garden tour Archives | Diana's Designs Austin

Colorful cottage garden explodes with color and plants

One of my favorite Austin gardeners, Lucinda Hutson, welcomed busloads of Garden Bloggers Fling guests into her carefully crafted garden. Surrounded by an explosion of color, gardeners wound through her sanctuary, taking in a rainbow of plants, benches, and ephemera designed to delight.

Lucinda’s garden reflects her love of the Mexican culture which permeates every corner of her garden and home.

Multiple seating areas offer welcoming areas for entertaining family and friends.

Her cat, Sancho, presides over his domain and took the time to pose for his guests.

Garden rooms are dedicated to different themes like the mermaid grotto.

Our gracious hostess joined us at the Fling closing BBQ Bash at Articulture, enjoying the live music and treating us to a dance.

Word can’t fully convey our appreciation for the Flingers and their kind words about the Austin Anniversary Fling. We loved inviting them into our gardens and sharing some special pieces of Austin with them.

Of course we needed a shot of tequila to start the Fling off right!

By Diana C. Kirby|2019-01-25T08:21:04-06:00January 25th, 2019|animals, Austin bloggers, Austin gardens, color, cottage garden, Fling, garden bloggers, garden bloggers fling, Garden Bloggers Fling Austin 2018, garden rooms, garden tour, GBF2018, seating, Sharing Nature's Garden|7 Comments

Contemporary, xeric garden showcased at Garden Bloggers Fling

As Pam Penick, Laura Wills and I planned the recent 2018 Garden Bloggers Fling in Austin, we aimed to showcase a wide variety of garden styles that would provide inspiration to participants.

Located in southwest Austin, this spacious garden highlighted many native and adapted plants in a stunning contemporary setting.

Armed with rain ponchos, 92 gardeners braved the rain, and it was well worth it.

In the vegetable garden, edibles and ornamentals spill out of contemporary Cor-Ten steel planters.

Using raised planters makes gardening much easier here in Central Texas, where our inhospitable clay and limestone soil presents a real challenge.

Even with regular amendments to the soil, the weather extremes of drought and flood here require serious elbow grease to bring forth vegetables without a raised bed.

While we were hoping for sunshine during our visit to this garden, the crops were relieved to have the rain.

Rain droplets on the yucca bloom add another dimension.

One of the quintessential plants of our region, the yucca provides structure, evergreen color and beautiful blooms in the garden.

The semi-soft form of the bloom provides a contrast to the seriously spiky leaves.

This one must have been missed by deer passersby, left for bloggers to admire.

But, when the inevitable heat and drought arrive, and the deer are searching for food, they love to nibble on these blooms.

The clean lines of the pool contrast with the soft and spiky collection of native plants beyond the edge.

We surveyed the garden under the watchful eye of this little guy. I’m sure he wondered what all these people were doing in his garden while he was left inside.

I think he was ready to get his yard back to himself.

This clean and simple arrangement was the only decor on the patio overlooking the pool and the vista beyond, creating a lovely focal point.

Around the corner of the house, tucked away out of sight against a wooded area, the gorilla awaits any intruders.

Or eager grandkids.

I imagine most little kids would be thrilled to share their secret hiding space with this big fella.

The perfect setting for some make-believe play, a collection of trucks and other toys are carefully parked, waiting for the next play day with King Kong.

A striking garden in a beautiful setting, this one was a real gem.

By Diana C. Kirby|2018-08-17T15:27:55-05:00August 17th, 2018|2018 Garden Bloggers Fling, Austin bloggers, Austin gardens, garden bloggers, garden bloggers fling, garden tour, Sharing Nature's Garden, Uncategorized, xeric, xeric plants|2 Comments

Four acres of gorgeous gardens under glass at the Longwood Gardens Conservatory

Last week, my friend Pam, who blogs at Digging, and I embarked on a garden adventure unrivaled in my garden travels. Nestled in the Brandywine Valley region of Pennsylvania, we toured three public gardens, Winterthur, Longwood and Chanticleer.

