Tuesday, July 10, 2018

The Garden of Curt Arnette, a post Fling stop in Austin

Another of those special "post-fling" Austin gardens that I got to see — thanks to Pam — was the personal garden of designer Curt Arnette (Sitio Design)...

Curt was the designer credited with the Mirador Garden, a yucca and steel lover's paradise which the Fling proper toured on the first day, I will be writing about it on Thursday.

It was a revelation to see how he approached the design of his own garden, which takes up a large corner lot. Here we're entering the shady front garden, via the driveway, shown above.

The succulent lover in me had to stop and appreciate the sun-illuminated Kalanchoe pads.

I suspect there will be a lot of detail to soak up in this garden.

We've walked through the private front garden now, on the way to the back. Worry not! We'll return.

A view of the side garden, from the public sidewalk.

A little further along the sidewalk.

And now stepping back into the previous photo, but walking up the pathway to the back garden.

The name of this plant escapes me, but I do love the foliage. If it's the one I'm thinking of, it gets yellow flowers that I find rather unpleasant, and that's why I've never planted it in my own garden.

Sharkskin (Agave)!

This beautiful pond, and the sculptural "rill-delivered" flow of water running into it, was simply perfect.

I somehow managed to tear myself away to explore the rest of the garden.

The planted-up limestone steps...

Were pure magic. Why just have steps when you can have plants in the steps?

And that block wall! Palm Springs done up Austin-style.

So seriously fabulous, and isn't that little Bougainvillea the perfect touch?

Heading around to the shade, in back of the planter now.

More Piper auritum perhaps? (the big leaves) Along with my favorite Austin "weed" Tradescantia pallida...
Agave (almost) buried by Alstroemeria pulchella.
And an Alstroemeria almost-bloom.

More shady garden-goodness in a part of the garden that's still a work in progress.

Did you spot the bird girl statue in the photo above? "The famous Bird Girl statue, originally designed both as art and as a birdseed holder, was originally located at Savannah's historic Bonaventure Cemetery. A Savannah photographer, Jack Leigh, was commissioned to take a photograph for the cover of the book. The cover image became immediately iconic, with author John Berendt calling it "one of the strongest covers I've ever seen", and the statue became a popular stop for tourists. Owing to rising concerns about the integrity of the statue and the cemetery's privacy, Bird Girl was relocated in 1997 for display in Telfair Museums in Savannah. In late 2014, the statue was moved to a dedicated space in the Telfair Museums' Jepson Center for the Arts on West York Street, in Savannah." (source)

Heading back out into the sun...

I wanted to get a closer look at the wall, I'd noticed in places it actually seemed to be floating.

That's because instead of being buried in the ground it's on a short metal platform. Pam got the low-down from Curt and shared it in her recent blog post on the garden (here). The blocks are adhered to the metal and each other with a product called Fuze-it. I think the black metal base adds a modern artistic touch. So much better than just having the blocks disappear into the ground.

The chairs add another dose of Palm Springs atmosphere.

Back out on the side-street sidewalk.

And in the front garden. The gate opens onto the street in front of the house. The hedging provides privacy since an actual wall wasn't allowed by the neighborhood association rules.

Many Austin Sagos still showed the destruction of last winter, this one didn't look touched.

Out front there were several striking Agave ovatifolia, of course.

And blooming Dyckia.

This vignette marks the corner of the property.

The dish planter Bougainvillea is my new "personal favorite" treatment for this plant.

Wouldn't you know it a monarch happened by to add a splash of orange and movement to the planting.

The perfect touch to an already perfect garden.

Thank you Curt for letting our small group invade your garden and take up your time, and thank you Pam for arranging it!

Weather Diary, July 9: Hi 71, Low 60/ Precip trace (enough to make the dust on the car splotchy)

All material © 2009-2018 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

29 comments:

  1. I love your take on this garden. I must admit I was feeling a bit worn out by that point, but there were so many exciting things to see that I pulled myself together. Your post brings back great memories.

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    1. Have you posted about it yet? I'm thinking no?

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  2. Pacific chrysanthemum is the name of the plant that you were trying to remember.

