Touring Peckerwood Garden Part Two: Residence and Dry Gardens

We're continuing the tour of Peckerwood Garden in Hempstead, Texas just about two hours east of San Antonio.  Part One covered the expansive arboretum and shady woodland garden.  Now we've arrived at the gardens near the house.

We left off with a glimpse of a brightly blooming azalea through the trees.  Rounding the turn toward the house it comes into full view.  Rows of trimmed azaleas along a foundation or bordering the lawn are a familiar spring sight in my hometown of Houston. With so few flowering plants in the garden just one solitary azalea allowed to grow full among the trees makes a strikingly bright accent.

Beschorneria septentrionalis was on my must-see list and it's blooming!

For all its acclaim as a plant collection, Peckerwood was first a personal garden surrounding the home of artist John Fairey.  Because all tours are guided we are invited to get quite close to the residence.  

Another surprise, the sheared shrubs are a small-leaved viburnum and not boxwood.

Columnar boxwood repeats vertical elements along the arbor and the cactus garden.

Weeping Boxwood is so cool, I've not seen this in nurseries.

A little farther right is the back side of the dry garden we toured in my earlier post.

Spiky softball bats?

Casually displayed rocks under the arbor speak of decades of adventures.  Shade covers help new plants establish.

A few details

Skirted Nolina perfection inside the gate.  (N. Nelsonii I think) Though the gate was open, we did not enter the private space.

A cooling water feature set in decomposed granite

Specimen plants in pots arranged along the pool surround.

A trough is on my to-do list.

Looking back toward the arboretum, the silvery palms from my last post in the background.

I recognized the sculpture by Marcia Donahue from this post on Digging.

More art in the garden marks our pathway back out of the garden.

We are not quite finished.  There is a plant sale in the greenhouse.

After realizing I had somehow missed Agave ovatifolia during the tour, I took this shot since I couldn't very well visit Peckerwood Garden without seeing at least one.

I considered this pretty Fringe Tree for a while but thought it might require too much water.

Unfortunately, the Beschoneria septentrionalis I sought was not available at the sale and I ended up not purchasing anything.  I'll order one from Yucca Do since it's from the same original source.

Peckerwood is in the process of creating a GIS plant map which will be a great addition since it was not possible to enjoy the tour and record names at the same time.  We had a great time touring the garden and look forward to a return visit in a different season.