It’s finally fall, and that means it’s garden tour season in Texas! On Saturday, November 2, you can visit six private gardens in Austin through the Garden Conservancy Open Days program from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission at each garden is $10 per garden; children 12 and under are free.

You can begin the self-guided tour starting at 10 a.m. at any of the gardens. The descriptions below (which I’ve lightly edited) were provided by the Garden Conservancy:

• Berger Street, 1145 Berger Street – This petite and lovely house located in the East MLK neighborhood was a creative collaboration between Shademaker Studio and Spencer Landscape Company. Built in the 1920s, the house is tucked into a lush landscape. An entry path of Mexican adobe brick is framed by understory heroes: Berkeley sedge, purple heart, giant spider lily, and Turk’s cap. The backyard is perfectly set up for entertainment/lounging and a little bit of work. An oil-pipe canopy extends over a carefully remodeled Airstream, lounge area, and repurposed storage container. The backyard plants attract birds, bees, and butterflies. Yaupon holly, Texas redbud, Anacacho orchid tree, and a heritage pecan are the foundation, and numerous perennials fill in the planting areas.
• Davern Oaks, 818 East 37^th Street – The storybook quality of the Tudor-style home is a splendid backdrop for the equally enchanting gardens. Rain Lily Design began working on the organically maintained gardens 16 years ago. Inheriting some “good bones,” they have slowly transformed the space into what you see today. The layout of the garden lends itself to an exploratory stroll, with many intriguing spots such as the fire pit and herb garden. There is a peekaboo quality to many of the spaces, keeping the viewer engaged. The mostly shady garden’s plantings complement a well laid-out structure of green hedges, lawn spaces, and more-traditional woodland plantings.
• Green House on Greenway, 3700 Greenway Street – You enter a quiet retreat with towering heritage live oaks surrounding this mid-century modern house. The ribboned driveway invites you in. This woodland setting slopes down to Waller Creek, with a grassy area for play and gathering. The amphitheater is a setting for music and entertainment. Native shrubs are planted throughout.
• Nuevo Santander, 1107 Summit Street – With exceptions, plants native to Northern Mexico and West Texas — ecotones moving toward Austin — were favored. Aesthetic delight, xeriscape properties, National Wildlife Federation eligibility, and privacy were also considerations. The front consists of terraced beds for drainage and visual purposes. The south front — dry shade created by a mature cedar elm and heritage live oak — incorporates Mexican palms and maples. The rear consists of a buffalograss prairie and an informal grove of Mexican sycamore.
• Garden of Ruthie & Gene Burrus, 111 Birnam Wood Court (address added 10/19 at Ruthie’s request) – The garden is all about pollinators, native plants, and taking advantage of views and natural surroundings. The Burruses live on top of a hill overlooking downtown Austin, the Texas Capitol, and the UT tower. The hillside is a wildflower meadow, showcasing native wildflower annuals and perennials in the spring, native lantana in the summer, and native grasses in the fall and winter. The top of the hill features mostly native blooming plants and succulents, mixed in with some Texas-adapted favorites and a few roses. The property is both a Certified Wildlife Habitat and a Monarch Way Station, filled with sunflowers, salvias, lantana, pavonia, Turk’s cap, and bee balm — lots of food for pollinators. A rainwater-collection system harvests rain off roofs and gutters and stores it in a 10,000-gallon galvanized tank.
• Two Coves Drive Residence, 8115 Two Coves Drive – Designed and built by B. Jane Gardens, this 3-acre private West Austin residence features extensive native plantings and locally-sourced Lueders limestone and field stone. Dry creeks, water features, and outdoor living, dining, cooking, bathing, and lounging spaces blend seamlessly with the Paul Lamb-designed home and serene country landscape. Strong clean lines connect spaces and inspire exploration. This is a true retreat in the hills, perfect for entertaining and rejuvenation.

The Garden Conservancy is “a national nonprofit dedicated to saving and sharing outstanding American gardens. Since 1995, the Garden Conservancy’s award-winning Open Days has welcomed more than one million visitors into thousands of inspired private landscapes – from urban rooftops to organic farms, historic estates to innovative suburban lots – in 41 states.”

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Digging Deeper

Come learn about gardening and design at Garden Spark! I organize in-person talks by inspiring designers, landscape architects, authors, and gardeners a few times a year in Austin. These are limited-attendance events that sell out quickly, so join the Garden Spark email list to be notified in advance; simply click this link and ask to be added. Season 8 kicks off in fall 2024. Stay tuned for more info!

All material © 2024 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.