Diana C. Kirby

What a gardening bonanza. I’m still glowing from my wonderful weekend.

The Zilker Garden Festival, formerly known to long-time Austinites as Florarama, was this weekend.

There are so many things to love about Austin, but this is my very favorite event of the year. I think I’ve only missed it once in the last 17 years (I was sick as a dog).

It’s a wonderful garden festival, with garden vendors, craft booths, garden art and accessories, food, informational speakers, bands, a children’s corner with face painting and gardening crafts. You name it, they have it.

And it’s located in the beautiful Zilker Gardens, which were showing off for us in full force this weekend. I gawked at the rose garden, the fern garden, the bulbs and promise of the daylilies to come. It’s an amazing setting. I’m partial to it because my husband and I were married in the Japanese Gardens by the bridge over the koi ponds.
Is this the biggest Ch-ch-chia pet you’ve ever seen? (There, behind that attractive young woman!)

This is the perfect place to pick up daylilies from the Dayliliy Society or exotic plants from boutique growers around the area. I look forward to seeing my favorite garden booths year after year. I have several Plumeria, Desert Roses, Night-blooming Cerius, daylilies and succulents that I have collected from these folks over the years.
Mom watched our two carts while Dad and I took a break. You absolutely have to take a wagon for your haul. Mine is the little red one. See the cute bird house in the foreground, and my Amaryllis, Heuchera Plum Pudding, and a hand-painted hummingbird feeder…look closely — you’ll see it all!
One of many water features in the park — it was so peaceful.
Now, here’s Dad sitting on his wagon waiting while Mom and I look at something for a long time.
This is a local nursery’s booth that I love to frequent. They had some great things, but I’m going over to the nursery to buy this week so I can get more goodies.
And here’s a booth set up by the local Master Gardeners to answer questions and provide great information to new gardeners.
And this is a huge cabbage head from the veggie gardens down by the food vendors. I was so impressed by its size — someone always eats mine before they get this big!