Friday, August 28, 2015

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.

19 comments:

  1. Is that Viburnum utile? I haven't seen a Viburnum clipped like that and it is most interesting indeed! What a lovely garden. I have been on hols, so I missed the first post, but I have enjoyed catching up on that one and reading about the area of the garden nearer the house. Yucca Do is a great name! What an enjoyable couple of posts.

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    1. It's Viburnum obovatum according to Martha Stewart. We do love Yucca Do, a great source for all things spiky.

      http://www.marthastewart.com/865303/garden-tour-peckerwood-garden-texas

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  2. The whole garden speaks to me...especially the rocks scattered here and there.

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    1. Me too, it just feels like a place you could enjoy for much longer than the tour.

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  3. The touches of red provided by the Azalea, the Beschorneria and the plant growing next to the gate (do you know what that was?) are especially effective in that setting. I really liked the fence with the climbing vines too. Thanks for the tour!

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    1. I'm not sure at all what that plant is, it's a beauty though.

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  4. What a great tour, Shirley. Thank you for all the photos - plant names are interesting but it is the placement and design elements I'm after with these online visits more than knowing what one particular plant specimen is called.

    It could be easy to dismiss the gestures employed, imagining they are for large gardens alone, but on a more careful second reading, specifically looking at EVERY thing in each photo rather than focusing more on the featured plant, I am inspired to incorporate many ideas used so well in these gardens (IE staggered linear stones placed to keep gravel from washing in a path).

    That pop of color with the azalea is absolute genius, and could be pulled off with all sorts of regionally appropriate plant substitutions (though patience required for anything to attain that size!). I'm encouraged to continue (trying at least!) to be patient with many of the ideas I've implemented in my own gardens. A gardener's vision can take time to reach a point where others are able to grasp it. Lesson, reinforced, thank you!

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    1. The spaces within the garden are still quite large. While we can't mass palms or yuccas, we can employ a few of those details easily.

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  5. Oh I want that fringe tree...I have never heard of a weeping boxwood and I love it and that incredible zen garden around the residence.

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    1. It's Zen within the local context so it fits beautifully.

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    2. I found weeping boxwood on Amazon, a bit steep for a one gallon but certainly worth it if you want a real conversation piece.

      http://www.amazon.com/Unraveled-Weeping-Boxwood-Plants-Gallon/dp/B00X2P3BGU

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  6. Nifty place! I really enjoyed the arbor, the weeping Boxwood, the use of stone, and the metal sculptures.The property seems to have a mix of plant communities, too.

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    1. The variety is both amazing and unexpected as a first time visitor.

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  7. I too was attracted to the weeping boxwood when I visited this spring. If I ever come across one in the nurseries I'll probably have to try it.

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    1. If you find one let me know.

      There's one on Amazon but I might need to up the budget a bit!
      http://www.amazon.com/Unraveled-Weeping-Boxwood-Plants-Gallon/dp/B00X2P3BGU

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  8. It must be difficult to garden in an arid environment. You've done a nice job!
    Please come link up your photos at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/08/strange-visitors-in-garden.html

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    1. Thank you Sue, I'll be sure to check out your blog.

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  9. Nifty place! I enjoyed the details you shared--the artfully arranged rocks, the pathways, the stairs. This seems like it would be a wonderful place to visit--in any season (Texas season, that is. ;-) )

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    1. The tours are limited to spring and fall when the weather is better for groups. The tour lasted an hour and a half. Can't imagine that in the heat of summer!

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