Garden 4
The Work-In-Progress
An Experience of Experiments
A series of on-going experiments across a suburban palette!
Garden Features
- Drainage modifications for severe slope
- Flower beds
- Elevated wooden deck
- Wide palette of plants
- Eight-foot bullwire trellises
- Scented Sharif Asma Roses
- Natchez Crepe Myrtles
- Fall-blooming mums
- Japanese Yews
- Mystic Spires Salvia
- Climbing Star Jasmine
Garden History
How long does a “work-in-progress” go on? If it’s the suburban garden of Daphne Richards, Travis County Extension Agent – Horticulture, it’s 15 years and counting. Partly, that’s because Daphne (with some help from her dad) did all the work on the property herself. And partly because she loves to experiment with different plants in different places.
Early on, severe slopes in the backyard demanded adequate drainage which meant some tough digging in the limestone soil all along the length of the yard. Flower beds came next. Bricks and stones defined those spaces, added garden soil and mulch allowed roots to grow. More recently, an elevated wooden deck was added to the back porch which included a narrow little ramp so her short-legged miniature dachshund wouldn’t need to use the stairs. The view from deck towards the back of the property includes a garden shed and a pleasant seating area.
The palate of plants in the beds and on the eight-foot bull wire trellises is always changing. With plenty of sun, there’s plenty of color. Sweetly scented David Austin Roses in one bed complement a Natchez Crepe Myrtle and fall-blooming mums in another. Slender Japanese Yews contrast the Mystic Spires Salvia and the climbing Star Jasmine. A bed decimated by severe weather is merely another opportunity to experiment with a new variety or a different interesting plant. So, many of the current plantings are less than three years old.
You can never be sure what you’ll find in Daphne’s Garden. But you can be sure that she’s the one that put it there (maybe with the help of some friends).
Directions
Garden Address
1721 Suter Street
Austin, TX 78748
Special Instuctions
Follow directional signs to the gardens.
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