Rocking a dry backyard at Chanticleer’s Gravel Backyard

January 09, 2024

Each time I go to Chanticleer’s Gravel Backyard, I get a well-known feeling. Many vegetation we develop in Central Texas seem on this Pennsylvania dry backyard, and it’s enjoyable to see them in a brand new context. Though the backyard bristles with yuccas, agaves, and cactus and sways with grasses and ethereal perennials, the backdrop of tall timber and plush gardens exhibits that it’s located in a most un-Texas panorama.

That is Half 7 of my go to to Chanticleer through the Philadelphia Space Fling final September.

From the Pond Backyard, a slim gravel observe winds up a steep slope by means of meadowy plantings.

Wanting again on the ponds beneath

In late September, the autumn perennials had been in full flower, alongside maples beginning to flip.

Pines — not one thing you’d see in Central Texas

However Yucca rostrata? Oh yeah! How stunning to see it rising on a Pennsylvania hillside, no?

A dwelling bouquet at my ft

A tucked-away seating space within the Gravel Backyard

View from the benches

A pruned-up agave, which has little question been moved indoors for the winter.

Stone steps result in a bench alongside one facet of the hilly backyard.

Past the bench, Minder Woods presents a shady woodland backyard to discover. However let’s soak up extra of the sunny Gravel Backyard.

So fairly with diaphanous grasses and bobblehead yuccas and meadowy perennials throughout

A vine-shaded arbor curves alongside the sting of the hillside, overlooking the ponds and different gardens.

A tall boxed cactus stands out amid low flowering vegetation.

And mouse-eared prickly pear

Waiting for the Wreck Backyard — subsequent publish!

These cone-like seedpods charmed me. They appear like little chocolate roses.

Gulf muhly and eryngium gone to seed, together with glowing white flowers

One other look

Russian sage and that cactus

Past, I spy Chanticleer’s well-known stone-sofa front room.

As I discussed earlier on this sequence, I visited Chanticleer twice on this journey, as soon as earlier than the Fling started and once more throughout a day soiree Chanticleer hosted for us. Drink tables and a bar had been arrange simply past a stone armchair.

Angie Lueschen (Minnesota) discovered a comfortable spot on the stone couch. Discover the stone distant perched on the couch arm.

Angie was joined by Natalie Carmolli (Michigan), Margo Rabb (Pennsylvania), and Amy Ellsworth DeWald of Decolonize the Backyard (Maryland) — all new Flingers, I imagine, besides Natalie. It was nice to satisfy them!

Margo launched me to Joe Henderson, one in every of Chanticleer’s extremely inventive horticulturists.

Looming within the background, the half-shrouded Wreck calls to you with open doorways and home windows. Let’s discover that subsequent time.

Up subsequent: The fairy story Wreck Backyard at Chanticleer. For a glance again at Chanticleer’s lush Pond Backyard, click on right here:

To examine my previous visits to Chanticleer’s Gravel Backyard, observe these hyperlinks:

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Digging Deeper

Hey, Austin-area gardeners, come find out about making a waterwise, Texas-hardy crevice backyard! Register for my subsequent Backyard Spark speak with Coleson Bruce on January 18th. He’s created some of the fascinating and exquisite xeriscape gardens I’ve seen in Austin. Be taught all about it and hang around with fellow gardeners who’re all in favour of good design. Hope to see you there!

Come find out about backyard design from the specialists at Backyard Spark! I arrange in-person talks by inspiring designers, panorama architects, and authors a number of instances a 12 months in Austin. These are limited-attendance occasions that promote out rapidly, so be a part of the Backyard Spark e-mail record to be notified prematurely; merely click on this hyperlink and ask to be added. The Season 7 lineup might be discovered right here.

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