A Shady, Colorful Garden Personifies The Uniqueness of Austin

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Texas capital Austin sign in front of a blue wall

Exploring Pam Penick’s Shady Colorful Garden in Austin, Texas

I like quirky things that are unexpected and outside the daily ‘normalness’ in our lives. That is why I have fallen in love with the city of Austin, Texas, which prides itself on being “weird.” Another reason this Texas capital city appeals to me is their beautiful gardens and rich gardening culture, and my friend, Pam Penick’s shady, colorful garden personifies the uniqueness that is found throughout Austin.

Meeting Pam Penick and Her Unique Garden for Garden Bloggers Fling

Pam Penick (facing front wearing a hat) greeting garden visitors in her shady colorful garden

Pam Penick (facing front wearing a hat) greeting garden visitors.

On a recent visit to Austin, I took part in the Garden Bloggers Fling, where garden bloggers from the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain, gather and tour gardens within a particular city. This year’s Fling was held in Austin, and one of the gardens I was most excited to see was Pam’s.

As two long-time bloggers in the Southwest, Pam and I have been friends for several years and I was fortunate to have hosted her in Arizona four years ago, while she was researching for her latest book, “The Water-Saving Garden.” For years, I’ve wanted to visit her garden and now was my chance.

Creative Solutions for Shady Conditions

Pam's shady colorful garden

Pam’s garden flourishes underneath the filtered shade of beautiful oak trees. However, the shade does present some challenges in that there aren’t a lot of colorful plants that will flower in shady conditions. But, Pam expertly works around that obstacle, using her unique design style that she describes as mostly contemporary.

Bringing Color to the Shady Landscape

autumn sage (Salvia greggii) in front of a Whale's Tongue agave

Concentrating flowering plants in the few areas that receive bright sun is one way to add needed color to a shady landscape. Here, the bright colors of this autumn sage (Salvia greggii) contrast beautifully with the blue-gray leaves of a whale’s tongue agave (Agave ovatifolia). While both of these plants flourish in full sun in this Texas garden, they do best with filtered or afternoon shade in the low desert region.

A Splash of Blue in the Garden

Blue balls and agave decorate the front lawn garden bed in this shady colorful garden

When flowering plants are absent, we introduce texture by utilizing spiky agave and yucca plants. We incorporate elements of color into the garden through the inclusion of garden art, exemplified by these blue balls.

Blue containers filled with lovely plants in this Austin, TX shady colorful garden

I love blue pots, and I’ve found a kindred spirit in Pam, who has them scattered throughout her landscape.

A Shady, Colorful Garden Personifies The Uniqueness of Austin

As you walk through the garden, you need to pay attention as Pam adds lovely detail in unexpected places, like this rusted garden art.

Unique Garden Trends: Pocket Planters

Pocket planters as living walls

There are garden trends that are unique to specific areas of the country, and I found several of what I call, ‘pocket planters’ hanging on walls. Right at eye-level, it is easy to explore the tiny detail of these small containers.

Bamboo Muhly and Dyckia: A Colorful Composition

bamboo muhly (Muhlenbergia dumosa) with a blue metal heart art

Walking along the driveway, toward the backyard, the soft shape of bamboo muhly (Muhlenbergia dumosa) adds a beautiful blue backdrop, and in front, a container filled with Dyckia and a blue heart adds interest.

green garden gate with rusty birds

A sage green garden gate led the way into the backyard.

Baby agave in a shady colorful garden

A potting bench sits along the wall in the side garden where four “Moby Jr.” whale’s tongue agave are planted. They come from Pam’s original “Moby” agave – I have one of the babies growing in my front garden.

Succulent Beauty in Masonry Blocks

Masonry blocks garden

Masonry blocks are artfully arranged into a low wall. Each block is rich with a variety of succulents.

Austin TX shady colorful garden swimming pool

The garden sits on a slope. This provides a lovely view from the upper elevation. I love the blue wall that adds a welcome splash of color. It also adds a touch of whimsy with the “Austin” sign.

Shadows and Planters: Adding Colorful Elements

oak tree with shady garden

The shadows from an oak tree make delightful patterns along the wall while planters add a nice color element.

