Hill Country Gardens has been an important native plant resource for local gardeners for more than 20 years. In 2011, Andrea Sanger acquired the nursery from the original owner and has made many improvements in the last two and a half years while maintaining the focus on native plants. In October 2012, Andrea's first anniversary celebration event was one of my first posts on this blog.
Robbi Will of The Antique Rose Emporium was scheduled to speak on Friday morning and I headed up there in time for her talk. It was cold, about 48F, at seminar time with winds gusting over 30 mph. We were a small but determined crowd which allowed for more interaction than usual.
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Then it was on to tour the gardens and to see what's new at the nursery.
Andrea was having a parking lot sale with special pricing over the weekend so we'll start out there with a look at the blooming ocotillo and a few of the sale plants.
Across the way I think this is a Tenaza tree in bloom.
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White pom-poms, so pretty. Several of our native trees have this type of bloom.
This clever storage bin for soils and fertilizer in the parking lot is new.
The pretty front gates welcoming shoppers
The displays in front of the shop are always colorful
I liked this fountain, it seems very water efficient, the water runs into the slits and minimizes splashing.
Pause to admire this yucca in front of the shop.
The raised planter in the herb and veggie section. Love that corrugated metal theme she has going here and at the soil bins.
The sales area behind the shop with a huge selection of ornamental grasses (two long rows) and native plants.
Cacti on display against the greenhouse.
Follow this pretty shaded path over to another plant display area.
Blooming Strelitzia or Bird of Paradise in the garden, these have to be wintered indoors here. Mine never bloom.
On to the newly expanded plant display area in front of the greenhouse. Hill Country Gardens is a real plant nursery with many of the plants propagated on site. This has allowed Andrea to maintain the price of $6.99 for a one gallon plant while local competitors have raised their prices. The original owner, Chip Schumacher, is a well-known native plant collector so you will also find natives and drought tolerant plants that are not offered anywhere else locally.
The bridge over the pond and a visit to the large silvery agave among other natives. I'm pretty sure this is A. ovatifolia with longer leaves than typical.
Silvery foliage adds so much to the native plant garden.
A cedar arbor nearby. I'm collecting photos of cedar arbors for a project this summer.
This looks complicated
Blooming callistemon in the display area.
Texas Longhorn fans take note. Orange motel chairs in front of blooming Pomegranate 'Wonderful' and a display of fountains. Orange has been catching my attention everywhere lately.
This photo is for local fans of Hill Country Gardens, the expansion of the gardens is progressing and I can't wait to see it finished. This area is huge!
Texas stepping stones are available in three colors and can be interlocked.
Robbi stayed around helped me pick out some tough Texas native plants to add to my garden. I appreciated her expert advice and it was almost like old times before The Antique Rose Emporium closed its San Antonio gardens. I selected Bamboo Muhly, Pink Globe Mallow (which I have not seen anywhere else), Deer muhly (Muhlenbergia ripens) while Robbi suggested Salvia darcyi and Snake Herb which I also added to my wagon.
The newly renovated interior of the shop with corrugated metal and pretty displays. Wow! Is this even the same place? There's Andrea helping a customer back at the sales desk.
Everything is looking good and we are all so impressed with the changes and excited about the expansion. All that and Hill Country Gardens is still the best place for native plants in the Texas Hill Country.
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I still haven't made it down there. This makes me want to go, even more.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a short day trip is in my future.
Thanks for reminding us about this place.
There are several fun things to see and do in the area so well worth the trip.
DeleteRobbi says Snake Herb is deer proof so you might give one a try just to see. Mine has been out for three days without a nibble.
Oh boy! I visited several times when it was Schumacher's, but obviously it's time for a return trip! And, I did not realize Antique Rose Emporium had closed - that was a lovely place to visit.
ReplyDeleteARE closed last summer. You will hardly recognize it now but the changes are so positive.
DeleteTexas pavers - ha, there's a place in Ruidoso NM with those on the patio. I really admire the open-minded spirit of possibilities in all the unique nurseries you show down there, something mostly lacking in the west. This one looks like the owners are bringing pleasure, or are they getting it, too? Must be contagious for the customers...all good.
ReplyDeleteThat's funny, Texas pavers in NM. HCG is a must-see for your next trip. The community has always supported the nursery here and now it's even easier with all the things Andrea is doing.
