2018 Garden Bloggers Fling Archives | Diana's Designs Austin

Tour of Austin Garden Bloggers Fling’s beautiful gardens

I’m not sure I could pick a garden favorite at last May’s Austin Garden Bloggers Fling. The itinerary included a taste of unique ecclectic, xeric, formal, contemporary, and cottage style gardens — a smorgasbord of landscaping styles to delight the senses.

My favorite shot, this picturesque view of the Austin skyline served as the backdrop of a bed running along the back of the Burrus garden.

This rustic stone water trough at the front of the house is surrounded by lush shade plantings.

A quaint cottage-style garden house was built using rock from the property, incorporating vintage windows, and serving as home to beautiful climbing roses.

This sweet dog quietly sat guard throughout our tour.

Flanked by a long driveway peppered with structural agaves and native trees, visitors get a glimpse into the xeric garden that awaits them above.

The Jamison garden, with its cottage ambiance, provided a winding path along the sides and the back of the garden. Filled with ephemera, water features, seating areas, and secret spaces, it’s charm was enchanting.

After running out of room in her own garden, Burrus began beautifying the land that divides her street that runs by an elementary school. With no means of irrigation, she filled it with xeric plants and provided seating areas for neighbors and school children to enjoy.

When we arrived at this garden, the torrential rain that drenched everyone at the Wildflower Center and at my garden had abated and slowed to a light sprinkling. Special thanks to Laura Wills , Austin Fling co-planner, for the insight to order colorful ponchos for this rainy day.

The weather didn’t slow the tour as bloggers walked toward the contemporary xeric garden filled with sculptural yuccas and agaves and Cor-ten steel elements.

Stay tuned for more Austin Garden Bloggers Fling garden tour highlights.

By Diana C. Kirby|2019-01-20T10:55:11-06:00January 20th, 2019|2018, 2018 Garden Bloggers Fling, Agave, animals, Austin gardens, bench, bloggers, Cor-ten steel, dog, garden tour 2018, GBF2018, seating, shade plants, Sharing Nature's Garden, Uncategorized, water feature, water features, whales tongue agave, Wildflowers, wildlflower|4 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

Bloggers celebrate 10th Anniversary of Garden Bloggers Fling

Wow. What a great Garden Bloggers Fling. With long-time friends and new, we laughed, we shared, we took tens of thousands of photos, and we reveled in stunning gardens and event spaces.

A whopping 92 swag bags lived at my house for 4 months – taking up space equal to about 3 queen-size beds. The Austin team, Diana Kirby, Pam Penick, Laura Wills, Jennifer Brown and Sheryl Williams, had 4 stuffing parties as swag arrived so we didn’t have as much to do at the end. (There might or might not have been some Prosecco involved.) We were blown away by the generosity of our wonderful sponsors. This room was also home to dozens of big boxes full of fabulous raffle items. From beginning to end, it felt like we were on the magical mystery tour.

A few bloggers in town early, were treated to a delightful brunch at Laura Will’s house and garden. Then, after two years of planning and prep, the Austin team began welcoming bloggers at the hotel on Thursday afternoon. Shown here – Laura Wills, Pam Penick, Diana Kirby and Sheryl Williams. Not pictured, Jennifer Brown who was clearly busy at work while we were hamming it up.

After the festivities and fajitas at the opening reception, bloggers headed up to the rooftop garden at the new Austin Public Library to enjoy a warm breeze and get a bird’s-eye view of Austin

Gardeners got to know one another and spend down time relaxing before three days of fun-filled garden tours.

Back at the hotel, the Austin team took advantage of tequila shot goodies we included in swag bags while holding the final planning meeting in Pam’s room.

The first Fling stop was at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. While bloggers photographed the wildflowers, the anxiously anticipated clouds gathered and burst forth with a real Texas gully washer. Armed with the rain ponchos from their swag bags, some continued exploring while the majority of folks spent time drying off in the Center’s gift shop.

Then everyone arrived at my house. Along with the pelting rain. I opened up all blinds so they could see the garden from inside. But most ventured outside in their ponchos, seeking some shelter on the back patio, and in the covered outdoor kitchen and cabana. The brave ones continued on to see the garden, though the rain made taking quality photos difficult.

I’m collecting photos from bloggers, because of course I was busy and didn’t have any time to take photos here. So, if you have a few good pics you’re willing to share in high res, I’d love to have them.

Sitting with friends on the bus is a great opportunity to catch up from previous flings and get to know newbie flingers.

We all took shelter with a box lunch under the revival tent at the Natural Gardener and listened to John Dromgoole, an Austin gardening icon and owner of the nursery.

The platoon of ponchos on the march at the next garden.

Color echos in the garden.

Made in the shade.

Follow the yellow brick road.

Finding the best shot.

This feet-in-the-pool shot is becoming a tradition.

A relaxing reception at Articulture provided the perfect setting for BBQ dinner, drinks and live music. We enjoyed taste testing two tequila recipes of our dear friend and Austin icon, Lucinda Hutson. Bloggers also shopped in the store and traded impressions of the gardens. Bloggers traded contact information and started setting their sights on Denver in 2018.

Austin bloggers, minus Laura Wills, gathered for a final photo, as Laura posed with Austin blogger Jenny Stocker and her husband.

Now, on to Denver!

By Diana C. Kirby|2018-06-24T10:33:40-05:00June 23rd, 2018|2018 Garden Bloggers Fling, bloggers, blogging, garden tour 2018, GBF2018, tour, Uncategorized|10 Comments

2018 Garden Bloggers Fling

Tour of Austin Garden Bloggers Fling’s beautiful gardens

Contemporary, xeric garden showcased at Garden Bloggers Fling

Bloggers celebrate 10th Anniversary of Garden Bloggers Fling

Escape in the garden