flora grubb interview on design*sponge

I'd heard about Flora Grubb, but didn't know anything about her... now I just want to live at her shop. Wow! Run over to Design*Sponge's guest blog and read it all.

Love this vertical wall of succulents. Wonder how much that would cost? Hmmmm.

east austin: native plant garden

Here's yet another great garden, located in East Austin, filled with native and low-water plants. I love the stacked stone wall, the landscaping around the sidewalk that engages the street, and how every corner of the property is filled with beautiful moments. I should have gotten pictures of the 3 story workshop/guest house...

austin: david-peese garden

To continue yesterday's post, here are more images from The Garden Conservancy's 2008 Open Days. The David-Peese garden has been one of my favorites for years, and is always one of the best on the garden tour. The owners of the house, James deGrey David and Gary Peese, are landscape designers and former owners of Gardens, who now run David/Peese Design out of the concrete studio shown in the pictures below. I just wish I'd gotten pictures of their fluffy-pantsed chickens. You can see more stunning images at the portfolio section on their website.

2008 austin open garden days

The Garden Conservancy's 2008 Open Days occurred the same day as the AIA tour, so we didn't get to all the gardens, but the ones we did visit were filled with delightful details. This one below, by Robert Leeper, included a stairway integrated into the driveway, a potager behind an open-air carport/outdoor living area, bamboo softening a small courtyard, and a nice steel retaining wall.

a balcony of potted succulents

What do you do in Texas when it gets so hot you can barely stand the thought of going outside? You make your outside spaces visually cool and refreshing!

This morning I helped my friend Nancy pot up a large pencil cactus for one of her client's balconies that gets full sun almost all day. Luckily Nancy had already completed the plantings in the 2 smaller green pots with succulents, cactus and echeverias by the time I got there. For low maintenance in the Texas heat you can't beat this type of container garden. (Cactus in terracotta pot on table from another source.)

Oh, how I wish I had access to this luxurious outside space, with gorgeous views over Austin... I'd kick back with a Mint & Honey Sweet Leaf Tea, and hope the mosquitos couldn't find me.