Hill Country Garden
As visitors sit or stroll along the shaded pathways, they will find a peaceful place to experience the beauty of a Texas Hill Country woodland. A small stream flows through this section of the Hill Country Garden, adding another layer of texture among the vines, trees and shrubs. The garden features Hill Country woody plants, many arranged to reflect the natural plant communities found throughout the region. Along the arbor, visitors can follow the lines of rattan, pepper vine and coral honeysuckle. The garden also serves as a living classroom for gardeners and homeowners interested in shade gardening, or planting for low-light conditions within a landscape. Toward the back of the garden, a chalky limestone area supports sumacs and snowbells. These species are specialists, thriving in (or at least tolerating) heavy, chalky and often shallow clays. The well-loved mountain pink, for instance, will not thrive in the rich soils typical of many planned gardens.
What You’ll See in This Garden
- Examples of shade-tolerant plants
- Examples of limestone-dwelling plants
- The Hill Country Stream, sometimes hosting a ribbonsnake, guppies or strands of toad eggs
- The Hill Country Meadow, Silo Garden and Commons Garden, featuring sun-loving Hill Country native plants
- The Taste of Place Native Plant Garden, showcasing edible and medicinal native plants