DeleteThat looks like the kind of place where one could while away many hours. I love the storage solution...could use something to hide all the detritus associated with making the garden look pretty.
ReplyDeleteI'm always looking for solutions to the garden storage issue too.
DeleteI love walking around in the nurseries in the hill country or anywhere. Your photos are wonderful and it looks like a great place. I love the cedar arbor. I used to have one when I lived in Bandera that my husband built. We had tons of rocks to do things with too. I had lots of these same plants you showed and lots of wild grasses like bear grass etc. Down here in south Tx. it is totally different. But it has it's own beauty. New Braunfels is a lovely place for sure.
ReplyDeleteIf you were in Bandera then you had access to some very special native plant experts and nurseries out there too.
DeleteI'm always ready for a drive in the hill country.
I miss that place. I thinks it looks much better than when Chip had it. I'm sure they are probably still selling plants from Mountain States Nursery. A lot of the metal accents I am using in my own garden. The motif that is.
ReplyDeleteIt was definitely in need of some updating by the time Andrea purchased it. The galvanized metal look is pretty cool and looks especially good in a rustic garden.
DeleteThe native plants Chip collected are an important legacy for the local gardening community.
Thank you for posting this. I'm planning a trip there in the near future. I'm on the hunt for some natives that I can't find in town.
ReplyDeleteRobbi from ARE recommended this place a while back. Seems like there is such a void after ARE closed their doors. Guess I just have to drive further.
PS I can see why you are attracted to the bright orange color in the garden. It looks fabulous!
PSS Any idea where to get Porterweed from? I loved seeing it in your friend's garden. I'm looking for butterfly plants that will take some shade. Thanks!
It is the best selection of native plants now. I did not check for porterweed when I was up there but will check around for you and let you know.
DeleteRagna found the porterweed at The Antique Rose Emporium in San Antonio which is closed now. We'll keep a look out for it.
DeleteLooks like a great place to shop. I love the Bird of Paradise, and the Cedar Arbor! Wonderful post about a wonderful place.
ReplyDeleteIt just gets better with each visit.
Deletefor some reason when I was backspacing my comment disappeared, so you may have gotten a partial.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering, since the front is fenced in, where is parking now ?
I can't believe you didn't have a darcyi, Shirley ! They're great !
will really need to consider a trip to see Andrea. Love what she's done to the place!
There's parking in the front, along the side street and around back. I have several photos of the front parking in the post.
DeleteIt's a pretty long trip for you but there's a lot to do in the area which would make a fun day.
Looks like a great place! Those Texas pavers would have me so confused! :) I love the storage! I need something like that! Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteI had no idea you could interlock a Texas shape, it would take me a while I think.
DeleteInterlocking pavers are lots of fun. I've seen puzzle pieces, fish, and geckos but Texas is a new one for me. My curiosity is piqued by the Muhlys as I find them beautiful in many blog posts from your neck of the woods but haven't noticed them here. They must not like our wet winters. It's heartening to see a nursery expanding these days, especially one as wonderful as this one seems to be! Great post! Do you think that orange is making a comeback after its bad 50's - 70's career choices? It does look good in the garden & that seating area in front of the Pomegranate looks as if it may have fallen directly from the plant. Or might have been stolen from Howard Johnson's :) Happy new week!
ReplyDeleteExactly the reason I hesitate to use orange, Mr. Outlaw! Talk about bad career choices, there was a time when designers were taught that orange accents in offices would keep employees awake on the job. Then we revolted by using the most boring gray and beige combinations available and finally ventured into "jewel tones" after a brief flirtation with mauve and green. This explains why I am so conflicted by my attraction to the forbidden orange.
ReplyDeleteAlmost forgot to answer your question about the muhly. They do well in our dryer conditions but thrive with more moisture. Seep muhly is one I don't grow because it does best in moist soil. Scott at Rhone St. in Portland grows muhly and his look awesome in the fall.
DeleteThat looks like a nursery worth a road trip. I like those orange motel chairs underneath that pomegranate -- clever color echo. BTW, I think Barton Springs Nursery in Austin carries the pink globe mallow from time to time, but I've never tried it myself.
ReplyDeleteThere's so much to see and do in the area so it's a good trip. You can always stop off on the way to or from SA.
DeleteThat's good to know another potential source for the pink globe mallow, I first spotted it another customer's cart at HCG and was disappointed when they were out of stock a couple of times.