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  3. OK, now I've finished reading the whole post and enjoyed seeing Curt's garden through your lens. It's always interesting to see what a designer does with their own property -- usually more experimental than what they do for others. Curt is the rare landscape architect who is also a true plant lover, and it shows.

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    1. Indeed, and thanks again for sharing this garden with us!

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  4. What a wonderful garden, and you've captured it so well. Curt has really created a paradise.
    I think the plant you dislike that has yellow flowers is commonly called Pacific daisy or silver and gold plant - botanical name Ajania pacifica (formerly chrysanthemum pacificum). The one you thought was hoja santa (piper auritum) isn't, but I'm clueless as to what it is.
    Thanks again for taking us along for a tour of this garden.

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    1. I really feel like I should know that one, and it’s seriously driving me nuts that I’m drawing a blank!

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    2. Thanks Vicki! And Lori if you think of it please come back and tell us!

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  5. That free-standing breezeway block wall just slays me…so smart. And then it jumps elevation over the raised planter! Curt is one of those landscape architects that is so dialed into Austin's climate and designs so strongly for it that you want to move there -- even knowing what we know about the summers!

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    1. Let me know if you decide to move, I'll take your house off your hands!

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  6. Pure perfection. As a designer with a big corner lot, I would be nervous about my house being in a neighborhood with aesthetic rules.

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    1. I don't know that they're so much aesthetic rules? Maybe just something to keep the neighborhood feeling friendly?

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  7. This garden is almost flower-free, yet I still love it. That says something! The rill and pond set-up is my favorite element.

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    1. And funny, I didn't even notice the lack of flowers.

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  8. I’ve been waiting for this post! I was so absorbed in finally getting to see that garden that taking pictures was an afterthought, and now I’m kicking myself a bit. Glad you got so many good ones!

    The sago palm is actually pristine because it’s not a sago palm at all, but a ringer called Dioon edule. Weirdly, I’d never heard of it until this spring and suddenly, I notice it everywhere! They’re more cold hardy than the sagos, but grow slowwwwwwwly & never achieve the same bulk. They’re pretty hard to find in retail, too.

    P.S. I keep forgetting to tell you thanks for the postcard & it always makes me smile that somehow you picked a design that coordinates perfectly with my kitchen colors— it fits right in, propped on a shelf.

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    1. Looking back at Pam's post I loved that she pointed out your blog name as you were standing near the statue.

      Ah! A Dioon edule, I have one (in a container)! And yes, slow, super slow. I keep thinking I should risk it and plant it out.

      What a happy coincidence with the postcard design!

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  9. I love all the shade trees - it must make a big difference in summer.

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  10. That was stunning. Thank you so much for the tour. SEVERAL points inspired me. It’s impressive how often “Go big” is the right answer. Your opening with the Kalanchoes container, a good example.

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    1. I really should follow you around an open garden sometime, to see what your designer's eye sees.

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  11. Pam beat me to the plant ID. (And I only knew it because I killed both of mine! I love the leaf shape and cream edge so much I was willing to forego the flower).
    The planted up steps are a thing of beauty, and I'd love to host Bird Girl statue in my garden permanently.

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    1. Bummer! Perhaps the third time is the charm?

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  12. What a great garden. How lucky that you got to visit it. I love the water feature and especially the planted steps.

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    1. And I think both of those features are visible from the public sidewalk. Lucky neighbors.

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  13. What a great garden that balances great design and plant fanaticism beautifully! Makes me want to move to Austin except that summer there is too hot to enjoy being outside all day like we in the PNW can.

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    1. Your comment got me to wondering what your temps are for the upcoming week. Yep, you're a lot cooler than us...

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  14. Neat garden and very Austin with the iconic ovatifolias.

    Breeze blocks were everywhere in Southern California when I was a kiddie and I always loved them. Should never have disappeared--I'm glad they are "in" again.

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    1. I tried to find them years ago, when we were working on the patio, but they were nowhere. Glad that's changed.

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  15. Your mystery large leaves plant might be Clerodendrum bungei; if so, I'm surprised it was used with those lower growing Agaves which it will simply engulf in rampant foliage.

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