Fences (and a few gardens) along King William Street

Some streets are meant for walking and King William Street in the heart of the King William Historic District is just such a street.  In my last post I shared a corner garden anchored by a striking morning glory vine.  I mentioned that I kept on walking along the street to take a look  The house next door had a nice fountain full of plants but that was about it for gardens.

Since the gardens weren't all that fascinating I enjoyed checking out the fences and gates.

A good fence is a necessity with frequent walking tours, street festivals, and parades along King William Street.

Two homes on the street are open as museums--Villa Finale and The Steves Homestead.  I didn't take photos of either but you can find more on their websites.  King William was the first designated National Register historic district in the State of Texas.  

Scrolled ironwork fence with roses

These photos are not necessarily in order as I walked back and forth across the street to take closeups and long shots.

Once farmland for Mission San Antonio de Valero, known popularly as The Alamo, the neighborhood was first divided into lots in the 1860s.



Shrub roses add privacy to a large garden.



Not all roses, fuchsia Bougainvillea drapes a side street fence.

In the early 20th Century most of these homes were divided into apartments and boarding houses.  The neighborhood became quite rundown until the 1950s when restoration began returning these homes back into single-family residences.

If I remember correctly the porches were literally falling off this home just a few years ago.  Now freshly restored it awaits a garden (we hope).

Here's a garden to check out along the street.  No lawn with easy care plants in a very casual streetside planting for such a formal style house.  Their little wire fence is not so sturdy as most.

Topiary on the porch adds a touch of formality.

Nice, except for the clouds of invasive Nandina and red mulch.

Oh well, we can always take the long view.  It's a beautifully done restoration.



That concludes my walking tour of King William Street.  If you are visiting San Antonio and looking for a break from the River Walk, it's an easy walk from town.

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Pam Penick is set to speak tomorrow at Festival of Flowers at 10:45 am.  Her talk is "Hold the Hose", a presentation on saving water in our gardens.  After the talk Pam will have her latest book  The Water-Saving Garden and her first book Lawn Gone! available for purchase and signing.  Vendors from all over our region will be there so you get a lot of access for the low admission price of $6.00.  Look for me attending Pam's talk, volunteering at the SAWS butterfly garden display, shopping for plants on the vendor floor, and/or taking part in the City-Wide Plant Swap!

Melody's Garden

This blogging journey has introduced me to many new people with fascinating gardens which I have tried to share.  One of my new-found friends is Melody who lives relatively nearby so she shares most of my gardening challenges.  She is an accomplished gardener and her gardens are beautiful but also have many fun surprises.  Let's take a tour.

The gate and long gravel driveway says "way out in the country" but Melody lives about two miles closer to San Antonio than I do.

Inspiration and Imagination in Ragna's Garden

Some gardens pull you in and set the imagination going.  Such is the case with my friend Ragna's garden here in San Antonio.  I hope these photos can begin to provide some sense of how wonderful it feels in person, although they seem all too inadequate. 

Native Texans enjoy comparing how their families came to Texas and how long ago.  Ragna wins hands down every time, since her ancestors were sent to San Antonio by the King of Spain in 1713.  Perhaps that explains the classic touches mixed with Texas style charm of her garden.

Her garden is such an inspiring place to spend an afternoon.  Every plant and object in this garden has a story.  When I'm there I love to walk along the grassy pathways and talk with her about the garden.

She loves roses and the garden is designed around her many rose plants.

Her David Austin roses are stunning

Jude the Obscure

  Abraham Darby

Similar in style to The Antique Rose Emporium display gardens, the roses are combined with perennials and annuals to beautiful effect.

I enjoyed reading stories set in gardens as a child and the gardens I pictured in my mind were very much like this one.

A hint of mystery

Pathways enveloped in flowers

Vine covered arbors and gates to hidden spaces

This spot behind the gate is where her grandchildren loved to play when they were little.  She's a great-grandmother now and her great-grandson will play here too.

Mock Orange -- gorgeous!

 

Ragna doesn't hesitate to add agave, cacti, and other succulents to the mix.   It's not easy pick a highlight or a favorite spot because I love it all.  Like this pot with metal frogs and a googly-eyed crane.  There's a metal toad back there on that wonderful blue pot too and this is just one small vignette.

This building was a home for doves, now it's an outdoor art gallery.

A mirror and an old rake holds vintage tools.  I'm copying this idea!

One of the most fascinating pieces here is a table created by local faux bois artist Julian Sandoval as a wedding gift for his granddaughter who is Ragna's friend.

 
So beautiful!

 

I have so many lovely photos!  You would think the garden covered several acres, but it is only a typical suburban back yard.  This is just the first of several posts featuring Ragna's inspiring garden.  Her front yard is a collection of cacti and xeric plants.  She has been a big influence in my adding cacti and succulents to my own garden, and we share an appreciation for native plants as well.

I hope you enjoyed this initial tour of my friend's garden and much as I enjoyed putting it together.  When I visit it is hard to leave because this unique garden is so intriguing.  Stay tuned for more....

Springtime Roses Bloom at The Antique Rose Emporium

Roses are blooming in abundance this spring at The Antique Rose Emporium in San Antonio.  This yellow rose was just one of many blooms I saw when I visited earlier this week.

This is the view from my parking space.  I began snapping photos as soon as I stepped out of the car.   Mountains of white climbing roses and pink roses right up to the bumper! 
 

The mild, rainy winter has brought out the blooms by the thousands.  It was a beautiful sight and such a contrast to my visit in October when weather setbacks had delayed the blooms.  To the right of the entrance is a cedar gazebo surrounded by a hedge of red roses.  The white roses in the background are the same ones you can see from the parking lot.



This climber is just beginning to make its way up the gazebo post.

Red climbing rose demonstrates the variety, with the sale specimens nearby.  As you may have noticed, the great thing about this place is how they demonstrate possible ways to grow the various types of roses within a garden setting.

Shrub Rose in the demonstration garden

Container rose on display by the perennials

Roses rambling along a fence and climbing over the side of the sales office

 

Roses used as a hedge with blue salvia and other perennials

 

The giant bottle tree is just visible among all the roses

The best blooms I've seen in a couple years on this climbing rose

Another climber along the adobe wall and more rose hedges

  
The blue courtyard featured a beautiful climbing apricot rose

 

 

 


More roses over and under the arbor

   

A bee on this rose, it was too windy for butterflies

 

More beautiful roses over by the Hacienda de las Rosas special events center



Cactus, roses and a windmill -- a great Texas combination to end the tour.