September 02, 2025
Mark your calendars and get ready to tour gardens, Central Texans! Five gardens across Austin will be open to the public on Saturday, November 8, from 10 am to 4 pm, and it promises to be an excellent tour.
Twistleaf Land Design, founded by Sarah Yant, is organizing the 2025 Travis County Open Day tour. Hats off to the Twistleaf team for putting this tour together!
Tickets are on sale now — the ticket links are below, after each Garden Name.
Tickets are sold for each garden individually, so be sure to select each garden to get tickets for all five. Cost is $5 per garden for members of The Garden Conservancy, or $10 per garden for non-members. It’s all for a great cause: Open Days is a nationwide garden visitation program whose proceeds support the Conservancy’s Garden Futures Grants program and preservation work.
Read on for photos and details about each garden on the tour.
Travis County Open Day garden tour
Saturday, November 8, 2025 — 10 am – 4 pm
Sponsored by the Garden Conservancy & Twistleaf Land Design
Pollinators’ Paradise
GARDEN NAME: Pollinators’ Paradise (click to purchase tickets)
LOCATION: South Central Austin
DESIGN: Leah Churner of Delta Dawn Gardens
GARDEN DESCRIPTION:
“In a city grappling with teardowns and speculative development, few have responded as creatively as longtime Barton Hills residents Jo Clifton and Roger Duncan. When they learned that the 1960s ranch home next door was on the market in 2022, they made an unconventional decision: to buy it, demolish it, and transform the lot into a wildlife garden. This bold move, driven by their passion for conservation, led to the creation of Pollinators’ Paradise – a neighborhood haven for wildlife where passers-by are welcome to stop in and explore.
Before the house was removed, they enlisted their gardener, Leah Churner of Delta Dawn Gardens, to design and manage the project. Once demolition was complete, they brought in Seedlings Gardening to craft the hardscape, which is dominated by limestone terraces and a central stair to mitigate the significant slope of the former home’s footprint. Leah approached the planting design with a focus on enhancing biodiversity and maximizing wildlife benefits. Drawing inspiration from entomologist and ecologist Douglas Tallamy’s work, she prioritized planting species that serve as larval hosts for insects, laying the foundation for a robust food web.
Today, the former front yard is a flourishing pocket prairie filled with native grasses and wildflowers, while the backyard has been transformed into a mini-woodland with over fifteen species of native trees. Where the house once stood, tiered beds now feature approximately 1,800 square feet of pollinator plantings including Fall Aster, Mealy Blue Sage, Woolly Stemodia, and Autumn Sage. Just a year into the project, the garden is alive with activity – bumblebees, butterflies, and hummingbirds abound, while armadillos, raccoons, and foxes make nightly visits.”
Artist’s Eclectic Eden
GARDEN NAME: Artist’s Eclectic Eden (click to purchase tickets)
LOCATION: South Central Austin
DESIGN: Steve Twigger, owner
GARDEN DESCRIPTION:
“Started from nothing in 2004, this garden embodies the dedication and vision of owner Steve Twigger, who handled nearly all the work and all of the design himself, without the assistance of professional landscaping services. The construction process unfolded over several years, with Steve incorporating raised beds, a trellis, a pond and water feature, paths and patios, a screened porch, a professionally installed swimming pool, and a drip watering system.
Plantings have evolved through various iterations in response to the challenges posed by Austin’s recent extremes in climate. As an Englishman, Steve has a fondness for what one might call a cottage-style garden, characterized by mixed, abundant, and free-flowing plantings. With a keen and thoughtful eye, he has crafted a landscape that captures this essence in a palette that feels distinctly Austin and predominantly features evergreen plants. At the front of the house, the garden boasts strong curb appeal, drawing visitors in with its lush and dynamic plant arrangements. In the backyard, Steve’s passion for tropical plants shines, as they effortlessly enhance the atmosphere around the pool while blending harmoniously with the surrounding landscape.
The garden’s vibrant design and unique character stand as a testament to Steve’s natural artistic sense, capacity for hard work, and unwavering tenacity.”
Canyon Vista
GARDEN NAME: Canyon Vista (click to purchase tickets)
LOCATION: West Austin
DESIGN: Heather Lyle of Native Knowledge
GARDEN DESCRIPTION:
“Started 10 years ago on a caliche construction site, this secluded five-acre property gently slopes down to a wet-weather creek. The entry garden is robust with a dynamic array of deer-resistant plantings such as Purple and Pink Skullcap, Texas Betony, Plumbago, Purple Coneflower, and Copper Canyon Daisy. The pool and fenced garden sit above canyon views, showcasing a rich tapestry of trees including Bigtooth Maple, Wafer Ash, Mexican Sugar Maple, Black Walnut, and Chinquapin and Red Oaks. Native grasses, carefully sown, have taken root to stabilize the thin soil, preventing further erosion while providing essential cover and nesting material for wildlife. The fenced-in pool area showcases a more playful side, with the absence of deer pressure, and features annuals and winter greens along the edges.
A collection of Dioon Edules and other cycads add evergreen structure under a large Red Oak with shade loving plants like ferns mixed in.