Blue Bottle Trees and Unique Ornaments

Blue bottle trees

Gardening in Austin isn’t for wimps. They have to deal with thin soils that lie atop rock. This is quite evident along the back of the garden.

Blue bottle trees in the shady colorful garden

Blue bottle trees are a popular garden ornament throughout the South as well as other areas of the U.S. Here; they serve the same purpose as a flowering vine would.

A Whimsical Touch: Octopus Pots

Octopus planters and octopus garden art

As I got ready to leave, I walked along the deck that overlooked the pool. Here there are more examples of Pam’s unique garden style. Honestly, I can say that I’ve never seen octopus pots anywhere in my garden travels, until now. 

I had a wonderful time exploring this shady oasis and the innovative ways that Pam has introduced colorful elements. Check out her blog, Digging, which is one of my favorites.

Garden Inspiration: Southwest Style

An English Garden With Texas Flair

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English garden bird bath in Texas

Exploring the Charm of an English Garden in Texas

I love English gardens with their lush greenery, colorful blooms, and somewhat untidy appearance. This may be due to my partial English ancestry. I don’t make it to the British Isles as much as I’d like. But there are lovely examples to be found in the U.S. Earlier this month, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit an English garden with Texas flair.

A Texan Adventure: Garden Bloggers Fling in Austin

I was in Austin for the Garden Bloggers Fling. It is an annual gathering of garden bloggers that is held in a different city each year. As you might expect, touring gardens is the focus of the Fling. I couldn’t wait to explore the gardens of this area. Largely because we can grow many of the same types of plants in Arizona.

Embracing Rainy Garden Adventures in the Texas

I woke up, excited for our first day of touring, only to be greeted by torrential rain. I was undeterred with the wet. Equipped with my rain poncho and umbrella, 3.5 inches of rain wasn’t going to get in my way of seeing beautiful gardens.

The garden of Jenny Stocker

Journey into an “Arts and Crafts Texas-Style Garden with an English Theme”

The garden of Jenny Stocker, who blogs at Rock Rose, was my favorite destination of the day. She describes her garden as an “arts and crafts Texas-style garden with an English theme”. She has divided her landscape into ‘rooms.’ Many areas surrounded by walls that frame each room while keeping deer away. Doorways provide a tantalizing glimpse into the next room, encouraging visitors to embark on a journey of discovery.

Exploring the Beauty of Texas-English Garden Rooms

An English Garden With Texas Flair

A dry creek bed meanders through this garden room where it is surrounded by both native and adapted plants that thrive despite a thin layer of soil that lies over rock.

foxglove flowers against a southwestern wall

Plants, like this foxglove, droop gracefully under the continuing rainfall and with every step through the garden, my feet were squishing in my wet shoes, but it was easy to ignore the discomfort with all the beauty surrounding me.

An English Garden water fountain

A small water feature, complete with water plants and a fish, create a welcome focal point.

Potted Wonders: Adding Visual Interest to the Texas-English Garden

brugmansia and golden barrel cactuses in containers

Potted plants like this potted brugmansia and golden barrel cactuses add visual interest to an alcove. Did you know that golden barrel cactus are native to Texas and Mexico? Many of the plants we grow in Arizona come from these regions.

creeping fig around a concrete stone mask in a garden

An angelic face peeks out from a wall of creeping fig, which grows well in the desert garden in shady locations with adequate water.

A Unique Swimming Pool: Blending Nature and Water Features

pot spills water into the swimming pool

An overturned pot spills water into the pool, providing the lovely sound of water while creating a lovely focal point.

English garden swimming pool in Texas

The swimming pool was unique in that it looked like a water feature with the surrounding flowering plants, many of which, are allowed to self-seed.

This was my favorite garden room, so I took a video so you can get an overview of the beauty of this area.

Harmonizing Edibles and Flowers in the Texas-English Garden

An English Garden with raised beds

In another area of the garden, raised beds were filled with edible plants. In between the beds, were flowering plants that create a welcome softness and attract pollinators, which in turn, benefit the vegetables.

Verbena bonariensis

Lovely Verbena bonariensis decorated the edible garden with their delicate purple blossoms.

