Monday, October 10, 2011

Xeriscape Post San Antonio- Part Four-Conclusion

In Review:
This is part four and final post of the tour of the San Antonio Botanical Gardens Xeriscape Demonstration Gardens. Part one dealt with the Manicured Xeriscape Garden and a typical traditional American Garden: Click to view Part One.
Part two demonstrates my favorite example of xeriscape - The Hill Country Landscape Garden:Click to view Part Two.
Part three demonstrated the cottage garden xeriscape- Click link to view Part three

After reading the comments on the first post Pam Penick from Digging fame left me a link of a past visit to these gardens by her and other fellow Austin bloggers. I will leave a link back here. Watersaver Lane
It was cool to go back and look at these gardens when they were "young". They have matured since this 2007 post. Also she gave me the name of the series of gardens, Watersaver Lane. Thank you Pam!

Part four is a tour of the Wildlife Landscape and the Spanish Courtyard Garden:
Click on image to enlarge and read Elements, Maintenance requirements, irrigation requirements, and other inputs.
The wildscape landscape is designed to attract wildlife with nectar plants and plants that produce seeds. Again decomposed granite is used for the pathway. A limestone field stone wall is used to delineate this garden from the cottage garden.
 The shade tree is a Red Oak, plenty of acorns for the squirrels I suppose and Salvia for hummingbirds.

The last Garden in the series on Watersaver Lane is The Spanish Courtyard Garden:
.This garden definitely is on the ornamental side. Not my cup of tea, but there is a lot of spanish architecture in San Antonio.
Palms, succulents, Caesalpinia pulcherima - Pride of Barbados, Sago Palm and Mediterrean Fan Palm all placed in like irrigation zones. All with tropical textures and colors.
That will conclude the tour and series. I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did when I visited them. Adios, amigos.
Posted by greggo at 6:43 PM

13 comments:

  1. Sunray GardensOctober 11, 2011 at 4:42 AM

    Thanks Greggo for the tours you've given us. It's nice the way they managed each of these areas.
    Cher Sunray Gardens

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  2. JeanetteOctober 11, 2011 at 9:19 AM

    Thanks for the well organized and narrated visit of the design ideas in San Antonio. This is very helpful especially with the back link to Pam's Watersaver Lane. I have put a link to your Xeriscape series in my most recent post but have removed it as I should ask permission first.
    Jeanette

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  3. greggoOctober 11, 2011 at 1:19 PM

    Cher- I'm glad you enjoyed them.
    Jeanette-no one has ever called me organized before. lol.

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  4. scottweberpdxOctober 11, 2011 at 2:13 PM

    Nice series...I'm catching up from a few weeks of being "unplugged" and am enjoying them immensely!

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  5. linniewOctober 11, 2011 at 4:23 PM

    Those prickly pear cactus are very special, and remind me of sculpture. They must be survivors, they even grow in Oregon in sheltered places.

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  6. JeanetteOctober 11, 2011 at 5:16 PM

    Dear Greg,
    Thanks for allowing the link. Your series is great.
    Jeanette

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  7. HolleyGardenOctober 11, 2011 at 5:53 PM

    I actually like the Spanish Courtyard, though I don't think it would fit in here in East Texas. But I like the different textures and the cheerful colors. And the gravel looks easy to maintain!

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  8. AnonymousOctober 11, 2011 at 8:32 PM

    I enjoyed your series, and all the plants I can only grow poorly in a pot indoors. They look great where they grow in their prefered climate.

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  9. Cathy and SteveOctober 11, 2011 at 10:09 PM

    Nicely done, Greggo... I've also enjoyed the series.

    I am tempted to try growing prickly pear here... it IS supposed to be hardy here, and I am intrigued with the idea of cooking with it!

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  10. Alice's Garden Travel BuzzOctober 12, 2011 at 1:55 PM

    Greggo
    I've been sorry to have missed visiting this garden when I was in SanAntonio,
    but your tour is the next best thing!
    Alice

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  11. CatOctober 13, 2011 at 9:11 PM

    That combo of pride of barbados and Med. palm is really nice together. The texture and little pops of color is interesting.

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  12. greggoOctober 14, 2011 at 5:08 AM

    Scott-glad you stopped by and plugged in..
    linnie-always a pleasure
    Holley-the courtyard design is a little too pink for me.
    Dona-I have the same problem, I did bring back a start from a prickly pear however.
    C/S- napolitos
    Cat-I don't think it was a golden variety sago palm. I believe it was feeling the heat too much. Plant combos are nice however.

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  13. Rosie Nixon FluertyOctober 14, 2011 at 2:42 PM

    These are all houseplants over here in Scotland but what I really like and could try outside is that little blue container with all the various shapes and colours of sedums.

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Thanks for leaving any comments, they are always welcomed. Sorry I had to add word verification as spam was becoming a huge problem. Greggo,

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