I took thousands of pictures (in part because the hot summer sun kept me adjusting my light settings). I’m sure I collected enough photos to blog about for several months!

As a lover and collector of tropical and exotic plants, the Longwood Conservatory is high on my list of the gardens within the gardens of our trip. It includes 20 different gardens (yes, all inside this giant conservatory), and more than 5,500 types of plants. It was spectacular. While it included all the typical plants you’d find in most conservatories, there was so much more — an amazing array of plant combinations, beautiful design, and attention to detail at every step. I can’t even fit all of it into one post, but I’ve decided to just jump in and cover part of it as my first post of the trip.

The Conservatory was built in 1919 by Pierre S. du Pont, and was designed to be an indoor eden. The collection of conservatory buildings covers 4.5 acres. (The entire garden covers 1,077 acres.) Yes, 4.5 INSIDE acres of stunning gardens, including the Fern Floor and Alcoves, seen here, the Patio of Oranges, Waterlily Display, Silver Garden, Orchid House, Mediterranean Garden, Bonsai Display, Palm Garden, Desert House, Cascade Garden, Banana House, Camellia House, Green Wall, Indoor Children’s Garden (so amazing that this will get its own post soon!), Rose House, Tropical Terrace, East Fruit House, Garden Path, Peirce-du Pont House and the Exhibition Hall.

The grand entrance, pictured above, provides a preview of this massive sest of structures. Beautiful and unusual bromeliads are given a place of honor in this section of the garden.

Many of the water features were surrounded by bromeliads, as well.

I have a number of bromeliads in my house and in the cabana in pots, but the volume and diversity of these was astounding. Clearly I have a way to go in the collecting department!

And then there were the ferns. I was taken by the Mexican Tree Ferns, delicate and ephemeral, yet strong and sculptural, all at the same time.

And then there were these stunning Staghorn-like ferns.

Of course, no prehistoric journey would be the same without cycads.

This male cycad was sporting a new cone.

I love this grey species. It’s a shame that the light prevents me from reading the tag that I photographed — I’d like to find out if I can grow this one in my Zone 8b-sometimes 9 garden.

This gigantic Sago palm (though not a palm at all) dwarfs the sizeable Sansevieria below it.

I believe that these elephant ears are Colocasia amazonica – which means they are sure living up to their name here under the black bamboo.

I can’t name this one, but I love the black stems which mirror the black bamboo as well.

Great color combinations under this bamboo.

And, who can resist the appeal of this black bamboo? It’s so striking and exotic.

With 4.5 acres of conservatory gardens to cover, this will have to be it for your first peek. Thousands more photos and lots of blog posts to come, about the conservatory and Longwood’s other 1,000+ acres of outside gardens!

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:26:55-06:00June 15th, 2016|2016, bamboo, bromeliads, conservatory, du Pont, elephant ears, ferns, garden tour, Longwood, mexican tree ferns, PA, palms, Sago, Sharing Nature's Garden, staghorn fern|0 Comments

Stunning L.A. garden’s lovely vignettes delight at every turn…

We discovered a rustic paradise among the gardens we visited in L.A. last weekend (you can see the other garden I’ve already blogged about here). We drove around and around to the top of a steep hill with spectacular views of the mountains, where our generous hosts, Joy and Roland, welcomed us.

A large, sleek kitchen, entertaining and living area became part of the outdoor experience, with huge floor-to-ceiling glass doors that opened entirely. As the inside intermingled with the outdoors, multiple seating and viewing vignettes were scattered around the fully cleared top of the hill.

After some wine and appetizers, we headed to the path to make our way down the hill.

Sumptuous succulents filled containers, nooks, and crannies at every turn.

A whole host of focal points shine at strategic places winding down the hill.

These succulents spill off of the hill as you approach the house from the driveway.

The Joy and Roland have added layers and pathways over many years, creating mini beds and spots to sit and appreciate the view different vantage points.

This is a collector’s garden – filled with a wide variety of succulents and other plants, adding interesting contrast, color and texure.

Carefully crafted stonework with unique designs defines the slope — a artful masterpiece in itself.

