September 30, 2025
In San Angelo a couple weeks ago, I visited the city’s improbable waterlily garden. Improbable because San Angelo lies west of the dry line, in the arid half of Texas. Far from the brow-basting humidity of the coast, San Angelo bakes in summer with a dry heat. Still, a river runs through it — the Concho — and near that river you’ll find the lily-bejeweled ponds of the International Waterlily Collection.
Few flowers can rival the beauty of a waterlily, and this garden is awash with them in summer.
A wide view, I admit, does not impress. Utilitarian raised ponds are zipped up with iron fencing that protects children as well as the plants. You must stand at the railing — and then you see.
Translucent violet petals with electric-yellow stamens
Harmonious spiky chalices held above green and rusty-red platters
Moonlight yellow blossoms and gleaming satin lilypads
One pond thrilled me with dozens of amethyst waterlilies on stilt-like stems.
Dragonflies appreciated them too — as watchtower perches.
A closer view
Each flower seemed prettier than the last. This pink waterlily harmonizes with the red mottling of a lilypad.
Linen-white petals tipped with purple
A silken lavender jewel box
A glowing star of a flower
Annuals and flowering perennials surround the ponds and add more summer color, including castor bean’s burgundy foliage.
But it’s the waterlilies you’ll fall for in this surprising West Texas oasis.
To see more of San Angelo’s International Waterlily Collection, read my post from a 2014 visit.
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Join me for Jill Nooney’s Garden Spark talk on October 9th
Austin-area readers, I invite you to my next Garden Spark event on October 9th. Artist, gardener, and author Jill Nooney of Bedrock Gardens will speak about her acclaimed New Hampshire garden, and I can’t wait to see her photos and get inspired by her gardening magic. You may wonder what a New England garden has to teach us here in Texas, and I’ll tell you. Like any garden created with passion and creativity, it teaches us to TRY and experiment and risk failure, and to delight in the beauty, humor, and life stories that result. Come join us!
Tickets available here
Garden Spark is open to the public. Tickets must be purchased in advance.
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Digging Deeper
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!
Come see me on tour! I’m speaking in cities across Texas to celebrate the release of Gardens of Texas. Talks in October include: Planta Nativa in McAllen on 10/16; The Natural Gardener in Austin on 10/18; SFA State University’s Fall Plant Fair in Nacogdoches on 10/23; Houston Botanic Garden on 10/25; and The Arbor Gate in Tomball on 10/26. Join me to learn, be inspired, and get a signed copy of the book!
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, and some gardens limit attendance, so reserve your spot early. Find full details here.
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.
