Monday, October 22, 2012

Medina Garden Nursery

October is Support Your Independent Nursery Month as declared by Pam Penick at her Austin blog Digging.  I'm joining in by visiting local favorites around the San Antonio area and posting each Monday.

This week the spotlight is on the Medina Garden Nursery along State Highway 16 just east of the town of Medina, Texas.  After an hour of driving northwest from San Antonio into the beautiful Texas Hill Country I wasn't sure what to expect.  What I found was a pleasant surprise.

It felt a bit like driving up to someone's garden and that's just what it is.  Medina Garden Nursery grew out of the owner's interest in native plants. The nursery is in Ernesto Cariño's yard and acreage along the Medina River where he and Ysmael Espinosa have built display gardens around his stone house to teach customers about the beauty and durability of native plants. You can read more of their story in this article from the Native Plant Society of Texas newsletter. The article relays the facts, but Medina Garden Nursery turned out to be even more than I had expected.

A pretty and rustic cedar arbor welcomes you to come on in and see the selection.


Abundant cowpen daisies lining the parking area punctuate the welcome.



¡Bienvenidos!  Beyond the arbor is the blue gate entrance to the nursery.


Bat-faced Cuphea and white Plumbago, two of my favorite container plants, also say welcome.



As mentioned, Medina Garden Nursery grew out of the owner's interest in native plants.  This nursery is all about the plants so you won't find rows of garden ornaments, birdbaths, and fountains for sale here.  What you will find are plenty of plants that work in our tough Texas climate.


Just wandering the rows and rows of native plants was more than enough to keep the aspiring native plant geek in me busy for hours


They have also added benches, arbors and structures to give the nursery a home garden feel


 

Most of their native plants are propagated on site and some are very hard to come by anywhere else.  As far as they know, they are the only ones propagating Brownfoot (Acourtia wrightii) for sale.  Another special plant is native Salvia greggii which Ysmael found near Bracketville.  There are so many colors of Salvia greggii produced by commercial grower selection it's nice to have the original red for my garden.

Ernesto led my husband and me on a tour of the beautiful demonstration gardens around his house.   Because the soil is so good in this location near the river, he brought in caliche for part of the garden to show his customers these native plants will grow anywhere in the Hill Country.  Most of us with caliche would cringe, but it was effective.


Lush and tropical, this garden is quite different from most native plant gardens in the Texas Hill Country.


A stone bench similar to the one in the nursery
 

Ernesto pointed out that this shade garden near the house stays cool on even the hottest summer days.  The demonstration gardens worked their magic, white Turk's cap shown here is one of the plants I purchased for my garden. 


The blue gate ahead leads into the nursery.


 A look back up the stone path.
 
 
 The blue gate, most of the blue in the garden is the same shade.

  
Ernesto's garden also has a beautiful gate and arbor along the driveway.


After Ernesto's tour of the demonstration gardens around the house, Ysmael gave a tour of the large butterfly gardens at the back of the nursery.






There were plenty of butterflies like this queen butterfly at work and so many bees the buzzing was noticeable.


We continued walking down to the Medina river where there were plenty of native mealy cup sage and frostweed in bloom.



We also admired some massive old pecan trees along the river which are producing a huge crop this year.


Walking back up from the river you can see the large butterfly gardens across the back of the nursery.




While their primary focus is on Texas natives, they do carry a few tropicals like milkweed for butterflies and adapted plants which grow well in south Texas.




As we drove away, I immediately began making a list of plants to purchase on a return trip which I hope will be soon.  They are working on a website which should be up and running this winter.

Well done Ernesto and Ysmael, Medina Garden Nursery is a true treasure for native plant lovers.

Medina Garden Nursery
13417 State Hwy 16-N
Medina, TX  78055

830-589-2771

Hours:

Tues-Sat 9am-5pm
Sun 10am-4pm
Mon Closed or by appointment
gardentx@yahoo.com

Pam at  Digging has another Austin nursery giveaway for you this week.

To see my visit to Milberger's last week go here.

25 comments:

  1. Thank you for introducing me to this nursery. They are definitely filling a void by offering TX Natives. Looks like I'm going to have to plan a trip there soon.

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    Replies
    1. They have found a very important niche and it's worth the trip.

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  2. I would LOVE to visit a place like this. If only I wasn't so many states north... :) In any case, thank you for letting me take a vicarious stroll. I'm already making my plant purchase list for next spring...

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    1. These places are great and so important to the preservation of native plants. This is our planting season which keeps us busy in the garden now.