The attention to detail is so striking.

More nooks and crannies flank the entrance to the spectacular wine cellar.

Cut into the side of the earth, the cellar was mercifully cool on a 100+ degree day. I felt as if I had stepped back in time – with cool stone and rows of bottles inside – offering just enough room for an intimate wine party. A long hallway will soon be connected via tunnel to just outside the house, the next major project already planned and waiting to be implemented.

This would be my favorite seat in the garden. Close up and far away, both views equally enchanting.

Empty on the way down, but by the time we came by again, someone had taken up residence in my spot.

Fully content and unfazed by visitors to his garden, the dog, Domino, thinks this is a great spot, too.

In front of the bench, a delightful pond filled with koi provides entertainment as the Koi dart around under the shade of beautiful plants.

A statuesque heron stands guard over the koi, who also have many deep areas to hide for predators, just in case the heron falls asleep on the job!

Don’t forget to look up.

I could sit for hours and watch the fish and the view; electronic devices have nothing on this.

Another outdoor room awaits.

More vertical gardening — these mid-century modern hanging planters from Potted bring color and contrast to this magical hot tub oasis. (More posts to come, as we visited both Potted and the home of the store’s owner on this fabulous trip.)

Rustic and natural, this hideaway brings outdoor living to a new dimension.

I also saw these planters in the garden of a fellow blogger in Seattle who blogs at Danger Garden.

The echo of a subtle orange glow on the tips of these succulents is an artful planting design touch.

Another view up the hill, filled with interesting plants, containers and found garden art that Joy has collected over the years, like this sweet deer statue.

The mostly mild California climate yields big, beautiful plants like these aloes.

The repetition of these gorgeous anemones creates a dramatic ridge along the hillside.

I’ve tried to grow these in Austin with no success. But I’ve see them used as stunning elements in LA, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle gardens.

Nestled ear the top of the hill, this greenhouse is home to garden tools and pots now, and awaits more delicate plants as the weather cools.

By the end of our visit, Domino tired of us and went back to his own bed to take a break from the sweltering heat.

A huge thanks to Joy and Roland, for your hospitality and for opening your home and garden to us. The garden is magical, and masterfully crafted and I loved spending time in it and I’m pleased to be able to share a small part of it with others through this blog post.

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:00-06:00September 29th, 2015|bench, Blog, dog, focal point, garden art, garden decor, garden tour, goldfish, hanging pots, hillside, hot tub, LA, paths, planters, pond, seating, Sharing Nature's Garden, slope, stone work, succulents, view, water features|0 Comments

Beautiful garden outshines the view on this LA hilltop home…

Last week I flew out to trendy Los Angeles with my garden travel friend, Pam Penick, of Digging, for the Garden Writers Symposium. We started our trip to the Golden State with some visits to the gardens of fellow garden bloggers, writers and designers.

Our first stop was the garden of Kris Peterson, who blogs at Late to the Garden Party. We were late arriving, due to a flight delay, and missed meeting several other bloggers who were gathering to have lunch with us. We were sad to miss the other gardeners and another garden tour, and we were sad to miss lunch! (We followed my standard M.O. for travel: eat at every opportunity – you never know when you’ll get your next meal!)

We blew in like the wind – dismayed at being late and in a hurry to get there and meet Kris in person.

We took one look outside and stopped dead in our tracks.

You were going to ask why, weren’t you? But now there’s no need to ask, is there?

This is the backyard view from her garden. It’s amazing. And her garden is equally amazing. I soon lost track of the view as she led us from one beautiful vignette to another. Creatively composed and expertly woven, the garden is a collector’s garden that flows like the water in the distance.

Nestled in many parts of her garden, Kris has included a wide variety of containers with water-wise succulents like these.

These little lovelies caught my attention. While the hot, unforgiving sunlight made photographing the garden difficult, I did the best I could with these Eustoma grandiflorum ‘Echo Pink’ flowers.

Through much of the side garden, hardy ground covers spread between the stones.

Entwined among the layers of the garden, these beautiful Pennisetum advena ‘rubrum’ blow in the breeze.