Aloes and Agaves: Succulent Magic

'Blue Elf' aloes and other succulents in containers

Jenny makes great use of grouping potted plants together on steps and I recognized ‘Blue Elf’ aloes in a few of the containers, which is one of my favorite aloes that I use in designs.

Stone, Succulents, and Sculptures: Artistry in the Garden

An English Garden in Texas with bird bath

Stacked stone forms a raised bed that surrounds the circular wall of this garden room where a bird bath serves as a focal point.

Quail sculptures in a Texas English garden

Decorative animals were tucked into different spots, just waiting to be discovered by garden visitors, like this quail family.

Mimicking Water Movement: A Creative Garden Touch with Mexican Feather Grass

Mexican feather grass

Here’s a fantastic whimsical element that I particularly enjoyed: they used Mexican feather grass to imitate the movement of water for stone fish.

spineless prickly pear

Much like desert gardens, cacti and succulents were used to create unique texture, like this spineless prickly pear (Opuntia cacanapa), which is native to Texas but also grows nicely in my Arizona garden.

A Texas Treasure: The Beauty of the English Garden

artichoke agave

The blue-gray color and spiky texture of artichoke agave, contrasts beautifully with the softer textures of lush green perennials.

A single agave plant in a container on a garden wall

As we prepared to say goodbye to this Texas-English garden, I stroll past an opening in a garden wall, where I noticed a single agave standing sentinel, and I marveled at how a single plant can create a significant design impact when carefully positioned.

This garden was a true Texas treasure and I came away in awe of its natural beauty. However, this wasn’t only the garden that inspired me. There are sixteen other gardens left to explore. I invite you to come back when I’ll profile another of my favorites. 

Historic District Landscape Styles

Historic Landscape Styles

Historic Landscape Styles

Earlier this week, I was finishing up an appointment in downtown Phoenix and since I had some spare time available, I decided to drive through one of my favorite historic neighborhoods – the Encanto-Palmcroft district.

Historic Landscape Styles

Historic Landscape Styles

I always enjoy driving down streets looking at homes built long ago and seeing how they are landscaped.  Some, remain the traditional landscaping with green lawns, neatly pruned shrubs and deciduous trees, like the one above.

Historic Landscape Styles

I love porches, which aren’t a popular feature in southwestern homes in general.  These homeowners made the most of their small porch with a pair of rocking chairs and colorful Talavera pottery.

Historic Landscape Styles

Some of the houses had taken on some more modern design elements such as adding raised beds and a small courtyard.

Historic Landscape Styles

I really liked this raised bed which was filled with plants prized for foliage and not flowers.

Historic Landscape Styles

While there were still front landscapes filled almost entirely with grass, but some had decreased the amount of grass.  I liked this one where two rectangles of grass flanked the front entry, yet stops at the wooden fence where it transitions to a xeriscape.  It speaks to the historic roots of the neighborhood while injecting a touch of modernity.

artichoke agave (Agave parryi 'truncata') and lady's slipper (Pedilanthus macrocarpus)

Plants such as artichoke agave (Agave parryi ‘truncata’) and lady’s slipper (Pedilanthus macrocarpus) fit in seamlessly with the other more traditional landscape elements in this garden.

Historic Landscape Styles

This home also retained its lawn but added drought tolerant plants up toward the foundation.  The spiky texture of agave and yucca add a contemporary touch along with texture contrast.

Texas olive (Cordia boissieri).

Here is a car that you would expect to see when many of these homes were brand new.

Check out the large Texas olive (Cordia boissieri).

Historic Landscape Styles

This home had a walled-in courtyard added for privacy and a curved path leads up toward the entry.

Historic Landscape Styles

The pathway leading toward the residence begins at the parking strip and is flanked by river rock.

Historic Landscape Styles

A couple of the historic homes shed their green lawns and formerly pruned shrubs completely.

Mature specimens of ironwood (Olneya tesota), jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis), and creosote (Larrea tridentata) create privacy for this house.

An informal pathway also bisects this parking strip leading toward the entry path to the house.

Historic Landscape Styles

The purple door contrasts beautifully with the hunter green color of the house.

