Garden fest delights…

A gaggle of garden geeks took over the Zilker Botanical Gardens on Saturday and Sunday for the annual Zilker Garden Fest.

Mom and Dad and I were there bright and early when they opened at 10 a.m. Saturday.  Two wagons in tow, we were prepared to fill them to the brim.

The festival includes everything garden, not just plants.  These gourd planters were among the most creative things I saw.

Love these little birds — I keep thinking I want one hanging in my garden and wish I’d gotten one now that I see my picture!

And then there are the beautiful gardens — being surrounded by all the beautiful plants and vignettes of Zilker would inspire anyone to buy plants and stuff!

East Austin Succulents had a great display of their plants.  I bought one – keep reading and I’ll show it to you.

More of beautiful Zilker Garden.

The plant I didn’t get.  I browse a little first and then sometimes go back to buy things – sadly, someone else had already snatched up all three of these.

But this aeonium did come home with me and found its happy place in a tall copper pot.

This is another of my finds.  I know it’s made for a window – but I’m dying to hang it somewhere in my garden for the light to shine through it outside.

I was wowed by this ceramic art – I kept eyeing the turquoise and copper flower tile, but left without it this year.

Mom and Dad — we’ve been going to this Festival for more than 20 years together.  It’s my favorite event of the year in Austin – a city full of great stuff to do.

Here are more goodies from other festivals and my sentimental memories of our outings there with my now-grown son, when he bought my Mother’s Day gifts there for years as a young boy.

The rose garden was amazing – this was my very favorite rose.

I still want some ligularia in my garden, and I have some yellow columbines just like these … hmmm… now that’s an idea!

These baby blue eyes (Nemophila maculata) were everywhere – a perky ground cover erupting in bloom.

And off we went with our goodies…home to plant and hang and pot.  Until next year…