Being able to visit a garden at the golden hour — just after sunrise or before sunset, when the light is soft and warm — is a garden photographer’s fervent wish. So I am grateful when a botanical garden offers early or late visiting hours. Austin’s Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center does just that with its seasonal Tuesday Twilights events. Two weeks ago I went to one of their last Tuesday Twilights and spent a peaceful hour strolling and photographing, soaking up the autumn vibes.

As I share those pictures, I’m mixing in a few from a lunchtime visit last Friday with Michael McDowell of Plano Prairie Garden, who was in town to give a Garden Spark talk. This is one of those noonday pics. I always admire the prairie-style green roof on the entry kiosk.

Mellower vibes were on tap during Tuesday Twilights in the main courtyard, where light streamed through the long-fingered leaves of dwarf Texas palmetto…

…and a vine cloaking a limestone pillar.

The deep limestone pool in the courtyard is fringed with fluffy grasses in this season.

In fact, grasses are the star of the garden right now, as they fluff up with fall flowers.

Lindheimer muhly’s tawny spires make a handsome grass even handsomer.

Gulf muhly’s cotton candy blooms make a Cinderella-worthy transformation of this rather plain grass each fall.

Bushy bluestem’s tall, touchable inflorescences catch the light.

“Garden floof” — love it!

Grasses aren’t the only plants holding the light. Gayfeather does too, once it goes to seed.

Inland sea oats, a shade-loving grass, dangles its fish-on-a-line seedheads.

They have a light-capturing quality too.

Near the cafe, queen butterflies were nectaring on Turk’s cap flowers.

Monarchs too

Fueling up for the long migration to Mexico

Wetland grasses or sedges edge the Hill Country stream.

Dwarf palmetto loves this moist spot too.

In a drier area, evergreen sumac was showing off orangey red fruits.

In the central garden, stock tanks of all sizes have been made into waterlily ponds and tiered planters.

It’s a distinctively Austin look, according to Michael, who doesn’t see stock tanks used as much in North Texas.

I like this creative use of stock tanks in a garden.

Damianita planter

Queen butterfly on fall aster

The Theme Gardens here, I confess, don’t move me. The grid of sectioned off plants reminds me of xeriscape demonstration gardens where plant education is prioritized over design. I’d rather see a garden that’s more cohesive and, frankly, stunning for this key space. One day, I hope!

No offense to anyone who works there, I hope. Everyone’s a critic, right? 🙂

One of my favorite little trees caught my eye there — goldenball leadtree.

Its puffy yellow flower balls are silly and cute against a bluebird sky.

In the Mixed Border Garden, I thought I spotted blue nolina (Nolina nelsonii) in a pot. How I miss my blue nolinas, which succumbed to two hard winters. But no, this is foothill bear grass (Nolina erumpens), a nolina I’ve never heard of. Pretty!

A little boy was checking out the stock-tank pond in the Naturalistic Garden. This is where I saw my first simple stock-tank pond probably 30 years ago — no filter, no pump; just water, plants, and gambusia fish to eat mosquito larvae. I fell in love with the concept and over the years made several ponds of my own. I don’t have one currently, but I’m sure I’ll make a small one again one day.

Yaupon holly with its pretty red berries

And another one. The birds will be happy to find these this winter.

Cenizo in bloom, thanks to a promise of rain

Eryngium seedheads look like tawny pineapples.

In the Family Garden, I took pics of all the Fortlandia play forts on temporary exhibit, but I’ll share those in a separate post. This circle of rainbow-hued Adirondacks is fun and copy-ready for a backyard fire pit.

I exclaimed out loud over this adorable, mopheaded weeping yaupon. Is this a dwarf cultivar? If so, I need details!

As the sun sank low, the Savanna Meadow was the picture of tranquility, striated by bands of softly colored grasses.

And golden daisies of some kind

Lindheimer muhly making an inverse of the Center’s gabled roofline

Gulf muhly’s fizzy pink flowers and the Center’s iconic cistern tower

Gulf muhly

A long gutter from the main building funnels rainwater into a cistern at the heart of the stone tower.

A winding stair leads up from the bottom.

Midway up, you can admire a domed brick ceiling, where a grated hole admits sunlight and rain. I didn’t take any pictures from the top this time, but the views are grand.

On that Tuesday Twilight, a singer-songwriter was playing guitar in the main courtyard…

…for an appreciative audience.

When I was there last week with Michael, we popped into the gift shop, where I immediately spotted my book Lawn Gone! featured front-and-center.

Thank you, Wildflower Center gift shop staff! I was invited by a staff member to sign the copies they had on hand.

And I had to get a photo of the book with Michael, whose prairie garden in Plano is featured in the book.

Ooh, I saw these lovely floral ceramics too.

A last few images from the twilight visit, including white mistflower…

…and the aqueduct wall framing the sunset. Thanks for the late visit, Wildflower Center!

Stay tuned for my post about the creative play forts of Fortlandia 2024.

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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. Read all about the Season 8 lineup here!

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