpotted and sitting with its bare roots exposed, a chunky Argentine saguaro had decided to bloom.
The extravagantly beautiful flower was hung up in the wire fencing, but it didn’t seem to mind. It always astonishes me that cacti are so tough (blooming while bare-root and lassoed to a fence) and yet so showy in flower.
At this point we were hungry, so we stopped at Chuy’s on Barton Springs Road for a Tex-Mex lunch. From left to right: Loree, Victoria, me, Helen, and Gerhard. It was fun to share Chuy’s with an Oregonian, two Brits, and a Californian. An Austin original, Chuy’s has now spread to half of the U.S. — but not the western half as yet.
After lunch we toured Jeff Pavlat’s hillside garden (see it in full in my blog post from fall 2012). Cholla was in bloom amid the yucca and prickly pear.
Leaning over the driveway from a terraced bed, a bizarre and impressive bloom spike of a flowering agave makes a celebration out of the one-time flowering that marks the plant’s imminent death. It’s how we all should go.
My thanks to Jackson and Jeff for welcoming our party into their gardens!
Up next: A visit to landscape architect’s Curt Arnette’s personal garden, our last stop of the day.
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What a fun day that was! I can’t imagine how you pulled it off, as exhausted as you must have been…but I thank you!
Couldn’t miss another day of fun! But I did take it easy (i.e., was nearly comatose) the following two days. —Pam
What fun with terrific people! Austin really was beautiful. I hope to see Jackson Broussard garden some day. Love East Austin Succulents : ) Chuy’s was a good choice!
I had a fun day showing them around. So glad you were here for the Fling, Laurin, and enjoyed the weekend! —Pam
Too much fun.
We did have fun! —Pam
OK, I was already jealous of you lucky Flinger folks, but NOW I am completely green: you visited two gardens I long to see!!! Agaves! Succulents! No fair!
Linda, you need to come visit again. I will see what I can do. —Pam
Damn ! Why didn’t I stay an extra day ?
I’m glad Austin still has enough intrigue left to bring you back sometime! —Pam
Wow, I can’t imagine how you pulled off a smile after planning and leading the fling, opening your own garden, and hosting nearly 100 bloggers. Looks like you saw some more fabulous gardens/plants and enjoyed great company.
How could I not smile in the company of such lovely people? We had a good day, even though we were all a bit tired. You can’t keep garden explorers down! —Pam
Thank you so much, Pam – I enjoyed every minute of the day, but particularly Jackson Broussard’s garden.
I’m glad you enjoyed the extra gardens, Victoria. It was lovely to spend the day with you. —Pam
Wonderful! It is always good to visit with friends especially when gardens are involved. You are The Hostess with the Mostest!
I’m so glad to have spent time seeing gardens with you too that weekend, Layanee. Thanks for coming to Austin. —Pam