Kirk Walden and his wife Val were recently featured on tour at Central Texas Gardener here. The original house on this property was torn down due to mold issues so when the Walden's purchased the lot it had been scraped except for a few Crape Myrtles. The Waldens built a new home and gardens to take full advantage of the site. Kirk says these handsome pavers were less expensive than concrete which is an idea I plan to keep in mind.
Wooly stemodia adding a silvery ground cover to the front.
The Wooly Stemodia has been mixed with agaves just like I'm trying in my own garden.
Eventually mine will look this good.
Bright gold Lantana lining the drive. We arrived on a day when everything was in bright bloom.
Large stone pavers extend the drive with a permeable surface.
Kirk is a Travis County Master Gardener and very involved in plant selection and gardening. Turk's Cap and other native plants by the gate.
Heading around back be prepared for a stunning view of Lake Austin. Literally breathtaking.
The hot tub pool is inspired by the courtyard pool at Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center and reminiscent of natural springs in the Texas Hill Country.
The charming steel sculpture takes on a different look from different angles. A fish from this view, it can also look like a bird or small animal from the lower garden.
"Pillow" rocks are a striking feature of the rockwork around the pool.
So much bright color throughout the garden just adds to the beauty of the site.
View of the back
Everything was blooming at once and spectacular.
From this angle the sculpture looks more like a bird or small animal.
A combination to copy, white and gold lantana mixed.
A few of the Austin bloggers from our group enjoying the view.
We were treated to the view from Kirk's wife's art studio on the second floor.
Of all the places to sit in the garden Kirk prefers the shade of the porch. There are a few challenges as the sun changes from blazing to mostly shade across the back of the house making it difficult to plant the bed which runs the length of the porch.
It's that stunning view again.
No need to say more!
There is a bit more to say because you can visit this garden on October 17th during the Inside Austin Gardens Tour. It's a short drive from San Antonio to Austin so if you're looking for good ideas for your garden this fall it's well worth a day in Austin to enjoy the tour. You can see my preview of "Shady Natives", "Cottage Natives" and "Oh! Deer!" by starting with this post.
To see more blogger previews visit:
Rock Rose
Sharing Nature's Garden
Garden Ally
The Shovel Ready Garden
The Gardener of Good and Evil
Be sure to check out Central Texas Gardener for more on the tour.
Your pictures are amaaaaaaaazing! I wish I'd taken more, but I just wanted to sit and take in that view!
ReplyDeleteStunning!
ReplyDeleteGreat tour. Can't wait to see this in person.
ReplyDeleteSorry I missed this special gardeners' tour with you.
Wow. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't get a thing done all day with a view like that to consider. I'd be gaping out the windows or searching out whatever shade was available in the gardens or on the porches. Me. Oh. My. That hot tub is one of the best examples I've ever seen (even secondhand) of creating the effect of a natural pool. Did they mention who did their stonework?
ReplyDeleteThey worked with Botanical Concerns on the terracing and layout.
Deletehttp://botanicalconcerns.com/
Beautiful post!!! I am hoping to get to run by and see some of them this weekend. Weekends are just so hard for me especially if the weather cools down (crossing fingers.... enough of the heat already!!). Great photos!! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete