5th annual Taking Root luncheon
Co-Chairs: Vallette and Russell Windham
Monday, October 1, 2018 11:30 – 1:00 pm Junior League of Houston 1811 Briar Oaks Lane
Purchase a table or tickets now! Donate here if you are unable to attend!
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
PETER HATCH
Mr Hatch is a celebrated author of four books on the garden of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, where he served as Director of Gardens and Grounds for 35 years.
Visit Peckerwood Garden!
View our Calendar and Purchase tickets here to all upcoming events. Visits to Peckerwood Garden are by guided tours only
Collections located across the creek: July 7th Peckerwood Insiders Tour
Saturday, July 7 one tour at 10:00 am Register here
Please join us Saturday at 10 am for our Summer tour of the collections north of the creek. Seen from afar on our general tours, this is a special opportunity to learn more about the unique plants that hide in the collections of the north dry garden along with rare trees, shrubs and perennials in the surrounding dry woodland garden. This tour is held quarterly, so it is one of the few opportunities to see up close the iconic “Blue Wall” inspired by Frida Kahlo’s famous Blue House in Mexico City, integrated among a fascinating array of collector plants.
One tour will be held at 10 am. Space is limited, register ahead.
Plant Exploration Update – Our Recent Finds and Upcoming Expeditions: July 21 with Adam Black
Saturday, July 21 one tour at 3:30 pm and Lecture at 5 pm Register here
Continuing Peckerwood founder John Fairey’s legacy of introducing new and exciting adaptable plants to horticulture while supporting a mission of conservation, we have been busy this spring acquiring new species either from our own wild collections or backing up those collected by other botanical gardens. See the results of horticulture director Adam Black’s travels to a number of gardens and arboreta from Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois and back and the many treasures shared by these collaborators that we look forward to trialing at Peckerwood. Come see updates on our work with various native plants of conservation concern from the stunning landscapes of west Texas as well as well as species poorly represented in cultivation from the lush forests of eastern Texas, Florida and beyond. Fall is going to be a busy collecting season locally and internationally, so get a sneak peak at what we are targeting with partners from other botanical institutions.
Join us at 3:30 for a tour and at 5 pm for refreshments and a great presentation.
Ongoing Opportunities
The nursery is available most days by appointment, free entry, call or email prior to arrival to ensure staff or volunteers will be available. Private tours are scheduled by appointment, see below or here. Call for availability on a weekday, by donation.
Join us for Open Day on the 4th Saturday each month, all year!
Evening lectures at 5 pm every 3rd Saturday. Purchase Tickets
Become a Member
Support us as a member of Peckerwood Garden Conservation Foundation — members in every category of membership may visit the garden free on any of the Open Days during the membership year.
Upcoming Events
Open Day Jul 28. Aug 25. Sep 8 Peckerwood Insider’s Tours Jul 7. Aug 4. Nov 3 Evening at Peckerwood Garden Lecture Jul 21. Aug 18. Sep 15 Purchase tickets here to all upcoming events or register to pay on-site here.
Schedule a Garden Tour
Group tours of Peckerwood Garden may be scheduled for any time of year. Have lunch under the trees before or after your tour.
Our nursery inventory is now online!
We are pleased to announce our release of our sales inventory online. It can be found in the drop-down menu at the top of the page or by clicking here. All sales are onsite only at this time. Nursery Inventory
Highlights from our Recent newsletter
Newsletters Read all of our past newsletters here
“Conditions this spring have resulted in some of the most profuse blooming I have seen on certain species in the garden. One standout that draws everyone’s attention on our many group tours this past month has been the Hill Country native Clematis texensis. The only red-flowered species in a genus found world-wide, it is valued for breeding with the big gaudy-flowered cultivars but at its best in pure wild form, in my opinion. ”
“Every species in our excellent assemblage of wild-collected Mexican “mock oranges” (Philadelphus species) produced a memorable show over the past month as well. Like the Clematis, many of these made no attempt to flower the past few years, but this spring was the exception. John Fairey and Carl Schoenfeld collected twice as many species of Philadelphus from northeastern Mexico than there are species known to science from that region. Some are woody vines, some are weeping shrubs, some dwarf with tiny leaves, others quite imposing. All have flowers with pleasing fragrance, nestled among the showy white bracts that usually get interpreted as petals.”
“Now that our spring flush on most woody plants is hardening off, we can start setting up cuttings of various rare trees and shrubs. Some will be quick to root and grow out to a salable size by late summer into fall, but others will be slower and may not be ready until next year. Here are just a few of the many interesting things currently available in our nursery, which is open by appointment or during our scheduled open days and other events.” The three highlighted species were the San Carlos Mountains Red Oak (Quercus sp. “San Carlos”), Blue Rabbit’s Foot Fern (Phlebodium pseudaureum), and Alice Staub Japanese Anemone (Anemone x ‘Alice Staub’).
This month’s plant of the month is the Hemiphylacus hintoniorum “Here’s an obscure one that we finally have identified. The silvery-blue clumps of erect rubbery leaves could be interpreted as belonging to an agave or yucca, but the identity of this plant has continued to intrigue me.” “Researching further, the current genetic studies show the genus Hemiphylacus is a direct relative of Asparagus – yes, the edible vegetable. The two genera are the only ones recognized in Asparagaceae subfamily Asparagoideae. Though they look completely different, one similarity they both share are thick, fleshy nodular roots, as anyone who has grown “asparagus fern” (Asparagus aethiopicus) likely knows. Hemiphylacus dies back to this mass of roots in winter, but erupts out of the ground in spring with a refreshed rosette of clean silvery blue. ”
We also thanked our volunteers for their hard work and dedication.
Peckerwood Garden
View our Calendar and Purchase tickets here to all upcoming events. Visits to Peckerwood Garden are by guided tours only Call for availability on a weekday, by donation. The nursery is available most days by appointment, free entry, call or email prior to arrival to ensure staff or volunteers will be available.
- Opportunities to visit the garden are now available on a consistent schedule, and groups also can book private guided tours most days. Peckerwood Insider’s Tours are held at 10 a.m. the first Saturday each month.
- Open Days take place the fourth Saturday of each month (all year) and the second Saturday of October, November, April, and May. We will begin at 10 a.m. and modify tours to accommodate the extreme climate.
- We also are offering regular monthly Evening at Peckerwood Garden lectures conducted by knowledgeable Peckerwood staff and volunteers, as well as local or visiting experts. The 6 p.m. lectures will be held on the third Saturday of each month. email eventregistration@peckerwoodgarden.org to sign up for an event and pay onsite rather than online.
- Volunteers are welcome to lend a hand with garden work 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays. Please sign up online here or email Volunteer1@peckerwoodgarden.org.
- Peckerwood Garden is open to Scheduled private tours and on scheduled tour and event days, guided tours only.
Office hours are Tuesday through Saturday 9 am – 5 pm. Visitation of the garden is at this time Guided tour only, see available opportunities to visit below. Event questions can be emailed to eventregistration@peckerwoodgarden.org or call the office at 979-826-3232.
Your membership gifts help support Peckerwood as it nurtures and expands plant collections and adds educational tours and programs. You’ll find the various membership categories and benefits here. Membership Thank you for becoming a friend of Peckerwood.
Professional partnerships and donations
Learn How to partner with us Who are our partnersPeckerwood Garden Professional Ambassadors and partners are both a foundation of support for us and a resource for you. Learn more about them or about the availible programs now.
Nursery Visits now available most days
Call or email to schedule a visit to the Peckerwood Garden Nursery any weekday.
Watch here for a link to current nursery offerings soon.
info@peckerwoodgarden.org 979-826-3232