I love this stunning color and texture combination.

This arbor frames the view of the harbor as the garden path transitions from the side to the back. Talk about a focal point!

Mimicking the arbor on the side (or vice versa, depending on which approach you’re taking), this is the entrance to the front door.

Lovely wooden benches with colorful pillows and potted plants flank the entrance.

Along the street, Kris has created a wonderful succulent garden with a cornucopia of textures, colors and forms.

My garden touring pal, Pam, of Digging, stops to smile for the camera, and me, before we head out of the garden.

This stunning and lovingly crafted garden was the perfect start to our adventures around L.A. Thanks, again, Kris, for your hospitality. Loved getting to share in your garden.

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:00-06:00September 26th, 2015|Blog, containers, garden tour, garden tour 2015, grasses, GWA, Kris Peterson, LA, Pam Penick, paths, pergola, pots, Sharing Nature's Garden, succulents|0 Comments

Hop aboard the ferry to Ward’s Island – where cozy cottages welcome Garden Bloggers Fling attendees…

One of my favorite adventures at this year’s Garden Bloggers Fling in Toronto was our trek to Wards Island. An eclectic community, it actually consists of two islands — Ward’s and Algonquin, connected to each other by a small bridge. There are no vehicles permitted on the island, so residents have to shop in the city and be creative about how they ferry everything back across the water. We saw many bicycles with creative additions, like this set up, designed to pack as much as possible per trip.

Our ferry ride was short and sweet — the way I like it since I have just a smidge of motion sickness. It was a grey, blustery day, and we were layered up under the dark skies.

The view of Toronto back across Lake Ontario was amazing, and stood in stark contrast to colorful the homes and gardens we were about to visit.

Residents, visitors and a slew of eager garden bloggers flock off of the ferry.

The small, mostly cottage-style homes, while varying greatly in their makeup, were all welcoming as we toured up and down the islands’ quaint streets.

Evident throughout the islands, the reduce, reuse and recycle mantra is a way of life for those for whom a trip to Home Depot to grab a few simple building supplies isn’t so simple.

Houses sported bright colors and creative decor…

…and beautiful, lovingly cared-for plants.

Islanders don’t actually own their property; they have 99-year leases on the land. A long waiting list means others wanting to move onto the islands where time almost seems to stand still will need decades of patience.

Around every corner, pops of color, decor and art make each home unique.

Even while under construction, this house has donned a pretty face.

Welcoming adirondack chairs evoke images of neighbors enjoying an evening outside.

I love how these tasty-looking tangerine blooms echo the color of the front door.

Hostas and other woodland plants line this stone path leading to the front door.

Many of the cottage homes with country charm remind me of times long past.

Even this storage building exudes charm – complete with gentle paint colors, a climbing vine and a little lantern to light the way.

Two of my Texas blogging friends, Pam of Digging and Chris of Running Gardener, enjoy strolling together through these lovely gardens.

Gardening Up! And just look at those hydrangeas.

This scene seems to say, “come and sit a spell.”

A storm is brewing over the city.

The rain and the winds picked up and we got drenched running back to board the ferry and then walk to our hotel. But, we were all in it together, laughing and taking it in stride.

Hidden gems, Ward’s and Algonquin islands — their inhabitants and gardens — welcomed us with open arms and gave us a day of delightful gardening touring.

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:01-06:00September 8th, 2015|2015 Garden Bloggers Fling, adirondack chairs, Blog, cottage garden, front doors, garden tour, seating, Sharing Nature's Garden, Toronto, trellis, Ward's Island|0 Comments

garden tour

Colorful cottage garden explodes with color and plants

Contemporary, xeric garden showcased at Garden Bloggers Fling

Four acres of gorgeous gardens under glass at the Longwood Gardens Conservatory

Stunning L.A. garden’s lovely vignettes delight at every turn…

Beautiful garden outshines the view on this LA hilltop home…

Hop aboard the ferry to Ward’s Island – where cozy cottages welcome Garden Bloggers Fling attendees…

Escape in the garden