The garden’s transformation began with the use of materials found on-site — limestone for retaining walls and walkways, and cedar for fences and railings. To foster biodiversity, a varied palette of native trees and shrubs were planted. These include Anacua, Chalk Maple, Escarpment Black Cherry, Gum Bumelia, and Blanco Crabapple.
A vibrant micro-prairie of pollinator-friendly natives cleverly utilizes the septic field, where in the fall, Cowpen Daisy and Plateau Goldeneye bloom prolifically, while in spring and summer, Black-eyed Susan, Horsemint, Gaillardia, and Antelope Horns take center stage. This garden is ever-evolving, shaped by the seasons of drought and harsh winters, yet it remains a magical refuge, teeming with wildlife throughout the seasons.”
Belmont Parkway
GARDEN NAME: Belmont Parkway (click to purchase tickets)
LOCATION: Northwest Austin
DESIGN: Studio Balcones
GARDEN DESCRIPTION:
“Studio Balcones has crafted an award-winning landscape design that harmoniously integrates with the natural beauty of a forested site in central Austin. This project, recognized with the American Society of Landscape Architects Merit Award, showcases a thoughtful approach to landscape architecture, celebrating the rich biodiversity of the area while enhancing the site’s unique topography.
Nestled among majestic Live Oaks, Red Oaks, and Cedar Elms, the project’s design artfully navigates the dramatic slope down to Shoal Creek. The house is connected by a bridge linking its upper halves, with a stairway gracefully descending into the lush landscape below.
At street level is a serene entrance courtyard, featuring quiet brick paving, custom gabion walls, and benches. The carefully curated plant palette — comprising Whale’s Tongue Agave, Silver Saw Palmetto, White Autumn Sage, Fall Aster, Fragrant Mistflower, and various perennial grasses — enhances the tranquil ambiance.
A winding limestone boulder pathway meanders through the Heritage Live Oaks, leading to the back of the house. Here, stone retaining walls planted with sweeping beds of sedges, Inland Sea Oats, Pink Turk’s Cap, and Sumac effectively manage rainwater runoff, channeling it toward Shoal Creek.
To the west of the house, a secluded ‘secret garden’ unfolds, featuring a garden filled with herbs and perennials, an outdoor shower, and a circular brick patio surrounding a custom concrete dipping pool. This intimate space invites relaxation and recreation, further enriching the landscape.
The landscape design at this central Austin residence not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of the property but also fosters a variety of spaces for family enjoyment. By working with the site’s topography, geology, and wooded natural setting, Studio Balcones has created a landscape that is both functional and beautiful, celebrating the essence of its surroundings.”
Este Garden
GARDEN NAME: Este Garden (click to purchase tickets)
LOCATION: East Austin
DESIGN: Anamaria Gutierrez of Este
GARDEN DESCRIPTION:
“Este Garden is a vibrant, green sanctuary where nature flourishes and community thrives. Nestled in East Austin, it offers a space for people to come together to grow, learn, and eat.
Building on the female-led garden-to-table legacy of the former Eastside Cafe, farmers Anamaria Gutierrez and Lea Scott broke ground at Este Garden in May of 2020. With a commitment to sustainable agriculture, their mission is to supply fresh, seasonal produce to Austin’s nationally renowned restaurants: Suerte, Este, and Bar Toti.
The garden produces thousands of pounds of vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers year-round, employing environmentally-conscious growing practices including but not limited to low-till farming, avoidance of pesticides or chemicals, and companion planting. This holistic approach not only maximizes yield but also fosters a thriving ecosystem, benefiting people, plants, wildlife, and pollinators. As a community space, Este serves as a sanctuary inviting its visitors to engage with the land and connect with each other through the shared experience of growing food.”
All photos by Buff Strickland, used with permission from Twistleaf.
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Digging Deeper
Want ideas for your yard besides lawn? Sure you do! I’m giving a talk called “Lawn Gone: 8 Great Ideas for Your Yard” on Saturday, September 13, at the Concho Valley Master Gardeners Fall Symposium in San Angelo, Texas. The cost for the all-day symposium with 4 speakers is $30 per person; refreshments and lunch included. Register by 9/10 at this link to attend. I hope to see you there, West Texas homeowners and gardeners!
My new book, Gardens of Texas: Visions of Resilience from the Lone Star State, comes out October 14! It’s available for pre-order now on Amazon and other online book sellers. If you’d like to read it or give it as a holiday gift, please consider pre-ordering. (I’m happy to sign pre-ordered copies at my book events!) Early orders make a big difference in helping new books get noticed. More info about Gardens of Texas here — and thank you for your support!
Tour 5 Austin gardens on Saturday, November 8, on the Garden Conservancy’s Open Day tour for Travis County. Tickets must be purchased online in advance. Find full details here.
Come see me on tour! I’ll be speaking and hosting book events across Texas this fall and into next spring to celebrate the release of Gardens of Texas. Join me to learn, get inspired, and say hello!
Come learn about gardening and design at Garden Spark! I organize in-person talks by inspiring designers, landscape architects, authors, and gardeners a few times a year in Austin. These are limited-attendance events, so join the Garden Spark email list for notification when tickets go on sale: click this link and ask to SUBSCRIBE. Read all about the Season 9 lineup here!
All material © 2025 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
