Gardens on Tour 2006
Today my sister-in-law and I went on the LBJ Wildflower Center–sponsored garden tour—Gardens on Tour 2006. Two of the gardens were particularly spectacular: one that the homeowners had designed and installed themselves (photo above), and one that complemented an over-the-top, fanciful, Mayan-inspired mansion, complete with personal observatory, rooftop temple, and solar calendar made from massive limestone columns (very Indiana Jones!). While the latter was most fun to explore and marvel over, the first was our favorite garden by far. Rather than a single garden, it was divided into seven distinct walled gardens, each intimate, beautiful, and natural yet structural. The husband’s hand-stacked stone walls and paths throughout the garden were the perfect foil to the wife’s colorful native wildflowers. The photo above shows one of the couple’s gorgeous garden rooms.
While we enjoyed ourselves on the tour, and the two gardens I mentioned were worth the price of the tour alone, I confess to being disappointed that the other gardens played second fiddle to the architecture of the homes and the lake views . One exception was an unusually striking garden designed by Big Red Sun, but all in all the “gardens” were more about hardscaping, stonework, and showing off spectacular views than about making your own view with a garden. Only tony West Austin gardens were featured, most of them had been designed by professionals and are maintained by a team of professionals, and they didn’t reflect their owners’ tastes or personality. I would like to see a tour that focuses on the garden, not the million-dollar home it complements, or the million-dollar view.
Before the tour, I took a turn around my own modest garden this morning. Here’s what’s growing . . .
The Valentine rose is putting out new foliage that nearly matches the color of its red, red roses.
A pair of Wilson’s Yellow daylilies
More Wilson’s Yellow
The smoke tree is still “smoking,” and the yellow bells foliage is coming up in front.
Your photographs and descriptive phrasings continue to delight me. I look forward to each new addition to your web site.
Pam, although supporting the Wildflower Center is important, you’ve confirmed my suspicions as to the kind of gardens that would be included. I was sure the emphasis would be on professionally hardscaped, west-side mansions with views. In the same way, the Central TX gardener show is lovely to view as a travelog, but the gardens are seldom inspiring to gardeners dealing with average-size lots close to other houses. Maybe the fall Garden Conservancy tours will come up with some winners?
Annie
PS I have no idea if our sphinx caterpiller got his wings – the two-week mark arrived with the storms, hail, wind and the subsequent branch cleanup. There was no lid on the box of soil, so the moth was free to leave.
Annie,
Yours is an interesting comment about “Central Texas Gardener.” I’d be interested to know host Tom Spencer’s take on the show’s purpose: showcasing high-end dream gardens or offering achievable inspiration to the average gardener with a small, suburban yard? Personally, I like to see what people can make of their yards when they’re not blessed with a lakefront vista and a two-acre lot. When you don’t have a view, you must make your own. That’s what most of us must do—and so much can be done!—so that’s what we want to be inspired by. (In fact, that’s what Tom has done so beautifully with his own garden. Check it out at http://www.soulofthegarden.com/home.html; click on “The Daily Muse” link.)
Our sphinx moths haven’t come up yet either, and I’m getting a little impatient. There’s a lid on the container, so we’ll know if they hatch. I’m still hopeful and will post photos if/when something happens.
Pam, I love Tom Spencer. His website has been bookmarked for years, and the link passed to family and friends all around the country. My husband and I have heard him speak, and were lucky enough to have visited Tom & Victor’s garden while it was still new, in 2002, I think. The show has a short time to cover so many gardening areas, and can’t do it all, I guess.
Soul of the Garden has photos of the same Wildflower tour garden that was your favorite, the one made by the homeowners. We’ve gone on the Austin pond society tours a few times, too. On these tours I also find the intimate, owner-designed gardens to be more interesting than the professional ones, but I admit to personal bias.
Annie
Annie, right before I saw your latest comment, I was visiting Tom’s site and saw with delight that he had posted a photo of the garden I loved best on the tour. I’ve been lucky enough to visit Tom’s garden too. It’s boldly designed, intimately arranged, and filled with personal significance—it should have been on the tour.
I’ll have to check out the Austin pond tour one of these days. Please let me know if you hear about any other good garden tours.