Zilker Garden Update

Susie, Tom, Me and Mary Ann after the first planting day.

We finished putting in the new garden today at Zilker. A task that has been months in the making. I took over the gardening position in June and have been clearing/cleaning/planing this one area for awhile now. It's a small corner that lost a large tree last spring due to the hailstorm.

We decided that this area would feature some of the new plants on the '09 Grow Green Guide for Austin...and some other bling! The glass mulch I picked up from the City's Recycle Plant off Todd Rd. You have to call ahead, but it's FREE. Bring a pick-up, and buckets when you go.

We put in three glass rings, two with Agave Americana or Century Plant from my home garden and one with a baby Queen Victoria. Both features in the Yucca/Agave/Succulent/Cacti/Sotol section of the new Guide...which should be out in February '09.

Susi has been my most devoted and hardworking volunteer this Fall, I don't think she's missed a Tuesday yet! Today I had 6 wonderful helpers!
Tom's another regular, he's a fellow brewer and devoted gardener!
When I asked Zilker to remove some of the trees in the area (I later found out had been poisoned by an attempt to control root growth on other nearby trees) I was told that this area was once an Indian Burial ground. I would love to know if this is true...I haven't found any hard evidence but in respect to lore, we used all of the rocks (and there were many) to make 3 large mounds...which I think is one of the more interesting features in the new space.
Agave Victoria Reginae in glass mulch.

Beautiful brown butterfly (if anyone knows the species please fill me in!) on Century Plant.

Butterfly Weed

Lions Tail

Polygunum ground cover.

There's a lot of space to let the babies spread. We've got Wooly butterfly bush, Gulf Muhly Muhlenbergia...the purple fuzz on top grass, Engleman's Daisy, Calylophus and a Spanish Dagger in the corner.

That's little Firecracker Fern around the Spanish Dagger.

Sotol's have been added and we also planted a few Nolina's elsewhere.

I just love the way the glass sparkles in the sun!

This was my favorite shot of the space...room for shadows. We also added more plants to other remaining beds. There is now a rose section beyond Rock Rose, so we added a Belinda's Dream and a few Martha Gonzales...two tried and true Texas performers but there are many new additions on the list. There will be a Grow Green Festival at Zilker Park this coming February and I hope you'll come out, pick up the new guide and check out our space. I couldn't have done it without my dedicated volunteers, Thank you so much! You make my time in the garden even more special! Happy Gardening!