Antique Rose Emporium Archives | Diana's Designs Austin

Antique Rose Emporium in Brenham filled with vintage garden charm

The first stop my friend Pam, of Digging, and I made on our way to a delightful gardening weekend Houston was at the Antique Rose Emporium. Sadly, with our late Texas spring, we arrived before all the roses were in bloom. We saw buds galore, though.

In spite of missing the roses in bloom, the rest of this destination nursery’s gardens were filled with beautiful plants, charming vignettes, and lovely gift shops.

We were greeted upon our arrival by this beautiful monarch – having second breakfast on a lantana bloom

As I was perusing the plant table with 4″ pots, I was suprised to find another greeter – but this one was sleeping on the job. He slept through my camera clicks as I had to get a picture of him curled up so cute among the plants.

And the tables were full of pretty plants that all called out to me: “take me home, take me home.”

We had a full day’s garden agenda, or we would have loved to lounge under this beautiful tree and enjoy the scenery.

I was fascinated by this beautiful tree and its bark.

The view out to the amazing rose display – I’m not sure if they would be called obelisks, but they are amazing.

While the garden is filled with roses and perennials, it also has a sculptural side – filled with yuccas, agaves and cacti.

This decades-old building houses garden items for sale and is well preserved.

What a life — being a duck in this garden.

The building is so charming.

And I was fascinated with the preserved structure – imagining folks living in here a long time ago.

The hellebores were getting a head start on the roses, though they were still shy.

Gorgeous.

Another pretty area to stop and sit or gaze across the garden.

While blue is my favorite – this white delphinium really stood out.

On the path to the secret garden – drawing visitors in, wanting more.

Wish, anyone?

Circular paths wind around the rose towers.

More drought tolerant plants along the path.

There’s so much to see — time to sit a spell again.

Having a ginormous artichoke in my own garden, I was wowed by this beautiful display.

What a show of color on this kale.

The cute kitty napping on the plant table near the entrance can rest easy with this dog on the grounds.

What a pretty vegetable garden – filled with healthy plants and surrounded by a lovely fence.

I loved wandering around the grounds on my second trip to the Antique Rose Emporium. It’s a delightful gardening jaunt, and well worth the little drive. In a word, it’s charming.

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:08-06:00April 15th, 2014|Antique Rose Emporium, artichoke, Blog, Brenham, butterfly, garden travel, garden visit, Hellebore, roses, seating, Sharing Nature's Garden, vignettes|0 Comments

Gardener goodies…

Holidays are always fun when you’re a gardener. There is a never-ending supply of wonderful gifts for gardeners. From gloves to ceramic pots to garden art — even non-gardeners can find something fun to give.

And I believe you can never have too many bird feeders, houses, or baths. (More on that in my next post.)

So it’s always interesting to see what’s behind the gift wrap.

I love this little seat – it’s so portable and comfortable to sit on, and being able to tuck my hand tools in it is wonderful.
This is the most unusual gift I have ever received. My dear friend, Kristen, gave me this little package. In it? Rose seeds that are registered with a number, and waiting for ME to grow and name the rose. How cool is that?

I’m waiting anxiously to plant my seeds. I think they will get their start in the greenhouse, which is perfect for seeds this time of the year.

Naming my rose, will be another matter altogether. No pressure there! Any ideas or suggestions for names? There hundreds if not thousands of roses out there. The process will certainly have to include making sure the name I choose isn’t already taken.
This adorable birdhouse is just waiting for a new family to move in. I wonder who will find it appealing? Cardinals, wrens, titmice, finches? We’ll keep watch for our new neighbors!

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:24-06:00January 27th, 2011|Antique Rose Emporium, bird house, Blog, garden art, garden gifts, garden seat, gifts, Kristen, naming rose, roses, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

A rose by any other name…

might be a Rudbeckia, or a Rhubarb, or a Ground Orchid! Those are just a few of the things that I brought home from our fabulous trip to the Antique Rose Emporium just outside of San Antonio last weekend.

I thought they just had roses, but they had a wonderful selection of other plants and vegetables and herbs as well.
It was a beautiful nursery and their roses were amazing. I did come home with one rose — Easy Living — with a fabulous tangerine color and a lovely scent.
The nursery was also full of lovely garden art and trinkets that would make great gifts (for me, too!) I might have to make a trip back there to do some more shopping when I have more time.

I’ve never known a blogger to miss a plant-shopping opportunity, and this was no different. We filled the vehicles to the brim with a plethora of amazing specimens. See that really tall and amazing Rudbeckia in the middle — she’s mine!