Gardens on Tour 2010: Forest Trail garden
The next garden I visited on Saturday’s Gardens on Tour 2010 was the Forest Trail garden, located in Tarrytown, the same west Austin neighborhood as the Bridle Path garden.
The most eye-catching—and nose-catching—scene in this garden was a stunning star jasmine vine, in full bloom, arching across two sets of French doors on the front terrace. Ah, to sit under this fragrant arbor and watch the world go by.
The front of the home was nicely landscaped but mainly lawn, as I recall; I took no photos of it. The main garden was along a broad, sloping side yard that led from the street all the way down to—get this—the back yard of the house one street over and cattycorner from this one. A docent explained that the two homeowners had agreed to share the space, landscaping their yards in harmony and without privacy fencing, and both properties were viewable on this tour.
Near the bottom of the slope, in the back yard of the other house, this pond and waterfall created a focal point for the second homeowners and a pleasant destination for the first homeowners, who also had their own pond and waterfall nearby (not pictured).
The second homeowners had a pretty stand of poppies in bloom.
More poppies
Walking back up the lawn path, a long bed of pruned-up loropetalums and perennials screened the driveway from view.
Salvia guaranitica
A tall metal trellis served as a privacy screen for a garage apartment at the back of the lot.
A simple but attractive paver-and-gravel path led to the back yard, which was mainly lawn with a basic shrub border.
While this didn’t seem to be a gardener’s garden, it was a nicely landscaped property with some lovely features. And the house itself was gorgeous, especially with that star jasmine ornamenting the facade.
To see the previous garden at Bridle Path, click here. For a tour of the Reynosa Drive garden, which I posted about before the official tour, click here. Tune in tomorrow for the last garden of the day, a beautifully designed rural property on Highway 45 South.
All material © 2006-2010 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Pam, thanks for sharing your photos of the garden tour. I really look forward to them. I have a tendency to get overwhelmed on tours and don’t even try to capture pictures, just experience the gardens. I’m glad others make the effort to share their experience.
That Jasmine vine looks incredible and I bet the smell coming form all those tiny blossoms was amazing! I also love your photos of the poppies- such delicate beauties.
Ah, this is my type of garden, on a smaller scale, of course. A canopy of overhanging trees, shaded paths leading you to all that wonderful colour…and that jasmine vine must have been extraordinary. One can dream, I guess. 😉
That has to be one of the most impressive star jasmine plants I’ve ever seen!
Pam, thanks for all the photos of the garden tour. I was not able to attend last weekend, so your “tour” was appreciated as always. Thank you.
That waterfall and pond look so natural from your photo. I think it’s the maidenhair ferns that make it so. I wonder what they used to keep the jasmine up there, do you know? Although not a gardener’s garden, it does look peaceful and restful.
I would have abandoned the tour at the blooming jasmine, pulled up a chair, and read a book or taken a nap near that divine scent. I suppose I would have been escorted off the property at that point….
Christine in Alaska
Yep, it looks pretty ho hum. I like the grass path though.