Historic Landscape Styles

The backyard of this desert retreat is surrounded by a fence made of rebar.

hopbush (Dodonaea viscosa) and yucca.

Small vignettes are visible through plantings of hopbush (Dodonaea viscosa) and yucca.

palo blanco tree (Acacia willardiana).

As I left the historic district, I spotted a beautiful specimen of a palo blanco tree (Acacia willardiana).

I could have spent several hours exploring the Encanto-Palmcroft historic district, but it’s nice to have a reason to come back again someday.

*You can view another garden in this historic district from an earlier post, A Hidden Jewel In the Middle of Phoenix.

My Favorite Home and Garden Magazine With a Surprise

Do you enjoy reading magazines about home and gardening?  I do.

Often with the busyness of life, I don’t have as much time to read magazines as I used to.  But, always make time for my favorite subscription, which is Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine.

I enjoy thumbing through the pages that are filled with colorful photographs and articles about beautiful landscapes and lovely home decor with a Southwestern flair.

Phoenix Home and Garden Magazine

I must admit that I have been impatiently waiting for the June issue in my mailbox.  Day after day, I volunteered to go out to get the mail and several times, would come away with a handful of junk mail and bills and little else.

But, finally, it came.

So, why was I so excited about this particular issue?

Phoenix Home and Garden Magazine

Because my first article for Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine was contained within its pages.

Two months ago, I was contacted by one of the editors and was asked if I was interested in writing for them.  Of course, I said yes!

I visited a stunning garden and met with the homeowners as well as the architect who helped them create their landscape.  

It was a slightly new experience for me as I had to interview the homeowners, their architect, gardener, and builder.  

There was so much to see from multiple water features laid with handcrafted Spanish tiles, beds of roses around the pool, a Southwestern Zen garden and an edible garden.

If you have a chance, I highly recommend grabbing a copy so you can see this spectacular outdoor space.  There are also several other lovely gardens featured in the magazine as well.

Guess What Came In the Mail?

‘Boss’ For a Day…

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Last week, I had one of my best days at work.  I had to do some work out in the field, which entailed placing 3 large boulders in a high profile landscape design of a golf course.

high profile landcape area of a golf course

While placing boulders may seem rather boring to some, I must say that I always enjoy this job.

large boulders

Why you may ask?

Well first of all, it can be quite exciting.  Moving very large boulders isn’t without its risks.  There is always danger of damaging nearby structures.  You can also get a sense of how heavy a particular boulder is when the back tires of the backhoe comes off the ground.

landscape design

But, the reason that I most enjoy placing boulders is that I have several people listening and following my directions as to where to place each boulder.

Now, lest you think that I may get carried away with my power – there is no chance of that.  After a busy day in the field, I came home and tried my best to get my 3 teenagers to listen and do what I asked.  Needless to say, the ‘power’ I had earlier in the day, mysteriously disappeared  😉

landscape design

landscape design

But at the end of the day, I did have three nice-sized boulders to anchor my landscape design.  Plants were ready to go in a couple of days later.

A Snapshot of My Crazy, But Happy Life…

10 Cold Hardy Succulents That Add Beauty to the Winter Landscape

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With the arrival of winter, some people resign themselves to a boring garden, devoid of interest until spring arrives with its warmer temperatures.

Thankfully, we don’t have to settle for ‘blah’ winter gardens if cold-hardy succulents have a spot to grow in the landscape, many of which can survive temps down to 0 and even -20 degrees F.

Yucca growing among boulders.

Yucca growing among boulders.

When the flowering plants are ‘sleeping’ through winter, succulents take center stage with their unique shapes and growing patterns.

10 Cold Hardy Succulents That Add Beauty to the Winter Landscape

Whale’s Tongue Agave (Agave ovatifolia)

While the cold temperatures may freeze back your favorite bougainvillea or lantana flowers, cold hardy succulents like these whale’s tongue agave steal the show with their beautifully shaped leaves.

Toothless Sotol (Dasylirion quadrangulatum)

Toothless Sotol (Dasylirion quadrangulatum)

During the warmer seasons, these succulents add texture and welcome structure to the garden, often serving as a backdrop to flowering shrubs and groundcovers.  But, when winter arrives, they get their turn to shine.

