Inside Austin Gardens Tour - Fall 2012

2012 Inside Austin Gardens Tour:  The Edible Garden

Saturday, October 20, 2012

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

www.insideaustingardens.org

One of the things I love about garden tours, besides being invited to peek into other people's backyards, is enjoying the different gardening styles and discovering what speaks to me.

Want to discover what speaks to you?  Find out at the Inside Austin Gardens tour on October 20, 2012.  The tour features 7 private gardens that will inspire, entertain and educate you.  Come learn about how to integrate food crops into your landscape and see how beautifully edibles can be blended with ornamentals.  Here's a sneak peak at 5 of the gardens on the tour.

Garden 1
If heritage and tradition speak to you... don't miss the garden of Carolyn and Michael Williams at 10205 Aqua Verde Court.  This garden has many inherited and recycled objects with lots of stories to tell.  Just ask or imagine for yourself.

What spoke to me in garden 1? No question, it was the cottage.  Every gardener dreams of the perfect little potting shed and this one is dream worthy for sure.

Keyhole gardens in miniature, garden mirrors, and herbs all speak to me.  Garden 1 sure kept my camera busy.

Garden 2
If native plants arranged like mother nature would have arranged them if she had more time speaks to you... don't miss the garden of David and Jennifer Phillips at 6316 Thomas Springs Road.  This garden displays native plants in such a way that you sometimes forget you're in a human-made garden.

What spoke to me in garden 2?  This dried artichoke arrangement said "Ally, why did you ever compost your dried artichokes?  These look great!"

Garden 2 had some wonderful vines.  Two that spoke to me were the butterfly vine and the snail vine.  See if you can tell which is which.

Garden 3 & 4
If lots of color and whimsy feed your senses these two gardens will speak to you.  Donnis Doyle and Ann & Robin Matthews are neighbors at 6303 and 6305 Berkeley Cove.  The stars aligned when these neighbors found each other.  From the minute I drove up and parked my car, I knew I was in for a treat.

At the risk of playing favorites, I have to say these two gardens didn't just speak to me, they sang a hallelujah chorus and welcomed me as a visitor from their home planet.  I love garden bling and these gardening neighbors could write the book.

I surrender.  I'm a sucker for all this cool garden junk.  If garden junk doesn't speak to you, fear not, this garden is loaded with plants too.

Garden 5
If a trip down memory lane speaks to you, you're going to love the garden of Renee Studebaker at 912 E. 39th Street.  This garden recalls an old-fashioned summers day.  From the second you see this house from the street, you'll immediately start craving a cold drink on the front porch.

What spoke to me in garden 5?  The beautiful recycled brick path that runs through the long back garden.  Care for a stroll through the garden?  Stroll slowly and take it all in.

Garden 5 is full of plants that I covet including this Cuban buttercup and plenty of perfectly pruned fruit trees.  Like most old time gardens this city-sized plot of land produces plenty of food in the available sunny spaces.  Don't miss the white garden, which includes many white flowering plants, including white Abutilon.

So... what speaks to you?  Leave me a comment.  I'd love to hear from you.