LUCINDA'S GARDEN

On the Saturday and Sunday of this year's Austin Garden Bloggers' Fling I joined the group of 93 flingers to visit a broad selection of Austin gardens. Both days began with a cool sunny morning and progressed to hot sunny afternoons. Visitors were often seen taking advantage of the homeowners' swimming pools by dipping their toes. It seems it has become quite a tradition at the Fling to see this kind of happening.
I loved all the gardens we visited but have to say that there are some gardens which positively announce the vibrant personality of their creator. "Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are" the words written long ago by the English poet Alfred Austin.  This photograph of Lucinda Hutson outside her front door says it all.

In an area of Austin that was once a grove of pecan trees, on a pleasant leafy street with many pretty cottage homes, built in the 1930s and 40s, is one particularly charming house. I remember the first time I visited it was quite easy to pick out the 'purple house' of Lucinda Hutson.  Not quite so easy today as the ginkgo tree has grown taller and fuller casting some welcome shade, and a kumquat, which shades a delightful seating area in front of the house, soften the brightly colored purple walls of her house.

It truly was the most perfect morning for our visit.

A delightful seating area beneath the kumquat tree.

Her front garden is cottage style with an amazing variety of plants and herbs, the ginkgo tree casting just enough shade to make a comfortable place for them to grow well. I couldn't help but marvel at how Lucinda's selection of plants knitted together so well with not the least air of untidiness.

And the hell strip is similarly planted with native heart leaf skull cap, Scuttelaria ovata, hesperaloe and spineless opuntia. In the Mexican tradition the name of her precious cat has been carved on one of the cactus pads.

Hesperaloe flowers in the hell strip

I asked Lucinda if she had any schooling in art and was surprised to hear she had not. She certainly has an artists eye. Look at this pretty selection for her lavender pot.

Years ago there was a driveway alongside the house which led to a garage at the back. (That garage today is just used for overwintering tender plants). A gardening friend suggested Lucinda should build a wall across from the house to create a private area. They built it together.

And leading up to the archway to the side garden several Tuscan pots with, of course, Salvia 'Amistad' in her signature color.
I remember years ago there were iris growing here, which she shred with us. I think every gardener in our group now has that iris and we refer to it as Lucinda's iris. We may have to share it back as she now sh has only one small patch at the end of the driveway.

Through the gateway looking back outside is a reminder of times in Lucinda's youth which she spent in Southern California at her grandmother's.

 And now the story really begins and Lucinda is there to share, with bountiful joy, all the special areas of significance in her garden. She grew up in El Paso and with travels into Mexico with her father and subsequent travel on her own she came to love the Mexican culture and particularly their use of color.
Behind the wall lies the mermaid grotto and mermaids will feature not just in this part of the garden but also in her house.

Mermaid grotto

And the the shrine to Our Lady of La Tina was once a claw foot tub, now decorated and set in stone. La Tina is a play on words as la tina means bath in Mexico.

Look up, look down, with every glance something new. How many things did I miss? Plenty I am sure. And in so looking I ended up missing taking photographs for many things.

Haitian steel oil drum carvings

In her surprisingly spacious back garden there is room to sit, a colorful serving area and a log cabin work retreat.

No doubt she spent many hours in her 'creative cathedral' writing her books, The Herb Garden Cookbook and Viva Tequila!

And things didn't stop with a garden visit. The back door of the garden opened onto the 'stairway to heaven'. Notice Sancho's special doorway. He must walk theses stairs many times. But we were requested to enter the house by the front door.

I don't think I have been on many garden tours where a house tour was included, but Lucinda has an unusual and very special house. Her collection of Mexican folk handicrafts may rival that of any museum. It put me in mind of Charles Wade who bought Snowshill to house his incredible collection of exquisite handicrafts.

Every inch of her house is decorated with the utmost care and creativity.

And time in the kitchen being very close to my heart, a few photographs of where Lucinda perfected her many recipes.

And libations!

After all Lucinda is an expert on Tequila.

Thank you Lucinda for inviting 93 Flingers and their cameras into your garden and home. It was a special and memorable morning for us all.

WEDNESDAY GARDEN VISITS

When Pam, Digging, invited me to go over and see her garden this past Wednesday it was not an opportunity I was about to miss. I know everyone who follows Austin garden blogs has seen the many wonderful photographs she has taken of her new garden over the past year. I was undecided as to whether I should take some myself and in the end I decided, with later regret, not to. Just this one of succulents in a bowl, as we walked out onto the patio. Pam has done wonders with her new garden in such a short time. Her post of before and after photos is a credit to this.

We soon became absorbed in discussing the merits of different plants. Pam has been a test garden for some Proven Winners plants this year and stand out was the cleome, "Senorita rosalita". The agastache which also proved to be a success in her garden were from High Country Gardens, her prize for winning the "picture this" photo contest. It will be interesting to see how these plants do in their second year. I asked where the yellow knockout rose was and it was hiding underneath the long spikes of cleome flowers. This plant certainly has found a good spot to grow.

I got to see the famous Whale's Tongue agave, A. ovatifolia, which has settled in very nicely to its new home. It is a stand out feature plant. I certainly hope the one in question in my garden does turn out to be a Whale's tongue.

Who wouldn't love the new tank she has installed in her garden. I loved the reflection of the overhanging trees on the surface of the water. Unfortunately I was not to see a water lily in bloom as the season is over but her plants have grown with amazing vigor in such a short period of time. Pam has great plans for a walkway around the tank and removal of much of her St Augustine grass. I am quite aware of the work she faces in doing these projects but it will look wonderful when she is finished.

We walked out into the front garden where Pam faces some drainage issues. We had that same problem in our front and have managed to solve it by creating a dry creek. We tried to visualize how this treatment might work in her garden.

We had just planned to go out for lunch afterwards but Lucinda Hutson had invited Pam over to visit her garden and I was to go along with her.

I had been Lucinda's garden many years ago when the Newcomer's garden club arranged a visit. This was long before I had a digital camera or even thought of taking photographs. Lucinda greeted us out in the street and took us into her house. Rather like her garden, her house is a feast for the eyes. Wonderful Mexican crafts fill every nook and cranny in each room.

Lucinda is well know in both gardening and cooking circles. Her book The Herb Garden Cookbook, not only includes tips on growing the herbs and using them in the kitchen but anecdotes of her travels. A colorful and mouthwatering addition to any library. We began our tour of the garden in the front. Mixed in with the traditional planting are the herb plants that Lucinda uses in her cooking. She bent down to pinch of a leaf, crushing it and inviting us to smell herbs and plants I had never even heard of.

Even her roses have culinary names, like "Julia Child", and although not in flower at the time, this unnamed rose caught our eye for its delicate peach and yellow combination.

This ornamental, multi colored pepper literally shouts "fiesta". Lucinda' house and garden are just one big Fiesta. I can just imagine all the fun parties that have been held in her wonderful home and spilling over into her many garden rooms.

Thank you Pam and Lucinda for inviting me to do one of the most fun things to do in the whole world- visiting gardens.

For many more photos of this visit go to Pam's posting.