Want to learn more about cold hardy succulents, which will add beauty to your outdoor space, not just in winter, but year round?  I recently compiled a list of 10 succulents, for Houzz.com that would be a welcome addition in most landscapes.

Hopefully, you’ll find some of your old favorites and maybe a few new ones.

 
 

Great Landscape Design: Drought Tolerant and Beautiful!

A Tale of Two Landscapes and a Single Weed

Do you have a neat and tidy front landscape?  One where plants are pruned neatly and at the right time of year.  Where drip lines are covered up and where there is never a weed in sight?

Or maybe you would describe your front garden space as somewhat natural and untamed.  Where plants are late in getting pruned (if at all), drip tubing is exposed and where weeds can be found lurking in hidden corners?

neat and tidy succulents

Today, I’d like to share with you a story of two landscapes – the ‘neat and tidy’ neighbors have a perfectly lovely landscape filled with a combination of flowering plants and succulents.  There is always something blooming in their garden in all seasons.

flowering plants

They even planted the outside of their side wall with pinky muhly grasses even though they don’t see this area of their landscape.

Now, let’s look at the second set of neighbors who have a ‘natural and untamed’ garden…  

flowering plants

While this landscape is also filled with flowering plants at all seasons, you’ll notice a weed or two next to the purple trailing lantana, exposed drip tubing and a smattering of dead leaves from the nearby tree.

flowering plants

The plants in the ‘natural and untamed’ landscape aren’t always pruned right away and sometimes grow into nearby plants before being pruned.

If you look carefully, you’ll often find a weed (sometimes two or five) hiding alongside shrubs and underneath groundcovers.

Despite their differences in their landscape maintenance practices, the neighbors are good friends and have lived near each other for over 10 years.

Now that I have created the setting, I’d like to share with you something that happened this week that made the owner of the ‘natural and untamed’ garden absurdly happy.    

flowering plants

As she was driving by her ‘neat and tidy’ neighbor’s house, she noticed something definitely out of place.

flowering plants

At first, she could hardly believe what she was seeing – a weed!  It was something that she had NEVER seen growing in her neighbor’s landscape.

And it wasn’t just a little weed – it was a really big one!

The sight of this unwelcome weed brought a smile to her face as she drove a couple of houses down to her ‘natural and untamed’ landscape filled with more weeds than she would care to admit to hiding among the rambling shrubs and groundcovers.

This tale of two landscapes and a single weed leads me to ask you this question:

Which type of landscape does yours resemble?

Neat & Tidy or Natural & Untamed

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As you may have guessed (or recognized my landscape), one of the neighbors in this story is me and before I wrote this story, I got my neighbor’s permission to show their single, solitary weed.

While I like the idea of having a neat and tidy garden, I am frankly so busy helping others with their landscapes that I don’t always have time to tend mine as much as I would like.

Maybe someday, we will have time to cover up the drip tubing, get rid of all our weeds and prune our plants at the right time of year.

But, I wouldn’t hold my breath….

DIY Weed-Killer: Vinegar & Soap

Two New Water Wise Plant Discoveries

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Do you like discovering new things?

I do. Particularly newer plant introductions. New plant hybrids are always being discovered and I am always on the lookout for new ones.  I like to use newer plant introductions in landscapes to help give them a new and updated look. 

Last week, I told you about my partnership with Monrovia plants and selecting two new plants for my garden. 

Two New Water Wise Plant Discoveries

New Water Wise Plant

While shopping at the nursery for plants, there were many different plants to choose from. As I walked through the nursery, I was tempted by lavender but then a display of Monrovia cacti and succulents caught my eye.

Two New Water Wise Plant Discoveries

New Water Wise Plant

This tiny prickly pear grows 8 inches tall and 24 inches wide.

It looked so cute, I almost reached out to touch it, but stopped myself just in time.

Santa rita and purple prickly pear are among my favorite types of cacti. I like their blue gray pads touched by purple. ‘Baby rita’(Opuntia basilaris ‘Baby Rita’) is a great alternative for smaller areas or you can group 3 of them together.  