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  3. I really enjoy touring all your rustic small nurseries that are doing the right thing, but being so laid-back about it - thanks! Enjoyed the cowpen daisy pic - ours in wild should be incredible now, but they're drying up and dying out. The butterfly gardens look so inviting.

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    Replies
    1. You would enjoy seeing this one and talking with the owners. The drive is especially beautiful as well.

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  4. They must cater to the Kerrville crowd. I'm surprised they do business that far out from San Antonio. Nice plants for sale.

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    Replies
    1. Dedicated native plant fans drive from all over and they have clients from many of the ranches farther south and west as well.

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  5. What a great photos and report on a great little native plant nursery. I'm eager to visit it some day.

    It looks like the stone arbor with the cross has the hard to find Blue Orchid Vine - Mascagnia lilacina, growing on it. Mine is also blooming now. Do you have a close-up of the flowers in order to ID it?

    I wonder if it's cowpen daisies that we saw blooming profusely along 35 while driving to Austin yesterday?

    Ragna

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    1. It's worth the extra drive sometime when you head to the lake. I didn't get a closeup of the vine, but I do have their email so I'll ask them.

      The cowpen daisies are blooming along I-10 now so may be the same on I-35.

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  6. What a great looking place Shirley - I will be checking it out soon! Just lovely...thanks for the tour :)

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    1. The drive is beautiful as well. I'm glad I could share this and help promote their work with native plants.

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  7. Looks like a great nursery! It's interesting how far plant fanatics will travel to find green treasure!

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    1. Green treasure and the plants are the gold at the end of a nice drive. Already trying to find a reason to head that way again soon.

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  8. Great place for native plants! A bit far for me but not out of the question. I`ve got to visit Enchanted Rock again with my Granddaughter this late fall to finish that climb. The Cowpen Daisies are going nuts in Freestone County, too. I know this is a good time to plant, but would you elaborate as to why? And, if it is in the blog, point out the post? I have a huge new north facing area and need to fill it properly. The beds are ready and mulched.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Enchanted Rock is a fun place, enjoy the climb. Medina Garden Nursery is worth a side trip if you are in the area.

      For planting information I follow the recommendations of our Extension Service and other local experts. Fall is the best time to plant here because it gives time for the roots to establish through the winter. Planting in the spring is tougher because you never know when the heat will hit. This past May I lost several new plants because we got hot too fast.

      Our average first frost is November 24th so I count back about six weeks. I'm pushing it a bit to get a lot done in the new gardens this year. If the roots are established the plants will properly harden as it gets progressively colder. Even though we have a few cold nights early, we rarely get much freezing weather until January so that's plenty of time.

      Since you are colder up there, best to check with your Extension service for recommended planting times.

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  9. They have white Turk's cap! I've been on the hunt for that for a while. Maybe one of these days I'll find the time to make the drive out there. I bet it's a pretty drive too. Thanks for sharing this nursery with us, and thanks for sharing my giveaway link too!

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    1. They have so many plants that are hard to find, it is worth the trip which is a beautiful drive. The website should have a plant list also.

      I'm enjoying seeking out all the special nurseries for this series.

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  10. Looks like a great nursery, with so much interest, and places to explore. I much prefer this style of nursery than one where everything is regimented. You really have to get into it all and search things out. Usually such great fun!

    Gaz: Alternative Eden

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    1. There are many places for garden gifts and tools, but finding this kind of focus on preserving our native plants is rare.

      I spent quite a while there and can hardly wait to return again to continue exploring.

      Thanks for stopping by Gaz.

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  11. Hi Shirley,

    I am a biologist/sustainable landscape consultant and work in the Austin and Hill Country, primarily with small property/DIY landowners. Recently, I’ve been pulling my web site together and am including a page which includes ‘Inspirational and Helpful Blogs’ for my clients. You've done such a wonderful job on your site -- I would like to provide a link to it on mine, but wanted to make sure that I had your permission before doing so.

    May I include it?

    Best regards,

    Janie Bolger/Land With A Plan

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    1. Of course Janie, I would be honored for you to include me. Thank you for the nice comment. "Inspiration and helpful" is what I aim for and feedback from readers like you is the way I know if I'm hitting the mark.

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  12. I truly miss the great nurseries of South Central Texas but never made it to Medina Garden Nursery, I guess I was too busy lusting over the countryside. It is so beautiful in Medina. One of my favorites I do miss is Medina Valley Greenhouses in Castroville. It is worth the trip.

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