Gardens on Tour in Austin: Westridge Drive

This is the second in my five part series of posts on the Gardens on Tour for the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin this past Saturday.  I joined Austin bloggers Pam Penick of Digging, Catherine Jones of The Whimsical Gardener, and David Cristiani of The Desert Edge from Albuquerque for a fun-filled day of touring.  You can see the first garden on the tour, Kathy Cove, in my previous post.

The second garden we toured was Westridge Drive.
 


 Let's see what's behind these beautiful gates



 A striking modern home designed by Miro Rivera Architects.         

The wire awning is amazing

  
Succulent planters along the drive and front walk begin the garden tour

The yucca and manfreda are blooming and we just missed the cactus blooms.

Great details on the steps

The pool deck is a study in minimalism

The shadows from the awning create art on the wall of the garage building.

Nearby the buffalo grass lawn bursts with wildflowers like these Winecups and Gaillardia



Steel edging keeps it modern

After seeing the carefully designed details of the front, it was a fun surprise to find rusty motel chairs around the fire pit at the end of the buffalo grass lawn.  Environmental Survey Consulting designed and installed the landscape in this garden as well as the first garden on tour.

A mulched trail with cedar log steps leads down the hill of wild flowers and native trees

Looks like a small park
 

 
Wildflowers like gaillardia grow across the hillside

A veggie and flower garden at the bottom of the hill.  There is a back gate by the garden which seems like a good idea since it's a quarter-mile trip down the steep hill and back.  So the gate would be especially helpful for unloading materials such as compost and mulch.

The trailer is used as a shed near the garden

This beautiful water feature near the garden was designed like the natural springs of the Texas Hill Country and the designer was on hand to discuss the process of implementing his vision.

Of particular interest were the rings of water plants around the central pond creating a progression to the deeper pool.

 Back up the hill and more flowers over low rock walls

 One last look at the plantings outside the gate.

The tour will continue in my next post with a homeowner-designed garden on Placid Place.