'Lucky Crown' agave(Agave Kissho Kan)

The next plant I was tempted by was ‘Lucky Crown’ agave(Agave Kissho Kan).  These are small agave that reach 18 inches high and wide.  They have beautiful, variegated leaves with maroon teeth along the edges.

I must admit that I was sorely tempted by both of these plants, but I decided on two different drought tolerant plants.

Have you seen any new plants that you have been tempted by?

To see what two plants I did come home with, click here.

Drive-Thru Landscaping: The Good and The Mostly Bad

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Do you ever find yourself pulling into the drive-thru of a fast food restaurant?

I do.

Lately, I have been very busy with landscape consults as well as working on a large golf course re-landscaping project, which have resulted in more than my share of visits to the local drive-thru.  Add to that my preparations for a local craft fair in November (along with my sister and mom where I am making basil salt, seed bombs and air plants mounted on creosote roots), preparations for an upcoming family reunion as well as hosting my daughter’s baby shower – we will probably be making quite a few more visits to the drive-thru.

Normally, drive-thru restaurants are places where you can see examples of poor design showcasing overplanted and over pruned shrubs that are too large for the narrow landscape spaces by the drive-thru lane.  However, I was truly surprised during one trip through at my local fast food restaurant.

First, let’s look at the landscaping you normally find as you visit the drive-thru…

drive-thru landscapes

Over pruned feathery cassia shrubs (Senna artemisioides)

These shrubs would actually work well in this space if you reduced the amount down to three and allowed them to grow to their natural size and form…

Feathery cassia in bloom

Feathery cassia in bloom

Do you think that those overpruned shrubs ever have any flowers appearing in late winter and spring, like this one?

I didn’t think so.

drive-thru landscapes

In the Southwest, the types of shrubs that you are most likely to see growing along drive-thru landscapes are oleander and Texas sage species.

Lately, Valentine bush, which is one of my favorite shrubs, has also been showing up more often in these areas.

Again, the problem is too many plants in not enough space.  Couple that with the compulsive need to strip the natural beauty from these beautiful, flowering shrubs in an attempt to create anonymous green shapes and you have the perfect scenario for drive-thru landscapes.

With so many bad examples of landscaping while visiting the drive-thru, I must admit that I’ve become somewhat de-sensitized and purposely ignore it.

However, a recent visit to the drive-thru made me take a second look as I drove past this…

drive-thru landscapes

Notice anything different?

The plants actually fit into this space and without over pruning!

There is room for the bougainvillea against the wall to grow and while the lantana could use a little more room – it is looking great too.

What I really liked about this landscape was the use of banana yucca.  Its leaves added great spiky texture and the flowers are just lovely.

*I did notice the overpruned dwarf oleanders in the background, but I’m ignoring them.

Using fewer shrubs and allowing them room to grow is a great start to rethinking the drive-thru landscape.

The next important part is to stop the frequent pruning of flowering shrubs.

I’d love to see a mix of shrubs and succulents in drive-thru landscapes for more interest, less maintenance and that is more water efficient.

For now, I will keep trying to keep my eyes open for another great example of a drive-thru landscape.

drive-thru landscapes

But, I think it may be awhile…

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For other examples of drive-thru landscapes, click here.

If you have shrubs that resemble this and would like to have beautiful shrubs with a pleasing natural shape that actually flowers as well as see some other examples of bad pruning – click here for some of my favorite pruning posts.

Blue Palo Verde Decorates the Landscape

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Do you like palo verde trees?

Blue palo verde (Parkinsonia florida)

I must confess that I fell in love with these iconic desert trees with their green trunks and yellow flowers when I moved to Arizona 28 years ago.

Some people may resent the mess that the fallen flowers leave behind in late spring, but I don’t mind – they look like a carpet of yellow.

Blue palo verde (Parkinsonia florida) is on my ‘fuss-free‘ list of trees that add beauty to the arid landscape.

How about you?  Do you like blue palo verde trees?

Want to learn more about this desert beauty?  Check out my latest plant profile for Houzz.com:

Great Design Plant: Parkinsonia Flor Paints the Desert Green and Yellow